• Home
  • FIBA
  • EuroLeague
  • NBA/NCAA
  • National Leagues
  • Podcast
  • Features
  • More
  • Contact

Grimag

  • FIBA
  • EuroLeague
  • NBA/NCAA
  • National Leagues
  • Podcast
  • Features
  • More

Euroleague needs Pinar Karsiyaka

Since beating Fenerbahce, Karsiyaka fans have been calling for a wild card. Emmet Ryan says it should be Euroleague begging them to take part

Turkey will, without question, have three teams in Euroleague next season. Anadolu Efes, Fenerbahce, and one other will be granted A licences. The third is a wild card spot and Darussafaka Dogus are expected to get it due to the club’s healthy budget and likely star power on the court. By the time next season tips, Darussafaka will have a team that can compete on the floor with nearly everyone in Euroleague but this season, there’s a Turkish club far more deserving of seeing its name in the draw for the Euroleague regular season.

Their fans share posts like this…

Outside Of Arena! Tonight! @Euroleague #WildCardForKarşıyaka @bie_basketball pic.twitter.com/8E7Axs3ze6

— KSK TVen (@KSKTVen) June 16, 2015

…and this…

We Feel Devotion! This is Karşıyaka! @Euroleague @bie_basketball @slamnroll #WildCardForKarşıyaka #WeFeelDevotion pic.twitter.com/Ojt6E2jfUr

— KSK TVen (@KSKTVen) June 16, 2015

…begging for attention from headquarters in Barcelona.

Their fans are crying out for a wild card because they know there is not path open to them to earn a place on merit.

Their fans should stop making calls on Euroleague, instead the league ought to reach out and plea to those fans to come and play.

Pinar Karsiyaka are everything Euroleague want in a basketball club. The whole concept of #Devotion which the league pushes can hardly be beaten than what is seen in that club from the suburbs of Izmir with a passionate fanbase utterly devoted to its team.

Euroleague preaches financial fair play. Well here is a club that has Moneyballed its way to a 3-1 lead in the Turkish league finals, a competition unquestionably in the top five in Europe if not higher.

Along the way it not only knocked out a team that reached this year’s Euroleague Final Four in Madrid, Karsiyaka utterly routed that Fenerbahce side to close the series in Game 4. Now, this same club holds a 3-1 lead over an Efes side that made the playoffs in Euroleague.

This is not an article attacking Darussafaka’s case. As a wild card whose presence is not meant to be impacted by on court performance, it should be judged independently.

It is attacking a system that prevents a club in one of the elite leagues of Europe from winning its way into Europe’s premier club competition. The removal of Turkey’s B licence ended that point of access.

True, winning Eurocup offered an alternative route, clubs in nearly every other league of consequence in Europe don’t need to rely on that route to make it to the big show. If Darussafaka are getting a wild card irrespective of their post-season performance in Turkey, and it was dismal, then surely an automatic route should remain open for a side that has endured through the post-season and gone farther than anyone outside that suburb of Izmir could have imagined.

Oh yes, that’s another financial argument in Karsiyaka’s favour. Turkey is an important market for Euroleague and allowing a club from a part of the country other than Istanbul to win its way in can only be good for the competition. If there is space for Darussafaka then there certainly should also be a spot for Karsiyaka.

All of this is before we get to the most important aspect for fans of the sport. This club is committed to playing a fun and exciting brand of basketball. If Euroleague wants to maximise the value from its existing viewer-base it needs so-called league pass teams to keep fans watching when their own club is off air. In Bobby Dixon, Karsiyaka have a man who can mesmerise whenever the ball is in his hands. Kenny Gabriel, Jon Diebler, Juan Palacios, DJ Strawberry, Soner Senturk, and even Baris Hersek bring a game that thousands will want to watch online. This is a team that causes headlines like this and follows them up with comebacks like this.

Irrespective of what happens over the rest of this series, this is a team Euroleague shouldn’t offer a place to next season. No, Jordi Bertomeu should make a state visit to ‘President’ Bobby Dixon and ask Mr President to come to his party.

Jun 17, 2015Emmet Ryan
Powered by Sidelines
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Google+
Comeback kings Karsiyaka beat Efes to take 3-1 lead in Turkish finalsFinally Mario Hezonja is ready for the jump
You Might Also Like
 
From Russia with Love
 
New trend?
Comments: 6
  1. Milos
    5 years ago

    Sorry, but bullshit article. Euroleague doesn’t really need another financially unstable club with violent fans. Have we learned nothing from the Gala fans? What good can come from a group of people who boos and swears and chants the funeral march while a player of their opponents is leaving the court on a stretcher after a very serious injury. Also the play-off finals of this team has been dreadflully misleading. I haven’t seen such bullshit officiating even in a Real Madrid or CSKA games. I hate Efes deeply so it pains me to say this, but they’ve been robbed in the series, repeatedly. So were Fenerbahce in the semi’s. There’s reason why Karsiyaka choked badly in Eurocup while they’re thriving in the local league. I’d rather see a team like Dogus in Euroleague, who seem to have the resources to put together a contender team, who might actually make the competition a little more interesting. Rather than another below the average team like Karsiyaka with “big heart” whose greatest achievement in the league is going to be shocking some top contender teams at their home court in a game or two.

    ReplyCancel
  2. Caglar
    5 years ago

    Well actually not some of the best teams at Turkish League , KSK beat all of them at home games.

    ReplyCancel
  3. Ksk
    5 years ago

    Then none of the Serbian teams should be in Euroleague as they are not strong economically. Karsiyaka have PINAR brand which is feeding all poor countries’ people and trust me PINAR is far richer than other sponsors in Turkey. This is how we buy you guys..PINAR already confirmed that it is gonna give whatever needed. That’s the difference between you and KSK fans, you stuck in your little world.

    ReplyCancel
  4. Mayko
    5 years ago

    Miloš go fuck your self mate.. I’m watching Turkish league final from the satellite and trust me this team well deserved to be in the spot.

    ReplyCancel
  5. Ewen
    5 years ago

    Whose care the boss, financial status etc… ? Euro League needs new colors. They have magnificient ambiance. Imagine, Karsiyaka versus Olympiakos. I think, Karsiyaka must be in… Who is Dogus? What’s they happened ?

    ReplyCancel
  6. John
    5 years ago

    dogus??? Haven’t played a single game in Europe for over 10 years. No single achievement in Europe. They got eliminated in 1/4 finals in Turkish League…. And most importantly they have no fans whatsoever. dogus may have the money, but everyone following euro basketball should have learned by now that money doesn’t provide you fans (i.e Efes) and money doesn’t get you success (i.e dogus, CSKA etc…) and hopefully if EL is sincere enough, money shouldn’t buy you a wildcard.
    Karsiyaka has also A great sponsor with lots of money and the sponsor already announced that it will give the neccessary resources for EL.

    Karsiyaka has been winning against some of the best EL teams, with its limited budget and line-up… but with unlimited braveness and courage.
    And OMG Karsiyaka fans are crazy for their team and more importantly for the game of basketball…

    Karsiyaka sure deserves the wildcard more than any other team in Turkey.

    ReplyCancel

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Emmet Ryan
5 years ago 6 Comments EuroLeague, National LeaguesPinar Karsiyaka, Turkish Basketball League
Recent Posts
5 Underrated Facts About NBA You Didn’t Know Of
1 month ago
Who Are The Euro Giants Making Waves in The NBA?
1 month ago
Which NBA Teams Will be the Betting Favorites in 2021?
1 month ago
Categories
Recent Posts
5 Underrated Facts About NBA You Didn’t Know Of
Who Are The Euro Giants Making Waves in The NBA?
Which NBA Teams Will be the Betting Favorites in 2021?
Tags
EuroLeagueNBAYouTubeCSKA MoscowReal MadridFC BarcelonaFIBAOlympiacosZalgiris KaunasPanathinaikosACBMaccabi Tel AvivSpainTeam SpainLos Angeles LakersRicky RubioMontepaschi SienaPartizan BelgradePau GasolLithuaniaTeam LithuaniaTurkeyGermanyTeam FranceCaja Laboral BaskoniaItalyLietuvos RytasFenerbahce ÜlkerJuan Carlos NavarroSan Antonio SpursTony ParkerDirk Nowitzkibasketball highlightsMinnesota TimberwolvesTeam RussiaIrelandFranceTeam USASerbiaEuroBasket 2011ALBA BerlinGreeceBrose Baskets BambergEuroCupEuroleague 2011-12
Share
0
Facebook
ABOUT
BallinEurope.com was founded in September 2007 by Christophe Ney (who now runs the excellent scouting-themed website European Prospects) and Tobias Seitz, both then bloggers for FIBA.com with over 10 years’ worth of experience in the professional basketball world each. The mission then was to “provide a very unique perspective of Basketball in and about Europe.”
Most Commented
Why Andrei Kirilenko and CSKA Moscow must win the Euroleague
8 years ago
180 Comments
Euroleague Transfers Table 2008/2009
12 years ago
168 Comments
A week in highlights: Spanish block party, mighty Milos, Utah rap and some dude dunking in L.A.
10 years ago
139 Comments
Archives
Get In Touch

Email: emmetryan@gmail.com

Name: Emmet Ryan

2014 © BallinEurope. Join JCI Dublin