« Pay As You Drive | Main | Good Branding » Optimism29 Mar 2008 05:03 pm David Stern sees good things coming for the New York Knicks: Asked for the root of his hopefulness, Stern referred to “the wellspring of optimism that resides within me” and the “renewal presented by the draft” and the preseason. “And I do know that the ownership of the Knicks is committed to improving the team,” he said. “It’s just my perpetually optimistic self.” I think Stern should start moonlighting as John McCain's Iraq spokesman. Comments (26)
Asked about the root of his hopefulness, McCain said he had a position paper on it somewhere and would have to see what his position is. McCain said he knew there was a reason why he was so optimistic, but just couldn't think of it at the moment. 
Stern's gone a little crazy over the last five years. He's still the best commissioner in sports, but not by the same margin as before.
Yeah, right. Has Stern been following the Knicks for lo these many years?
David Stern's NBA will be exactly where he started, a number 4 sport (at best) in the US. He wasn't able to build the sport despite having the best and most marketable athlete ever. But he was able to have a bunch of fixed games and if anybody cared about the NBA it would have mattered.
What's Stern going to say? "The Knicks are doomed for a generation -- doomed, I tell you!"
If the Knicks hire Donnie Walsh at least the players know it's a green light on the Glock/dime bag/strip club/bar brawl/rape/hang around with felons/drive-by shooting/game fighting/don't worry, it's OK if your mug shot makes it in the papers scene.
David Stern's NBA will be exactly where he started, a number 4 sport (at best) in the US. He wasn't able to build the sport despite having the best and most marketable athlete ever. This is correct in a lot of respects. Harris had a poll last month that asked about people's favorite sports. Pro basketball was the favorite sport of only 4% of people who follow sports - tied with college basketball and golf. It's below pro and college football, auto racing, and (shockingly) hockey. In addition, the 4% who found the NBA to be their favorite sport is the lowest in the history of the survey, which is since 1985 (the highest was, not surprisingly, in '97 and '98, at the height of the Jordan era, when pro basketball was the favorite sport of 13% of the respondants).
StopMikeLupica did a rundown of all the trades, draft picks, and free agent signings of the last eight losing seasons. It's a damned depressing history.
David Stern's NBA will be exactly where he started, a number 4 sport (at best) in the US. As a hockey fan, I run into this argument all the time. But what does it matter? If you're an NBA fan, and you run into an NFL fan, do you have to let him give you noogies or something? If not, what difference does it make? The only downside to hockey's unpopularity is that I rarely run into anyone who wants to talk puck. Otherwise I have plentiful access to the product (counting the Kings as an NHL team).
I think that hope has a name. His name is Lebron.
Dannity writes: "I think that hope has a name. His name is Lebron." I keep hearing Knicks fans say this, but why on Earth would James want to go to the most poorly-run sports franchise on the planet? Even if Isiah gets axed the team is still owned by a pathetic retarded dipshit. If he must leave Cleveland, Chicago, LA, or Boston would be much better destinations if he's interested in winning. Of course if he's interested in getting herpes he should go to the Knicks and meet their skanky groupies.
Sounds like Stern is getting the freezer ready for the lottery envelopes.
Am I crazy, or does this read like, "Now that the Celtics and Lakers are headed back to the finals, we can start rigging the lottery for the Knicks again."
As a Seattle resident I will take the opportunity to speak on behalf of all Sonics fans: David Stern can kiss my lily white ass.
moelarryandjesus: do you honestly think lebron and kobe can coexist? and where do you think lebron would play in boston? the point? i have no special insight into james and his future, but unless he's one of those people who simply cannot stand the idea of living in new york, of course the knicks are a possible destination for him: he's still amazingly young and the knicks could build around him and david lee. now, are the knicks under dolan intelligent and organized enough to make a run at him? that's a whole 'nother story! but considering that dolan appears likely to keep running the knicks, stern's optimism seems a little...unfounded.
PS. i meant to note that dolan has been the one owner ready to pay the tax, which means that the knicks have an money advantage (that they, under the current regime have benefitted from not at all, but still, under intelligent management, that's an asset, much as i hate the cap).
What Kelly said.
"This is correct in a lot of respects. Harris had a poll last month that asked about people's favorite sports. Pro basketball was the favorite sport of only 4% of people who follow sports - tied with college basketball and golf. It's below pro and college football, auto racing, and (shockingly) hockey." What's the surprise? The NBA has lots of possessions degenerate into boring two-man contests, it has a too-long regular season full of mostly meaningless games, and it drags out the playoffs with 7-game series. The last two objections apply to the NHL too, but the prospect of getting your head handed to you on a check keeps hockey players from mailing it in in November. BTW, if you saw Showtime's Elite XC headliner fight tonight, you can see why MMA has become so popular. Actually, that fight was better than the typical MMA fight, because one of the fighters, Cung Lee, can actually kick.
Howard says: "moelarryandjesus: do you honestly think lebron and kobe can coexist? and where do you think lebron would play in boston? the point? i have no special insight into james and his future, but unless he's one of those people who simply cannot stand the idea of living in new york, of course the knicks are a possible destination for him: he's still amazingly young and the knicks could build around him and david lee. now, are the knicks under dolan intelligent and organized enough to make a run at him? that's a whole 'nother story! but considering that dolan appears likely to keep running the knicks, stern's optimism seems a little...unfounded." Ya think? Do I think Kobe and LeBron could coexist? No question. For 2-3 championships. Could he fit in Boston? Are you fucking kidding me? He'd be the perfect small forward there. NY makes no sense because their talent is shit and their owners are retarded. LJ would be nuts to go there.
LeBron and Kobe could conceivably coexist, but I honestly can't see LeBron playing 2nd fiddle to the Kobe Show in LA. And everyone knows thats exactly what would happen. LeBron also wouldn't fit anywhere near Boston with the scorers they have now, and they'd be dumb to pay what it would cost to bring him in. King James would be forced to sacrifice way too much of his total game to fit in with that unit. As far as the LeBron to NY thing, I don't actually think that it's realistic at all. I was just repeating the not-so-quiet rumors that have been floating around. Like Howard, I don't think the Knicks are together enough to put together a deal like that. But they would be willing to take the cap hit that the signing would take, and that's a big advantage. Personally, I think LeBron ends up staying in Cleveland and signing an outrageously huge contract that'll keep them from being truly competitive for a very long time. And it'll be worth every penny to that franchise, as they'll pretty much be guaranteed to sell out every home game for years to come.
LeBron to the Knicks is crazy. Why would he want to play for that crappy team? If LeBron wants to come to New York, he will be playing for his buddy Jay-Z in Brooklyn.
moelarryandjesus, dannity has largely said it, but "lebron is the perfect small forward for boston?" what's your plan for paul pierce? al, from an nyc perspective, you're right: there's no theoretical reason why james if he wants bright lights, big city, couldn't choose the nets, but there is a cap-impact difference unless the nets change their philosophy (have i mentioned how i hate the cap?).
LeBron to the Knicks is crazy. Why would he want to play for that crappy team? I can't see him playing for either of them. The Nets have, remarkably, no fan base at all, it sometimes appears. And the Knicks are currently the most dysfunctional organization in basketball, and have long been the most overrated one. LeBron's big enough that he doesn't need the NYC-market boost. Why go to bad organizations if you don't have to? I personally think he'll stay in Cleveland.
On behalf of al Seatte, allow me to be the first to say: Fuck David Stern
When I used to live in NYC I went to the 2003 eastern conference finals (NJN vs. DET) and the fans were quite rabid. I especially enjoyed the "Kenyon Martin" chants (in the same meter and melody as "Fire Thomas", except positive)
Comments closed April 12, 2008. |
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Heads in the Sand
If McCain says that his optimism about Iraq stems from the "renewal presented by the draft" look forward to the worst Republican defeat since '64.
Posted by JB | March 29, 2008 5:23 PM