The Three Stooges (plus Shemp) of Sports

[PhilaYank36]

Has there been any point in time since the Big Four leagues started having commissioners where each and ever one of them is a complete dolt, crook, liar or any combination of the three:

Selig claims ignorance over the steroid scandal, tries to cut off fans from watching games b/c of the DirecTV deal and insists on starting the majority of the playoff games after 8:00. Oh yeah, he hasn't gotten rid of the DH yet.

Stern exploits his underpriviledged minority talent better than any robber-baron of the late-1800s and does a better job of fixing the outcome of the playoffs than Arnold Rothstein.

Bettman killed hockey as a major sport in the US.

Goodall gets a pass for now since he's new to this gig. But Tagliabue has sucked the fun out of the NFL, turned the draft day into a meaningless spectacle and made sure he jammed his league down our throats at every opportunity.

Not to mention each and every one of them has allowed prices to skyrocket to the point that an average, middle-class family can't go out to see more than one or two games a year. That is all, I'm going to down some drain-o.

 

[silvershadow1981]

well one thing I give David Stern credit for is that you KNOW who's running the show. Although his decisions and rules are substandard at best, he sticks to his guns and dares anybody to challenge him on it. I wonder what it would take for the owners/board of governors in the NHL to understand that a new course of action for the league should've been taken like yesterday.

 

[JC]

Stern exploits his underpriviledged minority talent better than any robber-baron of the late-1800s and does a better job of fixing the outcome of the playoffs than Arnold Rothstein.

What a crock of ****. I wish I could be exploited and make on average 4 mill per year.
Now if you want to say the NCAA exploits there athletes I'd be inclined to agree with you

 

[lantaur]

Point of note: I don't think Selig can get rid of the DH without the union's approval.

But he's still an idiot.

 

[friend of the friendless]

Sirs, Madames,

I always have thought that Rick Jeanerette, Sabres radio guy, is the Curly Joe of Sports.

YHS, etc

 

[Twoback]

Stern exploits his underpriviledged minority talent better than any robber-baron of the late-1800s and does a better job of fixing the outcome of the playoffs than Arnold Rothstein.

Goodall gets a pass for now since he's new to this gig. But Tagliabue has sucked the fun out of the NFL, turned the draft day into a meaningless spectacle and made sure he jammed his league down our throats at every opportunity.

This is all quite funny.
Stern "exploits" minority talent but presiding over a league in which a great number of those minorities build net worths into nine figures.
Tagliabue "shoved his league down our throats." Um, he was selling a product. THAT'S WAS HIS JOB.
I'm going to suggest -- no, declare -- he was pretty doggone good at it.

 

[bostonbred]

I'd like to punch Stern in the face. Going on the Dan Patrick show the other day and getting all pissed when Patrick wasn't kissing his ass. I think Stern thinks he's James Naismith or something.

 

[Gold]

This thread is quite offensive to the Three Stooges. Don't forget Joe Besser.

 

[BTExpress]

There are about 900 channels on my DirecTV satellite.

If the NFL commissioner attempts to push his league down my throat, I have about 886 places I can go to avoid it.

 

[PhilaYank36]

OK, I'll admit that it was Tagliabue's job to force his league on everyone. My bad there, along with the accusation of Stern exploiting his players. Same thing happens with Selig & all the Latino stars and in football.

BUT, Tagliabue has done an amazing job in not only keeping the NFL's steroid problem under wraps & make the public practically not care that their favorite athletes at turning themselves into guinea pigs, but also not addressing the growing problem of players with multiple concussions. The perfect storm of this: Bill Romanowski.

 

[CapeCodder]

Has there been any point in time since the Big Four leagues started having commissioners where each and ever one of them is a complete dolt, crook, liar or any combination of the three:

Selig claims ignorance over the steroid scandal, tries to cut off fans from watching games b/c of the DirecTV deal and insists on starting the majority of the playoff games after 8:00. Oh yeah, he hasn't gotten rid of the DH yet.

Stern exploits his underpriviledged minority talent better than any robber-baron of the late-1800s and does a better job of fixing the outcome of the playoffs than Arnold Rothstein.

Bettman killed hockey as a major sport in the US.

Goodall gets a pass for now since he's new to this gig. But Tagliabue has sucked the fun out of the NFL, turned the draft day into a meaningless spectacle and made sure he jammed his league down our throats at every opportunity.

Not to mention each and every one of them has allowed prices to skyrocket to the point that an average, middle-class family can't go out to see more than one or two games a year. That is all, I'm going to down some drain-o.

I don't think it's fair to even suggest that Selig is in control of baseball--he's a commissioner in name only. (One friend has suggested that blaming Bud Selig for baseball's ills is like blaming Ronald McDonald when you get a bad cheeseburger. Both of them are the face out front, but neither of them really run the company.) In fact, he's probably the third or fourth most important person in the sport. Nothing gets done in baseball without Donald Fehr. But Bettman is incredibly, amazingly bad. In 10 years, league has lost almost $2 billion, and, as either commissioner or assistant, there have been three lockouts. Goodell is still pretty much a blank slate. At least you've got Stern, who runs the NBA like some sort of South American dictator. With him, whether you like him or not, you know who's in charge.