Mark Cuban can't shut his mouth DALLAS -- Mark Cuban's latest taunting of NBA officials drew a $250,000 fine Thursday. After being fined three times for a total of $45,000, Mark Cuban was hit hard by the NBA on Thursday with a fine of $250,000 for being critical of officials. Exactly a year after Cuban took over as owner of the Dallas Mavericks, the NBA issued a one-sentence statement saying he was being punished "for his outbursts and actions concerning game officials" following Dallas' 107-104 defeat against Detroit on Wednesday night. Cuban was upset that goaltending was not called against the Pistons after a missed shot by Dallas' Steve Nash that would have tied the game at 106. A replay showed that a Detroit player's hand touched the rim with the ball in the air. Cuban had the replay frozen on the JumboTron and assembled some photographers to take pictures of it. "The refs were pitiful tonight and I don't care if I get fined," he said. "We're going to find out what the rules are and protest the game." Cuban accused official Tommy Nunez of trying "to take over the game." "If a guy can't look at a replay and see it was goaltending, that's ridiculous," he said. Team captain Michael Finley said officials told him goaltending was not called because the shot had no chance of going in. Cuban did not immediately return an e-mail, his preferred method of communication, seeking comment. This is the fourth time this season the billionaire has been fined, all for critical comments about officials. The previous three punishments, which came in an eight-day span in November, totaled $45,000. Cuban has said the league needs to monitor officials better, claiming he has charts showing how his team has been treated unfairly. Fearing more retribution against his team, Cuban promised to clean up his act after his his third fine. He left a road trip, then began sitting in the upper deck for home games, at first saying it was to avoid getting into trouble then keeping it up because he enjoyed it. Cuban went from season-ticket holder to owner exactly a year ago Thursday, agreeing to buy the team from Ross Perot Jr. He was approved several months later although some owners were wary of his involvement. Cuban has made running the Mavericks his passion and has made himself synonymous with the team. He's lavished players with electronics-filled lockers, ultra-soft towels and even custom-made courtside chairs. He's redesigned the team's logo and thrown in the maximum $3 million to complete trades. His most radical move was signing Dennis Rodman and letting him live in the guest house of the owner's home. The league nixed that arrangement and Rodman was released after 29 days, two ejections, one suspension and $13,500 in fines. ESPN.com: HELP | ADVERTISER INFO | CONTACT US | TOOLS | SITE MAP Copyright ©2000 ESPN Internet Group. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information are applicable to this site. Employment opportunities at ESPN.com. ------------------ "Its a good thing they don't make posters of European players" -Walt Williams after getting "posterized" by Zan Tabak .
He was right. The refs blew the call. Must be nice to be able to open your pie hole and blow a 1/4 mil in seconds for complaining about a bad call. ------------------ President of the Moochie Norris Fan Club - est. 99-00
Cuban's an idiot,I mean does he actually think they are going to change the call?Argueing with refs should be done by coaches and players. ------------------ Now chew through my ball sack
Well fans at courtside also argue with officials about calls but they aren't considered idiots. Look I know he's an owner and people look at him differently but I agree with him and I'm glad he said something. How many times have you wanted to complain about a call? And I wouldn't consider it taunting an official, I love Mark Cuban's enthusiasm, at least it shows he truly cares about the game and he is more of a "every man", someone who is rich but hasn't forgotten where he is from. ------------------ "I have a scale at home and it only goes up so far, I love that scale!" - Charles Barkley TNT Studios
I agree that Cuban acts like a lot of fans would. I think its refreshing to see a team that is actually passionate about the game. ------------------
Cuban had the replay frozen on the JumboTron and assembled some photographers to take pictures of it. I don't know, but that sounds like taunting to the officials to me. It's one thing to argue about calls, it's another to mock the refs. I give Cuban credit for having so much passion for his team, but thinking the refs are out to get his team is a bit overboard. EVERY TEAM gets bad calls in EVERY sport. Until the NBA institutes the instant-replay, Cuban should not have done what he did. Cuban is acting like he can do what ever he wants because he has money. I am glad Stern hammered him on this one. Steve_Francis_rules, do you think the Mavs are "passionate about the game" or are they just happier because they have "more" things? If they are truely passionate for the game, they should've been playing well even before Cuban's arrival.
No, Cuban did not think the refs were going to change the call. That was not his motivation for doing what he did at all. He did it to make a point, and did it knowing he would take a fine. What a bold and unprecedented thing to do! I love it! He called out the officials right there on that JUMBO Tron for all to see. Beautiful! I wish Houston had an owner that was bold and brash, that would go all out for his guys. ------------------ There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
I don't think Cuban is acting he can do anything he wants because he has money, he just wants to win. And it's funny, if an officials makes a bad call he isn't held accountable and it is brushed under the rug, this way he called him out. And I don't think that is was Steve_Francis_rules meant, I think he meant that Dallas is playing with more desire now that they have an organization that is actually trying to win and making good decisions. How many years have players in Dallas languished because management treated them like the Clippers? ------------------ "I have a scale at home and it only goes up so far, I love that scale!" - Charles Barkley TNT Studios
I like Cuban because he has an enthusiasm that is unparalleled by anyone in the NBA, including players. But he is an idiot. He hired a consultant to train his players on how to handle the refs to get more favorable calls. Brilliant idea. But, I don't think he's talked to the consultant himself. Aren't the refs just going to stick it to his team more because of the enmity between them and Cuban? Secondly, the NBA does not have an instant replay. What's more, it should not have instant replay. It slows down the game -- tolerable in football, but not in basketball. So, you have to rely on what the refs call, whether they blow it or not. They missed this call, fine; they miss lots of calls. You have to live with that. Finally, he's shooting himself in the financial foot. I believe his franchise has boosted its revenue because of his approach, but he's only suceeding in making the league look bad. When the league looks bad, everybody will make less money, including him. If he manages to convince the public that the refs are incompetent and are giving games away, why should they watch anymore? Why buy T-shirts and promote a corrupt league? If I was Stern, I'd be pretty pissed at him too. ------------------ RealGM Rockets Draft Obligations Summary http://www.gaffordstudios.cjb.net/
I really dont care much about Cuban. He is very energectic but may be an idiot. He isnt the Rockets owner so it doesnt matter to me--I think Les is a great owner. He isnt visible but definitely puts the right people in charge to win. What concerns me here is the NBA's position. Finally they have at least something that is marketable. I mean Cuban at least seems to be a fan favorite. And he was right about the call. It was pathetically done. In fact, the NBA refs is the league's biggest problem in my mind. They are so inconsistent from game to game, ignore so many basic rules--traveling, 3seconds,etc...which they tehn call sporadically further ticking me off--and generally make such ridiculous calls it hurts the game. Some become unridiculously too slow or some too out of control. I mean WHO monitors these people. In my opinion there should be a team watching every game in detail to evaluate their performance. The NBA should APOLOGIZE to the Mavericks. Say, hey, the refs missed that call, were sorry, but we dont know how it would have affected the outcome of the game and we cant do anything about it now. FIning CUban for a quarter mil just makes it more obvious that its not the respectability of the league at stake here but rather the $$$profits$$$ that are important. ------------------ "There are some frauds so well conducted that it would be stupidity not to be deceived by them." Charles Caleb Colton (1780-1832)
In the NBA's defense, they do censure their referees in some manner. However, they keep that side of their business very quiet -- I suppose because a public condemnation of a referee would damage his legitimacy. Apparently, this strategy hasn't worked because they still have lousy reputations. In any case, I think Cuban is trying to affect some kind of reform in the way the NBA controls their referees. He may well be right that it could use some reform. However, since the NBA tries to keep these things private and in-house, Cuban should probably do likewise instead of nailing his 95 Theses to the door. ------------------ RealGM Rockets Draft Obligations Summary http://www.gaffordstudios.cjb.net/
There should be instant replay initiated at least the final few minutes of the game. Yes it slows down the game, but in the final minutes, you need an instant replay option. The Mavs got totally robbed on that call. Also in another game, Nets V. Heat I believe, Marbury went up for a shot in the final seconds when the ball was literally kicked by a Miami Heat player. Guess what? No kickball called. There are these current example of the ref's failure in the final seconds, and I am sure that they will screw up in the future also. ------------------ da ability to focus attention on important things is a defining characteristic of intelligence - alaskanSnowman
Even if he is an idiot, he is an infinitely greater idiot for the game that Donald Sterling. ------------------
