NBA.com: A few ideas on how the NBA can hold onto the casual fan

[Supreme_Being]

Keep the Spurzzzzzzz from spoiling the fun. Look, nothing against the loyal basketball fans in San Antonio, and the Hall of Fame-worthy coach, and the Big Fundamental and all that. Seriously: Congrats on the fine season so far. But can we all agree to end it in May? Nobody's saying the Spurs aren't worthy of being champions; on the contrary, with oodles of depth and experience, they've got a title twinkle. And that's what's scary, because the ratings in the NBA Finals were flatter than Tim Duncan's free throws whenever the Spurs showed up. Do you want to spend June stifling a yawn? Didn't think so, either. Effective but dreadfully boring, like a Harvard biochemistry lecture, the Spurs own a variety of punches that can put other teams to sleep. They can work over an audience, too.

Rest of the article here (http://www.nba.com/2011/news/features/shaun_powell/02/08/nba-audience/index.html).

[in2deep]

sounds like a fine article from an educated writer:

http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/img/1.1/story/news/features/writers/Shaun_Powell_Large.jpg

[alchemist]

From reading some of his past stuff it seems like this guy really loves him some Spurs.

[tuncaboylu]

What a moron, he still thinks that Spurs are boring...

[budrow]

Sounds like a lot of horseshit to me .....especially the part about the spurs......and u call yourself a spurs fan.....fukn poser...

[cheguevara]

Haters Gona Hate
http://www.uberpix.net/wp-content/main/2010_10/haters-gonna-hate.jpg

[Spursfanfromafar]

I bet this fella has not seen a Single Spurs game this season :). It has become a recurring theme for him to keep calling them, "boring" despite their wins, and their altered style of play this season. Idiot writer, getting undeserved acreage at NBA.com .

[spurs4real]

Wow seriously this is coming from an employee of the NBA, this idiot should be fired. If I was orchaestrating my company to not invite a certain group of employees and their team leader to the company Christmas party (for some fun) shouldn't I be reprimanded? Boycott this fool and put pressure on the NBA to do away with writers who are not only biased but idiotic in nature and don't have a clue about what's going on other than a dunk by Lebron!

[Cry Havoc]

That might be the worst article I've ever read on basketball. Seriously, ever. Unreal.

[cheguevara]

what can be expected from a Knicks/Lebron fan who has written these gems last season:
"Aging and beat up, this Boston dynasty looks one and done"
"In Cleveland, everything setting up (gulp!) just perfectly "
"Duncan's near-departure from Spurs worth reviewing "
"Magic's Van Gundy the perfect model of hoops coach "

[slayermin]

Spurs boring? I don't get it. They're scoring 104 points a game and they're not even playing their customary stifling defense.

[Bender]

That might be the worst article I've ever read on basketball. Seriously, ever. Unreal.
my thoughts too. People get paid for this moronic crap?

[BlairForceDejuan]

Funny how writers don't care about outing themselves as ignorant fucks by writing this garbage.

[awktalk]

http://shii.org/mediawiki/images/1/1e/Boeing54kueuvg.jpg

[honestfool84]

a little email i wrote to Shaun Powell.. i'll post a reply if i receive one.

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/2667/screenshot20110209at104.png

[Cry Havoc]

honestfool with the goods. :tu

[Texas_Ranger]

So we're still boring??

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

I bet if we would be scoring 200 points we'd still be boring.

honestfool84 :toast

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Maybe another way to hold on to casual fans of a league is for said league to not have articles on its website actively attacking the team that is currently leading said league and looks play a major role in the postseason. Just a thought.

Another possible fan retention idea: the dismissal of untalented, possibly brain damaged writers.

[widowmaker]

a little email i wrote to Shaun Powell.. i'll post a reply if i receive one.

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/2667/screenshot20110209at104.png

Lol. Good shit.

[Spursfanfromafar]

Maybe another way to hold on to casual fans of a league is for said league to not have articles on its website actively attacking the team that is currently leading said league and looks play a major role in the postseason. Just a thought.

Another possible fan retention idea: the dismissal of untalented, possibly brain damaged writers.

:toast

That is the best idea to get the casual fans of a sport to get more interested in it.

[nkdlunch]

Before I agree Spurs were boring (bowen/rasho/td) but now whenever I hear shit like this I think:

FsqJFIJ5lLs

[Spursfanfromafar]

Interestingly this article suggests how much more a moron Shaun Powell is -

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/303488


Sports Business Journal (SBJ) reports the Spurs are garnering a 10.01 rating with the Fox Sports Southwest audience, far ahead of the Utah Jazz, coming in second with a 6 rating. Rounding out the top five teams in the local ratings race are the Miami Heat (5.4), the LA Lakers (4.9) and the Boston Celtics (4.81).


The Spurs also made it into the top 6 in the total viewership category, no small feat considering their small market label, according to MySA. As expected, the big-city markets dominated the top five, with the Lakers viewing audience, or average number of households viewing each game, topping out at 278,000. They were followed by the Bulls (141,000), Boston (118,000), New York (115,000), Miami (85,000) and the Spurs (85,000).

[widowmaker]

a little email i wrote to Shaun Powell.. i'll post a reply if i receive one.

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/2667/screenshot20110209at104.png

Lol. Good shit.

[kidd_91]

I still don't get how Boston is not boring, but we are. They score less and play a much tighter defense than we do. I guess when you have a guy that screams and yells after every play the game becomes better entertainment?

[wunderkindepiphany]

The entire article, not just the segment about the Spurzzzz, is rife with heavy sarcasm. The writer is intelligently commenting on the current state of values in the NBA. The league has become more concerned with ratings and the "sexy" story, than substance or the character of the athletes they put on the floor. The Spurs are an antithesis to that brand of basketball.

read between the lines

[CubanMustGo]

This fucking bozo ... if you click the "follow on twitter" link, you see that he hasn't posted a tweet since October 5th. What an idiot.

[Cry Havoc]

The entire article, not just the segment about the Spurzzzz, is rife with heavy sarcasm. The writer is intelligently commenting on the current state of values in the NBA. The league has become more concerned with ratings and the "sexy" story, than substance or the character of the athletes they put on the floor. The Spurs are an antithesis to that brand of basketball.

read between the lines

Yes, "Keep Blake Griffin healthy" is just full of sarcastic remarks and double-talk. :lol

[DesignatedT]

honestfool ftw

[SA210]

honestfool :tu

[wunderkindepiphany]

Yes, "Keep Blake Griffin healthy" is just full of sarcastic remarks and double-talk. :lol


It was. He likened Blake Griffin to Moses, parting the Red Sea. What article are you reading?

He even played up the stereotype about power-forwards. . ."Most players his size have gum on their soles and are nothing more than clumsy brutes who bang and rebound."

Just because you put a laughing emoticon on the end of your response, it doesn't automatically make my comment laughable.

The idea has become that Blake Griffin is the saviour for the future of basketball. LeBron still nets huge ratings, but his overall persona has been altered, since his departure from Cleveland and their subsequent drastic decline.

It may surprise you, but the NBA is a company that spends a considerable amount of money to create an an image for themselves, and the players in the NBA are very similar to actors in a performing company. Many of the professional athletes do modeling, TV, Film, Music, etc. The NBA is currently looking for someone to fill the role that LeBron left available, when he stepped out of the "good guy" spotlight and took on the villain role. Do you remember the Nike commercial, where LeBron was asking, rhetorically, what we thought he should do? That was another form of commentary. There is a twisted side of things, where corporate members of the NBA place a higher premium on ratings and the "story", than on the actual basketball being played.

This writer began his article, talking about how the "second season" is an opportunity to gain viewership with casual fans. Again, read between the lines.

[romad_20]

Shaun,

It is pretty obvious from your article that you are an average fan. Why would you write something so horrible if you weren't? The Spurs this season are on a record setting pace for wins, average 103ppg, have the highest assist total per team, win blow outs, win close ones at the buzzer (maybe you missed the Lakers game?) and throw down their share of dunks. Manu is literally one of the most exciting players in the league (the great Kobe himself said so, that should mean something to you). What exactly is boring about this team besides they don't fuel your constant need for drama and bickering among teammates? I mean even Tony tried to throw you a bone with an in-season divorce.

Maybe what would help the NBA is if their writers on their website wouldn't write such uneducated articles that disparage teams in the NBA. Maybe if they promoted teams, teamwork, character and coaching instead of paying lip service to them in the "NBA Cares" segments before going back to talking about the Kardashians during Lakers games, they could build a bigger audience like the NFL. Maybe you should start writing articles that actually break down game strategy and how teams match up and stop putting certain franchises and players on pedestals and pay attention to the reality of the league instead of what you want to happen in the league. If the article was written tounge in cheek, its not funny. The joke is old and not really applicable to this years Spurs. Get a new shtick.

I really hope you start watching the games for real. Good basketball can be enjoyed by fans no matter what city it takes place in.

[ALVAREZ6]

lol what a fucking moron


that article wasn't completely written based on cliches or other things that were utter bullshit...

[Spursfanfromafar]

This writer began his article, talking about how the "second season" is an opportunity to gain viewership with casual fans. Again, read between the lines.

I have read between various lines across two articles by Shaun Powell. Check this -


Spurs. You know why people were sleeping on the league-leading Spurs? Because the Spurs put people to sleep, that's why. Hey, no offense to Tim Duncan and the boys, and congrats on the quick start. But those Nielsen ratings from those NBA Finals appearances don't lie.

The above is also sarcasm written large?

[wunderkindepiphany]

No, it isn't. I was hoping that the writer was more intelligent, but it turns out he isn't. There is really no arguing with that. Its unfortunate that the league and, more importantly, some writers have got their heads up their asses.

[Cry Havoc]

He even played up the stereotype about power-forwards. . ."Most players his size have gum on their soles and are nothing more than clumsy brutes who bang and rebound."

How is that stereotype incorrect? He's being sarcastic by saying that bigs in the NBA are fairly immobile? That's been the case in the NBA for quite some time.


Just because you put a laughing emoticon on the end of your response, it doesn't automatically make my comment laughable.

And just because you say his entire article was sarcasm doesn't automatically make it so. There is a difference between using hyperbole for the sake of comedy and actively making sarcastic comments in an effort to mock a line of reasoning (and thus promoting your own). The boldface points he makes are hardly sarcasm. They may not be completely literal, but the writer seems to indicate that he hopes for all of them to happen.

To illustrate, if I were to say, "Come on down and drive the new Hummer H2. It's got a huge amount of storage space! Why, it's so big, you could put a humpback WHALE inside the cabin!"

The last statement is complete hyperbole, but it is not at all invalidating the initial statement about the Hummer having a lot of room inside.


The idea has become that Blake Griffin is the saviour for the future of basketball. LeBron still nets huge ratings, but his overall persona has been altered, since his departure from Cleveland and their subsequent drastic decline.

So needing him to stay healthy is in what way sarcastic?


It may surprise you, but the NBA is a company that spends a considerable amount of money to create an an image for themselves, and the players in the NBA are very similar to actors in a performing company.

I'm shocked. Truly. This is an entirely new perspective that no one has ever stated before. The NBA is a company? Who knew!?


Do you remember the Nike commercial, where LeBron was asking, rhetorically, what we thought he should do? That was another form of commentary. There is a twisted side of things, where corporate members of the NBA place a higher premium on ratings and the "story", than on the actual basketball being played.

In which case you're further validating the point that this writer is making about needing the Spurs to lose out early in the playoffs. Thanks for reinforcing the point he was making while being completely serious.


This writer began his article, talking about how the "second season" is an opportunity to gain viewership with casual fans. Again, read between the lines.

Right. Do you think the NBA would survive without it's casual fanbase? Do you think Stern cares if fans are casual or "hardcore" as long as they're throwing money at the teams they watch?

[Cry Havoc]

The entire article, not just the segment about the Spurzzzz, is rife with heavy sarcasm. The writer is intelligently commenting on the current state of values in the NBA. The league has become more concerned with ratings and the "sexy" story, than substance or the character of the athletes they put on the floor. The Spurs are an antithesis to that brand of basketball.

read between the lines


No, it isn't. I was hoping that the writer was more intelligent, but it turns out he isn't. There is really no arguing with that. Its unfortunate that the league and, more importantly, some writers have got their heads up their asses.

:wtf :wtf :wtf

Are you saying you didn't bother to read the article before arguing with people what it was about or what it meant, or what?

[wunderkindepiphany]

How is that stereotype incorrect? He's being sarcastic by saying that bigs in the NBA are fairly immobile. That's been the case in the NBA for quite some time.



And just because you say his entire article was sarcasm doesn't automatically make it so. There is a difference between using hyperbole for the sake of comedy and actively making sarcastic comments in an effort to mock a line of reasoning. The boldface points he makes are hardly sarcasm. They may not be completely literal, but the writer seems to indicate that he hopes for all of them to happen.



So needing him to stay healthy is in what way sarcastic?



I'm shocked. Truly. This is an entirely new perspective that no one has ever stated before. The NBA is a company? Who knew!?



In which case you're further validating the point that this writer is making about needing the Spurs to lose out early in the playoffs. Thanks for reinforcing the point he was making while being completely serious.



Right. Do you think the NBA would survive without it's casual fanbase? Do you think Stern cares if fans are casual or "hardcore" as long as they're throwing money at the teams they watch?


I just fail to believe that someone is so brainwashed that they can write shit like that and expect a reader to take them seriously. I certainly didn't. The first thing I thought was, well, he's got to be channeling some kind of deep sarcasm because, taken at face-value, that shit is just plain dumb.

It wasn't until I read his second article that I realized, well, shit, this guys fucking serious. I guess I should have listened to my professors and checked my research against more than one source.

[wunderkindepiphany]

:wtf :wtf :wtf

Are you saying you didn't bother to read the article before arguing with people what it was about or what it meant, or what?
'I did read the article. I didn't read any others by him, just the one.

[Ginobili2Duncan]

Personally, I have always felt that the NBA doesn't spend nearly as much time marketing actual teams as they do superstars. That may explain why some casual fans don't really pay attention to any other team besides the Lakers, Celtics, or Heat.

This is why the NFL is so popular no matter who is playing. Their league markets franchises and not just star players.

[Cry Havoc]

I just fail to believe that someone is so brainwashed that they can write shit like that and expect a reader to take them seriously. I certainly didn't. The first thing I thought was, well, he's got to be channeling some kind of deep sarcasm because, taken at face-value, that shit is just plain dumb.

It wasn't until I read his second article that I realized, well, shit, this guys fucking serious. I guess I should have listened to my professors and checked my research against more than one source.

Have you ever read the female basketball columnist on ESPN's website (can't remember her name), or listened to Stephen A. Smith talk? How about Jalen Rose? This kind of idiocy is nothing new, it's just particularly disturbing to read in such black and white relief. The level of anger or hate the media feels toward San Antonio is absolutely incredible. It's actually hard to believe.

[Spursfanfromafar]

Have you ever read the female basketball columnist on ESPN's website (can't remember her name), or listened to Stephen A. Smith talk? How about Jalen Rose? This kind of idiocy is nothing new, it's just particularly disturbing to read in such black and white relief. The level of anger or hate the media feels toward San Antonio is absolutely incredible. It's actually hard to believe.

Add Chris Sheridan to the likes... and JA Adande.. and sooo many others. It is confounding as to how these people receive their salaries for writing such tripe.

[wunderkindepiphany]

Have you ever read the female basketball columnist on ESPN's website (can't remember her name), or listened to Stephen A. Smith talk? How about Jalen Rose? This kind of idiocy is nothing new, it's just particularly disturbing to read in such black and white relief. The level of anger or hate the media feels toward San Antonio is absolutely incredible. It's actually hard to believe.

I have never read any of the articles by the female writer you are referring to, but I'll check her out. I have, however, seen broadcasters like Rose and Smith refer to the Spurs in disparaging ways, or give them credit, only to follow it with some sort of backhanded remark about a shortcoming like "they may be boring, but. . . ."

I have never read an article that so clearly stands an example of everything I hate about where the NBA is headed.

[Mugen]

Have you ever read the female basketball columnist on ESPN's website (can't remember her name), or listened to Stephen A. Smith talk? How about Jalen Rose? This kind of idiocy is nothing new, it's just particularly disturbing to read in such black and white relief. The level of anger or hate the media feels toward San Antonio is absolutely incredible. It's actually hard to believe.

you can just sense the fear with ESPN/ABC that the spurs might actually win the title again this year. i love it.

[nkdlunch]

add John Barry to the list too

[Walton Buys Off Me]

Another idea would be for the NBA to stop publishing articles and providing platforms for misinformed, uneducated amateurs like Shaun Powell.

The NBA is a league in poor standing primarily because it doesn't have enough teams like the Spurs.

San Antonio wins with substance over style.

The entire NBA marketing strategy is precisely the opposite.

We don't have players bringing loaded weapons to arenas.

We don't have drama queens demanding trades.

We don't have front office GMs giving multi-million dollar deals to Darko Milicic

We just go out and play- and win. We don't offer sound bites or gossip or talking head fodder used for ESPN headlines.

David Stern hasn't caught on yet that the average casual fan wants more of the Spurs and less of Dwight Howard.

The NBA could learn a lot from the NFL.

In the NFL, winning is everything and how you win isn't part of the conversation.

Why? Because unlike the NBA, it doesn't drive the machine. The NFL markets the game, not the individual.

Leading up to Super Bowl, nobody was complaining about how the Packers weren’t as exciting as the Eagles or the Steelers as brash as the Jets. They just talked about how they got there- by winning.

It's all about desire and execution in the NFL- elements sorely lacking from the top down for most NBA franchises.

In the NBA, idiots like David Kahn and Otis Smith get to run franchises and spend hundreds of million of dollars- 'nuff said.

[Cry Havoc]

Another idea would be for the NBA to stop publishing articles and providing platforms for misinformed, uneducated amateurs like Shaun Powell.

The NBA is a league in poor standing primarily because it doesn't have enough teams like the Spurs.

San Antonio wins with substance over style.

The entire NBA marketing strategy is precisely the opposite.

We don't have players bringing loaded weapons to arenas.

We don't have drama queens demanding trades.

We don't have front office GMs giving multi-million dollar deals to Darko Milicic

We just go out and play- and win. We don't offer sound bites or gossip or talking head fodder used for ESPN headlines.

David Stern hasn't caught on yet that the average casual fan wants more of the Spurs and less of Dwight Howard.

The NBA could learn a lot from the NFL.

In the NFL, winning is everything and how you win isn't part of the conversation.

Why? Because unlike the NBA, it doesn't drive the machine. The NFL markets the game, not the individual.

Leading up to Super Bowl, nobody was complaining about how the Packers weren’t as exciting as the Eagles or the Steelers as brash as the Jets. They just talked about how they got there- by winning.

It's all about desire and execution in the NFL- elements sorely lacking from the top down for most NBA franchises.

In the NBA, idiots like David Kahn and Otis Smith get to run franchises and spend hundreds of million of dollars- 'nuff said.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/production.mediajoint.prx.org/public/account_images/3782/TheTruth_prxpicture_v3_medium.jpg

[Rummpd]

Sent:
Wed 2/9/2011 2:00 PM
Mr. Powell:

You are often a fine writer but why start your article on a few ideas on how to make the NBA more exciting with a "tired" argument about the Spurs?

Why not ignore the facts that the Spurs are currently 3rd in the NBA in offensive efficiency http://espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/teamstats Moreover, they have a large and loyal following and actually are drawing the #1 TV local audience in the game? http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2011/01/07/spurs-top-league-in-local-tv-ratings.html and have led the NBA most of the season in 3 point scoring and for much of the time in fast break points?

There are actually a lot of Spurs fans worldwide and in fact the last time the Spurs played in the finals they actually got a large worldwide audience.. ever http://www.nba.com/nba_news/finals_worldwideaudience.html

In reality is only the continuing and uninformed information from the US media that truly keeps others from tuning in to the Spurs - if the SAME team played in NY, Chicago or LAL they would always lead the ratings and Duncan for one would be acclaimed for being the coolest and most consistent NBA star.


Meanwhile Boston for one plays a boring slow it down grind it out game without the flash either Manu or Parker. Why not hate on them? They were surely not the reason people tuned in last year - it was the LAL - which is the same team that the SAS will knock in in highly watched WCF. The Spurs move the ball beautifully, run more than many teams now and play a more exciting game than surely the Bulls, Boston, Orlando or other teams you failed to point out and are by far the best story in basketball period.



The ONLY true rivalry and excitement in the NBA is when the Spurs play and beat the LAL as these teams have won 9 of the past 11 championships. It will be fun when the Spurs win another with class and one of the most exciting offenses and teams in the league.


Regards, PDR



(Peter D. Rumm, MD)

My take sent to this tool of the NBA.

[crc21209]

And this guy gets paid to do this? WTF!?!?!? :lol What a joke...

[Obstructed_View]

Affirmative action at work. Good stuff.

[Slomo]

Another idea would be for the NBA to stop publishing articles and providing platforms for misinformed, uneducated amateurs like Shaun Powell.

The NBA is a league in poor standing primarily because it doesn't have enough teams like the Spurs.

San Antonio wins with substance over style.

The entire NBA marketing strategy is precisely the opposite.

We don't have players bringing loaded weapons to arenas.

We don't have drama queens demanding trades.

We don't have front office GMs giving multi-million dollar deals to Darko Milicic

We just go out and play- and win. We don't offer sound bites or gossip or talking head fodder used for ESPN headlines.

David Stern hasn't caught on yet that the average casual fan wants more of the Spurs and less of Dwight Howard.

The NBA could learn a lot from the NFL.

In the NFL, winning is everything and how you win isn't part of the conversation.

Why? Because unlike the NBA, it doesn't drive the machine. The NFL markets the game, not the individual.

Leading up to Super Bowl, nobody was complaining about how the Packers weren’t as exciting as the Eagles or the Steelers as brash as the Jets. They just talked about how they got there- by winning.

It's all about desire and execution in the NFL- elements sorely lacking from the top down for most NBA franchises.
In the NBA, idiots like David Kahn and Otis Smith get to run franchises and spend hundreds of million of dollars- 'nuff said.

True :tu

To say nothing that it is actually easier to follow the NFL legally and free over here, than it is the NBA - a sport that is actually popular in Europe.

I can't understand why the NFL's fan base is expanding... :rolleyes

[Obstructed_View]

Didn't the NFL just narrowly miss out on Chicago vs New York for the Super Bowl? Did you hear them whining about how terrible the ratings are going to be for the two smallest markets meeting in their biggest game, or did they just go out and create the single most watched television program in history? All the accolades you hear people saying about the Patriots, the Steelers and the Packers somehow turn into a negative when talking about ths Spurs.

It was amazing in 2007 to watch ESPN drive down the ratings with their opinions about the NBA finals being broadcast on their parent network. Do people think of basketball as a black man's game and think they need Stepin Fetchit out there to entertain them?

[gospursgojas]

As I said before... anyone who, THIS SEASON, calls the Spurs boring obviously does not watch the NBA as a whole, therefore should not be allowed to write articles on them. Or at the very least should not be cared about by fans who do pay attention to the NBA.

Seems to me that the "casual fan" hes writing about pleasing is himself.

[gospursgojas]

Another idea would be for the NBA to stop publishing articles and providing platforms for misinformed, uneducated amateurs like Shaun Powell.

The NBA is a league in poor standing primarily because it doesn't have enough teams like the Spurs.

San Antonio wins with substance over style.

The entire NBA marketing strategy is precisely the opposite.

We don't have players bringing loaded weapons to arenas.

We don't have drama queens demanding trades.

We don't have front office GMs giving multi-million dollar deals to Darko Milicic

We just go out and play- and win. We don't offer sound bites or gossip or talking head fodder used for ESPN headlines.

David Stern hasn't caught on yet that the average casual fan wants more of the Spurs and less of Dwight Howard.

The NBA could learn a lot from the NFL.

In the NFL, winning is everything and how you win isn't part of the conversation.

Why? Because unlike the NBA, it doesn't drive the machine. The NFL markets the game, not the individual.

Leading up to Super Bowl, nobody was complaining about how the Packers weren’t as exciting as the Eagles or the Steelers as brash as the Jets. They just talked about how they got there- by winning.

It's all about desire and execution in the NFL- elements sorely lacking from the top down for most NBA franchises.

In the NBA, idiots like David Kahn and Otis Smith get to run franchises and spend hundreds of million of dollars- 'nuff said.

Awesome take. :tu

This should be emailed to the writer of that article.

[Man In Black]

I'm of the opinion that he wrote it this blatantly to not, disparage the Spurs, but to make people take notice. It's going to put a lot of eyes on our team but I think the attention will be warranted.

[FromWayDowntown]

If you think the guy's a moron, writing to him isn't likely to change either his platform or his viewpoint. His ultimate goal is to drive readership, not to be correct; page views and responses are concrete evidence that show he has accomplished that goal. Moreover, it's rather obvious now that Mr. Powell is married to a particular worldview -- one that he spouts routinely -- and one that isn't going to change no matter how rational a counter to his opinion might be.

By writing to him, you may relieve your own frustration, but you virtually assure that he's going to continue working and will continue to write the same things. You've proven that he's done his job.

[SA210]

Someone send him this thread link.

[nkdlunch]

true. By writing to him you are encouraging him on.

[Baseline]

A great way for the NBA to hold on to casual fans would be to stop cramming a rapist down out throats 24/7.

Kobe Bryant is a selfish basketball player who doubles as a deplorable person.

And yet people complain about the Spurs, when all the Spurs ever do is play team basketball and win.

[FromWayDowntown]

Someone send him this thread link.

If you're trying to discourage him, that's worse than writing to him.

And I doubt he can be shamed into changing his mind.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

As often happens, this FWD is right. Words won't change anything. In true attorney fashion he's encouraging someone to find and murder the writer without actually saying anything legally actionable. At least that's what I took away from this.

[honestfool84]

his reply:

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/9430/screenshot20110209at602.png

[Chieflion]

Fail article by a writer hired by the NBA. I am sure most of us here can actually help the NBA to publicize its teams better than this idiot.

[YODA]

hmmmm,
I wonder how the SPURS FRONT OFFICE WOULD run the NBA??

I wonder what changes they would make. thoughts?

[Rummpd]

To be fair he wrote back at least and thanked me for writing - I would rather a columnist respond unlike some of BSPN's you cannot even reach except for their bogus chats.

[ATXSPUR]

I didn't read the whole article...but am I the only one that detected sarcasm?

[FTLSpur]

Let me guess... born and raised in Dallas?

[Bito Corleone]

a little email i wrote to Shaun Powell.. i'll post a reply if i receive one.
I wrote him an email remarkably similar to yours. :toast

[Bito Corleone]

I'm of the opinion that he wrote it this blatantly to not, disparage the Spurs, but to make people take notice. It's going to put a lot of eyes on our team but I think the attention will be warranted.
No it wont. All this article will do is re-enforce the opinions of all the people who don't watch the Spurs because of the perception that they are (still) boring.

[Homeland Security]

Last year, when it looked like the Spurs were done, all of a sudden these writers started looking so fondly upon their past success and issuing eloquent eulogies.

Now that they're 44-8, they're spewing hate like never before.

To sum it up: they mad.

[LoneStarState'sPride]

What a load of tripe. Typical.

[Manu20]

Maybe Jay Z needs to do a Spurs remix of this song.....

UIJjK3IV3E0

[PublicOption]

I bet this fella has not seen a Single Spurs game this season :). It has become a recurring theme for him to keep calling them, "boring" despite their wins, and their altered style of play this season. Idiot writer, getting undeserved acreage at NBA.com .




the spurs are "boring" not because of their play. its because only about 1.5 to 2 million people in the whole country care about what the spurs are doing...period

it is a misconception by the media, they are boring because they don't want to pay attention but are forced to.

[Homeland Security]

If the Spurs make a deep playoff run, that means members of the media might have to spend time in San Antonio again, and they all hate San Antonio.

There are three typical media types. The first is the West Coast guy based in LA. If the Spurs go deep in the playoffs, that probably means the Lakers got knocked off at some point, so he's bitter.

The second type is the East Coast guy. This is the same type who absolutely looooooves spending time in Austin but hates San Antonio. Austin is very 'hipster' and very white, while San Antonio is not 'hipster' at all and is very Mexican. To the East Coast media guy, the only time he wants to see a Mexican is when his house needs cleaning. When those people call San Antonio 'fat' and 'dirty,' they are using code words to alert other East Coast whites, "caution, lots of wetback illegal alien greasy spics here." East Coast guy is bitter that both David Robinson and Tim Duncan were drafted into and then chose to stay in a city that not only is in flyover country, but to them isn't even really in America, thus exporting potential American championships to Mexico.

The third type is into hip-hop culture. The only NBA city arguably less hip-hop than San Antonio is Salt Lake City, and whaddya know, it is about equally loathed in media circles. Not only that, but the Spurs' team culture runs diametrically opposed to hip-hop values of individual expression, demonstrative self-aggrandizement, and creative flair. Basically he is bitter that the Spurs' success invalidates his worldview and self-image.

My advice: they all can fuck themselves.

[PublicOption]

If the Spurs make a deep playoff run, that means members of the media might have to spend time in San Antonio again, and they all hate San Antonio.

There are three typical media types. The first is the West Coast guy based in LA. If the Spurs go deep in the playoffs, that probably means the Lakers got knocked off at some point, so he's bitter.

The second type is the East Coast guy. This is the same type who absolutely looooooves spending time in Austin but hates San Antonio. Austin is very 'hipster' and very white, while San Antonio is not 'hipster' at all and is very Mexican. To the East Coast media guy, the only time he wants to see a Mexican is when his house needs cleaning. When those people call San Antonio 'fat' and 'dirty,' they are using code words to alert other East Coast whites, "caution, lots of wetback illegal alien greasy spics here." East Coast guy is bitter that both David Robinson and Tim Duncan were drafted into and then chose to stay in a city that not only is in flyover country, but to them isn't even really in America, thus exporting potential American championships to Mexico.

The third type is into hip-hop culture. The only NBA city arguably less hip-hop than San Antonio is Salt Lake City, and whaddya know, it is about equally loathed in media circles. Not only that, but the Spurs' team culture runs diametrically opposed to hip-hop values of individual expression, demonstrative self-aggrandizement, and creative flair. Basically he is bitter that the Spurs' success invalidates his worldview and self-image.

My advice: they all can fuck themselves.

http://images-mediawiki-sites.thefullwiki.org/01/3/9/4/53864493180853575.jpghttp://images-mediawiki-sites.thefullwiki.org/01/3/9/4/53864493180853575.jpg

[Em-City]

To be fair he wrote back at least and thanked me for writing - I would rather a columnist respond unlike some of BSPN's you cannot even reach except for their bogus chats.
what did he say??

[Spursfanfromafar]

To be fair he wrote back at least and thanked me for writing - I would rather a columnist respond unlike some of BSPN's you cannot even reach except for their bogus chats.

I thought you wrote a really cool letter. I would have been surprised if he didn't show the courtesy to reply back.

[BoricuaCJA]

@Rummpd, just one error in your email, its 8 of the last 11 championship. Boston, Detroit and Miami won a championship in that span.

[DJ Mbenga]

allow 3 fouls per player. if he gets more than 3 he gets ejected. sure to improve offense.

[Stringer_Bell]

what can be expected from a Knicks/Lebron fan who has written these gems last season:
"Aging and beat up, this Boston dynasty looks one and done"
"In Cleveland, everything setting up (gulp!) just perfectly "
"Duncan's near-departure from Spurs worth reviewing "
"Magic's Van Gundy the perfect model of hoops coach "

Those read like song titles from an NBA comedy album.

[Yorae]

How the fuck did the nba allow such article to be published? I mean seriously? There's a lot of butthurt right there it's so fucking unprofessional.

[ALVAREZ6]

No one said the Spurs aren't efficient or great; they are. They're just boring, according to the ratings.

Just because their ratings are lower than say the Boston/LA finals, does not mean they are boring, jack ass. It simply means their ratings are lower than Boston/LA (compared to SA vs. Detroit, for example).

No shit the Lakers/Celtics finals series gets huge ratings...larger ratings simply means more people watched. More people watching does not equate to more entertaining. The Spurs actually have decent ratings compared to the San Antonio population. Boston and especially LA are bigger cities, that's why more people watched. Sure, they pull more casual fans as well, but at the end of the day, simply more people watched Lakers/Celtics compared to Spurs/anyone. That is all. Does not mean the Spurs are boring...they actually probably have pretty good ratings compared to the match-ups...SA and Detroit, and SA vs. Cleveland in a 4-0 sweep....yeah no shit no casual fan wants to watch a sweep, and obviously way less people are watching to begin with because it's SA, not LA, the city that dwarfs SA.

[Obstructed_View]

The Spurs have extremely good ratings outside the US, even in countries other than Argentina and France, so if viewership is what determines boring, then the Spurs ain't it.

[alchemist]

The funny thing about ratings is that outside of the usual LA/Boston/Heat trio nationally the Spurs usually have better ratings than every club out there.

http://www.sportsmediawatch.net/search/label/NBA
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/tag/nba-ratings

[Obstructed_View]

Colin Cowherd mentioned today that the Spurs were boring and offered the fact that they're 16th in visitor attendance as proof. I don't think that's accurate. If you aren't a fan of the Spurs, and you want to see your team play, you don't want to watch the Spurs beat your team. It's funny how the Packers and the Steelers have growing fanbases due to their team success but the Spurs don't seem to.

[SA210]

If the Spurs make a deep playoff run, that means members of the media might have to spend time in San Antonio again, and they all hate San Antonio.

There are three typical media types. The first is the West Coast guy based in LA. If the Spurs go deep in the playoffs, that probably means the Lakers got knocked off at some point, so he's bitter.

The second type is the East Coast guy. This is the same type who absolutely looooooves spending time in Austin but hates San Antonio. Austin is very 'hipster' and very white, while San Antonio is not 'hipster' at all and is very Mexican. To the East Coast media guy, the only time he wants to see a Mexican is when his house needs cleaning. When those people call San Antonio 'fat' and 'dirty,' they are using code words to alert other East Coast whites, "caution, lots of wetback illegal alien greasy spics here." East Coast guy is bitter that both David Robinson and Tim Duncan were drafted into and then chose to stay in a city that not only is in flyover country, but to them isn't even really in America, thus exporting potential American championships to Mexico.

The third type is into hip-hop culture. The only NBA city arguably less hip-hop than San Antonio is Salt Lake City, and whaddya know, it is about equally loathed in media circles. Not only that, but the Spurs' team culture runs diametrically opposed to hip-hop values of individual expression, demonstrative self-aggrandizement, and creative flair. Basically he is bitter that the Spurs' success invalidates his worldview and self-image.

My advice: they all can fuck themselves.

:toast:lol