Rockets GM Daryl Morey Fined for Comments on Bill Simmons’ Podcast

[duncan228]

Rockets GM Daryl Morey Fined for Comments on Bill Simmons’ Podcast
SportingNews

The NBA’s collective bargaining negotiations are serious business. The league is sitting on the precipice of a lockout after next season, and each side doesn’t look close to budging on their demands.

So, not surprisingly, David Stern doesn’t want people to talk about negotiations in the press. And he’s willing to punish anyone who does quite seriously, as Rockets’ GM Daryl Morey found out. From the blog of Frank Isola:

A league source told The Daily News that Morey was fined an undisclosed amount - believed to be $100,000 - for discussing the collective bargaining agreement in an interview with ESPN big shot Bill Simmons, who like myself was once threatened with violence by Isiah Thomas. Bill had Gus Johnson mediate a peace treaty while Isiah and I just talked things out minus a middle man.

Anyway, Simmons is a huge NBA fan which means he’s also an outspoken critic of some of the league’s policies as well as the league’s referees. I’m guessing that Morey put himself in hot water the moment he agreed to talk to Simmons. Sure enough, Morey gave his thoughts on the CBA and was penalized.

FanHouse’s Tom Ziller verified that it was for an undiclosed amount, so it’s possible that Isola’s $100,000 figure is larger than the actual amount. But even so, that’s a sizable fine for some comments on a podcast. Isola’s suggestion that Morey was punished for specifically appearing with Simmons also seems off considering that Stern himself has been a guest on the show several times.

The stronger statement here is that Stern is going to police comments made on the Internet as he would those in any other medium. A statement on ESPN.com might not reach as many fans as one that happens on the television network, but it still matters to the league.

So make sure you’re not spending too much time in online comments sections, guys. You don’t want to get fined for telling a noob GM that he’s "teh suxor."

[djohn2oo8]

not surprising, but 100,000? lol ok

[z0sa]

That's some Nazi .

[ffadicted]

soooooo.... what'd he say?

[noob cake]

soooooo.... what'd he say?

Talking about the CBA. Stern can fine you for anything.

[Booharv]

Can't find the podcast:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/...ive?id=2864045

Anyone know where it is?

[Andrew Bynum]

100,000? That's just ed up.