Rogers and New Pbl Team Bring Their 'Game' to Saint John - Jul 27, 2010 (by Allen White)
Saint John, NB, July 15, 2010 - Rogers Wireless and Saint John's new Premier Basketball League (PBL)team are teaming up to create an exciting experience for sports fans in the Port City [read more]
Saint John, NB, July 15, 2010 - Rogers Wireless and Saint John's new Premier Basketball League (PBL)team are teaming up to create an exciting experience for sports fans in the Port City. Rogers and the new team announced today a two-year, title sponsorship agreement that will enable Rogers to support the team's community involvement, in addition to game execution opportunities including Rogers contesting, Rogers Zone and brand recognition resulting in more excitement at home games for fans and players of the PBL.
'This is the type of excitement Rogers wants to be a part of right here in Saint John! We are thrilled to help support the team's community involvement, in addition to creating a better fan experience and an exciting Rogers section at Harbour Station during home games. Giving back to the community in which we live and work is a priority,' says Susan Gordon, Vice President, Marketing Services, Rogers.
At the announcement, Rogers Street Team and youth basketball players from East Saint John Minor Basketball brought the audience to their feet by repeatedly and enthusiastically chanting 'Saint John, Saint John, Saint John' before a PBL highlight reel showed what fans can expect to see on the court.
'By teaming up with Rogers we truly are bringing our 'game' to the Port City, and it's going to be an exciting and memorable fan experience,' said Ian McCarthy, president of Saint John's new PBL team. 'We are thankful for the support Rogers is providing our team and are eager to get on the court, entertain our fans and bring a PBL championship to Saint John.'
The team and Rogers also announced a Got Name? contest for the community to vote on the team name.
'We can't truly bring our game without a Saint John name,' said McCarthy.
To enter, participants must send a text message to 667242 and enter A, B, C, D, E or F for their
choice, as follows:
A - Saint John Millrats
B - Saint John Fog
C - Saint John Riptide
D - Saint John Fire
E - Saint John Shamrocks
F - Participant must enter suggested name
With the community's input, members of the team will select the new name and randomly select the winner of a Rogers prize package and a pair of season tickets to the new Saint John team's first season.
The naming contest will run from July 15th until midnight July 22nd and is open to basketball fans above the age of 13.
PBL could lose 2 teams before 2011 - Jul 7, 2010 (by Eurobasket News)
The Premier Basketball League is down to just five confirmed teams for 2011, but president Andre Levingston isn't panicking.
Levingston, who doubles as owner of the Halifax Rainmen, has all but given the boot to expansion franchise SouthCoast United, based in Fall River, Mass., and has given the Vermont Frost Heaves a deadline of July 15 to come up with $100,000 to stay in the PBL.
That leaves his Rainmen, the Quebec Kebs, Saint John (N.B.) Millrats, Lawton-Fort Sill (Okla [read more]
The Premier Basketball League is down to just five confirmed teams for 2011, but president Andre Levingston isn't panicking.
Levingston, who doubles as owner of the Halifax Rainmen, has all but given the boot to expansion franchise SouthCoast United, based in Fall River, Mass., and has given the Vermont Frost Heaves a deadline of July 15 to come up with $100,000 to stay in the PBL.
That leaves his Rainmen, the Quebec Kebs, Saint John (N.B.) Millrats, Lawton-Fort Sill (Okla.) Cavalry and Rochester (N.Y.) RazorSharks as the only confirmed teams for next season.
'I don't think there should be any concern, he said. I think fans should be excited, finally, about the direction of this league. Were putting checks and balances in place and moving forward with teams that are going to be very, very solid and stable.'
Levingston said he needs a minimum of seven teams to run a really, really good league, but hes hoping to bring in as many as four teams from Puerto Ricos Baloncesto Superior Nacional and is in discussion with a few other potential ownership groups in the United States.
Levingston is scheduled to travel to Puerto Rico on Monday for a second time in a month.
'If we could get Puerto Rico on side, I really think the (NBA) D-League would have to sit back and take notice of whats going on here', Levingston said.
PBL looking to add Puerto Rican teams to league - Jul 3, 2010 (by Eurobasket News)
Andre Levingston is scheduled to make a third trip to Puerto Rico later this month to continue negotiations to blend several of that countrys teams into the Premier Basketball League.
The new president of the PBL, whos also the owner of the Halifax Rainmen, said Thursday that hed like to see as many as six to eight of the entries in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional participate in the PBL in the 2010-11 season [read more]
Andre Levingston is scheduled to make a third trip to Puerto Rico later this month to continue negotiations to blend several of that countrys teams into the Premier Basketball League.
The new president of the PBL, whos also the owner of the Halifax Rainmen, said Thursday that hed like to see as many as six to eight of the entries in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional participate in the PBL in the 2010-11 season.
Last year, the Puerto Rico Capitanes, based in Arecibo, were one of the PBLs top teams but had a tumultuous relationship with league officials that came to a head when the club was expelled late in the season and then reinstated after it appealed the banishment in court.
Levingston has said he believes a more official arrangement with the BSN might help create a better relationship with any Puerto Rican teams that join the PBL.
'We want to see how we can put this whole thing together and make it work for both sides,' Levingston said Thursday of his meetings with BSN counterpart Carlos Beltran.
'Im extremely happy about this and about the opportunity because this can really put us in a good situation as a league and so we definitely have to see that through.'
The PBL played last season with nine teams but Buffalo and Maryland will not return for the upcoming campaign and the Vermont franchise is scrambling to meet a league-imposed July 15 deadline to satisfy a number of operational requirements.
Levingston, though, said hes not worried about what could be left over if expansion in Puerto Rico doesnt pan out.
'I dont think like that. . . . Were not sitting down and trying to work things out because we feel that things cant work. This is something that I definitely think can work. Its just a matter of two presidents sitting down and saying OK, this is how we make it work, and I dont think theyd invite me back over if this was something that they didnt want to see happen.'
Levingston was named PBL president in early June, replacing Tom Doyle, who was also owner of the Maryland franchise.
The Rainmen CEO said at the time that the league needed to establish higher standards for its ownership groups to ensure the stability of franchises.
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