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Oct. 24, 2006 David Stern is the Idi Amin of sports commissioners; a megalomaniac attempting to force his will upon a league that was doing fine before he took control of it. The latest Stern Vs. the Players fiasco centers on the main piece of the game—the ball itself. For someone who has never played the game, taken a jumpshot, shot a freethrow or had to dribble the ball up the floor against full-court pressure, his steadfast refusal to address the concerns of the players is nothing short of arrogance. Stern is desperate to leave his mark—or is it a stain>/i>--upon the game. Furthermore, no other professional league has changed the make-up of the ball. The new ball is comprised of a micro-fiber composite, rather than the traditional leather ball. The players—the reason the league is as successful as it is—prefer the traditional leather ball. Shaquille O’Neal and two-time MVP Steve Nash have complained about the “feel” of the ball. O’Neal says “It "feels like one of those cheap balls that you buy at the toy store.” The major complaint from players is that the ball is sticky, and when wet (from sweat) the ball is too slippery. Stern argues that "Within certain parameters of the way you want a ball to perform again and again and again, it is performing extraordinarily well. It doesn't mean it feels the same; it may not even bounce exactly the same. It may do all the things that everyone says it may or may not do, but it's a very good ball…its an improvement." Is this a contradiction or what? If there are all these complaints, then it is not a good ball. After all, who would know better than the players? Stern has been the commissioner for 22 years and earns more than 75% of all the players in the league. He takes credit for the worldwide growth of the game, when in reality, it was the Magic Johnson –Larry Bird rivalry (Lakers-Celtics) and the introduction of Michael Jordan that popularized the sport. So why does this guy continue to force his will on the game? Stern’s biography at Wikipedia.com reads, “It was the arrival of Michael Jordan—and with it his flair, skill, marketability and Nike shoes—that most influenced Stern and the NBA's new wave of greatness. Jordan and the two other premiere basketball legends of the 1980s, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, took the game to new heights of popularity and profit. By 2005, Stern had seen the NBA grow to 30 franchises, expand into Canada, televise games across the United States, and move into new fields and nations. The NBA now has 11 offices in cities outside the United States, is televised in 212 nations in 42 languages…” Do you think this happened because of his “foresight” or legal acumen? The game is popular worldwide because of the players. Stern was criticized by players and owners alike for not stemming the player’s strike during the 1998-99 season, when the NBA suffered through an abbreviated campaign. Moreover, his failure to negotiate an equitable salary cap, like that in the National Hickey League, won him no points from team owners. Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban, who has accumulated more than a quarter-million dollars worth of fines from the NBA, is one owner who holds an obvious disdain for Stern’s heavy-handed management. Cuban recently hired a physicist to test the new ball. Findings were that the ball does not bounce, nor handle the same as the old ball. Still, Stern says the ball is “usable.” How can this be, when the NBA features a more wide-open and individualized style of game? How can a “slippery” ball, or one that “doesn’t feel right,” possibly be more than a hindrance to the flow of the game? Last season, Stern enacted a new dress code for players. The league now requires its players to dress in a business like attire, rather than the hip-hop garb that many players preferred. Moreover, players could no longer enter the arena wearing headphones, something some players chose to do to not only block out the media, but to get themselves in a proper state of mind. Stern’s reaction to the complaints of players was, “Hip-hop is a style. Some of my owners are hip-hop, but they dress in a different fashion. Hip-hop doesn't mean sloppy.” Here he labels something that he doesn’t understand as “sloppy”; Moreover, by whose standards is he judging these players? Then he has the guts, gall and gumption to wonder why many players say he is racist. (The league is 85% black). Moreover, Stern has gone a step further: He has now imposed penalties on those who argue the calls of officials. Stern has enacted a zero-tolerance policy and ordered league officials to signal technical fouls on players who curse (understandable), display histrionics, who throw their hands up, or make other gestures that “show disgust” over an official’s call. My feelings are that the league will go back to the old ball, and the referees will be held in check, lest we eventually see another work stoppage. If you want to drop the blame in anyone’s lap, make it that of NBA Commissioner David Stern. ------------ About the author: Timothy N. Stelly, Sr. is a 46-year old poet, novelist and aspiring screenwriter who resides in northern California with his three youngest children--Lawrence, Kimberly and Dante. He is a member of various writer's groups and has three novels in print, his most recent, "Like A Straight-Up Sucka," is available at www.lulu.com. website: http://stellbreadO@tripod.com Email: stellbread@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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