Showing posts with label David Stern. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Stern. Show all posts

Thursday, January 7, 2010

A pointed response



Latest rumble on Gilbert Arenas’ little gun joke was that it took an even more serious turn than was thought. There are reports that when Arenas laid out four guns in the Wizards’ locker room and invited Jarvis Crittenton to choose one, Crittenton surprised Arenas by throwing one of Arenas’ guns to the floor and producing his own, into which he inserted a round, while singing.

Meanwhile Arenas, while saying all the right things through his lawyers, has continued to say and do all the wrong things himself, including his continued ill-advised tweeting and his taking the court for a recent game while pointing his fingers at his teammates as if they were guns (ha-ha).

All of which got him suspended indefinitely. Arenas seemed to expect such a turn. After meeting with the law Monday, Arenas said he feared NBA commissioner David Stern more than the authorities because he was “mean.”

Two comments:

1) Stern might or might not be mean, but he can’t put Arenas in jail. That the authorities can do.

2) Stern might or might not be mean, but he’s not stupid — stupid enough to allow Arenas to continue to tarnish the league’s reputation without responding both quickly and decisively. The difference between Stern and Arenas is that Stern — whatever else you think of him — is an adult.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

A great thing — for fixers


So.

David Stern thinks nationwide legalized gambling on NBA games might be a “huge opportunity” and a great thing for the league.

Stern, aka “the smartest guy in the room,” might want to check with FIFA President Seff Blatter, and see how legalized betting on soccer in Europe is helping “the beautiful game,” mired in a widespread, ugly and violent match-fixing scandal.