David Stern Hates Us

David Stern hates NBA fans. That's the only logical conclusion that can be made after he 1) suspends two of the best players on the most fun to watch team in the NBA for essentially doing nothing at all, and 2) laughs and jokes about it afterwards.

When asked who was at fault, the Dictator Commish pointed his finger at the Phoenix Suns. It is Amare Stoudamire and Boris Diaw's fault they momentarily left the bench, then went back immediately. A momentary lapse of reason, rectified before any harm was done. For that, the series gets handed to San Antonio. That the Spurs nearly refused the tremendous gift of a road victory is beside the point: David Stern threw an important NBA series because he deemed it more important to enforce the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law.

And in response to valid criticism from Dan Patrick, he jokes about building a fence around the bench or hiring more assistant coaches to contain the players. Maybe a fence should be built around Mr. Stern's ego. Strict enforcement of a bad rule is not just, strong, or courageous. In fact, it is cowardly. The courageous act would be to bend the rule due to circumstances, after realizing that strict enforcement would essentially reward Robert Horry's cheap shot. Instead, Stern hides behind the rule and attempts to deflect blame to the players. Their crime? Being unable to contain their human emotions for about 3 seconds, during which time nothing happened. NBA fans may be gluttons for punishment, but we are not stupid enough to buy the Dic. Commish's grandstanding.

So who ultimately loses? We do. The fans. Even Spurs fans, who if they win a title will have it tainted by this controversy. Thanks, David Stern, for ruining and forever tainting what could have been an all-time great series. Some people will believe that you fixed the series, but the truth is that you don't give a damn who wins or loses as long as the league makes money. And you know all too well that for every hardcore American fan, who has followed the NBA since birth, that you lose due to shenanigans like this, there are three more European and Chinese fans ready to take their place. The NBA has gone global, which is why you don't care whether a franchise is in Seattle or Oklahoma City.

In the meantime, try to hide your contempt for the fans a little better.