The weather has finally cooled in Wilmington and now it finally feels like basketball should be starting. The NBA begins play this weekend and after a wild off season, David Stern has set the tone for the ‘08 season. Last week, it was determined that many, about half, of all NBA referees had broken the gambling policy set by the league. And what did commissioner David Stern do after the scandal involving NBA official Tim Donaghy who was fixing games? Nothing.
What kind of message does this send?
Stern jumped to the defense of these referees and said that the gambling rules they broke were outdated. Outdated? They weren’t drinking old milk. You can’t change when the milk goes sour, but you can change the rules. And that is what Stern intends to do. Change the rules after they were broken, and pardon anyone for breaking them before they have actually been changed.
I am not sure if David Stern is one of our weekly readers, I’m guessing not, but what I hope he realizes is that fans are skeptical headed into the season due to the “Fix,” and the message that he sends, the week before the season begins, is that it is OK for NBA referees to gamble, as long as they don’t bet on games.
That’s like telling a kleptomaniac, he/she can borrow stuff. Just don’t keep it forever.
David Stern’s attention was directly on betting all summer, yet he never changed the rules then. If they are outdated now, a few months later, why were they not then? Oh, the expiration date must have passed like the quart of milk. I forgot they starting putting those on NBA league rules. When does the three point line expire, and if they get rid of it, will they ignore all those baskets and change them to two pointers?
What exactly, the commissioner intends to change is merely speculation, but it is believed that pulling slot machines will be allowed. Fine. Really no biggie. But the timing is awful. I don’t want to hear that gambling rules are becoming more lenient when I’m already worried that the 2008 champion has been decided by one of the NBA’s officials.
I don’t care if it is slots or betting a dollar on whether or not their next flight takes off on time. If something is leaked to the media about gambling, at least make it appear like you don’t want to send the wrong impression. It is us the fans you want to protect, Mr. Stern, not the referees. You don’t make money from them, you pay them money. So what if you tick them off? They need the league. Lose your fan base, which to a large extent has already happened in the NBA, and you’re done.
These referees broke the rules, ones related to the most scandalous event in the NBA’s history, and were excused. I don’t want them locked up, but let’s make sure they understand what’s at stake. Maybe a small token fine. An essay about gambling. A few hours of community service. Something. Don’t sweep it under the rug and make it sound like the crumbs on the floor weren’t their fault because the pastry they were eating was too flaky.
So after last season’s finals got the lowest rating ever, this is how we enter the NBA season. The league had already lost a portion of its fan base, and I’m not sure this is going to help. Commissioner Stern should be worried about fans thinking the “fix is in,” however the message he is sending is that he needs to be more lenient about gambling. Yo, dude. Hello!