http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AoAwb7kld9RGPwKLjuMXSzm8vLYF?slug=aw-sternnba031511 If Woj turns up dead in the next week or so, I know who the #1 suspect is.
Awesome Article. Take a bow Adrian. I hope this is the start to some sort of campaign against Stern and Streling. I hope more and more people in the NBA start to voice their displeasures. Sterling needs to go ASAP for the sake of the Clippers basketball. Especially now that they have Griffin. While Stern needs to go for the sake of basktball as a whole in the NBA. Especially with all this CBA drama.
Typical Woj melodramatic over the top writing aside, this is incredibly sloppy journalism and Woj will be lucky not to get sued himself for slander. If you are going to write a piece on unethical behavior, it should be very specific and should not be a mixture of substance and opinion. It comes off like the author has a beef and is not reporting objectively (which is true in this case). Not enough evidence to support this claim (none at all really). Implies Stern plays favorites with officiating, and offers zero supporting evidence. Was any effort made to contact Stern about these claims? Doubtful.
I was always neutral on Woj, I originally disliked him as he can get carried away on his own whim, (the guy torched lebron out of spite well beyond what he deserved, one article against lebron ok, numerous anti-lebron articles --too much. That's coming from me a anti-lebron, pro durant guy) I respect him to have the balls on making this article and getting in Stern's grill. One point he made which scares me is that ihoops and the hall of fame mention. The NBA starts expanding it's roots to the youngsters and amateurs and soon the sport of basketball can lose it's purity and heart and simple become entertainment. I say this not only as a fan of the game but a guy who's really loved the sport.
One fact doesn't need any evidence to support because it is as obvious as bright day light: Stern pays more attention to SVG's criticism then Sterling's despicable deeds.
WOW...Wojo let Stern have it. Everyone knows Sterling is a piece of work but this puts the spotlight strictly on Stern. It's an opinion piece so don't have much of an issue with it, he makes assumptions that are clear as day and uses a source on the SVG thing. He is basically saying what most of us have felt for years, Stern is a mafia boss running the NBA.
I can picture Stern saying to one of his "minions" (SVG's term) to "go to Orlando, I want you to talk to this coach, get him straightened out", and after SVG hears out the minion and tells him "now you get out of here, and if the Commissioner tries any rough stuff, you tell him, I ain't no high school coach", and then, in a slow montage from the pool outside to the bedroom inside, SVG gradually wakes up and yanks back the sheets in horror to find the Orlando mascot's head in his bed: "AAAAAAAHHHH! AAAAAAAAHHHH! AAAAAAAAHHH!"
Stern should fine himself, better yet- resign completely. To those complaining of the faultiness with this article simply can't handle the general truth. The way Stern has been operating up to date straight up stinks and is, in no doubt, offensive to the NBA itself. I really hope something snowballs from this piece from Woj.
David Stern sucks, we can all agree on that. The NBA has the least legitimacy out of all the professional sports, I believe that sincerely. Woj may not have any dirt regarding Stern's control over officiating, but I don't feel he needs to given how the NBA has conducted itself over the years with totalitarian confidence and complete disregard for some, any transparency, especially when some controversial calls have determined the outcomes of playoff series. If Woj wants to say that David Stern exacts his retribution in the form of biased (and corrupt by definition) reffing, then he doesn't need evidence. All people who have followed the NBA closely over the years believe him.
QFT. This last decade has been pretty unbearable with Stern at the helm. I can't really put a finger on it, but the NBA just hasn't been the same after the strike (and when the Spurs won their first championship...meh). Yes the NBA has expanded globally and has contributed to the community, but the donaghy scandal, team failures (sonic, kings & hornets), and talent "consolidation", has really watered down the league. While all this is happening, Stern is just sitting there being an a-hole about it. I'm tired of seeing this Stern's smug face and would love to see this league run by someone who actually cares about the game and the integrity of the sport, not money. (But who am I kidding, money rules this place, just like any other business)
The owners chose the commisoner. He's there to make sure the league makes money. And he's been doing his job.
I honestly believe New Dear Leader Stern emerged following a few challenges to his authority: Mainly - Mark Cuban's first few years as an owner Plus - players going a little overboard wearing sweats/bling when not playing and testing the lines as far as on court uniform appearance The Palace incident certainly didn't help Stern's always carried the late 70s dark times - they've stuck with him and been a huge influence on his policies. He definitely went iron fist the last decade. I do wish he'd put more effort into fixing the broken officiating than he does covering it up. As far as the Clips, I'm not as furious about the surgery thing as others are - it keeps getting glossed over that the surgery WAS going to be done and paid for, but the assistant wanted to have it done sooner and by a different doc (not covered). I will, however, say that it speaks to the bottom tier health insurance (smells of HMO to me) that Sterling provides. The illegal, Al Davis style, voiding of contracts is a bigger issue in my eyes. If true, if Stern was made aware of this and didn't step in....that's pretty crummy.
I agree with da juice - the owners will keep him around as long as he is making them money and Stern does that very well.
So he made a comment after Van Gundy made a much more ridiculous and offensive comment comparing Stern "and his minions" to oppressive world leaders in the middle east. I'd stay Stern's response was pretty mild everything considered. If you think any commissioner in the entire world would let comments of that nature go, then you are delusional. As for the Sterling thing, that's a much more valid thing to look at. Seems like pretty serious stuff. The only problem is the media doesn't really cover it. For some reason his doings just haven't generated the same negative media publicity of Marge Schott, for instance. From a business perspective (his primary job) it just makes little sense to start a crusade and shine a light on something that nobody outside of serious NBA fans knows a damn thing about.
You are right. Stern cares about image. Since Sterling isn't in the spotlight, his things do not affect Stern's and the league's image. What SVG said clearly tarnished the image, so Stern has to respond. If the media did more on exposing Sterling, Stern would have been forced to do something about it. But then who knows. The officiating thing has been there in the media for years and all Stern does is just sweep it under the rug and pretend nothing is there.
