Bryant Gumble in "How to Reach for Relevance and Galvanize in under 2 minutes"

This is long so sorry but Bryant Gumble really grinded my gears and I needed sound off.

Finally tonight, if the NBA lockout is going to be resolved any time soon, it seems likely to be done in spite of David Stern, not because of him. I say that because the NBA’s infamously egocentric commissioner seems more hell-bent lately on demeaning the players than resolving his game’s labor impasse.

How else to explain Stern’s rants in recent days? To any and everyone who’d listen, he has alternately knocked union leader Billy Hunter, said the players were getting inaccurate information, and started sounding chicken-little claims about what games might be lost if the players didn’t soon see things his way.

Stern’s version of what’s been going on behind closed doors has, of course, been disputed. But his efforts were typical of a commissioner, who has always seemed eager to be viewed as some kind of modern plantation overseer treating NBA men as if they were his boys. It’s part of Stern’s M.O. Like his past self-serving edicts on dress code or the questioning of officials, his moves are intended to do little more than show how he’s the one keeping the hired hands in their place.

Ok, while the comparison is preposterous in general to compare millionaires and slaves it comes up all the time cause management is white and labor is black.  First, the NBA players are the furthest from that analogy and the NFL players the closest.  

Second, slaves were captured and forced to work and NBA players are just plying their trade and are just unhappy with their wage.  Everyone is unhappy with their wage.  


Third David Stern works for the owners so his job is to maximize their profits by any legal means possible.  He does not care how unfair it is to the players so long the owners and the league are profitable and sustainable.  The last word, sustainable, is the only reason he cares about the players.  It has nothing to do with their well being, but rather with the fact he needs a continuous and talented work force year after year. 


Every black dude on ESPN is agreeing with the comparison cause it is written in some black contract somewhere thou shall not have a different opinion so long 75% of black people and/or a long standing respected black person says something.  This maybe in the ESPN by laws as well as to keep the talking heads on racial lines to create good and bad guys in different demographics.  What they keep saying is that David Stern is talking to the players like he knows whats best for them and how they should act.  That is crazy, it is not best for them (he doesn't care whats best for them), he is doing what he think is best for the league.  They site the dress code as one example of him thinking he knows what best for them, that was better for the league, even though the rule is bullshit (You also can not wear what ever you want on NFL sidelines either).  It makes the majority of the ticket buying white america more comfortable with what their buying.  You can probably find that in product design or packaging 101 book.  While hard to measure I do think it helped in growing revenue (more money for everyone) even though I thought it was a bullshit move.  But everyone seems to love the new slim suit wearing GQ cover boys better than the ankle length white T shirt NBA players both on and off the court. 


Fourth, the players kicked the NBA ass in the 98 negotiations.  Where do you think these outrageous contracts of the 2000's came from.  I mean Jermaine O'Neal, Juwan Howard, Allan Houston, Vin Baker, Starbury!   

Last, why is no one comparing this to other labor negotiations where management seemed to be dicking labor over?  Why go to slavery? Why not compare him to Rockefeller (or any other robber baron) and say the NBA is monopolistic here in the US and that labor has no where else to ply their trade thereby giving management an unfair advantage in negotiating wages?  Well obviously comparing Stern to Rockefeller is not going to make you the talk of the town for 2 weeks, spark a national debate on race and automatically get an entire demographic in corner because they like you more than David Stern not because what you say holds weight.

God I hate social commentary but I grew weak and had to stick my 2 cents in.  

-Les Anderson