David Stern is the worst commissioner in sports history

[Amonkey]

You know, any rational person can see the argument of the technicals.  Sure, the purpose is to clean up the whining and crying about the players.  Personally, as a fan, I dont care about that but it doesn't make me turn off the TV or nothing.  What I really hate, HATE, about this rule is how it directly affects the game.  You can try to clean up the game without sacrificing the game.  I think it is a whole lot worse LOSING a game because some team got early T's then the whining and crying.  I dont care if you are whining and crying, that should NOT affect the outcome of the game.  Fine players, take away their lunch, perhaps take away their first born child, fine.  But don't let your pettiness affect the outcome of the game.

[freshinthehouse]

You know, any rational person can see the argument of the technicals.  Sure, the purpose is to clean up the whining and crying about the players.  Personally, as a fan, I dont care about that but it doesn't make me turn off the TV or nothing.  What I really hate, HATE, about this rule is how it directly affects the game.  You can try to clean up the game without sacrificing the game.  I think it is a whole lot worse LOSING a game because some team got early T's then the whining and crying.  I dont care if you are whining and crying, that should NOT affect the outcome of the game.  Fine players, take away their lunch, perhaps take away their first born child, fine.  But don't let your pettiness affect the outcome of the game.

How about the players act like adults and don't risk losing the game for their team?  Is it that much to expect professionals to have a little decorum?  Umps don't put up with it in baseball.  It's about time the NBA followed suit.

[freshinthehouse]

Also, Guava is pretty much spot on with everything he's said in this thread.  TP+

[Amonkey]

You know, any rational person can see the argument of the technicals.  Sure, the purpose is to clean up the whining and crying about the players.  Personally, as a fan, I dont care about that but it doesn't make me turn off the TV or nothing.  What I really hate, HATE, about this rule is how it directly affects the game.  You can try to clean up the game without sacrificing the game.  I think it is a whole lot worse LOSING a game because some team got early T's then the whining and crying.  I dont care if you are whining and crying, that should NOT affect the outcome of the game.  Fine players, take away their lunch, perhaps take away their first born child, fine.  But don't let your pettiness affect the outcome of the game.

How about the players act like adults and don't risk losing the game for their team?  Is it that much to expect professionals to have a little decorum?  Umps don't put up with it in baseball.  It's about time the NBA followed suit.

I understand that, but I don't think those actions should affect the outcome of the game.  In baseball, if a player is giving too much lip, then the ump simply ejects the player.  He doesn't give the opponent team a run or something.  In basketball, when a player is doing a tantrum, they are basically giving the other team points.  That could be the decider of a game.  Do you think it's fair that a team in an important game that could decide the fate of its future, be decided because a player was causing a scene?  I dont think justify the means.

[CoachCowens]

Amen. Besides the factual errors, look, we all love to rant about Stern, largely because Stern is also the most public of commissioners. In a world where Bud Selig is the commissioner of baseball you can never even say he is the worst current serving commissioner in sports. When Stern took over the Association it was in shambles. Look at where it is now. Of course we pick on him, and complain about the things he does, but a little perspective. Selig is clearly the worst. He is out of touch and has ruined baseball, be it through the willful blind eye towards steroids/hgh, never attempting to get a salary cap, not to mention p.r. mistakes. Stern at least tries to change rules in the off-season, Goodell changes the way the game is officiated from week to week. Look, I love to complain about Stern as much as the next guy but the title of this thread is so shortsighted and oblivious to history it is laughable.

Forget Selig - Gary Bettman just about killed the NHL.  That's gotta put him at #1.

I could care less about the commissioners.  At least in the NHL the officials do a good job of making the right call and never attempt to take over the game.

NBA refs don't try to "take over a game". They just try to call violations correctly. They also try to stop escalating violence on the court.

Hockey allows checking and even fighting and there are just far less calls to make. It is just an easier game to ref/police when it is legal to hit someone taking a shot on goal. I don't think it is even close in reffing difficulty.

But there are illegal checks, hooking and roughing calls etc. that aren't always black and white,  and they are going at a higher rate of speed. 

It is much easier to see an illegal check or hooking than judge fouls. What is difficult about judging hooking? Imagine having 2 refs watching Rondo with the ball running his man off a Pierce pic, Shaq fighting for post position, and Ray running around a KG screen at the same time, while also counting 3 seconds.

But there isn't just 2 possible penalties and rules to worry about. you have to worry about off sides, icing, too many men on the ice, high sticking the puck, etc. How do you call holding when so much contact is already allowed?

Imagine 1 guy streaking down the Ice on the left while the defender is fighting to beat him to position. Now on the right side someone is interfering with the guy trying to streak down the ice. Meanwhile the guy in the middle is passing the puck over the blue line to the guy streaking on the left who can't be over the line completely before the puck is.  6 guys end up in front of the net. The 3 inch puck is in the middle. Hits the goaltender he goes down. You can't see the puck but it is free everyone scrambles someone gets pushed in the the back. finally someone hits a shoulder high puck out of the air into the net. Oh yeah and when this started there was line change and someone may have jumped on the ice too quickly.

 

[pearljammer10]

for 2 reasons... mainly the first one below

1) the referees/fouling/technicals situation. refs have been steadily increasing the # of fouls they call each year. this ruins the flow of the game, especially when they call cheap fouls that wnba referees most likely don't even call. now calling technicals for complaining? that takes away from the passion for the game and fans won't be able to see what makes players like KG special.

2) the nba is losing money... stern should've seen this a while ago since he's been commish for centuries it seems

So KG is a special player because he complains to the refs? Really now...

I think the tech rule is fine as long as the refs don't abuse their powers with it... I mean who wants to see players cry, whine, and complain after every single call? There is so much contact under the hoop, they know they have committed a foul, yet they still jump up and down and whine like nothing ever happened. That my friend, is what ruins the game. Let the players shut up, stop complaining, and actually focus on good defense for a change.

[mmbaby]

Showing emotions during an emotional game is not immature or unprofessional. Huh?
Do you want robots? I mean, seriously, how boring. I know that sounds harsh, but some of the posts here are so adamantly critical of the players, it really seems over the top.

How about a little more respect for the players (the ones who make all of this possible).

But mainly, yes, the new tech calls could absolutely sway games and they will.

Agree with AMonkey totally. Take away their first born child, not the game.

[Chris]

I am not happy with where these rules are right now, but I think they were made over the top, because Stern knows they are going to come more towards the center as the season goes on.  He knows if they didn't go over the top, they wouldn't get the players attention. 

Now, he has the players attention, and they have already started changing their behavior.  The refs (at least some of them) have already started reeling it back in, and I think that will continue throughout the season.

When its all said and done, I think they will find some place in the middle where players will be T'ed up for arguing calls, but will be allowed to show emotion to themselves.  It's just going to take some time, and is going to be frustrating while the process is working.

[freshinthehouse]

Showing emotions during an emotional game is not immature or unprofessional. Huh?
Do you want robots? I mean, seriously, how boring. I know that sounds harsh, but some of the posts here are so adamantly critical of the players, it really seems over the top.

Did you ever watch a game in the mid 80s and think, "Gee, this sucks.  I sure wish Larry Bird would pout to the refs for 15 seconds after each of his fouls."  Back then players weren't robots.  They were professionals.  You go back further, and Red would've bench a player for acting so immature.  I don't think they were robotic or boring back then either.

[guava_wrench]

Showing emotions during an emotional game is not immature or unprofessional. Huh?
Do you want robots? I mean, seriously, how boring. I know that sounds harsh, but some of the posts here are so adamantly critical of the players, it really seems over the top.

Did you ever watch a game in the mid 80s and think, "Gee, this sucks.  I sure wish Larry Bird would pout to the refs for 15 seconds after each of his fouls."  Back then players weren't robots.  They were professionals.  You go back further, and Red would've bench a player for acting so immature.  I don't think they were robotic or boring back then either.

TP

[guava_wrench]

Amen. Besides the factual errors, look, we all love to rant about Stern, largely because Stern is also the most public of commissioners. In a world where Bud Selig is the commissioner of baseball you can never even say he is the worst current serving commissioner in sports. When Stern took over the Association it was in shambles. Look at where it is now. Of course we pick on him, and complain about the things he does, but a little perspective. Selig is clearly the worst. He is out of touch and has ruined baseball, be it through the willful blind eye towards steroids/hgh, never attempting to get a salary cap, not to mention p.r. mistakes. Stern at least tries to change rules in the off-season, Goodell changes the way the game is officiated from week to week. Look, I love to complain about Stern as much as the next guy but the title of this thread is so shortsighted and oblivious to history it is laughable.

Forget Selig - Gary Bettman just about killed the NHL.  That's gotta put him at #1.

I could care less about the commissioners.  At least in the NHL the officials do a good job of making the right call and never attempt to take over the game.

NBA refs don't try to "take over a game". They just try to call violations correctly. They also try to stop escalating violence on the court.

Hockey allows checking and even fighting and there are just far less calls to make. It is just an easier game to ref/police when it is legal to hit someone taking a shot on goal. I don't think it is even close in reffing difficulty.

But there are illegal checks, hooking and roughing calls etc. that aren't always black and white,  and they are going at a higher rate of speed. 

It is much easier to see an illegal check or hooking than judge fouls. What is difficult about judging hooking? Imagine having 2 refs watching Rondo with the ball running his man off a Pierce pic, Shaq fighting for post position, and Ray running around a KG screen at the same time, while also counting 3 seconds.

But there isn't just 2 possible penalties and rules to worry about. you have to worry about off sides, icing, too many men on the ice, high sticking the puck, etc. How do you call holding when so much contact is already allowed?

Imagine 1 guy streaking down the Ice on the left while the defender is fighting to beat him to position. Now on the right side someone is interfering with the guy trying to streak down the ice. Meanwhile the guy in the middle is passing the puck over the blue line to the guy streaking on the left who can't be over the line completely before the puck is.  6 guys end up in front of the net. The 3 inch puck is in the middle. Hits the goaltender he goes down. You can't see the puck but it is free everyone scrambles someone gets pushed in the the back. finally someone hits a shoulder high puck out of the air into the net. Oh yeah and when this started there was line change and someone may have jumped on the ice too quickly.

 

Basketball is like baseball. Calls are required consistently. You can't just let the game go like you can in hockey. Because calls are consistently required on things like out of bounds and charge/block situations, NBA refs are put in the situation of making call on plays that can go either way but that homers like Tommy will rant about for 10 minutes if they don't go his way.

I mean, really, how many penalties are there in a hockey match?

One problem with basketball is that there are too many violations in the game that humans can barely judge, even if they are watching only that full speed. This is why it is so easy for fans to yell "flop!" when their team commits an offensive foul and for broadcasters for the opposing teams to be fully convinced of opposite views on a single play.

It is much like the impossibility of getting balls and strikes right. That is why I prefer a rule similar to the rule with umpires in baseball where you just aren't allowed to argue balls and strikes. At least players in the NBA aren't getting ejected for that.

[Celtics4ever]

Cleaning up the whining and respecting the game is one thing, that I think is good.  I wonder what Danny thinks?

However, this doesn't fix the blatant reffing in game seven that cost us 18.   

[Eja117]

I cannot wait till the day that a player with a lot of guts (and it has to be a good one that a lot of people like and respect. Tim Duncan might work) gets asked "what do you think of David Stern yadda yadda" and the player is like "who"?

[Bankshot]

After last night, you'd have to convince me that the refs aren't betting on these games.  Donaghy was not the only one! There is absolutely no way that the refs weren't trying to keep that game close.

[Finkelskyhook]

You know, any rational person can see the argument of the technicals.  Sure, the purpose is to clean up the whining and crying about the players.  Personally, as a fan, I dont care about that but it doesn't make me turn off the TV or nothing.  What I really hate, HATE, about this rule is how it directly affects the game.  You can try to clean up the game without sacrificing the game.  I think it is a whole lot worse LOSING a game because some team got early T's then the whining and crying.  I dont care if you are whining and crying, that should NOT affect the outcome of the game.  Fine players, take away their lunch, perhaps take away their first born child, fine.  But don't let your pettiness affect the outcome of the game.

How about the players act like adults and don't risk losing the game for their team?  Is it that much to expect professionals to have a little decorum?  Umps don't put up with it in baseball.  It's about time the NBA followed suit.

When the messiah goes into a cussing spitting diatribe in front of the officials and gets no tech while Nate sorta kinda violates the rule and gets one.....And even NBA apologist Reggie Miller (He'll probably be fired for blastphemy) points it out.....How does it at some point not turn the fan off?

But I would contend that Stern is probably the best commissioner in sports' history.  Look at the NBA's growth under his watch.  Like him or not...His success speaks for itself.