UPDATE
NBL CEO Jeremy Loeliger has released the following statement about the report:
“We want to be innovative in our broadcast and give fans insights into the game by taking cameras behind the scenes and into changerooms and time outs. It’s something we’ve been doing for a number of seasons and it’s something that sets us apart from other sports.
“Most of the clubs give fantastic access and it’s a case of working with coaches to educate them that what they say at certain times during a game will be live. We are a family sport and want to reduce the risk of bad language going to air while ensuring that we continue to give fans and viewers watching great access through the broadcast.
“Sanctions including fines are really a last resort and not something we have imposed on any club at this point in time.”
EARLIER
Melbourne United CEO Vince Crivelli believes NBL broadcasters will have to find different avenues if they want to remove swearing during telecasts.
The Daily Telegraph reported this morning that NBL clubs could face fines if coaches or players are caught swearing during timeouts. The NBL broadcasts timeouts live, which often catches coaches using profanities to get their message across.
While conceding he will educate coach Dean Vickerman and the playing group on the NBL memo, Crivelli isn’t sure fining the offenders is a reasonable solution.
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“I think it is ideal (to have no swearing) but I’m not 100 percent sure it’s really practical,” Crivelli told SEN’s Whateley.
“I think the broadcast will have to find a different avenue to really bring that audio to the audience.
“I’m not 100 percent sure that fining players or coaches is necessarily the right thing to do.
“I think we have an onus on making sure all of our players remain professional and stick to the values of our brand.
“That’s an ongoing education that I have with Dean and all our players.
“I’m pretty proud of the way our players respond to these things.
“I don’t think our team are culprits of this but I know that it happens.
“It’s just a constant education.
“Can I expect it? I’m not 100 percent sure.”
1st option: 5 second delay. Technology is beaut in 2018
— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) November 13, 2018
2nd option: Get out of timeouts. Players/coaches are fiery and emotional. (Which means they care and want to win 👍) https://t.co/cMTSuVSU3d
Crivelli says United and the NBL are committed to enabling unlimited access to the media, and used an example from the NBA as a potential answer to the league’s concerns around swearing.
“We want to be a sport that opens up its doors to media,” he said.
“We think we have got a great product and we think we can really give media a real open slather, a real open look at all the back of house proceedings and the inner sanctum proceedings that happen on game day.
“The profanity, is it required? No. Does it happen? At times, yes.
“I think there’s an onus on both the broadcaster and the club to do the best they can to prevent anything that might be offensive to the viewer or to our audience from going to air and I think that’s the middle ground that hasn’t been found.
“In the NBA, they will take the timeouts but they’ll package it up and replay moments of the timeout after the timeout has happened, so they can filter it out.
“I think we are trying to create an opportunity for media to really get access to everything that happens on game day and provide that to the viewers.”
Listen to Vince Crivelli’s chat with Gerard Whateley on SEN’s Whateley in the player below