The Most Ridiculous Arguments In Sports: David Stern - The Great Commish

For Once, FCP Has Nothing More To Say


You hear it every year you've been an NBA fan. Broadcasters. Beat writers. Basketball columnists in bunches. Players. Newspapers. Magazines. If the NBA PR machine has reach somewhere Stern is touted as the league's savior from near bankruptcy and it's proponent to global growth and expansion.

You've got to give him his due. Here's a short list of the Stern era.

• Behind the scenes mastermind of the ABA/NBA merger
  
• Expansion of the league by 7 teams.
• Increased popularity: all the games were not even televised in 84 and now all have some form of national outlet and media coverage.
• Introduction of the salary cap regulating team spending/player salaries
  
• Growth of basketball's international presence
• Creation of a drug testing scheme
  

Great list; you can hear the gushing from all sports outlets.

The only problem is its just not true. David Stern's accomplishments are more overblown then Wilt Chamberlain. Less gracious then Jordan's retirement speech. I can't contemplate many attach these league outcomes to his career. Allow me to digress.

There are three phases in Sterns career: Pre-Commish, Post-Commish and Post-Jordan (solidified after then Piston/Pacers Brawl).

Pre-Commish Era


Cocaine, Fros, Sex, Movies And Cool Basketball Players. The 70's Had A Lot To Offer Along With Copious Quantities Of Comedic Material.
Popularity dropped in response to a watered down 70's product. The rival ABA recruited disproportionate numbers of the most athletic players and created a brand of ball more exciting then the NBA. After the 76 merger quality improved as all elite talent congealed in one league.

Stern is credited with being the driving force behind the merger over Larry O'Brian. Fair enough. Except the ABA was formed with a documented intention of forcing league expansion via a merger. In 1970, 5 years before O'Brian was even appointed, NBA owners voted 13-4 in favor of a merger. No one opposed it and this table was set before Stern was even invited. Rubber arm twisting does not a best commissioner make.












Post-Commish Era


Is This A Leading Man??? You Bet Your Ass He Is!

Stern gets lots of credit for NBA growth. His brilliant marketing made it happen. So the story goes... craziest assertion of them all.

There's something I call it the Kevin Spacey rule. Look at him, a balding, ordinary man. Be it acting, athletics, music, cooking, investment advice or anything else people are willing to pay for. Talent sells. Kevin Spacey is talented therefore Miramax can easily sell a balding middle age man to the public as a a serial killer, criminal mastermind or even a GD Space Alien/Mental Patient. Everyone knows Kevin Spaceys got the goods. Its an easy sell.

Have the most talent: make the most money. The Kevin Spacey rule is universal, but infinitely amplified in the realm of professional sports. This is why the WNBA (a Stern failure) was stumbleing uphill at the exact same time the NBA thrived. How is it Stern's amazing promotional skills didn't help out? Not enough WNBA American Beauties? Uh uh, not enough Kevin Spacey. Conversely, lets look at the NBA.

True, But Who Cares About The WNBA? Epic Fail

ABA businessmen forced the NBA to accept their players, teams and entertaining style by Keizer Soze'ing them. The ABA had a plan. 10 of the next year's NBA all stars: ex-ABA players. 63 of the 82 ABA players were good enough to replace their NBA counterparts. The popularity issues started to melt away after 1976: competition got hot.

Concurrently brewing in the NCAA Larry Bird and Magic Johnson created buzz driving the most watched game in history. Bird entered the next draft. Magic the following year. Just look at who showed up to play post-merger...

1978: Larry Bird, Michael Ray Richardson, Mo Cheeks, Reggie Theus, Michael Cooper, Mike Mitchell,

1979: Magic Johnson, Bill Cartwright, Bill Laimbeer, Mark Eaton, Sidney Moncrief, Jim Paxon

1980: Kevin McHale, Andrew Tony

1981: Isiah Thomas, Mark Aguire, Buck Williams, Tom Chambers, Rolondo Blackman, Larry Nance, Danny Ainge

1982: Dominique Wilkins, James Worthy, Terry Cummings, Sleepy Floyd, Mark Eaton


People Need To Actually Look At The NBA's Cringe Worthy Campaigns Before Attaching Them To It's Success

1983: Clyde Drexler, Ralph Sampson, Dale Ellis, Jeff Malone, Doc Rivers
That was 4 years prior to "Comish Stern". Its not hard to see why heads were turning. The best players of all time were being drafted every year. Its only the beginning. Stern is doing his fannnntastic promotion now. Who's next?

1984: Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Alvin Robertson, Otis Thorpe, Kevin Willis


Just keeping track: in year 1 the GOAT and arguably the GOAT C, PF, and nearly PG (the GOAT PG wasn't drafted 4 years earlier) entered the league. Yearly strengthening repeats till the 90's peak. Keep in mind that within 4 years of Stern becoming commisoner the GOATs of every position are drafted, and most of the runner ups.


1985: Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Joe Dumars,  Michael Adams, Terry Porter, Xaiver McDaniel, Detlef Schremph, Charles Oakley, AC Green, Hot Rod Williams, Gerald Wilkins, Manute Bol

1986: Mark Price, Brad Daughtery, Arvidis Sabonis, Dennis Rodman, Len Bias (ouch), Jeff Hornacek, Drazen Petrovich

1987: David Robinson, Scotti Pippen, Kevin Johnson, Horace Grant, Reggie Miller, Mark Jackson, Reggie Lewis

How Many Of These Faces Were Drafted Within A Few Years Of 1984 vs How Many In The First 25 Years Of The League?
1988: Danny Manning, Thunder Dan Marjle, Rik Smitts, Mitch Richmond, Hersey Hawkings, Rod Strickland, Anthony Mason, Avery Johnson, Tim Legler

1989: Sean Elliot, Glen Rice, Mookie Blaylock, Shawn Kemp, Tim Hardaway, Vlade Divac,

1990: Derrick Coleman, Gary Payton, Jayson Williams, Antonio Davis,

1991: Larry Johnson, Kenny Anderson, Dikembe Mutumbo, Steve Smith, Terrel Brandon, Dale Davis, Billy Owens

1992: Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Christian Laitner, Lattrell Sprewell, PJ Brown, Jim Jackson, Clarence Wetherspoon, Robert Horry

1993: Chris Webber, Penny Hardaway, Jamal Mashburn, Vin Baker, Alan Houston, JR Rider, Sam Cassall, Nick Van Exel, Bryon Russell, Bruce Bowen

1994: Glen Robinson, Jason Kidd, Grant Hill, Juan Howard, Eddie Jones, Jalen Rose

1995: Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace, Kevin Garnett, Antonio McDyess, Damon Stoudamire,  Michael Finley, Brent Barry, Joe Smith,

1996: Allen Iverson, Shareff Abdur Rahim, Stephon Marbury, Ray Allen, Antoine Walker, Kobe Bryant, Peja Stojakovich, Steve Nash, Jermaine O'Neal, Zydrunas Ilglauskas, Ben Wallace

1997: Tim Duncan, Keith Van Horn, Chauncy Billups, Tracy McGrady, Marc Jackson

1998: Mike Bibby, Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Larry Hughes, Jason Williams, Bonzi Wells, Ricky Davis, Rashard Lewis, Brad Miller

1999: Elton Brand, Steve Francis, Baron Davis, Shawn Marion, Wally Scezzerbiak, Lamar Odom, Jonathon Bender, Andre Miller, Jason Terry, Ron Artest, Trajan Langdon, Corey Maggette, James Posey, Andre Kirelenko, Todd Maculough, Manu Ginobli, Chris Anderson, Raja Bell

Only a handful of the above are not all stars. All stars who I cut were Chris Gattling (who was an all star!), Theo Ratliff, Tom Gugliotta, Tyrone Hill, Cedric Ceballos, Dana Barrows, BJ Armstrong, Cliff Robinson, Kevin Duckworth, Lafyette Lever, Ricky Pierce, Kelly Tripucka, Joe Barry Carrol, Kiki Vandewedghe, Jeff Ruland, Bill Cartwright, Calvin Natt, Jim Paxon.


Jordan's Retirement Speech Went Exactly As His Playing Style Did, Overshadow Other's With A Willingness To Gut Them Publicly On National Television
There are two obvious facts.

1. The influx of talent, for over 20 years, was constant yielding multiple hall of fame caliber players every draft. They were led by Jordan on the court. Jordan was marketed by his agent, David Falk, and Nike to become the most successful athlete of all time. If you want to find out why the NBA was so successful, look no further then Jordan and the above players who pushed themselves, the actual NBA product, over the top, to become the #2 worldwide sport.

2. Stern did not, and could not, do a single, solitary thing to influence this influx of talent.

Barring voodoo secrets Jordan trying out for his HS team or Cheryl Miller's backyard beat downs on little reggie Reggie, David Stern was in no way involved. Even their influences from 60's/70's leagues existed long before Stern and have none of his fingerprints on them.


Post-Jordan Era

Since the 90's competitive peak we've seen the real Stern. Jordan and the PLAYERS who sparked 80's hoop revolution retired. The NBA became more synonymous with scandals, blunders and poor management then competition. Look at the laundry list since this time.


Funny, We All Talk About The Culture Of Fraud In The NBA, David Stern Claims Its Fabricated, Yet... He's Terrified This Book Will Be Published And Pre-Emotively Sues Without Even Reading It. Message: Stern Is Scared Because He's Already Aware Of The Content And The Damage It Will Do

1. Countless series being decided by atrocious officiating. (Suns vs Spurs, Kings vs Lakers twice, Mavs vs Heat in the finals).
2. Those officials recieving mob-like protection from the league, while some actually worked for the mob fixing games the NBA claimed were 'internally reviewed' and thus fairly officiated.
3. The majority of NBA teams losing money and being boat anchored, not bolstered, by the cap
   
4. New balls that were forced on the league with little to no player consultation actually started cutting player's hands.
5. Increasingly repetitive and boring all star games/events. Three ball???!!!???
   
6. Team City's being blackmailed for publicly funded stadiums resulting in the removal of their team (to smaller markets) as punishment and selling them to his good friends. (Seattle/Clay Bennet)
7. Horrendously unbalanced trades being approved that give advantages to large market teams. (Franchise Player Pau Gasol to the Lakers for nothing).
8. Racially engineered dress codes to white wash a black league
9. Obtuse fines with no congruency to the severity of actions. ($25,000 for criticizing a replacement ref who did suck, a month suspension for a single slap by Carmelo Anthony).
10. The lowest rated NBA finals in history due to the flawed playoff format pitting the best teams against each other in the early rounds
11. A near decade of unbalanced conferences often negating the finals. (LA New Jersey anyone? barf)
    
12. Countless uncommitted owners making short term bucks by mortgaging the league's future integrity. (Geogre Shin/Donald Sterling/Clay Bennet/Robert Sarver).
13. Expansion teams failing in new markets (Vancouver, Charlotte after one team already failed there).
14. Shamelessly saying the NBA has nothing to hide while at the same time blocking the publishing of Tim Donnahey's book explaining the details of why him being busted was a surprise to no one.
    

The superstar retirements left a vacuum. The weak drafts a deficit. In 2000 Kenyon Martin went #1 followed by the likes of Stromile Swift, Darius Miles and Marcus Fizer. 2001 was headlined by Kwame Brown and Tyson Chandler. In 2002 Yao and Amare (taken 10'th) were the only legit prospects. 2003's stacked draft (LBJ/Melo) showed some light... 6 years later talent is slightly stronger but  confidence in the league is at an all time low.

Round, Bald, Synthetic And Emblazoned With Corporate Logos Of His Owners... Pretty Accurate Depiction Of Our Commissioner Of 25 Years
Most people think games are fixed. Most owner's would rather use their fan loyalty as blackmail to get free stadiums and trade good draft picks for cash. That being said, 99% of deals today are done for financial, not basketball purposes. Many teams actually pay totally capable/willing players not to play instead of trading them for more talent. Horrible players with no business in the league are being traded for great players merely for cap relief. DEAD players are even considered trade chips for god's sake.

30 years with the same commissioner who's response to negativity is to promote it out of the casual fan's mind is softening the NBA. He acts as if dedicated fans who care and complain are the problem. Do we want a league supported by people who don't care?

Boxing, a shell of it's former self, was consumed by it's management. It's fans gave up. Perhaps the NHL under the 'guidance' of Gary Bettman is a better reference for what happens when a poor commissioner is given too much power for too long. I was watching an NHL playoff game that got pre-empted for... bowling. Their fans gave up.

Some still say Stern has been a maverick. A steady hand on the wheel of SS Recovery. Upon closer inspection you see a crack crew keeping things afloat while the captain is drunk in his cabin. Lucky, yes, incredibly. Great, not a chance. Easily one of the most ridiculous arguments in sports.

Raptor Truth: 2009-2010 Preview

Raaarrrr!!! How Well Do Dino-Bots, And The Raptors, Function In This Winter's Canadian Climate?

Out of the off season slumber awakes a sleeping giant... Full Court Pest is back to start the season off with a full preview of the Home Country (in lieu of town) Toronto Raptors. The Raps have had the most active off-season of any team in the NBA and stand at a cross roads with regard to Chris Bosh and thus the future direction of the franchise.

Lets take a peek at the full roster as it stands today:

NUM	PLAYER	POS	HT	WT	DOB	FROM	YRS	NUM
3	Marcus Banks	G	6-2	205	11/19/1981	Nevada-Las Vegas	6	3
7	Andrea Bargnani	C-F	7-0	250	10/26/1985	Rome, Italy	3	7
0	Marco Belinelli	G	6-5	200	03/25/1986	Bologna, Italy	2	0
4	Chris Bosh	F	6-10	230	03/24/1984	Georgia Tech	6	4
8	Jose Calderon	G	6-3	210	09/28/1981	Villanueva de la Serena, Spain	4	8
10	DeMar DeRozan	G-F	6-7	220	08/07/1989	USC	R	10
5	Quincy Douby	G	6-3	175	05/16/1984	Rutgers	3	5
30	Reggie Evans	F	6-8	245	05/18/1980	Iowa	7	30
1	Jarrett Jack	G	6-3	197	10/28/1983	Georgia Tech	4	1
15	Amir Johnson	F	6-9	210	05/01/1987	Westchester HS (Los Angeles, CA)	4	15
12	Rasho Nesterovic	C	7-0	255	05/30/1976	Ljubljana, Slovenia	11	12
13	Patrick O'Bryant	C	7-0	250	06/20/1986	Bradley	3	13
26	Hedo Turkoglu	F	6-10	220	03/19/1979	Istanbul, Turkey	9	26
24	Sonny Weems	G-F	6-6	203	07/08/1986	Arkansas	1	24
21	Antoine Wright	G-F	6-7	215	02/06/1984	Texas A&M	4	21

You Think I'm Joking??? Sadly, I'm not. Go Huckabee! ;0
Obviously, Toronto has prudently been sticking to it's somewhat unofficial plan of signing Euro players. Something that makes undeniable sense to us at Full Court Pest. When Euro players and their families will enjoy Toronto, the most multi-cultural city in the world, and many American players (and people) believe our government buildings are under igloos, creating a Euro haven means free agents become easier to sign and Toronto becomes the ideal destination for the fastest growing group of ballers on the planet. Create a system that favors skill players and you've suddenly turned an unattractive US sell into the first place Euro's want to play.

So where does that leave us with Chris Bosh? (Note: CB4 is from Texas, about as non-euro as planet earth gets) He does not seem happy with the past few seasons disappointments but this season promises a much different outlook as the first full season without Sam Mitchell running the team. Unfortunately, due to Mitchell winning the COY award 2 years ago, his firing didn't actually happen till last year. Success oddly can sometimes castrate actual progress. Sometimes Sam Mitchel's face oddly resembles a knife in a Jewish delivery room. At least it was a success with the now thankfully defunct, www.firesammitchell.com blog.



Apologies For The Announcer, Maybe The Worst In The League, But This Game Shows The Flashes That Bargnani Was Picked #1 For, He's A 7 Footer Who CAN Take Over A Game
In lock step with that firing Andrea Bargnani picked up where his rookie campaign, of 06-07, left off. A developing big showing that his skills can translate to wins. Bargnani's production appears to have been directly linked to the coaching/freedom he received. Unfortunately this much reported hole in the post which they've wasted many assets trying to fill with the likes of Marion and Jermaine O'Neal now appears self-imposed. Bargnani's flashes went from moments in games, to scoring 20 PPG on + 50% shooting from 3 for the entire month of March. Bargnani's highly developed skills started taking over late season games which should continue now that he has his footing. He's not all offense however as he also averaged well over a block a game.

The nice shooting touch will work well to stretch the defense with new swing man Hedo Turkaloo. He proved Toronto's Euro Destination strategy was a winner when he reneged on an agreement with Portland after Hedo and his wife realized what living outside of the States and in Toronto would mean to them culturally. While Turk is a notoriously poor defender he's yet another long player with plenty of range. Hedo has also learned to close out big games in his Orlando years becoming a match up nightmare with Rashard Lewis. Combined with Bargnani and Bosh I can't see any way of defending 3 bigs over 6'10" who are all mobile, can take you inside, and shoot from the perimeter. 5 through 3, Toronto will be an absolute match up nightmare for any team in this league to defend much like the Magic were with Hedo last year.


We Know Why You Choose Toronto Over Portland, Mmmm... FCP Salutes, The Pride Of Turkey, The Kebab!
Orlando's real problem (who shouldn't have come close to challenging the Cavs let alone win that series) was the lack of a true point who could run the team. They were offensively broken, especially after Nelson got hurt, as their strategy down the stretch was to throw it to a scorer and see if they could get it in the hole. Dwight literally was jumping up and down waving his hands while open in the post as swing players (usually Hedo) were trying to split/collapse defenses on the perimeter. This will not be an issue in Toronto as they have about as pure a point guard as humanly possible.

If Jose Calderon was Heroin, the Toronto Raptors would be awaking with a massive hypodermic needle sticking out of a lipstick red dot on their chest after winning a Twist Contest. They'd also crush eyeballs under their toes in Tarantino's later kung-fu films. With his shot improving every year and last year's season being the all time best free throw season in history (at 98.1%) Calderon threatens to improve even more as he pulls his game together and is the core to Toronto's offense. With a system built around him any skilled player can be thrust into the mix as he facilitates the offense. He's not Steve Nash yet, but has yet to only approach his potential.



Rock... Meet "The People's Caretaker"
Sporting by far the league's best assist/turnover ratio at 4.23 no one takes care of the ball better. Two seasons ago, he had an unheard of, ridiculous, insane, 71-1 assist/turnover ration for the last month of the season. That's considering the raps were playing in a system not built around his special handling/passing skills and without nearly the offensive firepower while the team was playing with 0 emotion. With the organization stating (and acting) on promises to play a run/gun style this year, expect Calderon to start turning heads. For those of us paying attention, we already know he's playing at an all star level and is a serious contender to lead the league in assists if things go well.

When Calderon is not on the floor TO has picked up Jarret Jack as a more then adequate backup. Jack has spent his career as a cusp starter. He's not going to take a team over the top, but he's also not going to sink you when your point or shooting guard need to get off the floor for a stretch. On his best nights, he will take you over the top and win a game for you. That's everything you want in a reserve.

Rounding out the bench at the 2 guard spot is Marco Belineli. While slightly overlooked on the dysfunctional Nellie run Warriors, his second season saw marked overall improvement towards his very real potential as a solid player in the NBA. An accomplishment when playing behind Corey Maggettee, Jamal Crawford and Monta Ellis: 3 players who have never taken a shot they didn't like.

Straight Off The Streets Of C P T, Demar Derozen Was A Certified Draft StealOther moves have brought Rasho Nesterovic and Marcus Banks to the fold. While both players have something to offer neither can be described as potential impact players. Demar Derozen, while a rookie, could be seen as a steal at 9'th in this, one of the worst drafts in memory. Anyone who watched him play at USC knows he plays with heart, not ego, and works hard... always. Athletic scoring, rebounding and defense all seem to come naturally to him without taking away from his teammates or the system he's playing in. Solid starter on a good team will come very soon to his promising young career as a player with the potential to help off the bench right now. After Summer League, ESPN's David Thorpe ranked him 4'th out of all rookies and claimed he was most impressed by Demarr from the whole summer.

So whats the final ingredient to this team? Well known in Canadian hoops circles, but little known outside them, is interim made permanent coach, Jay Triano. Is he the kind of guy to take this team of gunners and make them run? A resounding YES from Full Court Pest! It was playing for Triano on the Canadian Olympic Team where Steve Nash got his groove back before becoming elite in Dallas resulting in Canada's best ever international finish in the Olympics. Triano is a Canadian legend in his own right who in all circumstances has gained and held a strong respect from his players as seen as Bargnani's near instantaneous resurgence under Triano last season. His mild tempered demeanor fits with the European talent on his team. With the respect of Coach K, and legit all-time Canadian hero Terry Fox, Triano seems to be the home town perfect fit for Toronto's players as well as it's dedicated fan base.

This leaves us with one player. Bosh. Is Chris Bosh really important to the Raptors now? Personally, I have never thought of Bosh as a franchise player type. I love his game, but I'm not sure if he's really a Duncan type of player. I'm sure the Raptors would be more then happy if he wanted to re-sign. If he does not, I wouldn't lose much sleep and seek a trade partner ASAP. The Raptors are a young, energetic, talented team. If they can resist the allure of trying to win right now and make steady moves contention is just around the corner.

Does Chris Bosh Still Fit In Here? We Love Him, But He's Got To Sort Out What He Wants
So decide now. If Bosh wants to stay, build around him. If he does not want to negotiate to stay by the all star break, make a splash and trade him for someone who does want to stay and join the Raptors talented young core of skill players. Would trading Bosh for Jeff Green and some of OK City's high draft picks be a bad idea? What about for the freakish Anthony Randolph and Stephen Curry? Would Cuban listen to a Bosh for Dirk trade? One thing is certain: Bosh is coveted in this league. His value will never be higher and legit building blocks could be obtained for him if he's no longer interested in being that block himself.

Its quite possible this is the year the Raptors turn it around. By finally playing small and running Bosh's mobility, along with the new arrivals, and Bargnani's resurgence, Toronto could be on the verge of becoming the league's next great offensive team. Whenever you take 3 players capable of scoring 20 PPG from anywhere on the court and put them on a team with a great point guard, athletic role players and a coach committed to playing to his team's strengths, big points is not only possible, but should become the norm with a concept that has frankly never truly been tried in the pro ranks.

Consider how little it would take to get Darko Milicic who excelled in Euro-play as a teenager... would his potential finally reach fruition when surrounded with others who grew up on the same courts as he did? Its astounding that no NBA teams have sincerely tried to copy the Euro model as other sports are trending towards finnese instead of force. European skill players now dominate the yearly NHL scoring books as a similar example a few years ahead of hoop.

Europeans Are Hungry To Play NBA Ball, But They Don't Have A Complementary Home... Yet?
Impact European players like Ricky Rubio, Gasol, Calderon, Hedo and Dirk become more and more commonplace and the Raptors plan to use it's city's international status as a marketing tool to attract any non-US talent. Not only that, but it appears they are building a team concept geared to reduce the adjustment from international to NBA basketball. We've seen veritable NBA all-star teams look lost on the international stage vs skill teams of notorious nobody's from countries as small as Greece and Puerto Rico. Its almost surprising that it's taken this long for someone to realize that if Puerto Rico can embarrass Team USA, and Spain can hang with a legit NBA allstar team in international style game, what happens when you try the reverse? A veritable international all star team playing that same skill game in the NBA's house. The Toronto Raptors are poised to find out.

Atlantic Division Preview

Here's the full list of Atlantic Division Previews.
Boston Celtics
CelticsBlog | LOY's Place | Celtics17 | Red's Army | Hoops Addict | Celtics Central | Celtics Hub | Gino's Jungle

New Jersey Nets
Slippery When Nets | Barkley's Mouth
New York Knicks
Posting and Toasting | Bandwagon Knick
Philadelphia 76ers
Liberty Ballers

Toronto Raptors
RaptorsHQ.com | Hoops Addict
Bonus Links
See full schedule here | Also see SBNation preview storystream