the Association
The National Basketball Association is at the end of their labor agreement and already owners are talking lockout. If they aren't careful, the NBA could find themselves languishing in the same fan apathy as the NHL.
The NBA has a culture/attitude issue with their fans. They have embraced the gangsta/rap thing and slowly alienated what used to be their paying customer fanbase. One of the things we like about our professional athletes is to hold them up as role models for kids, as people who achieve more than others and show a high level of commitment to a goal. The NBA blew that years ago when Charles Barkley got up on TV and said, "I'm not a role model." No other professional sports body in this country has a drug policy that says...we'll test you but we'll ignore it if you pop positive for marijuana. Don't you just love the message that sends? We have players who attack coaches. We have players with children strewn all over the country and if there's a paternity suit involving a professional athlete in this country, it isn't quite a given, but the odds are he plays in the NBA. David Stern, a.k.a. the commish, had the balls to follow Paul Taglibue (of the NFL) to testify in front of congress that the NBA's drug enforcement policy with regard to steroids was just as strong as any other sport, and pretty much got laughed out of the room. I don't know who he thought he was fooling.
It's partially a race thing, in that most NBA players are black, and the gangsta thing is far more palatable in African American society, but that isn't all of it. Brats aren't attractive regardless of race, and there are plenty of spoiled white guys in that league too. It's an 'in your face' arrogance that has turned many away from the NBA, me included. It's Ron Artest getting up in front of the media (after being criticized for asking for several days in mid season off because he was tired after making his rap album) and saying things like, "What's integrity. I don't know what that word mean." I still love college basketball, but I don't like the atmosphere that has overtaken the pro game. Not only that, I don't like the game the pro game has become. It's much more of a 'me' game than a 'team' game.
Take all that and throw in a bunch of very rich men on both sides of the issue bickering over money, and if the threat becomes real, it's lockout apathy waiting to happen. Soccer just might make it big in this country....by default.
The NBA has a culture/attitude issue with their fans. They have embraced the gangsta/rap thing and slowly alienated what used to be their paying customer fanbase. One of the things we like about our professional athletes is to hold them up as role models for kids, as people who achieve more than others and show a high level of commitment to a goal. The NBA blew that years ago when Charles Barkley got up on TV and said, "I'm not a role model." No other professional sports body in this country has a drug policy that says...we'll test you but we'll ignore it if you pop positive for marijuana. Don't you just love the message that sends? We have players who attack coaches. We have players with children strewn all over the country and if there's a paternity suit involving a professional athlete in this country, it isn't quite a given, but the odds are he plays in the NBA. David Stern, a.k.a. the commish, had the balls to follow Paul Taglibue (of the NFL) to testify in front of congress that the NBA's drug enforcement policy with regard to steroids was just as strong as any other sport, and pretty much got laughed out of the room. I don't know who he thought he was fooling.
It's partially a race thing, in that most NBA players are black, and the gangsta thing is far more palatable in African American society, but that isn't all of it. Brats aren't attractive regardless of race, and there are plenty of spoiled white guys in that league too. It's an 'in your face' arrogance that has turned many away from the NBA, me included. It's Ron Artest getting up in front of the media (after being criticized for asking for several days in mid season off because he was tired after making his rap album) and saying things like, "What's integrity. I don't know what that word mean." I still love college basketball, but I don't like the atmosphere that has overtaken the pro game. Not only that, I don't like the game the pro game has become. It's much more of a 'me' game than a 'team' game.
Take all that and throw in a bunch of very rich men on both sides of the issue bickering over money, and if the threat becomes real, it's lockout apathy waiting to happen. Soccer just might make it big in this country....by default.
John put this out here at 4:02 PM
1 Comments:
What's wrong with Soccer ?
Sounds like the NBA need a shake up... and the players need to remember what the word SPORT means
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