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The pain remains one year on

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It was one year ago today that Melbourne Tigers fans were confronted with the confirmation that their beloved team was renamed Melbourne United.

News of the renaming was leaked the previous day but Tigers fans were hoping that their team owners were not serious about this decision that would unravel 30 years of NBL history in an instant.

Unfortunately for Tigers fans, their worst fears were realized and the Tigers were gone and replaced by a team whose logo looked somewhat similar to A League club Melbourne Heart before it’s renaming to Melbourne City, A jersey that nobody can decide if it’s Blue or Black and a team song that seems to fit New York or anywhere in the USA than Melbourne.

As the days went on, it became clear with research that this action was planned by the owners and top staff for some time and the once strong Tigers community was ripped apart as fans were faced with the choice of staying with United or fight for the Tigers.

Fans were puzzled how sections of Tigers history including the four NBL titles were happily kept by United while the five retired numbers of the Tigers were suddenly open for the taking, fans also were unhappy that the team was claiming to represent all past Melbourne NBL teams but none of their titles or honours hang from the rafters but instead logos are shown on a pre-game video.

United had a rough opening to their NBL existence, they lost their first match of the season and then lost Chris Anstey in a split that was said to be nice but hardly believed by basketball fans, Melbourne legend D-Mac stepped in and for awhile it looked like he would take United to playoffs just like Anstey done with the Tigers months earlier.

United imploded as players bagged each other in the press and D-Mac also took to the media to express his displeasure with the squad, an almost sure thing finals appearance turned into a mission to salvage pride against the Sydney Kings which they did to a crowd over 10,000 which was trumpeted but without finals the buzz was slight and once again basketball news is down to a trickle from the press.

Melbourne United are currently in chaos as the 2014/15 team has been gutted and a new coach has taken the reins, co-owner Larry Kestelman is aiming to take over the NBL and that has fans really nervous for if he gutted the Tigers then he could certainly rip the guts out of the other NBL teams too.

Melbourne Tigers fans who walked away from United jumped aboard the Tigers BigV teams and have been supporting the team at their home games at MSAC and around Melbourne no doubt giving the players of the legendary club a boost as the team now has more people becoming members and seeing more attendees to their games, while being in the BigV may seem as a step down it is in reality a tactical turn around as the Tigers aim to make the jump to SEABL which is seen as serious if not superior competition for the NBL.

Tigers fans are also helping the team out by posting game information, pictures and game results on social media allowing fans to be in the know better than ever before and in some cases fans are more informed than when the Tigers were in the NBL.

2015 has been a struggle for the Tigers teams but the BigV teams play with the same dedication and spirit of the teams that entertained the WNBL and NBL over the last thirty years and WANMU hopes that the team does make it to SEABL and continue to make it’s way to the highest of basketball competition in Australia.

It’s been a hard year for fans, it was hard watching the NBL without the Tigers but fans are glad the BigV season is in full swing and the Tigers are once again the Kings and Queens of Melbourne which has been the case since 1931 and will continue to be that way for a very long time.

Always remember ‘We are not Melbourne United, We are the Melbourne Tigers’.

Tigers on the prowl for wins

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After both the Tigers Men’s and Women’s teams scored wins last weekend over Sherbrooke and Eltham respectively, The Tigers teams are on the prowl for further success this weekend.

The Tigers Men take on Corio Bay at MSAC at 8pm April 25 at and Waverley on April 26 from 2:30pm at the Waverley Basketball Centre.

The Tigers Women aim to go three straight when they take on Waverley at the Waverley Basketball Centre at 12:30pm Sunday April 26.

Tigers fans are really excited with the Tigers teams recent form and hope the form continues this week against the quality opposition.

Tigers fans are reminded that memberships are still available to purchase, Details can be found on the many Tigers Facebook pages and groups.

WANMU will inform fans of the results as soon as news comes to hand.

Tigers aim to square up season

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The Melbourne Tigers Men’s team (1-2) aim to square up their BigV season ledger when they take on the Whittlesea Pacers (0-5) from 8pm tomorrow night at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC) while the Women’s team hope to get a win on the board when they take on Warrandyte Venom from 6pm also at MSAC.

The Tigers Men go into the game full of confidence after beating their more fancied rivals Hume City Broncos on their home turf last week, Tigers fans are steadily making their way to BigV games as word of the season in progress makes it’s way to fans who were left in the cold after the axing of the Tigers name and history in the NBL.

The Tigers Women’s team (0-3) is hoping to rebound from a massive loss to Hume City by beating the similarly luckless Warrandyte (0-4), Despite the massive loss last week Tigers fans are sticking with the team knowing that success will come in the future as the team learn from each other and their abilities.

WANMU will report on the results as they come to hand.

Tigers trump Broncos on Broncos turf

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The Melbourne Tigers Men’s team scored their first win of the 2015 BigV season last Saturday night by defeating the Lanard Copeland coached Hume City Broncos 90 to 63.

The result is a major confidence booster as Hume City has had an impressive start this season under Copeland’s coaching and were expected to add more early season misery to the Tigers season but the Tigers taught the Broncos a lesson on their own turf by taking out the win.

The Melbourne Tigers Women’s team unfortunately suffered a massive loss by going down to the Broncos 105 to 30, while this result is no doubt disappointing to the ladies and their fans, The ladies should feel good in the knowledge that they fought out the game and that with time and practice great results will follow for the only way from here is up.

The next round will take place on April 11 with the Women’s team taking on Warrandyte (0-4) at 6pm and the Men’s team will be taking on Whittlesea (0-4) at 8pm with both teams playing at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (click on link for map).

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Many thanks to Brett Be for taking pictures of the game including the one above showing Andrew Gaze in action as Tigers coach.

Copeland and Gaze to battle on the sidelines

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Andrew Gaze’s Melbourne Tigers will be taking on Lanard Copeland’s Hume City Broncos in their BigV clash this Saturday night (March 28) in a game the promises to be interesting for Tigers fans who get to see the two NBL legends (and good friends) try to outwit each other with their team’s on court.

The game will commence from 8pm at the Broadmeadows Basketball Stadium with the Tigers (0-2) hoping to win their first game of the season while Hume City (2-1) hope to continue their Top 5 form.

The Melbourne Tigers women’s team (0-2) is also taking on Hume City (2-0) at Broadmeadows Basketball Stadium on Saturday night with their game commencing from 6pm, Tigers fans are encouraged to if possible to attend this game as well as the Men’s game to give the side support and encouragement as they too seek to open their win account against a side that has won their two games by an average of 21 points.

Simmons son just like his father and potentially even better.

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Melbourne Tigers legend David (Dave) Simmons son Ben Simmons is Louisiana State University’s newest signing and he has gotten the University all excited over his playing ability with one commenting that Simmon’s signing is the best since a guy named Shaquille O’Neal signed up at LSU.

Ben Simmonds is a 206cm tall left hander and has highlight reels galore with one example being in this article but the best news is that the name is LSU’s team is the Tigers and Ben Simmons is a Boomer as well so he will be seen with the likes of Exum and Bogut well into the future which will no doubt excite those whole follow the Australian team.

Melbourne Tigers fans hope that Ben Simmons will come back to Australia after a decade in the USA and guest in the NBL joining the team that his father is considered so much a legend of that his number 25 jersey hangs high beside Ray Gordon, Warrick Giddey, Andrew Gaze, Lanard Copeland and Mark Bradkte’s retired jerseys.

What should the Tigers wear?

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Let’s say that the Melbourne Tigers enter SEABL and has all the licenses it needs to wear any NBL era jersey it wants, what would be the perfect look for the Tigers?.

Would you go for a Red and Yellow look? perhaps a Red and Orange one? completely Yellow? Red and Yellow with Tigers stripes on the sides? Any of the other Tigers jersey combinations? Some say the completely Yellow look was too generic and identity taking while some may think the 1993 jersey is a little dated but others think it still has everything fans desire.

There are so many choices and no doubt it would be difficult for the decision makers to come up with the look that will please all fans but it will be fun for fans to look and discuss all the possible options and perhaps persuade the powers that be to pick the one that is liked best.

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Is SEABL a good idea or a bad idea?

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The idea of the Melbourne Tigers going to SEABL before getting back into the NBL has been widely thought of, some may think that SEABL is a step backwards because the NBL to be the top league in Australia but on the other hand many believe that SEABL is superior to the NBL and is not top dogs because it has no television deal in place that could catapult it into the public’s consciousness.

While the crowds may be smaller, the amount of teams in SEABL tower over the NBL giving truth to the saying that ‘competition breeds improvement’ for the Tigers would learn plenty from SEABL before going back to the NBL, time in SEABL could also allow the Tigers to build up finances in order to re-establish itself in the top NBL teams when a return happens.

Another possibility could be that the Tigers could exist in both SEABL and the NBL as well as BigV and the VJBL becoming one big franchise so the public can see the Tigers basically anytime and anywhere knowing that players will give it their all every time in every league.

Whatever happens it is exciting times for Tigers fans even if it doesn’t look like much is happening, fans are taking a fresh look at everything to find an outcome that will bring the Tigers roaring back into Basketball while breaking free from Melbourne United and letting the two teams stand apart.

Keep on roaring Tigers fans.

NBL2KMOD gives Tigers fans joy

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While having no team in the NBL sucks, Melbourne Tigers fans who play PC games can play as the Melbourne Tigers thanks to the NBL2KMOD for NBA2K13, Fans can play as any of the four Tigers title winning teams while fans of the Magic, Giants etc can also play as their favourite teams so players can play Tigers vs Magic or Tigers vs United or play as one of the many past and present NBL teams and see which team is truly the greatest of them all.

The game is still in Alpha stage so lots of adjustments will be made over time but fans will already be impressed by what’s on offer at the moment.

Fans must have NBA2k13 (available for $30 USD from Steam by clicking the link) before downloading the MOD for free from the NBL2KMOD site here.

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Fans call for SEABL to NBL route for Tigers

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Melbourne Tigers fans are hoping that Larry Kestelman and Michael Slepoy do the right thing for Basketball and release the Melbourne Tigers name and history so others can start a new era of the Tigers in the NBL by entering into the next SEABL season before making slowly making it back into the NBL.

Fans have indicated that they are willing to donate money to any high profile group that is willing to take on the Tigers name and history to begin this rebuild, fans have said that they hope it is the original Melbourne Tigers (the one in the BigV etc) that get the name and history back for they have indicated that they would follow the Gaze family as well as former Tigers players and staff in the organization anywhere.

it is understood by many that hundreds of thousands will be needed in order for the organization to get everything it needs including getting a SEABL team going but if past players and staff, fans and big and small businesses join together will go from an impossibility towards being a certainty.

Former Melbourne Tigers players and staff are urged to stand up and speak out on social media and the traditional forms of media in favor of the effort to get Kestelman and Slepoy to release the Tigers name and history and to support the Melbourne Tigers organization in getting the name and history of it’s NBL spinoff and start the journey of coming back to the NBL.

Those who are setting on the fence should consider this, the NBL was always good with two Basketball teams, the Tigers are needed in the NBL, future Tigers vs United matches would have lots of spice particularly since United usurped the Tigers to sit in the throne of Melbourne NBL teams and lastly United can stand on it’s own two feet without being embroiled in a Civil War over where and who the club should be.