Moving on

As the PBL and ABA gear up for the 2009-2010 season, I think it’s pretty clear that Montreal will not have a team in either league this time around. This surprises nobody, and I can’t even say it’s a bad thing: talented players will have a chance to play for a team which can offer them a real contract worth real (if perhaps insufficient) money. And fans won’t suffer further disappointment watching another team with great potential fizzle and die.

Since ‘Team Montreal’ failed so catastrophically last season, I’ve cut off contact with the previous owners of this city’s teams. So, I can’t really tell you whether rumours that the Matrix would rise again were ever anything more than just rumours. What I can tell you is that the players aren’t just sitting idly by.

Last I spoke to them, both Tommy Mitchell (Montreal Royal, 2007-2008) and Buster Perkins (Montreal Sasquat’ch/Team Montreal, 2009) were in negotiations with teams overseas. I haven’t heard of anything being finalized yet, but I have high hopes for both players.

Jamaal Wise (Montreal Sasquat’ch, 2009) is recovering from knee surgery, and will hopefully be back on the court soon.

Montreal’s own Marco Volcy (Montreal Matrix/Montreal Royal, 2005-2008) just released a new music video, with a new album set to come out in early 2010.

And I just read that former Sasquat’ch head coach Alejandro Hasbani will be working with the Kebs this season.  (You may recall I wasn’t a big fan of coach Hasbani’s style, but maybe it will work in Quebec City)

On a semi-related note:

Player news

Former Montreal player Marco ‘CoShyne’ Volcy, who has been focusing on his musical talent lately, launches his video C’est moi (soon available 4brostudio.com ), this Wednesday, August 12th at 5pm at Phillips Lounge (1184 Place Phillips, Montreal, www.phillipslounge.com)

Congratulations, Marco!

Fans can follow Marco on MySpace and Facebook

update: view the teaser clip here (also available in HD)

update (11/9/09): the FULL VIDEO is now out (watch in regular-def or HD, below or on youtube)

update (11/11/09): on January 26, 2010, you’ll be able to download Marco Volcy’s album on iTunes

Let the speculation begin

A thread on the OSC message boards pointed me to a Halifax article about the PBL owners’ meeting.  According to the article, Rainmen owner Andre Levingston reported that the Montreal Sasquat’ch won’t be invited back to the league for 2010.  No real shocker there…. the team got kicked out mid-season.  But does that actually mean anything for Montreal basketball fans?

The problem with reports on closed  meetings, is that you never quite know what was actually said, and how it was said.  Did the league say Montreal won’t be back? Or only that the Sasquat’ch won’t be back?  It actually makes a big difference…

Only a couple of weeks ago, I was talking to a team  employee about the coming season…. he said the owner was actively preparing for 2010, and that it looked like the team would be back in the PBL as the Montreal Matrix.

Now of course, intent and reality are often mismatched when it comes to minor league ball in Montreal.  So it’s entirely possible that the owner was preparing for a season without actually having talked to the league.   Particularly given how the 2009 season ended.  But it’s also possible, depending on how the league worded it’s dismissal of Montreal, that the Matrix really will be back in 2010…. but since I’m not likely to get confirmation from either the league or the owner anytime soon, let the speculation begin!

Are local players best for the team?

Where to draw players from seems to have been a bigger deal this season than ever before.  More than half of the Sasquat’ch roster was from out-of-town, and the new owner who resurrected the team (and, reportedly, the new sponsors) felt that out-of-town talent was a drain on a cash-strapped team, and Montreal should focus on local talent.

Which makes sense, to a certain extent.  Out-of-town players don’t just need a salary.  They also need housing, food, transportation, and somewhere to work out.  These are all things that any local player already has.  So yes, local players cost less money.  For a team as clearly lacking in funding as Montreal was this season (and has been in the past), it makes sense to save money.  And Montreal does have a wealth of local talent, many of whom have played for Montreal in the past.

Another chance for Montreal?

UPDATE (28/4/09):  I was back on the ABA website a few minute ago, checking for updates on the Montreal Matrix situation for the 2009-2010 season… except that Montreal’s no longer listed as an expansion team.  Confused? Yes.  Surprised? Not so much…

Oddly enough, I was contacted earlier today by someone who apparently works for the Matrix.  Err… how does one work for a team which doesn’t appear to exist?

(Existential question: if a team has no players, no arena, no coach, no fans, no league and no schedule… is it still a team?)

So, I was browsing league sites this evening, and I stumbled across a bit of an oddity:  the Montreal Matrix is listed as a 2009-2010 expansion team in the ABA.  They’re one of a whopping 25 expansion teams listed for the ABA so far… which is, far from being odd, about par for the ABA.

What’s weird, then? Well, for starters, the Matrix was an expansion team for the ABA’s 2008-2009 season.  But they never played a game for the league; in fact, the league never posted a schedule for them.  I heard awhile back (and have, I think, mentioned a few times since) that the ABA actually presented Montreal with a pretty lousy schedule, with nearly all of their games against the Jersey Express.  Reportedly, Montreal rejected the schedule, and was never issued an improved one.