Basketball On The Internet.

SYDNEY Kings coach Shane Heal put the cat among the pigeons by suggesting the NBL should play on Christmas Day next year but the responses eventually balanced out to about 50-50.

In case you missed Heal's missive, you can pick it up here: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/sydney-kings-coach-shane-heal-says-nbl-should-break-new-ground-with-christmas-day-scheduling/story-fnii09gt-1226790064261 but basically it boiled down to playing a 4pm Sydney-Melbourne game, followed by a 6pm Adelaide-Perth match, mostly for a television audience.

The derision revolved around several factors such as the hardy perennial "never been done before - won't work in Australia" but there were genuine concerns about disrupting Christmas Day for families, costs of employing people at venues etcetera.

The flip of the coin argument came from people who essentially said Christmas had run its course by night and they would indeed attend and/or watch it live on television.

My own personal opinion is I would rather see a Christmas Eve or a Boxing Day move because it is nice to have a one exclusive family day a year and Christmas Day fills the bill.

We bring out a paper on Boxing Day so as journos, we are used to working on Christmas Day. We have Christmas Eve off (no Christmas Day newspaper).

But regardless of any of that, it would be irresponsible of the NBL - especially now it has shown itself to be forward-thinking and progressive - NOT to explore the idea.

Poll the fans. Speak to sponsors. Kick it around.

That's why we have a democracy.

SIMILARLY the comments by Ken Cole this week strongly pumping for a return to winter also had people talking.

While I do not agree with him myself, and believe some of his premises - such as players wanting to play NBL here in winter after a full schedule in Europe and on big $$$ - are not necessarily accurate, as a Hall of Famer and legendary figure in the game, he is entitled to share his views.

If you missed them, here they are, edited: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/hall-of-famer-ken-cole-says-the-nbl-should-switch-back-to-winter-48minute-games-and-dump-the-player-points-system/story-fnii09gt-1226788982893 and here they are unedited: http://www.botinagy.com/blog/ken-cole-says-switch-back-to-winter/

I completely agree with a return to 48-minute games (and six fouls) and, unlike some, cannot dismiss his opinion because he is "based in the US".

That would be like ignoring Bruce Palmer's opinion or Brian Goorjian's viewpoint because they are "based in China".

People who love the game, are committed to it and passionate about it and, most importantly, have been high achievers within it, often have invaluable things to say.

If the worst we can say is "they sparked debate" then what harm has been done?

The biggest mistake journos make is to under-estimate the capacity of the readership to separate good from bad, workable ideas from fanciful. Basketball folk have never been easily duped.

That in itself is food for thought.