Spurs
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Little Jerry Lawler
Sigmund Freud On Ritalin And Roids
Stern's mad because it was a nationally televised game. The Spurs did this last year and I don't think I heard Stern make a fuss about it even though I can understand where he's coming from.
See, I've got to disagree with you here Crock. Sure, some of the guys on the roster are a little older than others, but they're hardly decrepit old men. I don't see their age being too much of an issue as they are leading their team to near the top of the Western Conference pretty much every season for more than the last decade.
Sure, four games in five nights is a little bit of a grueling stretch, but the suggestion that Duncan and company cannot do it because they are too old is just ridiculous. These guys are professional athletes and despite their advancing ages, are in good shape. I don't buy the notion that they can cheat the fans out of seeing them perform simply because they're too old. Play fewer minutes. Sit the game out but still be present on the bench. Hell, dress in civilian attire but at least be there for autographs, photos, or other fan friendly stuff. But you cannot allow them to just blow the game off because boo hoo they're tired. They've got million$ of reasons to suck it up and play the game anyway.
Sure, they're playing to win championships, but you have to please the fans in the process. I get the idea that there's no guarantee that any given player will appear in any given game, but there's a reasonable expectation by the fans that the elite players on any team will be there, barring injuries, suspensions, etc., How would you feel if you travelled from your home state to see a WWE event because you wanted to see Cena, Punk, Ryback, and Orton, only to find out once you get there that they won't be on the show. Not because they are injured or anything, but simply because they're too tired. Pretty sure you'd be pissed, I know I would be.
And never mind talk of "true fans" understanding the decision. How about the fans of the Heat who don't live in Florida who specifically chose this game because they wanted to see a potential Finals preview? Or the guys who are fans of neither team but specifically targeted this game to see Duncan versus LeBron? It's not like this was some meaningless game. It was a nationally televised game featuring two teams who are strong candidates to appear in the Finals this year, going head to head. I think is wrong to diminish the game because you're too old and tired to play.
Lets face it, the team will pay the penalty and life will go on. But I think the precedent has to be set that this disrespect of the fans will not be tolerated.
It makes sense, but you're going down a slippery slope. What about the multitude that tank the last month of the season in order to get in better draft position? Should they all be fined.
The Spurs have been doing this for years and did it multiple times last year. It was the national TV thing that got Stern's panties all in a knot.
And all this is going to do is force teams to make up injuries.
PS: Is Ryback really a top 4 name in the WWE nowadays? Crazy, man
The Spurs have been doing this for years and did it multiple times last year. It was the national TV thing that got Stern's panties all in a knot.
And all this is going to do is force teams to make up injuries.
PS: Is Ryback really a top 4 name in the WWE nowadays? Crazy, man
I agree with you about it being wrong when guys tank the last month of the season to improve their draft position. But that's almost impossible to enforce and at least the draft lottery attempts to make this less of an issue. But simply not playing and not even traveling with the team, by choice, that's more flagrant and easier to enforce.
But the fact that are repeat offenders of this is all the more reason why they have to be shown that this conduct is unacceptable. And how better to make the point but to hit them where it hurts the most - the wallet. No doubt that the national TV thing pissed Stern off the most but let's face it, they are trying to market the game to a national audience in the season after the lockout shortened season, and I'm not sure disrespecting the fans in this manner is the best way to do it.
Maybe, but that's where team doctors come into the equation. Injuries need to be documented and be legitimate (in a perfect world).
A random four names to make a point. Although he has elevated himself pretty well up there these days.
They whole thing just makes no sense. Tanking has a hundred times more impact than one random game at the beginning of the season. And you say the Spurs are repeat offenders, offenders of what exactly? They didn't break any rule, they were just arbitrarily punished. The whole things is absurd and impossible to enforce, it was all done for appearances sake. What if all the Spurs starters were there, but they got down big early so Pop decided to sit them out for the rest of the game and they only played 15 minutes each? Would that deserve a fine.
The only thing I may agree on is they probably should have been there, but the whole punishment thing is a mess and really opens up a can of worms
The only thing I may agree on is they probably should have been there, but the whole punishment thing is a mess and really opens up a can of worms
shattered dreams
Hexagonal Hedonist
All Star game will be mandatory this year.
Tanking is absolutely worse than any one individual game, no one would deny that. But as I said, at least the draft lottery attempts to take steps to deal with it, so teams cannot tank a late season stretch and guarantee themselves a number one pick. Plus, it would be nearly impossible to enforce steps against tanking, whereas it would be easy to enforce something as simple as blowing off a key game because your old players are too old to compete.
You yourself said they have a history of sitting players for no reason, having done it multiple times before including last season. That's what I mean by "repeat offender", perhaps a poor choice of words. And sure, they didn't break any rules, but there has been precedent set for punishing teams in the past for similar transgressions, albeit years ago.
If all of the players were there and didn't play much or even at all, then no, I don't think a fine would be warranted.
I somewhat agree, but it opens a totally different can of worms if teams randomly start sitting players for no significant reason except for the fact that it doesn't suit their particular situation, in their opinion.
Exactly, what about when Amare got suspended in that playoff series for taking one step on the court. Was that not a disservice to the fans?
Little Jerry Lawler
Sigmund Freud On Ritalin And Roids
Some Suns fans are still whining about that series which makes me laugh.
Nate DaMac
Fuck erbody but me
I know right? How hilarious is it that there are Suns fans?
Not the same thing. At all.
Nate DaMac
Fuck erbody but me
It's not nearly as different as you're implying.
Please elaborate.
Nate DaMac
Fuck erbody but me
If the commish is going to suspend players without worrying about game attendance of the fans who paid to see them, why is it any better than the coach resting his starters? The commish has no business trying to regulate coaching decisions.
Little Jerry Lawler
Sigmund Freud On Ritalin And Roids
There probably are 2 or 3 still out there.
Little Jerry Lawler
Sigmund Freud On Ritalin And Roids
And I was going to Boston tomorrow to see Rondo play.
But a suspension is because of a player breaking a pre-established rule and the fault for that falls upon the player. It's one thing for a player to miss a game because he broke the rules. It's something else altogether for a player to miss a game because the coach made a personal decision to sit him out. For being too old no less.
And at least with a suspension, it is announced ahead of time, allowing fans to choose whether or not to attend the game. I stand to be corrected, but did fans know ahead of time that Duncan and company weren't playing, because I don't think they did.
So, LJL at least you would have the ability to choose to not go to Boston to see the game, rather than showing up and have him not play simply due to a whim by Doc Rivers.
shattered dreams
Hexagonal Hedonist
I think the league loses all credibility since they recently locked all the players out because the owners wanted more money. Spare me the it is about the fans malarkey.
Then you've got a crappy idea of how tasking an NBA season is on older players -- much less how hard four games in five days would be on their bodies.
They can do it, but the risk far outweighs the the reward. Sitting one regular season game out of eighty two isn't that bad, especially considering that you need to be as fresh as possible come playoff time.
Seriously, though, spare me the sob story. I don't think that the players should suck it up just for the fans, since they don't owe the fans a thing. The Spurs have done this before and nobody cared, but God forbid it comes against the Heat and takes away one of David Stern's marquee match-ups. The Spurs didn't cheat the fans out of a thing. As a matter of fact, they gave them one hell of a game.
No. No, you don't. The Spurs don't owe the fans a thing. It's not like they did something malicious, either -- they rested their star players. Get over it. Your beloved Patriots do this every single year and nobody complains -- and the Patriots certainly don't play eighty two games either.
The fans weren't promised anything other than a Spurs/Heat match-up. Nobody said Ginobili, Duncan, and Parker would be there, did they? The ticket doesn't promise that, does it? This early in the season, this game means nothing. If you want to pretend it does, then the Heat are in serious trouble with the way they played against the shorthanded Spurs.
The Spurs didn't dismiss the game, they only chose to look out for their players. If Popovich felt confident in his team's ability to make it through this tough stretch unscathed, he would have trotted them out there. I don't see where this sense of entitlement is coming from; the Spurs did nothing wrong.
Disrespect to the fans. Riiiiiiiiiiight. Listen bro, this isn't the first time this has happened, nor is it the last time. David Stern's just mad because his precious cash cow might've lost a dollar or two, since the Spurs tried to focus on the ultimate goal of an NBA season, rather than be shortsighted and go through an unnecessarily grueling stretch.
Richard Blonoff
Make America Rassle Again
They read the actual rule that Stern said Pops broke on ESPN earlier. I don't recall it word for word, but it essentially said that no one associated with the league, ie coaches, players, owners, can make decisions that do the league and fans a direct disservice.
What about a couple years ago when the Knicks benched Stephon Marbury? He was a big name player that fans would pay to see and he sat out almost an entire season because he had a poor attitude. Sitting a star player an entire year is more of a disservice to fans than resting four guys for one game. Why where they not fined then?
What about teams like Golden State or Charlotte or Toronto that don't have any players most fans want to see? Why are they not punished?
Remember when the league blocked the CP3 trade to the Lakers? That seems like they were doing themselves a disservice.
This is the reason that David Stern will never be considered a good commish. For every thing he does right, he does something equally wrong in the eyes of the fans.
What about a couple years ago when the Knicks benched Stephon Marbury? He was a big name player that fans would pay to see and he sat out almost an entire season because he had a poor attitude. Sitting a star player an entire year is more of a disservice to fans than resting four guys for one game. Why where they not fined then?
What about teams like Golden State or Charlotte or Toronto that don't have any players most fans want to see? Why are they not punished?
Remember when the league blocked the CP3 trade to the Lakers? That seems like they were doing themselves a disservice.
This is the reason that David Stern will never be considered a good commish. For every thing he does right, he does something equally wrong in the eyes of the fans.
Nate DaMac
Fuck erbody but me
I'm with you on everything but this one. At the time, the league had taken over ownership of the Hornets. He didn't block the Lakers from getting Paul, he just didn't feel like New Orleans was getting enough in return. Actually wasn't a terrible move from that standpoint.