David Stern makes people like Jim Rome

After the "folded corner/frozen envelope" conspiracy to ensure the Knicks got Ewing in 1985, the lottery had to have a few more precautions. I think it would be nearly impossible to rig the lottery now, with a third-party accounting firm overseeing it. Now, in 1985 with Stern drawing envelopes out of a hopper, very easy to do so.

 

You obviously covered the game so I am interested to know what type of questions you asked of the league and the people potentially involved. I would imagine since you were so convinced that this was rigged and that would have made an amazing story, that you would have really gone hard at it. It would have made a once in a life time story.

 

No dog in this fight, but Rome is getting killed on local radio, especially for the part when he said he took "offense" to Stern insinuating he's made a career out of these dog and pony shows. It's really hard to take Rome seriously, and this only further cements that sentiment.

 

The thing that always amazes me regarding Stern and NBA conspiracy theories is just how much the mere mention of them rankles the commish. It's pretty common knowledge that he hates, hates, hates them. On one hand, I understand why: if a sports league has no integrity, it has nothing, unless Vince McMahon is running the show.

On the other hand, it wouldn't hurt Stern to have a bit of a sense of humor about them. Laugh a little. Out-crazy the crazy. Cut a YouTube spoof video and watch it go viral. (How hard would it be to cut up "JFK" courtroom scenes with the 85 lottery? Or drop a Zapruder-looking filter over '85 footage?) Embrace the absurdity, and in doing so, defuse matters a bit. Barring that, at least be less irritable. And never, ever allow yourself to be baited by Jim Rome. Clown question? That's clown answerin', bro.

As one of the above posters said, protesting too much can actually raise suspicions.

 

I do think the NBA could do a better job convincing the numbskulls how the lottery works - do they tape the actual process for later airing after its announced? But the way they shoehorn the process before a playoff game, "Here are the teams, here are the envelopes...and the winners are..." ...I would expect more from someone as media savvy as Stern. Hell, it could be its own show. 24/7, the Lottery...

I did think it was weird Rome was pretty quiet on the Twitters yesterday after the interview happened. Figure he would have been all over it if someone else was involved.

 

I'm in the minority here but I've often found Rome's radio program a refreshing option from the WWL's propogandized promotional machine. Enjoy Grant Napear's fill-in stints, as well.

 

rack him

 

Good take and Mizzou doesn't suck.

 

There's enough people out there who truly believe the NBA lottery is fixed that Stern ought to answer any question on this topic seriously every time.

Seems to me that Stern is coming to the end of his run where he doesn't really give a damn about perception or ramifications to his job/career and he's becoming a grumpy old man.

And having an audit firm vouch for this doesn't make it bulletproof. Check the files of Arthur Andersen and Enron.

Pretty simple to do the ping pong ball pick live.

 

If the NBA lottery is fixed, then Colonel Sanders is part of the Pentavirate.

 

Aside from boxing, is any other professional-style sport been more corrupt than basketball? I say professional-style sport because I include college basketball.

 

I agree with Stern in that it was a shameful question, but he stooped to Rome's level when he asked about the wife beating.

That said, just because there are some vocal people out there shrieking about a fixed NBA Lottery every few years doesn't mean Stern is obligated to dignify it with serious discussion on sports talk radio. That would be the case if there was some sort of hard evidence at some point. But the Hornets getting the top pick in a year they had a good chance is not it. Why do we constantly have to play to the lowest common denominator?

And do you think anybody want to see the ping pong process live? It's a bunch of numbers on ping pong balls pulled out in 10-minute intervals. If I understand it right, it takes almost an hour to determine one team. Not exactly riveting.