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I saw one of these threads in another team forum and it was fun.

1) The gag order on NBA players and coaches. Let them say what they want to the media. As Charles Barkley said, they’re not role models. If these players are a-holes, let that come out. If they’re saints, that’ll come out as well. I’m tired of canned post-game interviews that shed absolutely no light on what these people are feeling and thinking. Gregg Popovich’s interviews perfectly demonstrate how stupid the process is these days. He knows he can’t say anything, so he literally says nothing, to mock it.

2) The between-quarter interviews with coaches. Just stupid and moot.

3) Players who complain to officials during live action. Ok, if it’s a dead ball or there are free throws being shot, fine. But if you’re taking yourself out of the game to complain, then STFU. Besides, complaining about a call has never changed the ref’s mind.

4) Advanced statistics, as a stand-alone method of analysis. John Hollinger’s power rankings are the most useless collection of information ever. The guy can’t even write a column without basing his entire opinion on PER, plus/minus, stats per 36 minutes, etc. Just watch the damn games!! Mathematicians aren’t athletes, so why should their opinion have much weight?

5) LeBron James. I’m tired of listening to the guy talk. Stop talking, stop dancing on the sidelines, stop whining, etc. Just play basketball, it’s what you’re good at.

6) In broadcasts, when they cut away from live action for a sideline report or some other tangent. I’m watching the live game for a reason, jerks!

7) Throwback jerseys. You changed your jerseys for a reason, guys.

8) Trade-crazy fans who suggest (Please Use More Appropriate Word) trades that make absolutely no sense for one team and have a complete and utter disregard for the Collective Bargaining Agreement or how trades function in the NBA.

I disagree with a couple of yours

1 - if anything I think they should be even stricter with the gag order. The NBA is about the fan, and it really kills the spirit if your star is just coming out and saying they hate their teamamates or your team. I wouldn't take Charles Barkley's advice on how to tie my shoes, let alone how players should act. Players and coaches SHOULD be role models, especially when you think about some of the kids with tough backgrounds who all they need is a little push or pull to go in the wrong direction. If they are wearing the one jersey they have every day you damn well don't want that player to get caught for drugs/guns.

4) I definitely don't appreciate the people who don't even watch the game but just tell you about a player's PER etc..but looking at advanced statistics is a great way to analyze the game, teams and players.

My biggest pet peeve is the officiating break given to many players around the league..KOBE etc. And I have some issues with scheduling of games sometimes. Having to play the Lakers twice on the back end of back-to-backs is something that can't be compared to anything that any other team has to do, etc.

Miklo wrote:I disagree with a couple of yours

1 - if anything I think they should be even stricter with the gag order. The NBA is about the fan, and it really kills the spirit if your star is just coming out and saying they hate their teamamates or your team. I wouldn't take Charles Barkley's advice on how to tie my shoes, let alone how players should act. Players and coaches SHOULD be role models, especially when you think about some of the kids with tough backgrounds who all they need is a little push or pull to go in the wrong direction. If they are wearing the one jersey they have every day you damn well don't want that player to get caught for drugs/guns.

4) I definitely don't appreciate the people who don't even watch the game but just tell you about a player's PER etc..but looking at advanced statistics is a great way to analyze the game, teams and players.

My biggest pet peeve is the officiating break given to many players around the league..KOBE etc. And I have some issues with scheduling of games sometimes. Having to play the Lakers twice on the back end of back-to-backs is something that can't be compared to anything that any other team has to do, etc.

I agree with both of your comments on my post. When it comes to the gag order, I don't really want all of these people to be jerks and for the fans to have to put up with a bunch of rude idiots or whatever. My thinking is: they'll talk themselves right out of the league if they don't learn to grow up and behave, and end up pariahs. I would prefer to get honest analysis from mature, intelligent adults than a bunch of canned responses from people who've been classically conditioned to never say anything original or off-the-beaten path.

As far as the statistics goes, I definitely think there's a place for advanced statistics, which is why I clarified that it should not be used as a stand-alone tool for analysis.

1) Couldn't agree more. I think it's immature and asinine that players/coaches cannot comment on refs or foul calls.

2) "So coach, they're scoring on you guys and they've out-rebounded you 22-11, what are you going to do differently in the 2nd quarter?" "Well, We are going to try to keep them from scoring and well work harder at rebounding...."

Brilliant, crack-reporting.

3. I've always felt that if you never complained (as opposed to those who always complain) that when you finally did, the refs would really pay attention. The boy who cried wolf and all...

You're top 3 were spot on.

My only thing, and it's not really a reflection on the league so much as it is a reflection on individual players, is this:

I don't understand why no entire team (in memory) has exisited where everyone took less salary to play with people they liked and to chase championships successfully while allowing their team to be under the cap. By way of example:

If one day Amare Stoudemire, Dwayne Wade, Steve Nash, etc. woke up and said "I'll take 10 million a year to play with those guys and so that we have the money to bring on the role-playing talent to assemble a great team."

I mean, you could incentivize the hell out of them in terms of jersey sales, ticket sales, post-season revenue sharing (all of which would be virtually garaunteed) and they could go down as a dynasty. Essentially, it would be a smaller piece, but of a bigger pie.

Sun Scorched wrote:1) Couldn't agree more. I think it's immature and asinine that players/coaches cannot comment on refs or foul calls.

2) "So coach, they're scoring on you guys and they've out-rebounded you 22-11, what are you going to do differently in the 2nd quarter?" "Well, We are going to try to keep them from scoring and well work harder at rebounding...."

Brilliant, crack-reporting.

3. I've always felt that if you never complained (as opposed to those who always complain) that when you finally did, the refs would really pay attention. The boy who cried wolf and all...

You're top 3 were spot on.

My only thing, and it's not really a reflection on the league so much as it is a reflection on individual players, is this:

I don't understand why no entire team (in memory) has exisited where everyone took less salary to play with people they liked and to chase championships successfully while allowing their team to be under the cap. By way of example:
If one day Amare Stoudemire, Dwayne Wade, Steve Nash, etc. woke up and said "I'll take 10 million a year to play with those guys and so that we have the money to bring on the role-playing talent to assemble a great team."

I mean, you could incentivize the hell out of them in terms of jersey sales, ticket sales, post-season revenue sharing (all of which would be virtually garaunteed) and they could go down as a dynasty. Essentially, it would be a smaller piece, but of a bigger pie.

Duncan and Parker both did, didn't they?
Duncan spurned ORL the first time, then re-signed at less than what he could have maxed out at

See below -

1) The gag order on NBA players and coaches. Let them say what they want to the media. As Charles Barkley said, they’re not role models. If these players are a-holes, let that come out. If they’re saints, that’ll come out as well. I’m tired of canned post-game interviews that shed absolutely no light on what these people are feeling and thinking. Gregg Popovich’s interviews perfectly demonstrate how stupid the process is these days. He knows he can’t say anything, so he literally says nothing, to mock it.


---- My Favourite was Sam Mitchell, who could hardly hide his annoyance at stupid qustions. Related observation - hard not to love Pop, isn't it?
Gag order is like the shirt and tie rule - league's attempt to minimize bad press. no way that ever ends

2) The between-quarter interviews with coaches. Just stupid and moot.

--- Yes, this is the kind of useless crap that makes sportscasting so mockable. It will always be with us

3) Players who complain to officials during live action. Ok, if it’s a dead ball or there are free throws being shot, fine. But if you’re taking yourself out of the game to complain, then STFU. Besides, complaining about a call has never changed the ref’s mind.

4) Advanced statistics, as a stand-alone method of analysis. John Hollinger’s power rankings are the most useless collection of information ever. The guy can’t even write a column without basing his entire opinion on PER, plus/minus, stats per 36 minutes, etc. Just watch the damn games!! Mathematicians aren’t athletes, so why should their opinion have much weight?


--- Mehh. Stats heads will aways be with us - be thankful you're not a baseball fan. I also think it's a way for guys like Hollinger to generate copy, as opposed to having actual observations or analysis of he league

5) LeBron James. I’m tired of listening to the guy talk. Stop talking, stop dancing on the sidelines, stop whining, etc. Just play basketball, it’s what you’re good at.

6) In broadcasts, when they cut away from live action for a sideline report or some other tangent. I’m watching the live game for a reason, jerks!

-- so go get a beer

7) Throwback jerseys. You changed your jerseys for a reason, guys.

--- Nope. Lots of reasons why good unis get changed and I'm happy to see them come back. I wish teams like the Bullets and Hawks would wear their Unseld/Phil Chenier and early Maravich racing-stripe unis. I'd like to see the Clippers wear their Braves unis
Anyone remember that early 70s era of college unis, when marquette and a bunch of others adopted some very strange unis? They've stuck in my mind for years

8) Trade-crazy fans who suggest (Please Use More Appropriate Word) trades that make absolutely no sense for one team and have a complete and utter disregard for the Collective Bargaining Agreement or how trades function in the NBA.

--- yes, dumb but easy enough to ignore. It's generally the same posters so .... my capacity for trade proposals/conjecture is limited at best but other people seem to get off on it so I just stay out. Strokes/folks etc.

As far as sideline reports in the middle of live action, I mean when they do like a picture-in-picture thing while the game is actually going on, not during a dead ball.

Also, for the throwback jerseys: I don't mind a team changing their uniforms back. But I don't like there being a bunch of alternates, where the throwback is worn for a couple of games a year. I just like the standard home/away jerseys and then maybe one alternate.

I don't like the camera in the huddle stuff - anything meaningful or entertaining wouldn't make it to air

It's not like we're going to see Gentry say "Somebody knock Kobe the F down he's getting on my nerves"

You hear the same thing every game - "Come on guys, we can shoot our way back into this but we have to defend as well"

Meh

justinb80 wrote:5) LeBron James. I’m tired of listening to the guy talk. Stop talking, stop dancing on the sidelines, stop whining, etc. Just play basketball, it’s what you’re good at.

...and come to play in Phoenix.

I want longer half times damnit. Not enough time to load up on goodies and get back to my seat.

Way too many things. I can't even BEGIN to start listing everything. How about teams who give up an offensive rebound after a great defensive possession, or teams who get their own rebound off a missed free throw.