Chin Up, Mr. Stern
Could David Stern possibly sound any more beaten and defeated than he does now? With each bit of news released surrounding the Tim Donaghy spectacle, Stern looks more and more like a man being led to the gallows. Now, Stern has certainly never been Mr. Personality and comes off as one of the stiffest, most naïve people on the face of the planet. Lately, he looks like he’s been punched in the stomach repeatedly before making press announcements.
The irony is I don’t think the issue is as bad as the press and officials make it out to be. Sports fans are not idiots. We understand the way the modern world works, we understand there is this thing called “the Mob,” and we understand that sometimes people get in debt (or get greedy) and get deep in their gambling. We also understand that can happen to league officials and referees, they are only human. With all the press screaming “this will ruin fan’s confidence in sports,” I have not heard one single person I’ve talked to say “this ruins my confidence in sports.”
To be honest, I was far more upset with the de-urbanization (which is unabashedly racist, no matter how anyone tries to spin it, and was a gross overreaction to the bad publicity of the "Malice in the Palace" incident) of the NBA than I am with the scandal. Telling young black men what they can and can’t wear so as not to upset the uptight sensitivities of aging, rich white men is more of a spit in the face than a rogue, gambling referee could ever be.
Buck up, Mr. Stern. The sun will come up tomorrow. And stop listening to the PR pros who are obviously coaching you on what to say. I promise you, fans will be in the seats when the NBA opens it’s season.
NBA, David Stern, Tim Donaghy, scandal
