Rakeville Times: Home field advantage?

Constuction begins at the Claffey Coliseum as crews install the Crows basketball court on the field surface for the team's upcoming playoff game. It will be the first outdoor game in EHBA history, and the first outdoor basketball playoff game ever.




Home field advantage?
By Aviator McShadeless, Rakeville Times

The decision was made Sunday night, as the Crows closed in on securing a bye for the EHBA playoffs. The Rakeville Convention Center, the team’s defacto home court, simply wouldn’t be large enough for the spectacle forthcoming. So construction began to transform the Claffey Coliseum into a basketball stadium.

Holding a meager 6,000 fans, use the convention center was a compromise between the city and team. The team wanted to play at Rakeville Central High School, the city wanted them out of the gridlocked downtown, and out of the city in general.

“The team didn’t seem dedicated to the city and to winning,” said City Councilman Grant Elvine. “We have some great professional clubs in the city, and in comparison, the Crows organization was dreadful. What kind of professional team wants to play in a high school? I don’t care if it is one of the best in the area, it is still a high school.”

The Crows didn’t have many options. Rakeville University does not have a basketball program, and the team couldn’t build a new arena soon enough to start the season. Plans for a new arena are still stalled to this day, and the team expects the convention center to be its home for the next few seasons.

“It isn’t the best option,” said team President Tim Legler about the convention center. “It is disappointing when you go to Montreal and Dublin and see these world class facilities, then you play in Rakeville and you feel like you’re playing for a rec league. I think it demoralized our players early on.”

What seemed like a negative quickly turned into a positive.

“There was never an empty seat,” said Point Guard Steve Nash. “We know we are playing in front of people who love basketball. It took me a while to learn that here. A couple thousand folks packing a small place is better than a couple thousand in giant, empty arena. It was in our heads at the start of the season, but these fans turned it around. They are rabid. Our opponents can hear every chant and taunt. I think it is great.”

Team officials decided that more seating was needed for the playoffs, especially after the Crows had clawed back into the hunt, garnering the second seed.

“Basketball may not be as popular as baseball and football here, but playoff basketball is something everyone can enjoy,” said Legler. “I think the 50,000 people we can fit into the Coliseum is perfect for a stage like this.”

While this option may not be doable in the winter, but the playoffs are right on that line. Players may be a little cold but once the game starts, but all of that will disappear.

“We’ve all played in parks in any type of weather when we were kids,” said Rashard Lewis. “This is nothing. I hope it snows.”

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Wake Up Call

Does anyone ever sleep in Vegas? Gamblers at the black jack tables from dusk till dawn, clubs full at noon and midnight, flights coming in at 6am and leaving at 1am. One could argue that the new ownership of the Las Vegas Lizards weren't ready for the Vegas lifestyle in their inaugural season in the EHBA, but they've turned some heads in the past few weeks and now find themselves in the drivers seat of one of the final two playoffs spots. How many red bulls are they going to have to drink to keep it up?

By: Max Powers/Reno Weekly Rag

The Crazy Horses. 2006 Champions. The Doggs. 2004 and 2006 Champions. The Lizards. Well, let's not get carried away just yet. This is just to prove a point. The Lizards have been going under the radar, not only in the EHBA, but in the city of Las Vegas itself. The team was aware of their place in the city from the beginning.

"When we started the season it was in the middle of the Crazy Horse's season. They were defending champs and we were a first year franchise. Of course we're going to be overlooked. We expected it. We were ok with it...at first," then back up point guard Mike Conley told the EHssociated Press back in December. Conley wasn't the only one that assumed the worst.

"We knew we were going to have to impress the fans of this city right off the bat and it was going to be tough. We put together a pretty good team in the draft and I thought that with the players we had we could do great things in this city. Needless to say, it was a tough start," head coach Charles Barkley stated in a recent interview with EHSPN.

A tough start it was. The Lizards lost the season, and home opener to the Deathpiggys of Montreal 7-2. They then moved into Fitch Foo Fighters' territory and slightly redeemed themselves, winning 6-3 on the road, only to come back home the following week and lose 6-2 and 7-2 in back to back home games.

"It was embarrassing. I remember seeing fans leave toward the end of the week 3 game against Colorado. And I don't mean just a few fans here and there, I mean the entire stadium. The janitors were sweeping the aisles before the final buzzer. I swear I heard one of them ask us to leave so they could start mopping up. That hurt," Pau Gasol told me in a recent phone interview.

The Stardust University Crazy Horses made a big trade during that game, sending away their franchise quarterback and star running back for a new look offense. This didn't help the Lizards one bit.

"The media spent a whole month analyzing that trade. I don't think anyone even realized we [the Lizards] existed anymore for that time period," said Barkley.

The Lizards went 4-5 in the following 9 weeks. In that time they played 7 home games, not one of which had a live fan base of more than 20% the stadium's capacity.

In week 14, the Lizards started a 5 week road trip. Beginning in Peoria and moving onto Colorado, Tijuana, Rakeville, and Minnesota. No one was looking forward to the trip, especially after losing at home to the Foo Fighters the week prior.

"There's not too much to do in any of those places. We're kinda spoiled by the city we play in I guess, but no one on the team skis so Colorado will just be cold, especially this time of year, we're all too afraid to go out in Tijuana to be honest, Rakeville has a couple historic sports stadiums and museums I guess, but after that we'll just spend all our free time in the Mall of America before heading home. It's not too enticing of a road trip to say the least," remarked injured center Greg Oden in an interview back on January 27th.

Perhaps it was the normal schedule the kept rather than their normal Vegas schedule. Maybe it was the lack of entertainment on the road. Just maybe it was the fact that the players and coaches were sick of losing every other game. Whatever it was, something sparked the Lizards on that road trip. They finished up that 5 game trip away from home 5-0, outscoring their opponents on their own floors 29-14.

It didn't stop there. Once they finally returned home they were greeted by a full stadium of fans for their match up against the highly seeded Boston Danawolves. The Lizards' players were energized by the crowd, by their coaches, and by themselves. They went on to dominate the Danawolves 9-0, posting the first perfect game in EHBA history. On their home court no less. In front of a full house. Simply amazing.

The Lizards continued their winning streak in week 20, beating the Dublin Brawlers at home 5-3. This win put them in the drivers seat for one of the last two playoffs spots in the EHBA. With just one week left, the Lizards are more in control than all season.

The Lizards' staff has been hard at work the last two week doing everything they can to keep this team running strong. They've brought in nine new players and three new trainers in the past two weeks, hoping to keep that fire burning through the end of the regular season and hopefully into the playoffs. All they have to do is hold off the Tokyo Vegans in Vegas and the Lizards are in the playoffs. A script couldn't be written better that what is happening to this team. Once ruled out of playoff contention, the Lizards now hold the keys to their own destiny.



Max Powers is a writer for the Reno Weekly Rag. He enjoys jalapeño poppers, but hates jalapenoes. Go figure.

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Rakeville Times: Center of Attention

Al Horford rises above defenders to pull down a rebound. He is one of three blue-collar centers who have propelled Rakeville to the top of the EHBA.




Center of Attention
By Aviator McShadeless, Rakeville Times

Their names rarely top the sports page, and their game is often overlooked by their opponents, but the trio of centers in the Crows front court have been anchoring Rakeville’s meteoric rise through the standings while the high scoring forwards and franchise point guard garner the praise.

In the wake of a 8-1 victory over fellow playoff contender Colorado, Samuel Dalembert, Andrew Bogut and Al Horford are finally getting the recognition they deserve. Taking on arguably the best front court in the EHBA, the Crows big men out blocked, out rebounded and out worked the star-studded lineup of Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard and Brad Miller.

“They are the workhorses of this team,” said Guard Steve Nash. “They allow us guards to play fast and loose on defense knowing that there is a defensive wall behind us. If you’re going to score on our front court, you’re going to earn it.”

Taken with the 90th pick in the draft, Dalembert has led the charge toward the postseason. He is fourth among all centers in blocks, and leads Rakeville in rebounding with his tenacious work in the paint.

“We knew we were getting a shot blocker in Dalembert, but the points and intangibles have been a huge bonus,” said team president Tim Legler. “It is why we are a playoff team, and championship contender.”

Those words couldn’t be said earlier in the season, but now Rakeville has locked up a playoff spot and are only 2.5 games out of a bye. With cellar dwellers Tijuana and Fitchburg remaining on their schedule, slipping past Boston and Dublin for the second spot may be a reality.

“People look at the schedule and think we have it in hand,” said Forward Rashard Lewis. “Nothing is guaranteed in this league. A lot of people though playing us was a sure win a few months ago. I don’t want to make that mistake too. The Foo Fighters can play, and the Madadors are tough. Much tougher than that other Tijuana team who are changing their name. Sissies.

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