Editorial
If you needed a clearer indication that the National Basketball League's Melbourne headquarters has no idea about the Illawarra then this illustrates it.
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Speaking to a US-based reporter for a piece about LaMelo Ball on the behemoth website NBA.com, NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger said the following about the Illawarra.
"It's right on the ocean, picturesque, mountainous and at the same time, you'd expect it to be a tourist destination, but it's really not," he told the reporter.
"It's an industrial location. We've had big steel works there for many, many years. As a result, it's become a blue-collar town. The people there are fanatical about their sport."
So close Mr Loeliger. So, so close. Yet so, so far.
If we were to be critical we would say that this explains how little an understanding the NBL truly has of the Illawarra region and how the league came to the mind-boggling point of thinking removing the region's name from the club was some sort of genius idea.
If we were to continue to be critical about the NBL we would also say perhaps the Commissioner should journey out of his Melbourne bubble a little more and spend a little more time here than his recent once-in-a-blue-moon flying visit to the city and to the WIN Entertainment Centre.
Mr Loeliger is certainly no expert on the Illawarra. His track record proves that. Maybe he shouldn't pass himself off as one.
The new ownership of the Illawarra Hawks has worked tirelessly to win back the confidence and trust of this region, including going above and beyond to return the name to OUR club. Their efforts don't go unrecognised. So let's be constructive.
Here Mr Loeliger is the offer to you as Commissioner, to the NBL Chairman Larry Kestelman and your key decision makers.
On behalf of the Illawarra Mercury and Destination Wollongong, let us invite you to spend a couple of days in Wollongong with us and we'll show you what our region truly has to offer.
This is a real, genuine offer. It is there for your taking.
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Julian O'Brien
Editor of the Illawarra Mercury and former editor of The Advocate (North-West Tasmania). Journalism is simply about telling good stories well and we do so now across a broader platform than ever before. Our role as a regional masthead is to not only share the stories our readers care about but to be a passionate torch bearers for community at every opportunity. We are stronger together.
Editor of the Illawarra Mercury and former editor of The Advocate (North-West Tasmania). Journalism is simply about telling good stories well and we do so now across a broader platform than ever before. Our role as a regional masthead is to not only share the stories our readers care about but to be a passionate torch bearers for community at every opportunity. We are stronger together.
