Maybe this will end up being a blessing in disguise. Morey & co. might actually allow much more media availability to Dave and Clutchfans in order to ensure accessibility to meet the demands of the fans if their arms are tied with team run media outlets. They can't contribute to Clutchfans, but they can simply "allow" more media availability.
But is not anymore? The guy who helped build the global goliath; is tearing it down on his way out. That fine commissar?
It's absurd. Sounds like an attempt to smear teams interested in Howard and Paul, at least to me. Anything to help the Lakers (and that other team in LA) simply because it's LA, the thought being that any bad publicity for those interested in Howard could help the Lakers, who are up to their eyeballs in desperation. And Stern helps them with whatever he can dream up, this being it at the moment.
Anyone have a cache of the article? They didn't disclose how much the teams were fined. Could've been a 100 bucks for all we know.
Don't knock Fritz. As far as I'm concerned, that man can do no wrong. He was the best Rockets beat writer in the city when he was at the Houston Press. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=150192
It's also the best network out of the big 3. Rockets being fined for this, when it could have easily be curtailed by the league office before the story was put up is comical. Stern is a grade-a jackass though.
I still think the rockets were fined because harden and parsons have been recruiting howard and relaying info to the rockets organization. Then there is the whole we want to clear cap to sign a max player by trading t rob.
How exactly can you prove that they were relaying information to Morey? Just because they are trading Robinson doesn't mean those 2 are informing Morey about Dwight's intentions. You could simply argue that they are clearing up space so they can potentially sign him. (This probably could've been worded a lot better)
Had those articles on my summer reading list to pick up later, closer to free agency. Read the first one... it was pretty good. Seem to recall quite a bit of rocketscast live discussing other teams players that would suddenly become questionable commentary by this reasoning. Is it only after the season is over that this is a problem? When they are using bogus reasoning it is hard to figure out...
Which is why they fined them for something else which they do every year. They cant prove it, but they know whats up.
Other teams may have done it before (Miami, Lakers) but not in writing. It's during the negotiations that those things are brought up.