I don't know what to make of this! It just keeps getting more and more interesting... I wonder who JVG has on the inside of Stern's office, because apparently it is NOT an NBA referee that JVG was referring to as the source, but rather an NBA official in Stern's office. Wow! Does anyone think it could be Rod Thorn himself or someone else?!! This is even better than Watergate
Why didn't JVG stick to his guns and say there is an official he knows within the business? I think the pressure from the NBA got to him and he wussied out.
Crazy, just read the Chron's article again from last week http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3163505 and he did say NBA Official. He did not say anything about the referee. Yet im still confused, why would he say "not working in the playoffs". I was thinking, doesnt all referees work at least a few playoff games? Hell has Violet Palmer referee one? Still confusing matter regardless. Damn, this is great.... who said the offseason was going to suck???
It's becoming apparent by official,he meant League official...as in League office.Now,based on what Stern said we are lead to believe that JVG made it all up.It sounds as if Jeff IS sticking to his guns though,and Stern is lying his @ss off.I'm not sure about the legal ramifications here for JVG,and I'm sure he's had advice.It would seem he has hit the main nerve,and might have some kind of leverage over Stern.This soap opera/conspiracy appears to be over...But why?
There is no one in the league with more honest candor than Van Gundy. Judge for yourself. He's got the goods and Stern wanted the matter dropped because he knew he had nowhere to go with it besides a publicizing of information that would discredit his league. Stern knows it is best left right here.
That is what I think too, Stern must not want to challenge JVG further or he might "spill the beans". If true, then JVG has more leverage than people know.
Stern is too much of a hard ass to drop it... I bet something suspicious did come up but he he didn't want to pursue it any furthur to save the league from embarassment... Something that makes you go Hmmm... They just showed David Stern on TNT walking towards the arena to watch the Dallas-Phoenix game There's all these playoff games going on but he seems to be always watching the Dallas games....
stern came to the realization that he didn't have the power to fire someone a whole season or impose a lifetime ban because of such comments. and if he did impose such a punishment, you know all the secrets about the nba would start leaking out and his reign as commissioner would be over. that was stern's #1 worry: even though he knows that jvg was contacted by someone, his only concern was to scare everyone from issuing any kind of criticism/conspiracy theories about the officiating, probably because there is legitimacy to them. i'm happy for jvg, way to stick with your guns.
I think all parties wanted a graceful way out and there is a way to surmise what happened. Scenario 1: JVG is telling the truth and there is a bias - It doesn't look good to have a coach suspended because he claimed foul play and then refused to give up his source - because it makes Gundy's story look true, and that the league is indeed trying to cover something up by firing the ref who told him. Clearly the league knew getting tough on Gundy in public would draw a lot of attention to the issue - if there was really something there, the league would not want this. It would want to take care of it quietly without damaging its brand. Scenario 2: If JVG really did make it up - the league of course knows if there is any truth to it. THey wouldn't ask to do an investigation, and threaten Gundy if he didn't cooperate. Clearly, they did that because they thought SOMETHING was going on. Either that there was some contact or that they knew indeed there was truth in what he said. Had he been completely out of order, they would have just fined him and suspended him, with little fanfare. Scenario 3: David Stern wants to set an example of coaches who complain about officiating in public. The best way to do it would be to scare the hell out of Gundy, as he wants to let everyone know that indeed, no one questions his authority. Fact is, we all know there is some truth to the officiating following Yao's screens. Gundy attacked the NBA, and regardless, Stern had to act and show him who was in charge. So he hit Gundy hard until Gundy submited. Once Gundy showed that he knew his place, Stern yielded and forgave him...he had won, and that's all he had to do. I think it was scenario 3. Just about Stern excerting his will over the game - flexing his muscle to show that no one, absolutely no one, says or does something to cross the commish.
This is all a conspiracy theory. It's Stern's way of getting JVG into deep waters... ...meanwhile, Phil Jackson is waiting ready to take over reins of head coaching duties for the Rockets. ...yes, it's all Stern's HUGEE conspiracy of getting Phil Jackson to the Rockets team. He can feel it...his goal of world domination..uhum.. globalisation is nearly complete. A few championships for the Rockets with Phil Jackson and two of the NBA's current most marketable players in TMAC and YAO.... ohhhh, why couldn't anyone else see it?
Guys, if the league can drop it, so can we. Lets not spin. David Stern did Gundy a favor. We all know Jeff is lying. But who cares?? Its not like he killed someone. Jeff was wrong. Paid the fine. Lets move on.
Guys it may not be over just yet. I just heard Richard Justice on ESPN radio's Mike & Mike Show. Mike & Mike are saying that JVG has clearly changed his story because his original statements clearly indicated that he'd heard from a game official. Now he's changed to say he was talking about a LEAGUE official. Justice went on to surmise that he didn't know if JVG would be able to continue as coach here since his credibility is now shot. They were comparing this incident to the one where the manager for the Blue Jays was forced to resign after it became public that he'd lied about having served in Vietnam. Even more fuel for this fire: A representative (Jeff Morris) for the NBA referees association was on earlier (didn't hear him) and he/they want JVG suspended or fired for implying that there was some sort of conspiracy or collusion on the part of game officials which called into question the integrity the league officials. Morris is saying that JVG lied. ESPN is short stroking this for all it's worth and are playing the JVG clip over and over. You can be that Dan Patrick will be all over this one bleating like a sheep.
