Re: DAVID STERN -Reply

["Jim Meninno" <jim_meninno@hotmail.com>]

Ryan,

I thought your recount of the revenue question was more or less 
accurate, but I don't see how you think I (or Mishra) missed the point.  
The question suggested that the owners have been dishonest about 
reporting revenue.  That made Stern livid.  If that wasn't the point, 
what was?

As far as the CBA providing a framework for owners to compete in, I've 
been saying that for months, and nobody's called me "rational".

I echo your thoughts about David Stern.  He came across as very 
reasonable and willing to make a deal that is fair to both sides.  One 
thing he kept saying, that I forgot to mention, was that the NBAPA is 
the highest paid union in the world and that he and the owners want to 
keep it that way.  That it was time for a partnership to be formed, as 
in the past, between NBA owners and players to continue that prosperity 
and help it grow.

I hope they get Billy Hunter to do the same show.  I'd love to hear him 
defending the union's position for half an hour.

Jim

>Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1998 12:51:49 -0500
>From: Ryan Falcone <FalconeR@nvg.com>
>To: jim_meninno@hotmail.com,celtics@igtc.com, skmishra@sprintmail.com
>Subject: Re: DAVID STERN -Reply
>
>>>> "Icarus" <skmishra@sprintmail.com> 11/20/98 11:51am >>>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Jim Meninno <jim_meninno@hotmail.com>
>>Stern was livid that the interviewer suggested that the teams have not
>>been entirely honest about disclosing revenue.  He asserted that the
>>teams have provided the union with full and acurate financial
>>disclosures for (I believe) four years.
>
>Stern has reasons to be livid because by saying that teams not provided
>full and accurate disclosure of their accounts implies that teams are
>fudging their balance sheet and profit and loss account.  <<<
>
>
>That wasn't really the point.  Stern was livid because the interviewer 
(I
>don't know the name of the new "Up Close" host is)--in response to a
>Stern statement about how it would be fiscally better for several NBA
>teams to not have the 98-99 season than to engage in full operations
>under the current collective bargaining agreement--asked him:
>     "C'mon, David, are you telling me that the fans should be expected 
to
>believe that there are teams that are truthfully losing money?"
>
>To which Stern replied something like:
>    "Are you suggesting that the teams haven't truthfully divulged 
their
>financial status?  When you use the word 'truthfully' in that context, 
it
>implies that the teams have concealed information, when in fact they
>have fully disclosed all financial documents for the union to 
assess..."
>
>Later in the interview, Stern said the most rational thing that I've 
heard in
>the 140-however many days this lockout has lasted:
>
>"I'm not taking sides with the owners OR the players.  Nor is this a
>dispute over furthering the interests of the owners over the interests 
of
>the players.  Rather, it is a repudiation of the current system.
>
>"All of the league's teams are required to operate within a set of 
rules,
>and the teams seek to compete within the framework of the rules. 
>Unfortunately, the system is broken, and must be fixed."
>
>Bravo, David Stern!!  Now all you have to do is convince Messrs.  Falk,
>Ewing, Jordan, and Hunter (in that order).
>
>Disgruntled in Syracuse,
>Ryan


______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com