Buck Harvey: If Stern Had Tiger: As Seen On TV

[duncan228]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA061608.harvey-column.en.e271b0e.html

Buck Harvey: If Stern had Tiger: As seen on TV
By Buck Harvey

If David Stern ran golf, he’d want more from Monday’s U.S. Open playoff.

He’d want a few thousand “Where Tiger Happens” commercials, and he’d want a microphone not only on Tiger’s caddie, but also on his kid. Maybe he’d want Dick Bavetta tending the flag, too.

But Stern would also want Tiger in prime time, not in the morning/afternoon slot he was in Monday. Television has always ruled Stern’s brain, and this flaw is even bigger than his denial about the perception of NBA officiating.

Sometimes this flaw skews his championships, too. So he would compromise golf to satisfy TV, damn the details, because he’s compromised his basketball product the same way.

That’s why the Celtics and Lakers flew across the country Monday to play another game tonight.

As it is, Stern would likely enjoy selling Tiger right now. Tiger has long been the kind of big-stage, cross-over performer that Stern once had in Michael Jordan, and what Tiger did these last few days amped up everything.

He called this U.S. Open “probably the greatest tournament I’ve ever had,” and that’s saying something. From a birdie on No. 18 to force a playoff Sunday, to a birdie on No. 18 to force sudden death Monday, Tiger made everyone forget about Pau Gasol’s ’do. It didn’t hurt that Rocco Mediate matched Tiger’s bad knee with his own bad back.

Tiger hadn’t walked a full round since the Masters. And so when he lost a lead Monday, but found a way back, he also found yet another way to mesmerize America.

The only hitch was the time slot, and there’s a reason the U.S. Open schedules the morning for Monday playoffs. For one, the playoff could have been between Mediate and Lee Westwood.

There also are potential scheduling conflicts for the players. Still, after the past weekend, it must have been tempting to rethink everything. The decision to televise late this past weekend was a huge success, with NBC drawing its highest rating for an Open third round in six years.

It worked because of the San Diego time zone. Given the nature of the sun, the sport can’t count on prime time any other way.

If Stern ran golf, he’d consider stadium lights for the majors. He’s the commissioner of darkness, and Game 6 will start after 9 in Boston tonight.

Game 5 tipped at the same time, though it was on a Sunday when an afternoon game makes sense. But ABC wants maximum viewers, and Stern goes along because that’s business. Someone has to pay for Kevin Garnett’s $23 million annual salary and free-throw misses.

Stern lets something else happen in the name of television, and the Spurs know this better than most. Two years ago, they played a late-night Friday game in Sacramento to finish that first-round series, then flew home to play a Sunday afternoon game against Dallas.

This year, the Spurs had three off days between Game 6 and Game 7 against New Orleans. That helped them, but, after that game, they immediately had to fly to Los Angeles to begin an every-other-day series with the Lakers.

Why? The league wanted to televise a game every night.

Stern has explained the conference finals dates are set the previous summer. But he’s also the one who allows this. As a result, in 2006 and in 2008, Stern handicapped his defending champs. He sacrificed the quality of play, caring more about the televising of the product than the product, and he’s doing it again now.

Ironically, the league went to the 2-3-2 format in the Finals to reduce the travel burden. But with ABC wanting games on certain nights, the league twice scheduled two off days — while in the same city.

Instead of using the extra day to travel, the Celtics and Lakers flew and will play the next day.

“It’s a terrible turnaround,” Doc Rivers said, and then he sounded as Gregg Popovich has in the past. “Nothing you can do about it.”

Stern could have done something about it.

If he ran golf, he would have done something about Monday, too.

[ducks]

stern needs to be fired

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

I like the insinuation about the unfavorable Spurs schedule being bullshit.

Seriously, Stern sucks at accomodating for the players. A game every day. Such bullshit. We need a commissioner that enhances competitiveness, not inhibits it. If Stern didn't fuck so much manipulating the product, the quality of the product will market itself better in the long run. All the marginal , potential new fans don't even watch out of curiosity because of his micromanagement of marketing all the players...NBA is pathetic, it's Finals will soon go the way of the NHL.

I like how the Lakers-Boston game were a footnote yesterday on the ESPN's, Foxsports, etc cuz of Tiger. :lol

[Emanuel20]

I don't really know how it works but can they "impeach" him or how can he lose his job?
He's been there for a while and clearly for the NBA to improve...it needs to start making changes from the top to the bottom so ..he has to go!

[Trainwreck2100]

That's just another idiotic thing with ABC. They set the Finals on a specific day, which NBC didn't do.

[Blackjack]

As a result, in 2006 and in 2008, Stern handicapped his defending champs. He sacrificed the quality of play, caring more about the televising of the product than the product, and he’s doing it again now.

I'm completely over it.... :bang

Oh, and Stern... :flipoff

BLACKJACK21, with his 100th post, has officially become a legend in his own mind. :toast

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

I think stern should resign due to FBI investigations. I hope they do find some blatant shit.

[ducks]

someone's head needs to role
sten is the logical choice

[ducks]

ducks is the logical choice to take his place

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

ducks is the logical choice to take his place

Are you going to deport Lebron to play for the international expansion teams?

Or arbitrarily hide him in "deserved" obscurity in the D-league?

[ducks]

put james on the raptors outside of the usa!

[Avitus1]

Stern stopped caring about basketball years ago and it shows with the way he lets ABC dictate when his league plays.

[gospursgojas]

Everyone hates Stern, as do I.

But, hey his product is making alot of people, alot of money.

[DespЏrado]

Nice article...I wish something would improve the nature of the NBA's game and not just the bottom line for the executives.

Too many rules have been changed to make the game more "exciting." Too many compromises to support an infantile notion of superstar rule.

I love that Stern ushered in a competitive salary cap that prevents Yankee like assembly of talent, but it is starting to make us uncompetitive with Europe. I love that the Spurs could stay competitive in this league and that is mostly due to Stern's insistence on a hard salary cap, but that does not make up for the bad taste the game fixing is leaving in my mouth.

[Dex]

Everyone hates Stern, as do I.

But, hey his product is making alot of people, alot of money.

That's the problem. I'm sure he's one of the people putting good money away.

It's not 'his' product to profit from. He was handed a role to commission a sport, and he is turning it into a drama.

The integrity of the game is being jeopardized so people can stuff their pockets. And I agree that it sucks.

[1Parker1]

If Stern wants a high scoring, competitive game that's fun to watch, he should re think these schedules. That 3 day layover the Spurs had between Games 6 and 7 in the NO series and then the every other night schedule in the Conference Finals made no sense to me.

These are players who have just finished grinding out 82 regular season basketball games and the first round of the playoffs. To expect them to play every other night, especially factoring in travel and the late night starts, all for the sake of viewership, just makes basketball more so a business than a sport.

[1Parker1]

Oh and that's a very nice article by Harvey and he hit it on the nail when he compared Golf to the NBA and what Stern would be doing to Tiger Woods if he ran golf.

[WildcardManu]

David Stern is the pimp, and the teams are his hoes.

[polandprzem]

If Stern wants a high scoring, competitive game that's fun to watch, he should re think these schedules. That 3 day layover the Spurs had between Games 6 and 7 in the NO series and then the every other night schedule in the Conference Finals made no sense to me.

These are players who have just finished grinding out 82 regular season basketball games and the first round of the playoffs. To expect them to play every other night, especially factoring in travel and the late night starts, all for the sake of viewership, just makes basketball more so a business than a sport.

Yea well I never understood the rushing thing as well.

You want to have better games - give sportsmen time to prepare for the event.

But that's the problem of a business, cause right now sports is a big money business and money dictate many things, and to me that's awefull.


Btw. I would never change the wagon. I love the spurs. Some of you had no choice living in San Antonio - I had :)

[1Parker1]

David Stern is probably the best commishner in all of sports, don't get me wrong. I just think that there are a lot of issues that he tries to take over and control that affect the quality of games we as fans see and he should reconsider the strong hold he has in the final word over everything. Cases in point:

--He wasted a whole half a season with those crap synthetic new basketballs. Why?
--The new handcheck rules and ticky tack foul calling...part of what made basketball in the 80's and 90's so fun to watch was that for the most part, the refs just let the players play the game. Sure you still had "the jordan rules" but these ticky tack fouls that guys like Wade, Kobe, etc get on a nightly basis just gets annoying and hard for a team to play any defense. And it gives fans more room to operate their "conspiracy theories" on with the more and more fouls you call.
--The scheduling of the games makes no sense to me as I mentioned previously. Every other night, for the entire series, should never happen.
--That new rule he instilled for one year on quick techs for any emotion that players showed after a foul was called? Where is that now? Where's the consistency?

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

There are some tradeoffs being the leagues' "Agent".

Stern excessively corporate at the expense of fan enthusiasm and authenticity.

Plus those NBA Cares promos are a huge turnoff; he's not fooling anyone. Pandering to a judgmental demographic he's never gonna get in the first place.

[GrandeDavid]

I love the Spurs but could care less about other teams, the NBA, their politics and Stern. If it weren't for the Spurs, I'd watch perhaps one game per season.

[dbestpro]

[QUOTE=1Parker1;2604863]David Stern is probably the best commishner in all of sports,

Not any more. He was as long as he got away with it. He is even making Bud Selig look good.

[mrspurs]

it didn't take buck harveys (waste of space) to convince me stern would be better off scheduling games in some federal prison in boston where he is from....go spurs go

[wildbill2u]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA061608.harvey-column.en.e271b0e.html

Buck Harvey: If Stern had Tiger: As seen on TV
By Buck Harvey

If David Stern ran golf, he’d want more from Monday’s U.S. Open playoff.

He’d want a few thousand “Where Tiger Happens” commercials, and he’d want a microphone not only on Tiger’s caddie, but also on his kid. Maybe he’d want Dick Bavetta tending the flag, too.

But Stern would also want Tiger in prime time, not in the morning/afternoon slot he was in Monday. Television has always ruled Stern’s brain, and this flaw is even bigger than his denial about the perception of NBA officiating.

Sometimes this flaw skews his championships, too. So he would compromise golf to satisfy TV, damn the details, because he’s compromised his basketball product the same way.

That’s why the Celtics and Lakers flew across the country Monday to play another game tonight.

As it is, Stern would likely enjoy selling Tiger right now. Tiger has long been the kind of big-stage, cross-over performer that Stern once had in Michael Jordan, and what Tiger did these last few days amped up everything.

He called this U.S. Open “probably the greatest tournament I’ve ever had,” and that’s saying something. From a birdie on No. 18 to force a playoff Sunday, to a birdie on No. 18 to force sudden death Monday, Tiger made everyone forget about Pau Gasol’s ’do. It didn’t hurt that Rocco Mediate matched Tiger’s bad knee with his own bad back.

Tiger hadn’t walked a full round since the Masters. And so when he lost a lead Monday, but found a way back, he also found yet another way to mesmerize America.

The only hitch was the time slot, and there’s a reason the U.S. Open schedules the morning for Monday playoffs. For one, the playoff could have been between Mediate and Lee Westwood.

There also are potential scheduling conflicts for the players. Still, after the past weekend, it must have been tempting to rethink everything. The decision to televise late this past weekend was a huge success, with NBC drawing its highest rating for an Open third round in six years.

It worked because of the San Diego time zone. Given the nature of the sun, the sport can’t count on prime time any other way.

If Stern ran golf, he’d consider stadium lights for the majors. He’s the commissioner of darkness, and Game 6 will start after 9 in Boston tonight.

Game 5 tipped at the same time, though it was on a Sunday when an afternoon game makes sense. But ABC wants maximum viewers, and Stern goes along because that’s business. Someone has to pay for Kevin Garnett’s $23 million annual salary and free-throw misses.

Stern lets something else happen in the name of television, and the Spurs know this better than most. Two years ago, they played a late-night Friday game in Sacramento to finish that first-round series, then flew home to play a Sunday afternoon game against Dallas.

This year, the Spurs had three off days between Game 6 and Game 7 against New Orleans. That helped them, but, after that game, they immediately had to fly to Los Angeles to begin an every-other-day series with the Lakers.

Why? The league wanted to televise a game every night.

Stern has explained the conference finals dates are set the previous summer. But he’s also the one who allows this. As a result, in 2006 and in 2008, Stern handicapped his defending champs. He sacrificed the quality of play, caring more about the televising of the product than the product, and he’s doing it again now.

Ironically, the league went to the 2-3-2 format in the Finals to reduce the travel burden. But with ABC wanting games on certain nights, the league twice scheduled two off days — while in the same city.

Instead of using the extra day to travel, the Celtics and Lakers flew and will play the next day.

“It’s a terrible turnaround,” Doc Rivers said, and then he sounded as Gregg Popovich has in the past. “Nothing you can do about it.”

Stern could have done something about it.

If he ran golf, he would have done something about Monday, too.

TV money rules this sport more than any other. It's showbiz, not showtime, ffffffffolks.

[Cry Havoc]

TV money rules this sport more than any other. It's showbiz, not showtime, ffffffffolks.

And yet the NFL and the MLB both make more money than basketball does right now.

Shocking... fans won't pay for a product they don't feel is authentic.

[Appoggiatura]

Stern stopped caring about basketball years ago and it shows with the way he lets ABC dictate when his league plays.

NBC had a similar deal with a Wednesday/Friday/Sunday format in The Finals. But, where Stern screwed it up with the TV deal was putting most of the playoffs on cable. The past couple of years, he had each Conference Final on every other day, yet in the early rounds you could get 3-4 day breaks in between games. The break between 6 and 7 was ridiculous, considering there was only one game on Sunday (CLE/BOS). Before, you would have all the Game 7s on Sunday. Would have given us an extra day,which could have helped.

Bottom line is though that the existing TV deal sucks and ABC/ESPN sucks in the way they've never been consistent with it's NBA coverage and it's not going anywhere anytime soon.