What's new
By:

Greg Popovich says "suck it" to the NBA.

Gyp Rosetti said:
Jesus, you're short-sighted. Let me tell you something. If Pops kept his starters out there for 35 minutes a night for their careers like many teams do, these guys may have already retired, and the Spurs as a whole would be much, much ****tier, thus making their value and worth to the NBA much, much less.

But besides that point, any fans who expect anything are douches. It's not their team. They don't look out for the best interests of the players and therefore of the team like Pops does. But maybe he should just listen to Salty, play them 35 minutes a night for the fans, let them get injured in the process, and be one and done in the playoffs, thus ****ing the fans infinitely more pissed off. Or should they just play through injuries too for the fans? Ya know, because they paid some money.

Get over it. We're entitled to nothing. **** happens. Injuries. Births. Deaths in the family. Guys miss games and this is an anomaly, not a trend.
Click to expand...

Maybe he should just sit them all season and only put them out on the floor for the playoffs. Maybe every team should start doing this. Careers would be lengthened, and injuries to star players would be reduced.

Or, maybe the Spurs could just do what everyone else does and give 100% every game. When players get old or get hurt you find replacements. This is part of the game.

Hopefully Stern teaches them that integrity is required. If they're too old to go a full season then maybe it's time to call it a career.

If the Spurs players were already retired from playing too many minutes, some other players/team would have already taken their place. It's the league's version of natural selection.
 
I absolutely agree with Pop's decision. He has an older team, and he shouldn't risk killing them for one game. Also, where was Stern's high and mightiness during Golden State's tankapalooza last year? At least the Spurs are being honest about not playing their stars.
 
For the people that are upset with this decision,

I am curious. Are you as equally upset when NFL teams rest their starters after clinching the playoffs? I consider this an equal analogy because there are so many playoff spots in the NBA and the Spurs are clearly on pace to get to the playoffs.
 
WhiskyPriest said:
I absolutely agree with Pop's decision. He has an older team, and he shouldn't risk killing them for one game. Also, where was Stern's high and mightiness during Golden State's tankapalooza last year? At least the Spurs are being honest about not playing their stars.
Click to expand...

WhiskyPriest said:
For the people that are upset with this decision,

I am curious. Are you as equally upset when NFL teams rest their starters after clinching the playoffs? I consider this an equal analogy because there are so many playoff spots in the NBA and the Spurs are clearly on pace to get to the playoffs.
Click to expand...

What Golden State did last season absolutely warranted punishment. It not only warranted severe punishment, but it should have lead to rules changes in how the lottery works. Maybe make lottery position outside of the top 3 less of a guarantee. Like the way it used to be.

I also think it cheats the fans when NFL teams tank games. It's more understandable for an NFL team though, because there are so many more injuries in an NFL game.

To be clear, NBA teams also rest stars after a playoff spot is clinched. This was not one of those situations. The Spurs just decided to tank a game. Their playoff seeding is absolutely not clinched at this early point in the season.

If the playoffs started next week and the Spurs were locked into their playoff seed, I'd have much less of a problem with this. But as it stands right now, the Spurs just tanked a meaningful regular season game.

The integrity of the game shouldn't only be important in the playoffs.

If Pete Rose got banned from baseball for life for betting on his own team, it shouldn't be okay for the Spurs to be openly tanking meaningful regular season games.

I realize they (and other teams) have done this before, but that doesn't make it right. It should have been punished all those other times too.

Remember when the league told Malone he'd be punished if he skipped the all star game? Now it's okay for teams to openly tank pretty big regular season games?
 
SaltyDawg said:
I'm not a fan of any of those teams and didn't buy a ticket. And you probably shouldn't care even if I did.

The NBA, however, should absolutely care if fans are spending ridiculous amounts of money and then only receiving a partial product.
Click to expand...
Should the NBA do more (i.e something more than the Darft Lottery) to stop teams tanking, then - since tanking is also deliberately putting out a sub-standard product? Especially when some teams start tanking on Opening Night (see: last season's Bobcats)? Shouldn't they do more to protect season-ticket holders from being served 41 games of garbage?

In this case, all Heat fans paid a premium to see a "top-tier" team and didn't get what they paid for, so I agree with you that the fans got stiffed, but the fact there are "top-tier" and "lower-tier" teams in the first place is the bigger issue. Of course, if there was a CBA in place that allowed teams to build and/or retain competitive rosters regardless of which home market they played in, and which reduced the gap between the "have multiple All-Star" and "have no All-Stars" teams, there might not be this issue, but Stern has already whiffed on fixing that. Instead we have the same disparity between franchises that we had before the lockout.
 
Pops is just exploiting gaps of the playoff system, his team is good and old enough to make a desicion like that. And that's why he is getting paid right, to make desicions on behalf and favor of his team.
 
Pops has now reached Phil Jackson level in my book. Respect their accomplishments, but their behavior becomes shameful. They think they are above the system, and treat reporters and fans with disdain. I’m going to go ahead and list him right next to Phil, and Orrin Hatch.

With success comes power, and with power comes the opportunity to become brain-dead. Very few can wield power for long without succumbing to its taints.
 
I can't believe that anybody would side with San Antonio/Pop on this one. It must be horrible for the millionaires on his team to have a 6 and 10 day road trip in 1 month. Nevermind the millions of Americans who work 40+ hour work weeks for far less money. If his team is too old to give NBA ticket payers their money's worth, maybe they need to make some changes to their roster.

I'm not fan of Stern, but I hope he puts the screws to them.
 
Stoked said:
https://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/...tonio-spurs-sit-4-top-5-scorers-vs-miami-heat

Stern is not happy. Even made an apology before the game.
Click to expand...

I'm really starting to loath David Stern and his NBA visions in an unhealthy way. The only thing this guy cares about is short and medium term bottom line. He manages the rules based on point totals & doesn't give a rip about talent disparity. Look at the success of the NFL because they actually care about player health, adjust rules according to common sense instead of outcome, and foster a competitive environment. There are good reasons why the NFL leads US sports in revenue, growth, and profit.

Stern and the NBA need to take a hint before time runs out on their short sited visions. The NBA may be growing now but they will face the effects of alienating fans sooner or later. I am no longer an NBA fan, only a fan of the Jazz. I know plenty of people who are Jazz fans but refuse to set themselves up for disappointment yet again so they seldom watch Jazz games anymore. It's sad how Stern has taken a good thing and ruined it.

And David Stern, you are a loathsome piece of **** for disregarding player health.
 
jazzman12 said:
I can't believe that anybody would side with San Antonio/Pop on this one. It must be horrible for the millionaires on his team to have a 6 and 10 day road trip in 1 month. Nevermind the millions of Americans who work 40+ hour work weeks for far less money. If his team is too old to give NBA ticket payers their money's worth, maybe they need to make some changes to their roster.

I'm not fan of Stern, but I hope he puts the screws to them.
Click to expand...

That seems a little bit drastic don't you think?

Pop is there for one reason. To win championships. I think he knows what will benefit his team more than we do. Also why was there no outrage when he did this 3 times last year?
 
I totally understand Pop's reasoning here. And Pop coming to coach here would be like us landing Lebron James or drafting a 20 year old Malone clone.

However, I don't think it's good for the league, good for TV watchers, and especially a raw deal for those who actually paid to attend.

I just don't like it.

If athletes think it's too hard or that they're being used "too much" or aren't being "fairly compensated" for being our "gladiators" then they could always try their hand at a real job.

BTW it's hilarious to read/hear some people compare modern day sports to gladiators (heard it on the radio a few days ago and now i'm reading it here). I'm pretty sure people who draw those comparisons have never ever EVER actually studied Roman history. Does anyone even know who the gladiators were and how they were employed or compensated?
 
I get upset every time a coach brings a sub into a game: all of a sudden the "best product" is no longer on the court. If these players think its too hard to play 48 minutes per game, perhaps they ought to try their hand at a real job.
 
Why are the complainers, complaining?

Last night's game was really entertaining. Spurs damn near beat the Heat. The Heat needed a big 3 from Ray Allen just to win.

Would anyone here be mad if Ty sat 3-4 of our starters, and we got to see the guys at the end of the bench get more minutes, namely our young guys? It would probably help our bench get some much needed experience and reps. Well, San Antonio has a bench too. Maybe Pop thought about this as having many different layers. He gets to rest his big guns because they are old AND teach his bench guys a few things.

Pop should be able to go about it his way. Its his team. He shouldnt have to stick to the script.

Someone coaches treat winning as a science, others dont have a clue what the hell they are doing.
 
The Thriller said:
I totally understand Pop's reasoning here. And Pop coming to coach here would be like us landing Lebron James or drafting a 20 year old Malone clone.

However, I don't think it's good for the league, good for TV watchers, and especially a raw deal for those who actually paid to attend.

I just don't like it.

If athletes think it's too hard or that they're being used "too much" or aren't being "fairly compensated" for being our "gladiators" then they could always try their hand at a real job.
BTW it's hilarious to read/hear some people compare modern day sports to gladiators (heard it on the radio a few days ago and now i'm reading it here). I'm pretty sure people who draw those comparisons have never ever EVER actually studied Roman history. Does anyone even know who the gladiators were and how they were employed or compensated?
Click to expand...

So if your boss told you "you've been working you overtime lately and doing an excellent job take a day off" you wouldn't do it?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page
Back
Top