2017 All Star Game Moved From Charlotte

[JDR720]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/756602287196217344[/tweet]

I had no idea the Mercedes Benz guy owned a part of the team

[EwingSweatsALot]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/756602287196217344[/tweet]

I had no idea the Mercedes Benz guy owned a part of the team

He needs to keep his mouth shut.

[MPM]

Sabates is a bit of a wingnut. My father knew him pretty well before his car dealership days - long, long time ago.

[Flip Murray]

somebody always has to open their mouth

[Mystical Apples]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/756602287196217344[/tweet]

I had no idea the Mercedes Benz guy owned a part of the team

Sometimes it's better for people to think you're an idiot than open your mouth and remove all doubt.

[Liver_Pooty]

Ol Felix trying to really piss everyone off. Needs to stick to making Ron Rivera coffee in his lame ass commercials.

[fatlever]

The media (and this specific example - the NBA twitter feed) can really be awful.

Check out this misleading tweet from the NBA

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/756602287196217344[/tweet]

As I'm sure you've heard minority owner Felix Sabates, agreed with McCrory and wrote a letter to his fellow owners about it. The NBA posts a headline that says "Hornets co-owner blasts the NBA & Charlotte following league's decision to move the 2017 All-Star Game." and using Jordan's picture under the headline. Disgusting click-bait from the NBA twitter feed.

[fatlever]

The can of worms has been opened. Expect more stuff like this in the coming months.

[vexco]

It's annoying to have it moved. The issue is they're punishing the city of Charlotte when the bill was passed at the state-level to undo what the city of Charlotte itself has tried to do in regards to trans equality. Really stupid for NBA to be playing politics here when even the science community can't come to a consensus regarding transgenderism. Why is this an arena where they're drawing the line? Makes no **** sense to me.

[stinger14]

I am against HB2, and I do not follow politics very often because they are all crooked liars who care nothing about any of us.....

Having said that, this is solely a political agenda from the democratic side. DOUG SOSNIK is the name to focus on. He is affiliated with the Democratic party and served as political director for Bill Clinton whose wife just happens to be running for President right now. Sosnik is now political director for the NBA. This announcement about the all star game mysteriously happened the same day that Trump was becoming the official nominee for the Republican party. Oh, did I mention that North Carolina is a battleground state that could go either way in the November election? Read the letter from the congressman that fatlever posted. No reason to remove from China, they have nothing to do with the election. The agenda is very mixed up until you realize it isn't about removing the all star game for the reasons they say, but rather it is a political agenda. Even going as far as posting a picture of the greatest to ever lace them up on a comment made by Feliz Sabates. That was done to garner more attention and to get more clicks, just to stir the pot. The media helps stir all of these things, including the racial tension in areas of our country. Put it together, it is not hard to figure out. This is a political agenda directed by Sosnik to help Clinton, it has nothing to do with a stand for human rights. These type of dirty, self-motivated politics that do not take into consideration the effect it has on so many people and businesses needs to stop. Sorry if I rambled too much, but this country would be so much better if everybody including politicians would work together. Presidential candidates this year do not show me any promise though.

[HornetJail]

Sabates is a bit of a wingnut. My father knew him pretty well before his car dealership days - long, long time ago.

My dad bought a car from him. Seemed like a good guy, but damn this is enough to make me not like someone

[Liver_Pooty]

This could get really bad. As in moving the team kind of bad if it doesn't change in the next few years.

[EwingSweatsALot]

The can of worms has been opened. Expect more stuff like this in the coming months.

It will be interesting to see what Silver's thoughts on this are. Whats his rationale on the difference between the two things. I don't have an issue with them moving the game outside of wanting to be able to go to it, but I do have an issue on the hypocriticalness when it comes to choosing not to play here but to play in China. Especially if they choose to play it in New Orleans where they are fighting a somewhat similar battle as us.

I'm not advocating they should play the game here. It's just that they also shouldn't play games in China or hold the ASG in NOLA as well.

[Mystical Apples]

I don't see hypocrisy. No multi-national organization can pick every battle in every location every time. Silver's decision was likely a combination core values + furthering a Brand with a clientele that is predominantly urban and thus overwhelmingly approves of the decision.

Not to mention shaping the All-Star narrative of a caring organization vs. a potential PR cluster, up to and including player interviews focusing on everything but the product. Or worse, a player(s) boycotting the game cause North Carolina.

[Bassman]

I don't see hypocrisy. No multi-national organization can pick every battle in every location every time. Silver's decision was likely a combination core values + furthering a Brand with a clientele that is predominantly urban and thus overwhelmingly approves of the decision.

Not to mention shaping the All-Star narrative of a caring organization vs. a potential PR cluster, up to and including player interviews focusing on everything but the product. Or worse, a player(s) boycotting the game cause North Carolina.

Disagree. This argument is the same "morality pass" that other liberal corporations use when doing business with China but evoking social judgements in the U.S. Google accepts repressive limitations on the Internet and ignores China's hideous actions that make these N.C. Issues pale in comparison. It is hipocracy, and highlights the limits of principals/character for the sake of greed.

[Mystical Apples]

I don't see hypocrisy. No multi-national organization can pick every battle in every location every time. Silver's decision was likely a combination core values + furthering a Brand with a clientele that is predominantly urban and thus overwhelmingly approves of the decision.

Not to mention shaping the All-Star narrative of a caring organization vs. a potential PR cluster, up to and including player interviews focusing on everything but the product. Or worse, a player(s) boycotting the game cause North Carolina.

Disagree. This argument is the same "morality pass" that other liberal corporations use when doing business with China but evoking social judgements in the U.S. Google accepts repressive limitations on the Internet and ignores China's hideous actions that make these N.C. Issues pale in comparison. It is hipocracy, and highlights the limits of principals/character for the sake of greed.

It's not an argument. Its an acknowledgement the NBA is a business and as such has an obligation first and foremost to its owners to protect their shared investment. In this case, a branding interest to disassociate themselves from US laws the majority of urban populations find offensive. Not to mention it's consist with their actions to foster an inclusive environment for employees like Rick Welts.

And yeah, the NBA does have a track record of shaping narratives in the face of social headwinds. This point should seem rather obvious given their employees and gross racial injustices of the not too distant past. Or for that matter, a leading actor 25 years ago raising HIV awareness when the easy thing would've been to sweep Magic under the rug. Stern legitimately stared down panic and instead used the All-Star platform to educate a public still naive to the facts. In the process the NBA did far more in months than other agencies in years, public or private.

People don't realize how fast Magic went from dead man walking > social pariah > All-Star hero > beloved Dream Teamer fans wanted to touch.

[fatlever]

doesnt sound too promising for 2019

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article91376322.html

Legal fights over HB2 could cost Charlotte the 2019 NBA game, too

Experts say court cases could extend beyond NBA window for city hosting 2019 All-Star festivities

Trial of first lawsuit could open this fall

Expected appeals could delay a final ruling in the battle until 2019, experts say

[HornetJail]

2019 gives us enough time to vote a bunch of jackasses out of office though.

[spaceballer]

What happened with the owners at the NBA Board of Governors meeting 2 weeks ago:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2016/07/22/golden-state-warriors-executive-influenced-nbas-2017-charlotte-all-star-game/87458518/

[Diop]

I give up, lets just start our own league.