David Stern punks Jim Rome

[busabus114]

I always find it funny that the biggest arsonists in talk radio (guys who just pick a side on a topic for a reax without really believing in their opinion) are the guys who get the most worked up about it when people call them on it, and 'resent' it

You realize Rome said several times that he didnt think it was fixed right?

Stern overreacted for no reason. All he had to do is laugh it off and move on and that wouldve been it.

I'm not a huge Rome fan but he is 100% in the right here. Pat OBrien asked Stern if it was fixed and he didnt flip out on him

 

[HawkeyeShane]

The "beating your wife" comment is a condescending rhetorical trick which has been primarily used by people in politics and law in the past who feel attacked by a line of questioning from a reporter. Stern wasn't actually literally asking Rome when he stopped beating his wife.

I actually side with Stern on this based on the way Rome framed the question. Rome's wording was, "Was the fix in on the lottery?". There is really only one way Stern can answer that question without saying something controversial and that is a simple "no". Rome should have asked something with more room to elaborate and less of an attacking tone. Maybe something like, "Commissioner, you may have heard people in the media making claims about the draft being rigged. How do you respond to these claims?".

You apparently didn't hear the question in its entirety...Rome prefaced it with things like "let's get it out of the way" and "there always those people who say it"...these 2 have always had a good natured relationship with plenty of playful banter and seemingly a lot of respect for each other. Stern, for some reason decided to snap and go super doosh this time around and burn the bridge...and for once, it's Rome who came out of it the bigger man...and I NEVER thought I'd say that since he's the king of being a petty little b!tch whenever he doesn't get his way.

 

[big10fan]

I'm no fan of Rome, just not my style. That said, Stern can be very condescending and I'm really growing in dislike for him.

 

[Billso]

The question and response and overall behavior were completely reasonable for the first 2:45. Rome asks a question that gets asked a lot, it's silly but fair. Stern reacts with mild annoyance, because he's been asked it a dozen times, also fair.

It could have ended then... but STERN then extended the exchange by taking shots about "reputable journalists", "cheap thrills", "cheap trick", "Jim Rome is pouting". Please. He came off as whiny and small.

Both men are talented tools. So what. Bill Gates & Steve Jobs were tools too, as are a lot of hyper-successful people. But Rome has actually improved over the years into a terrific interviewer, while Stern's NBA has declined from talk-of-the-nation to a significantly diminished sport.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

I sometimes think Stern gets a little too much credit for the success of the NBA. He became the commissioner during the Bird and Magic era, which turned into the Jordan era and also coincided with the rise of ESPN and other cable outlets that needed sports programming. Given all this, a lot of his playoff games are on non-sport basic cable programming stations, he has several teams in serious financial trouble and teams are playing their games in half empty arenas during large stretches of the regular season.

Seriously, the guy isn't all that. He was lucky to be in the right place at the right time and hasn't even taken full advantage of it.

Stern has had plenty of issues during his tenure, financial disparity among franchises like you mentioned and two labor stoppages, but playoff games being on TNT is a non issue. MLB has playoff games on TBS, TNT has by far the best NBA coverage and is in just as many homes as ESPN.

Stern's main accomplishment has been the growth of the NBA overseas. The popularity of the league has exploded in Europe and China and while a lot of this is due to the ease of access now with technology improvements, he has done a great job capitalizing on it.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

Also, Stern has always been a condescending *****. This is really nothing new.