Stern vs. The Spurs

[Raps08-09 Champ]

how can you say that when it's been like 24 hours since the fine was handed out? What record of games has there been since the fine to tell you that teams will no longer rest their stars going forward?

Well if you were a team, would you do the exact same thing when you're going to get punished?

How do you know what his intentions were? Are we to believe him at his word?

I don't believe his every word, but you can clearly tell he wanted the 2 best teams to go against each other. Doesn't take a genius to figure that out.

I don't know about you, but I was always raised to believe that actions speak louder than words, and Stern's actions are speaking volumes different to me.

Actions don't always represent a person properly. People make bad decisions all the time, doesn't mean they are the devil like what people label Stern.

[Guppyfighter]

Raps, what will prevent teams from faking injuries?

[BKLYNpigeon]

its not about the fans...


its about the SPONSORS!! Tens of Millions are invested in Nationally Televised games. if the Ratings go down, sponsors dont make money, NBA doesnt make money, nobody makes money. its always about the money.

[Raps08-09 Champ]

Raps, what will prevent teams from faking injuries?

Duncan and Parker putting guns to the heads of other athletes so they don't fake injures.

[Guppyfighter]

What will happen because of this.

Nothing.

[Raps08-09 Champ]

What will happen because of this.

Nothing.

Prove it.

[kdspurman]

Duncan and Parker putting guns to the heads of other athletes so they don't fake injures.

[Guppyfighter]

Prove it.

It happened in 1990. This kind of fine. Teams will still and do rest players, just under vague injuries.

[Raps08-09 Champ]

It happened in 1990. This kind of fine. Teams will still and do rest players, just under vague injuries.

Eh. Stern will just fine teams for resting injured players. Problem solved.

[Austeezy]

ok Pop, the next time you want to rest your starters, just put some bogus excuse on the injury report. Stern shouldn't be able to do jack

Duncan, DNP, painful nose hairs
Parker, DNP, toxic gas

[Mr.Nate30]

ok Pop, the next time you want to rest your starters, just put some bogus excuse on the injury report. Stern shouldn't be able to do jack

Duncan, DNP, painful nose hairs
Parker, DNP, toxic gas

yeah hes just letting pop have a field day messing with his players expect more DNP-old

[Sly Guy]

Well if you were a team, would you do the exact same thing when you're going to get punished?

$250,000 is still small when comparing the fine to the payroll of an average team. If I honestly believed that resting my players one game would net me two wins in return, I don't know....I probably would.

I don't believe his every word, but you can clearly tell he wanted the 2 best teams to go against each other. Doesn't take a genius to figure that out.

The point pop is trying to make is that it isn't two of the best teams going at each other. It's one good team well rested vs another who's tired. just because the big names are on the floor doesn't mean their game is.

Actions don't always represent a person properly. People make bad decisions all the time, doesn't mean they are the devil like what people label Stern.

they do a pretty damned good job in my books. And I'm perfectly fine with Stern making a mistake, but you're no better than the mistake if you aren't big enough to admit when you're wrong. And so far, I don't see that kind of movement coming out of Stern's camp.

[torocan]

I don't have any issue with Stern wanting to see Stars on the court for televised games.

However, he shouldn't have fined the Spurs for 2 simple reasons.

The schedule was stupid. If he wants quality TV games, don't put them at the end of a 4 in 5, and try to avoid scheduling either team at the end of a back to back when possible.

Also, there was NO defined rule or policy about it. If he wants to make a policy after the fact and attach fines, then sure. Go ahead. However, Manufacturing a policy and Retroactively fining the Spurs is patently ridiculous.

Give the Spurs a warning, define the policy and guidelines, issue it to all the team Front Offices, and THEN fine the NEXT violator.

Stern fining the Spurs for a non-existent offense is the definition of retroactive legislation or policy. It would be like me noticing you're wearing Green at work, then fining you for wearing Green without ever putting it in the company rulebook.

It's just fundamentally wrong no matter how you cut it.

[UnWantedTheory]

I would have given them a clear warning first but I understand why Stern is against this

Would you guys be ok with a team like the wizards purposely putting out their worst players to get a high draft pick?

It wouldn't make a difference now would it? And teams have already done this in the past.

[UnWantedTheory]

You said it yourself.

He's setting a culture for financial benefit (as well as the culture of entertaining the fans). Stern wants the league to get money. Sitting your players out during important games doesn't exactly equate to money if it happens in a consistent basis. Imagine sitting someone out Christmas day for rest. That would piss sponsors and fans off.

The Spurs have done this many times in the past. This wasn't nor will it ever be an epidemic. I repeat the Spurs have done this many times. The fact it was against the Heat was irrelevant to Pop. Not many teams believe in his philosophy to begin with. So I wouldn't worry about it. You couldn't possibly attempt to break it so far down as to say that teams will catch this like the flu and want to rest all of their stars on national games. Why would they? This has never been a real threat before & it isn't now.

The NBA is a billion dollar business & the Spurs are one of the least watched teams in the NBA. This is such a non-issue. The NBA or their "partners" didn't lose a cent. Especially after the circus Stern has unleashed. Most polls I have seen show 80%+ disagree with Stern for doing this. If most all feel this way than who exactly was disserviced? Certainly not me as a fan. As a fan I understand that over the long haul of a season strategy is necessary. As in any sport. I have been to games where Pop has done this and as disappointed as I was, it was alright by me.


It is funny though. The same people *****ing about how they don't want to watch the boring old Spurs are attempting to hang em' because they couldn't? I guess everyone just needs to know it was their option to refuse, not Pops huh?


BTW, no one missed Danny Green on the court that night & Gino isn't a starter. hehe

Also, not sure if true, but weren't TNT's ratings that night better than they have recently been? I believe I read that somewhere. Not to mention 99% of the people who went to that game or tuned in just wanted to watch MIA period. They could be playing the local HS girls bb team & the league would rake in $.

At the end of the day there was no true precedent set for this & Pop didn't break any rules. Furthermore the league has allowed similar & far worse things to happen either without a fine or not nearly as harsh. This came down to Stern's ego & blatant dislike of the Spurs IMO. As a fan I have no problem with this & completely disagree with the fine. There should have been a warning & a precedent set if the league feels that strongly against it.



Adam Silver the future commissioner said this last year regarding the Spurs resting players.

"The strategic resting of particular players on particular nights is within the discretion of the teams. And Gregg Popovich in particular is probably the last coach that I would second-guess."