Chris McCosky
Stern: Commish or tyrant?
AUBURN HILLS -- David Stern is either out of control or too much in control. It's not good, either way.
He might be the most effective and successful commissioner in all of professional sports, but I am starting to suspect he's gotten drunk on his own power. His need for utter and absolute control is bordering on the maniacal.
It's one thing for the commissioner to have firm control on the business side of the game, but Stern has crossed over and is now lording over the competition side, as well. And that is a real problem.
This notion hit home as I was watching 106 free throws shot in one 40-minute summer league game in Las Vegas. Actually, it first struck me, like a hammer, during the NBA Finals.
To me, the 2006 NBA Finals were contaminated by the league. How could anybody watch those games and think otherwise? The referees directly impacted the results of at least three of those games. The star treatment of Dwyane Wade was sickening.
Stern made it clear that the league needs superstars to sell and he got tired of waiting for them to ascend on their own. So, what did he do? He decided to tweak the rules and browbeat his officials.
Wade and LeBron James are brilliant players with big personalities who would have become superstars without the league's help. But after two years of seeing defensive-oriented teams like the Pistons and Spurs in the Finals, Stern couldn't wait any longer.
If the Wade rules weren't enough to warrant an asterisk on the 2006 Finals, then the after-the-fact suspension of Mavericks Jerry Stackhouse should be. To make a postgame ruling as drastic as that, on a play that was governed correctly by the game officials without any real debate or controversy on the court, is incomprehensible.
What kind of precedent did that set? Is the league going to analyze film from every game and make after-the-fact judgments to fit whatever storyline Stern is trumpeting? Who is going to stop them?
There are no checks and balances on this. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban complains and he gets slapped with a six-figure fine. Now imagine a system where a commissioner, who is hired and put into office by the owners, has the power to fine the owners he serves.
That's how smart Stern is. He has manipulated the system to a point where he has more power than those who hired him.
So Stern says the league needs more offense, and demands that league referees change the way they call games. Which brings me back to the summer league game in Vegas. There were 96 fouls called in one 40-minute game. There were close to 60 calls on average throughout the two weeks, Granted, the 96-foul game was officiated by two NBDL refs and one young NBA ref. But on every timeout, the officials would huddle with two veteran refs who were there to monitor and mentor the young guys. And at almost every timeout, those young refs were told they were doing a great job.
They sucked the absolute life and flow out of the game -- which is what Stern's changes were designed to facilitate.
If that's the mind-set of the summer instructional league, you can only imagine what's in store for next season.
The public face of the NBA might be shiny and bright with its new constellation of stars, its sold-out arenas and rising television ratings, but the game is a mess.
The veteran officials have complained and Stern has told them, in so many words, "If you don't like it, you can go ref some other league."
Coaches have complained bitterly about the changes, and been told, "If you don't like it, you can coach in another league."
The players have complained bitterly and been told, "If you don't like it, try making as much money in some other league."
This is the arrogance with which Stern is operating.
The owners are the only ones who could band together and subdue the monster, but as long as the monster keeps raising their profit line, they will feed the beast.
What of the media, you say? Isn't it the media's job to serve as a check and balance? Yep, but even a large portion of the media is under Stern's control.
ESPN, TNT and ABC all have lucrative contracts with the NBA and thus serve the master. Most radio networks that carry NBA games are bought and paid for by NBA teams. The one unfiltered media outlet left is us -- the print media. And Stern is doing all he can to push us out of the way. Since the proliferation of cable and the Internet, we have been the low man on the media totem pole. Our access to players has shrunk continuously over the years. With so many cameras in the locker rooms now, especially during the playoffs, postgame access is basically limited to the one or two players and a coach.
Meanwhile, networks get one-on-one interviews on the court, have microphones in huddles during timeouts, etc.
There is a growing sentiment among players, coaches and officials that Stern's power has run amok. There is concern that, more than manipulating the business and image of the league, he is manipulating the game.
Sports are real human drama. That's what makes them entertaining. It's not a reality show created for television. It's not "Survivor" or "American Idol".
You cannot create heroes and manipulate storylines and expect to be taken seriously.
There is a concern that if left unchecked, the NBA will eventually have about as much integrity as the XFL or the WWE.
Is that what you really want?
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Originally Posted by WH Press Sec. Tony Snow
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