Spurs fined 250k for sending home players from yesterdays game

[jfkennedy]

Adrian Wojnarowski proves again why he's probably the best NBA writer today

David Stern stumbles again in his failed culture war against the Spurs, fines franchise $250K - Yahoo! Sports

All these years, Stern and his underlings privately complained and moaned that no one wanted to watch the Spurs, that they destroyed his TV ratings, that they were uninteresting, unappealing and impossible to market to the masses.

And now, this act of condemnation for Popovich – which resulted in a $250,000 fine for San Antonio handed down by the league office Friday evening – would be bathed in the ultimate of twisted irony: Without the Spurs' stars, Stern was selling that the NBA logo had been desecrated, that a public trust had been betrayed.

No one in Miami bought a ticket to watch Tim Duncan and Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, because those players are relevant to no one in Miami. Mostly, they come to watch LeBron and D-Wade, or they don't come at all. Few people watch the Spurs on national television – unless they're playing the Heat or the Los Angeles Lakers – and that's because the Spurs never deliver the dysfunction and self-destructive bents that fuel the sport's storylines.

Stern once declared that his fantasy NBA Finals would be the Lakers vs. the Lakers, and no one laughed in San Antonio because they understood Stern was stone-cold serious. And well, if there was a little "Bleep You" out of Popovich toward Stern after shipping his players back to San Antonio after five games in seven nights, it was beyond understandable.

Back in the Spurs' glory days, it was one disrespectful act after another out of Stern.

The Spurs don't forget how the NBA's vice president of operations, Stu Jackson, directly called Bruce Bowen to warn him about how he was playing defense and threaten him with future punishments. Jackson didn't show the respect of reaching out to Spurs officials before communicating with Bowen, but bypassed them and got into the heads of one of their most important players. Phil Jackson himself couldn't have orchestrated it better on behalf of the Lakers' Western Conference championship chances.

They don't forget how one of Stern's top public-relations officials went out of her way to try to dissuade an NBA team owner from hiring a well-regarded Spurs executive as general manager. And they don't forget that once that executive got the job, she went out of her way to try to undermine his operation.

 

[tremonthustler1]

every team goes through that shyt, its a nationally televised game. you cant do that when your trying to sell your product

just imagine being a fan

spending the money to buy tickets, paying for travel and you get to see the spurs benchwarmers vs lebron


that shyt aint kosher

Did you seen that crowd last night in Miami? They barely went to see LeBron, let alone the Spurs.

The only thing worse for business than the Spurs not bringing their stars is having the Spurs on TV at all and Stern knows that deep down. He knows that if he were to rule that the Spurs get banned from TV or something, Pop would thank him.

 

[phillycavsfan]

Woj has a grudge against Stern for whatever reason. He can't be trusted on this issue.

 

[THE MACHINE]

If Pop made this decision in July to rest his starters this game why not run that by the league. He had to know not bringing four of your 5 starters to a nationally televised game against the defending champs would cause a huge reaction. Face it, he was trying to troll the league and he got sent back to his corner with his tail between his legs.....and I can't stand Stern.

I'm still pissed about the dress code.

 

[Loose]

It wasn't "no reason"... why are you missing this? They have had two lengthy road trips and the season is a grind. What's different about the Yankees sitting their entire roster and playing kids from the 40-man call-ups in a game against Toronto in September?

it was for no reason pop circle this game in july, they were sitting regardless of conditioning. If team doctors came to pop and said Duncan needs rest then that would have been respectable

 

[MikelArteta]

Years ago when I went to a raptor game Shaq on was heat then. Well they played in Toronto I went to the game ont to find out this nikka is not playin he wasn't injured or anything he just didn't play

Where was stern then?

 

[tremonthustler1]

they violated rules disservice to the league sterns right, especially a league that struggles to stay afloat.

Let y'all nikkas tell it, the NBA is the biggest league in the world next to the NFL. Now they're struggling to stay afloat because a team nobody really cares for held out 4 of their players in a game that already had LeBron, Wade, Jesus, and Bosh?

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

they were sitting regardless

Because Pop looked at the schedule and said "fukk this.."

He has every right to manipulate the schedule how he sees fit and to rest the players that he wants to rest.

 

[Duvali]

I don't think you understand what pop was doing. He was mad at the fact that have had 11 away games and have only played only 16 games. The heat on the other hand were off since last Saturday. The league was serving up a tired spurs team to be styled on by the heat on national tv.

 

[Loose]

Let y'all nikkas tell it, the NBA is the biggest league in the world next to the NFL. Now they're struggling to stay afloat because a team nobody really cares for held out 4 of their players in a game that already had LeBron, Wade, Jesus, and Bosh?

Because Pop looked at the schedule and said "fukk this.."

He has every right to manipulate the schedule how he sees fit and to rest the players that he wants to rest.

and stern has every right to say "fukk this.." and fine his ass

 

[Greenstrings]

Never said the game wasn't competitive read what I wrote
Unless a player is injured u expect them to play
Ticket prices r based on the quality of the team
U r paying for players
Imagine going to a Laker game and Kobe not playing just because
u gonna be mad as fukk

I read what you wrote, you said "Nyggas expect to see a competitive game". If the game was competitive then why mention that at all?

Yeah of course I'd be mad but a lot of shyt happens in the NBA I find irritating that doesn't contravene any rules. I don't think somebody should be fined every time this is the case because I'm not a moron.

Your or my personal feelings about how much tickets cost or who plays is irrelevant.

 

[tremonthustler1]

To each their own, still it is not against the Rules and although alot of teams do play 4 games in 5 nights atleast one time a year the Spurs guys are a bit older and they have done this for a few years now. Heat had 4 games off and well rested, like I said what kind of scheduling is that? Set up to lose scheduling at the tail end of a road trip.

I agree on the fan part though, but how many LOYAL Heat fans actually go to games nor care this early? I am betting VERY LITTLE, most of them do not CARE and believe that. I bet there was alot of empty seats.

Fam, in Miami, the biggest game arguably of the YEAR is on Christmas. You could probably walk up and get tickets that day for Thunder /Heat they're so available. I highly doubt that the AA Arena wasn't sold out because a bunch of Spurs fans got their money back.

 

[H.J.Duck]

Adrian Wojnarowski proves again why he's probably the best NBA writer today

David Stern stumbles again in his failed culture war against the Spurs, fines franchise $250K - Yahoo! Sports

I was just about to post this. Great read

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

and stern has every right to say "fukk this.." and fine his ass

..and the Spurs have the right to fight it if they choose to do so. That's why I love America.

 

[PortCityProphet]

it was for no reason pop circle this game in july, they were sitting regardless of conditioning. If team doctors came to pop and said Duncan needs rest then that would have been respectable

so a team doctor saying Duncan needs rest makes it acceptable then?
yall are jackasses.