I think if stern really wanted the knicks to be guaranteed to get the first pick, a creased envelope would definitely not be the way to go. he's smarter than that and could have figured something else out.
Meh, I hate conspiracy theories, but take notice to a few more things. 1. The fact that the camera man, pans down from the person dropping the cards into to bin to only show the bin with the cards. This could be explained by Stern by saying to the network. "I want the camera to pan down, and get only the envelopes going into the bin to create a closer look/more exiting feel/blah blah. 2. Stern does flip the cards around to get to a specific card. Which he does NOT do to the next 2 cards. He merely reaches in and grabs the cards. Then suddenly he starts flipping cards around to get them, as if to suggest, look, I did it to other cards too. 3. Why are the cards dropped in seperately? I mean, why wouldnt they just drop them all in at the same time? 4. He does in fact look at the first pick. He looks squarely into the bin then picks and looks away. The other cards he is looking away constantly. I dont know, it does kinda add up.
Thats the genious of it. Its so simplistic, that you have people who are going to scream "Oh my god, thats just too simplistic a way to do it" Easy to shun off everyone by saying theres no way it happened that way. Any high scheme method has proof to follow.
They could have put a watermark on the envelope that only they could see. Used an envelope with a different type texture, glossier or rougher than the others. Use a different shaped envelope. Had it pre-creased, instead of doing it in front of the camera. Much more unnoticeable and professional tactics they could have used. Sometimes high position people are too egotistical and sure of their decisions and think they're slick enough in their simple ideas, so who knows still.
There could have been some James Bond stuff going down. The envelope was marked but on Stern could see it through his "special" glasses. That's how he knew which envelope to go for.
Yeah, but someone (pissed off GM) could've gotten a hold of the envelopes and eventually found all of those things. No one would really give two sh*ts about a small crease on the corner though.
