CWNO Historical Archive: June 12, 2017

OPB Expands To 32 Teams

June 12, 2017; Los Angeles, CA- Today, OPB President Marshall Pearson announced that Las Vegas and Oakland have been awarded the 31st and 32nd teams in the OPB. This is the first expansion of the OBP since 2004, when Seattle and Raleigh were awarded teams.

Neither of the two locations came as a surprise, as it’s been presumed Las Vegas would receive a team since the decision was made to permit betting on OBP events just three years ago. While Oakland came as more of a shock to some, many insiders were predicting the city would be granted a team given Marshall Pearson’s ties to the area and the aggressive marketing push made by the Oaktown Conglomerate, the majority ownership group behind the successful bid.

While Benjamin Booker, Jr., the new owner of the Las Vegas franchise, declined to provide any insights on the creative direction the team would take, the Oaktown Conglomerate shared that the team would be known as the Panthers and the team colors would be black, purple, and gray, with yellow also incorporated.

In Las Vegas, fans anticipating the announcement celebrated outside the city’s Crown Stadium, while in Oakland, the Oaktown Conglomerate hosted an event with a who’s who of supporters at the organization’s headquarters, located on the East side of the city. In Shaw Park, located across the street from the Conglomerate building, several hundred fans chanted “Panthers” and cheered as Oakland-based rappers “Bump City Crew” performed the group’s high-energy tribute to the city, “Bump That”.

“This is a historic day,” said Conglomerate Chairman Robert Greene. “We’re pleased that the OPB and Marshal Pearson have bestowed this honor upon us and we will, in turn, honor this city and its people with a team that is committed to this flourishing community. Ten years ago, when we first formed this organization, we had a vision for this city that is becoming a reality. This is a new day for Oakland, and this is just the next step on the city’s journey to greatness.”

The Oaktown Conglomerate team teased a potential uniform concept and logo for the team, which will be known as the Panthers, upon the announcement of its successful bid for a franchise.

This latest expansion comes as the internationally-focused Premier League of Basketball has experienced a sudden rise in popularity. The Premier League, which has franchises located exclusively outside of the U.S., has built a loyal following overseas and has begun to make inroads in the U.S. Many OPB fans have grown frustrated with the league this season as the Chicago Brawn, a team owned by ZeusX founder Peter Arlington and composed of the league’s top stars, has dominated the rest of the league on its way to a likely second consecutive championship. Arlington has built the team by offering tip-tier money to a barrage of free agents while showing an utter disregard for the league’s luxury tax penalty. Fans and owners have claimed for some time that this has eliminated competitiveness and parity from the league, but the recent growth in Premier League fans may be the first manifestation of this frustration.

Fans outside Las Vegas’ Crown Stadium celebrate the OPB’s decision to award the city a franchise.

These recent developments have led many to speculate that the OPB will be implementing new policies for next season in order to increase competitiveness. While Pearson had remained tight-lipped about any forthcoming announcements, it seems inevitable that something will need to happen before long.