How does Stern restore credibility to his league?

[sturt]

I've been thinking about this today...

Can't say I've come to any definitive thoughts/ideas just yet, so I thought I'd turn the question over to others who, like me, feel that the league had already had a serious credibility problem, but that this matter has just blessed Stern with a more convenient reason to make significant changes....

What can be done?

[KB21]

IMO, the first thing he has to do is come down on the superstar calls in the league.

[Hawk88]

This seems like a big todo about nothing. One rogue bad apple referee. Now if it winds up being more then there is a problem.

The subjectivity of the calls is just the nature of the game.

Bottom, line from Charles Barkley "You have to be an idiot to bet on basketball". Right on Charles.

[sturt]

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The subjectivity of the calls is just the nature of the game.

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Thanks for visiting HS, Mr. Stern.

But perhaps you think we've forgotten the times when this wasn't the overwhelming problem that it's been for 20 years.

[sturt]

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IMO, the first thing he has to do is come down on the superstar calls in the league.

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But how does he accomplish the PR side of that?

Does he make a public announcement that "Okay, we're not going to do that anymore?"

Or does he make it private and wait for weeks, if not months, for people to notice the difference?

Hmmmmm...

[Yeti]

Don't you think this mess makes it much less likely that any team will move to Las Vegas? Sorry Belkin. It would put the NBA on par with wraslin.

[Duff_Man]

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Don't you think this mess makes it much less likely that any team will move to Las Vegas? Sorry Belkin. It would put the NBA on par with wraslin.

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The Sacramento owners own a casino in Vegas. Seems to have gotten the Kings all the calls and great records...oh wait.

[AHF]

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IMO, the first thing he has to do is come down on the superstar calls in the league.

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But how does he accomplish the PR side of that?

Does he make a public announcement that "Okay, we're not going to do that anymore?"

Or does he make it private and wait for weeks, if not months, for people to notice the difference?

Hmmmmm...

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The league can't acknowledge the superstar calls, IMO. They need to crack down on it and get uniform calls for players regardless of status. You can say that as a result of this you are implementing a new system that does greater tracking of calls, etc. - whatever you want. But I agree that it would be a good thing for the league and that you promote the new and improved system for refs without admitting that there was a real problem with superstar calls in the past because that would undermine the game's credibility and the accomplishments of people like Dwayne Wade and Michael Jordan.

[atlien]

Agreed. The superstar calls are the most annoying on a nightly basis. Joe shoudlve averaged a FT or two more this past season.

I think it's time to implement better performance standards and really apply them. You f-up on a consistent basis, you're fired. It should be like any other job.

I also like the idea that Ive heard where officials should be required to have played some high level of competitive basketball (at least Division 3 NCAA or better).

[Diesel]

He can start by claiming responsibility.

He has to come out and say that the refereeing hasn't been perfect and that while he has wasted time trying to police what players wear or change the style of the ball, he missed what was really wrong with his league.

Second, he has to denounce and police all preferential treatement.

Have Refs call basketball down the line just like they do in college games (well, that's about the best represenatation I can give right now.). IF the game was called right down the line all the time, then it would be easier to detect when somebody was not calling the game right. The last thing you want as commissioner is for your league to be thought of as fake like Roller derby and Wrassling! Not Fake in the sense that they don't play, but fake in the sense of a controlled outcome.

These are just starters, these will in no way solve all the problems. I think in order to solve all the problems, you have to make gambling legal and put the policing of referees in the hands of a committee of professional bookies. Not ones who are active, but ones who have the means to do the "math" to help determine if a ref is on the take. Vegas knew that Timmy D's games were fishy long before there was an FBI investigation. Vegas has the kind of number manipulations that you need to be discerning in that matter.

[TexasPete]

The game would be so much better if they called traveling and other basic calls like they do in college and HS.

Stern is an egomanical CEO who will likely do nothing because he doesnt know what to do...

I'm sure he will say all the right things but his ref culture is too set in their ways to stop the nonsense with the stars.

The league needs new blood in the Commish seat and in the ref staff. Badly. The league needs a cleansing and would find that there is life after Czar Stern.

[AHF]

The preference issue is one that affects the college game as well. Remember some of the hammer fouls that went uncalled in critical moments by Shelden or the bevy of Dwayne Wade-esque calls that Jay Williams got in college? The star treatment in college isn't as bad as in the NBA but it is still a problem there as well.

[Diesel]

Well,

Stern cashed in by changing the league from a team dominated league to a player dominated league. He found that it's easier to promote a Jordan or a Kobe. However, he has found out that players mess up... loss popularity...etc and when your whole league is centered around 1 or 2 players, you live and die with that player.

Well, the game itself is built on teams, that's why the March Madness is probably the most enjoyable few weeks in sports for me... that and football. Because in March, there are only teams left. The draw is the team. No one player can make the league.

Stern needs to learn from Football. Do you see how easily the league told Mike Vick to sit down and don't show up? Vick is the 2nd highest paid player in football. A draw of draws, but the league can exist without him. However, had it been one of the players that basketball is holding on to right now (Wade or Kobe) or KG or Shaq... then this league would have experienced great problems.

As soon as Stern give up the star treatment and make it a team game again and promote teams in basketball instead of players, you will see a league that much much better from all perspectives.

[Diesel]

Well, I think that there are incidents in college, but everybody takes their cues from the pros. One of the reasons why we have sucked in international play recently is because our stars go into those games "expecting" to get a call.

I think when you take the expectation away from the players on the pro level, the refs and players on the college and HS levels will stop looking for it also...

But you're right, it does exist and like I said: College is the best example i can come up with right now.

[AtLaS]

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The game would be so much better if they called traveling and other basic calls like they do in college and HS.

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In the past I would have agreed, but the refs actually called a LOT more travelling violations this year than in season's past. They definitely weren't letting them get away with it like they used to.

[TexasPete]

The traveling calls started hot and heavy and then went south. Just like the techs. By January, only the stiffs were called for traveling for the most part.

Yes, the superstar culture is killing the NBA but Stern says there is no superstar treatment.

You can't fix what you won't acknowledge.