What if the judge said . . . . .

[DrReality]

Listening to Kincaid on the way home who surmised that the judge is trying to give both parties an opportunity to work this thing out without him making a ruling. With that being said, what if he said I'm going to send this to David Stern and the owners to let them decide. What do you think would happen?

Lot's of speculation that Stern is not happy with Belkin and if the judge is going to seek their approval anyway, that could be a way of dislodging the stalemate. Would it help move both sides toward a compromise? Or do just the opposite.

[AHF]

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what if he said I'm going to send this to David Stern and the owners to let them decide. What do you think would happen?

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Let them decide what? He couldn't kick it to them to interpret the contract. That is his job not the NBA's. I am not sure what specifically you are proposing the NBA decide.

[DrReality]

If both sides new that the owners and Stern had the right to give approval for Belkin owning the Hawks. If they are not going to approve Belkin as an owner, it is a moot point. I wonder if it would change Belkin's position any?

[AHF]

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If both sides new that the owners and Stern had the right to give approval for Belkin owning the Hawks. If they are not going to approve Belkin as an owner, it is a moot point. I wonder if it would change Belkin's position any?

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I suspect it would be it isn't ripe yet. The only time the Judge would decide that issue is if Belkin has been granted the right to by the team and that is the issue being appealed.

[mdawg]

I'm solutions oriented, so if I were Stern, here's what I would say: Belkin, you sell your share to the other owners, and I guarantee you will be approved as owner of any of ther other teams currently for sale (such as the Portland Trail Blazers). Belkin gets his team, Spirit gets the Hawks. All are happy.

[Watchman]

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Let them decide what? He couldn't kick it to them to interpret the contract. That is his job not the NBA's. I am not sure what specifically you are proposing the NBA decide.

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I would imagine that the judge would need to consider whether or not the NBA board of governors would accept Belkin as the single owner of a franchise. If, as has been suggested here, Stern is not too thrilled with Belkin, it may become a very real issue.

[AHF]

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Let them decide what? He couldn't kick it to them to interpret the contract. That is his job not the NBA's. I am not sure what specifically you are proposing the NBA decide.

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I would imagine that the judge would need to consider whether or not the NBA board of governors would accept Belkin as the single owner of a franchise. If, as has been suggested here, Stern is not too thrilled with Belkin, it may become a very real issue.

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It may become a very real issue but only after the issue of whether Belkin has the contractual right to buy out the team is settled. Until then it is premature to see whether the NBA board of governors would accept Belkin from the standpoint of the lawsuit.

[hawkster411]

This is embarrassing for the Hawks Organization. I know Stern has to be upset with Belkin. The hawks are on a rise, and here's Belkin's ego wanting to win back his pride (ala BK not shaking his hand in the national public).

Seriously, offer Belkin a franchise of his own. Let the Spirit's handle the Hawks. What bothers the hell out of me is how Belkin is going to fire all the people that are loyal to the Spirit. If I'm not mistaken, the Spirit group has made great strides in making this organization better, recognizing Nique into the organization (front office), trusting the basketball genius's (BK) in making personnel decisions, and most importantly, giving hope to the Hawks. If Spirit can make great strides in making this organization respectable, Hawks personnel can't help but stay loyal to this group. It's a crying shame if Belkin fires the Hawks Personnel. I will be more upset if he fires Nique. In that case, that shows how selfish Belkin is.

[Diesel]

I agree here.

Stern doesn't want to get his hands dirty if he doesn't have to.

However, he will.

He blocked Belkin from getting the Charlotte Franchise when it was supposed to be Belkin and Bird.

I think he will also give Belkin a hard time becoming sole owner of the Hawks.

Plus, Belk has made no friends in the NHL either. Didn't they fine him 250k for talking too much?

[DrReality]

It's hard to read the reaction from such a distance, but the tension is clearly being ratched up. I think it started out with a sense of disbelief, then frustration, then embarassment and now moving toward disdain. None of which is good for anyone. This includes fans, media, players and probably the judge. You wonder when it will reach critical mass and something break to bring some movement. It seems to me the longer Belkin drives this hard a$$ attitude the more he is shooting himself in the foot.

[AHF]

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Plus, Belk has made no friends in the NHL either. Didn't they fine him 250k for talking too much?

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Yep. He said that teams would use replacement players during the strike. Of course, he isn't cheap or anything.

[Lascar78]

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It may become a very real issue but only after the issue of whether Belkin has the contractual right to buy out the team is settled. Until then it is premature to see whether the NBA board of governors would accept Belkin from the standpoint of the lawsuit.

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Exactly.

Stern is a lawyer, and the judge has already made it clear that he will go to Stern before this is over with. Stern knows to wait for his turn to make a maximum impact.

To deduce that Stern's silence at this point means that he doesn't care or is not going to intervene is ridiculous IMO. His time will come.