By David Hein/ heinnews@gmx.de
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness is not one to mince words. That has made him a loved/hated figure in the world of football for years in Germany. But with his football team being one of the most dominant in Europe this season, Hoeness has spent more time dealing with the club’s basketball team. And last weekend he unleashed a verbal attack on the Beko BBL leadership, naming CEO Jan Pommer in particular.
All of this though was a bit shortsighted by Hoeness, who may be best served saving his brash style for the football world.
In an interview with the German weekly sports magazine Sportbild, Hoeness made some damning statements about the league, which many consider one of the biggest risers in European basketball.
Here is a sampling of his comments:
About the BBL: “Basketball is still asleep like Sleeping Beauty. Everyone in the league must do everything they can to create more of a presence for the sport. There’s not particularly good work being done in the BBL. We have watched this for two or three years and now we are going to make some demands.”
About BBL CEO Jan Pommer: “Until now, the BBL is a one-man show with Mr. Pommer. It can’t continue like that. I am missing the transparency.”
About the basketball television broadcasting (the Top Four cup was shown on cable station, and rights owners, Sport1): “The BBL is not doing a very good job here. I don’t like it at all. I don’t have anything against Sport1. But on a weekend in which there is no Bundesliga football, this kind of event had to be shown on public television.”
Absolutely no disrespect to Uli Hoeness, whose presence and attitude and fire are very good for the league and its future, but the Bayern president missed his target a bit on this. Actually, he shouldn’t have taken out a weapon at all – at least not publicly.
Ask around Europe and it’s clear that everyone on the continent is jealous of the growth of the Beko BBL, even Spain, which is the German league’s role model. Of course the financial stability and responsibility of the clubs has helped the BBL accomplish this – even in very trying economic times.
And the BBL has been the forerunner on this – increasing minimum budgets; setting minimum arena sizes; demanding investments in young players for the sustained success of the league and German basketball; instituting regulations for six Germans on the game roster; increasing the league’s and the club’s multimedia presence; among other issues.
So, loads has been done to push the sport in Germany – and that predominantly by actually the two-man show of Pommer and league president Thomas Braumann. While Pommer clearly doesn’t shy away from the limelight, the former business manager and company board chairman Braumann has done his fair share in improving the league, albeit a bit in the background.
Pommer, Braumann and Hoeness met in Berlin over the weekend to discuss the Bayern president’s issues and Pommer released the statement via Twitter: “My impression is that it was a very good talk and that Hoeness can understand our strategic approach … We are very transparent in our decisions. The presidium and managers prepare them and in the end the clubs decide.”
Regarding the television contract, Hoeness may not have remembered the specifics of the league’s deal. It was not possible for the BBL to show the cup Final Four on public television as cable station Sport1 owns the rights.
Hoeness is very used to using his pull to get things he wants. While Bayern were still in the second division ProA, he got public station Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) to broadcast live the Bavarian derby between Bayern and s.Oliver Baskets Würzburg – a game which was played at the Olympiahalle and drew more than 12,000 spectators. BR could show the game because no station owned the ProA broadcasting rights.
Braumann meanwhile called it a “scandal” how little basketball, handball, ice hockey and other sports were shown on Germany’s two nation-wide public channels ARD and ZDF. The BBL president said the league has held hundreds of talks regarding more basketball on television and is not totally satisfied with the situation.
But a deal is a deal.
Speaking of which, Hoeness actually should look towards Munich and the home base of private station Kabel eins, which purchased the broadcasting rights for up to 10 Bayern Munich games but now has announced they will not show any more games after poor ratings for just two games shown.
“Basketball has big potential with its young and modern image, especially in the young target group. But that was not mirrored in the ratings,” said Κabel eins manager, Katja Hofem.
The BBL hopes that the station could return to show games during the playoffs, something kabel eins did not rule out.
Everyone in German basketball – management, clubs, coaches, players, fans – knows that getting more basketball on television is a problem. But the aggravation over that – and his team taking only third place at the Top Four – is not reason enough for Hoeness to go off on Pommer and the other leaders of the league.
The league is very healthy and making big strides towards its goal of becoming the number one domestic league in Europe by 2020. And having Bayern Munich and Uli Hoeness as part of that will help. But Hoeness would best be served to just meet face-to-face with Pommer and Braumann and offer his advice or suggestions.
The league was absolutely thrilled when Hoeness finally got Bayern Munich into the world of basketball. And they respect all he has done. But they don’t deserve the blasting they received.