JVG will not get banned. Stern is just trying to act like a tough guy in from of the cameras. I honestly believe that, if he really tried to ban JVG, you would see other teams getting involved. Everyone in the league knows JVG so I think you would see a lot of coaches and players expressing their opinions on it.
We need someone to hack into the ref's email network and cell phones. It's time to deliver a blow they can't recover from.
He won't get banned. It's Stern posturing. I wouldn't be surprised if the fine was reduced significantly too.
What happens if JVG provides proof that this Yao targeting occured. It is my belief that refs shouldn't even mention the names of players because this adds bias to the games. Kinda like refs aren't supposed to look at the score to reduce bias. If he provides proof, does Stern apologize and give the money back?
I suspect that there is likely an appeals process that Van Gundy can go through and possibly a third-party mediator to adjudicate the dispute if it comes to a banning. I don't care if he gets his money back or not since he's a millionaire several times over, but I'm assuming he has recourse to protect his employment. I'll be surprised if he does get banned. If he does though, there ain't squat fans can do about it. Most who threaten to stop buying from the NBA are bluffing anyway.
If he gets banned we form the million fan march and go up with our picket signs to NBA headqtrs. The fans will prevail!!!
We have an X Factor here. If he bans Van Gundy, the Chinese press will be all over David Stern because Van Gundy was essentially protecting Yao. That would be serious bad press for the league when they're trying to go global.
If JVG get banned, the key person would be the referee friend. If the referee friend is real and willing to be the witness, then JVG can sue NBA and David Stern. Then we will see who get banned and even go to jail.
If all allegations are true, I'd think that JVG is protected as a whistle-blower in this post-Enron world. If anything, it's Stern who is losing sleep right now.
even tho the rockets are my life...i am willing to stop spending money on tickets and products and i know it'll hurt the rockets first, but i want it to affect the whole nba and stern. i have all faith in the rockets organization to rally behind JVG and show them. i agree with what others said that if the nba and stern didn't think what JVG said was true, the fine wouldn't be that astronomous (sp??) but b/c they want to keep this tight lipped and JVG let it slip, they are p*ssed. it is a muzzle. a $100,000 muzzle.
The $100,000 fine is not a big deal. Yao agreed to pay half, and I am sure Rockets will do something about the other half. Stern is being nervous about it, and that is why he gave that talk. I believe more than JVG had his source after Stern spoke last night.
You guys hit it on the head! Stern is talking tough now to attempt and scare off JVG, and basically threaten him to "shut up" about his mole "or else"! It is almost mafia-like language, I was a bit taken back by Stern's demeanor when he said that. IT really was like Tony Soprano threatening to take out a "snitch" who is causing problems for the business. Part of me just wants this to go away, but the other part of me wants this to go far and all the way to the court of law, where JVG would suprise everyone by introducing his refree friend who would spill the "beans" on the NBA's crooked practices, and then the refree would be protected under law as a whistleblower. That would be great drama! But if it takes JVG's honesty and "do-it-the-right-way" approach to life to bring down the NBA's bias practices, then I am all for it. JVG won't back down from Stern, he will go down swinging if anything happens.
Exactly. The Rockets are everything. So is the NBA and pro ball. But I'd boycott it all in a flash if JVG is banned.
I'd boycott basketball in a heartbeat. I'd hate it because I'm a true fan but protecting the refs for the "integrity of the league" doesn't hold water if there is, in fact, no integrity. JVG is a whistle blower. He's the one that needs protection.
You gotta spank me to believe JVG will be thrown out of his coaching career for what he said. Aint happening. NBA is a professional association, if Stern goes that way, it's Gundy vs Stern at high court, Stern loses his sorry azz and resigns.
