Re: Webber's agent spins

[Cecil Wright <nocw1@nsh.library.ns.ca>]

On Thu, 20 Aug 1998, Shawn Roth wrote:

> Wow,
> 
>   Here is my overall point.  The league has the right to ban/test for whatever
>   they want.  If they think something hurts the league image, then they will
>   ban it.  If all of the sudden people feel that baby powder is evil, the
>   league has the right to make it illegal.  If the players don't like it, play
>   for another league.  I realize the is some problems with these statements,
>   the biggest being is that without players like Cannabis Webber, and other pot
>   smokers of his type, there is no league, but in a perfect world this is the
>   way it should be.

Shawn, my good man.  I understand 100% what you mean.  And I really 
appreciate where you're coming from.  But one of the fundamental issues 
here is summed up when you state "if they think something hurts the 
league image, then they will ban it."  In other words regardless of who 
they hurt, or how wrong they could be, they will ban it, based off of 
what they think.  And while this seems alright to you, I want to ask if 
you've ever heard of a man named Adolph Hitler?  He tried the very same 
thing, though it had little to do with sports.  He thought those who 
didn't resemble his race should be exterminated.  That was his way of 
making his "perfect world."  Didn't work then and ain't workin now.

Now I know that's an extreme, but stuff like that starts with what you 
support the league in doing, as it relates to drug testing anyway.   

> 
>   The owners make the rules, the employees follow them.  That is it...does that
>   explain my point?  To be real honest, I don't really care if the want to
>   light up, just as long as they are quiet about it, and are willing to pay the
>   price of being caught.
> 
> Shawn
> 

In one of your other posts, you emphatically stated that you DID care if 
NBA players were smoking pot because you felt you may not be getting your 
dollar value from, and I'm paraphrasing here, pot-smokers with the munchies.

If it was all about image as you say, Michael Jordan would have been in 
deep jeopardy after his gambling problems.  If it was all about image, 
they would be handing down severe penalties for fighting on the court.  
If it was all about image, then the referees would not be getting caught 
with tax evasion.  The NBA is about making money as is every business 
that I know.  They will endure certain difficult situations in order to 
make the bucks.

Please note that I am not comparing you to Hitler, just using his mindset 
to make a point.  As David Nissen said, there is alot more to it than 
merely Black and White, Legal and Illegal.

Cecil