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Chris: The
beloved NBA commissioner is fortunate enough to have been born with a surname
that can also be used as an adjective or adverb to describe himself. Considering
Commissar Stern recently fined a team that has won four championships in the
past 14 seasons (and who have one of the best records this season) for resting
four starters, David could not have a more appropriate last name, unless he was
born into the Moist Family.
Joe: Coach
Popo was giving his players a well-deserved rest after a grueling 14 games,
mostly on the road. (Is the commissioner in charge of scheduling, too?). Hats
off to Popo.
Ralphie: He's
the commissioner, so I guess he can do whatever he wants.
Brad:
I think it was justified, because to me holding the starters back seems to
cross the line of cheating. I think you need to have some sort of rotation, but
to intentionally stack the deck in your favor, even if it is just a little,
doesn't make for a good game.
Joe: All
these commissioners think that they are judge, jury, executioner, appeals
tribunal and any other title that augments their egos. The system doesn't work
that way, but you can't tell them.
Chris: As
one of the NBA fans Emperor Stern was apologizing to for the Spurs sitting
players, the only “unacceptable decision” is sanctioning San Antonio. (Use of quotation marks in the
previous sentence to mock Stern notates boldness by the author.)
Ralphie: The
players have to rest, so I understand. It was disappointing for the fans,
though.
Brad:
It's a hard call, because the team would be nowhere without their fans, so the
fans should get a great game. But at the same time, the coach should be doing
what is best for the team, so long as it doesn't involve cheating.
Joe: Television
and the league don't make a team a champion. Good coaching, by maneuvering
player talent, rest and doing what's best for the team, gets you to the
playoffs.
Brad:
I don't know that the fact that it was a televised game has anything to do with
it. A game is a game, and all games have fans there, so it should have been
played accordingly.
Ralphie: I
can understand resting overworked players, but not four starters. The league
should probably take a look at schedules to make sure that no team is playing
lots of games in a very short time.
Chris: Had
the four starters played against the Heat, even if the Spurs would have won,
they would have been further exhausted against Memphis two nights later. And seeing as how
the Grizzlies are in the same conference as the Spurs and competing for playoff
seeding, the Memphis game was more important to
win than the Miami
game. Although, if Pete Rose, Tim Donaghy or the 1919 Chicago White Sox were
seen near the Spurs’ bench, I stand corrected and offer my sincere apology to
Father Stern. Though, I’m actually sitting now.
Joe: The
Spurs, or any team, should always give their best to excel and that is home and
away. By the way, the game itself that night was exciting, and Heat
barely won but not on the betting side (13.5 spread - 4-point win).
Brad:
Let's give Popovich the benefit of the doubt and assume he was giving them the
rest they needed.
Ralphie: I
guess it comes down to what is best for the team. Rest will probably help them
play better and win more. The fans will be happy with more wins, so they may have
to understand that the players need rest.
Chris: I
would have offered to pay the fine His Majesty levied on the Spurs, in order to
show my support for Coach Popovich and the Coyote, but the amount was over six
times what I make in a year.
Try on a new pair of Sports Briefs with the Gab Four every Friday. Find out more about Joe, Chris, Brad and Ralphie, and read their solo columns on their individual pages.
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