Stern open to legal bets, more changes

[PurpleHaze]

Could open Kings move to Vegas if required... also expanding zone D, possible lockout, playing games in Latin America, more...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/ian_thomsen/12/11/weekly.countdown/index.html

 

[VF21]

I'm sorry but it's quite a leap from "Stern open to legal bets" to "could open Kings move to Vegas" IMHO, especially since the latter point is just the OP's and not raised in the article.

I'm more interested in things like this:

In the years ahead Stern expects his coaches to follow the NFL's example and push for the right to challenge one play per game or per half. "The problem with that is fascinating, because if you're a coach and you know how to use it, you can stop the play and that takes away something," he said. "The other side gets the ball, and where does the challenge come? So the competition committee has been very, very judicious in moving forward slowly."

 

[PurpleHaze]

It wasn't a leap or a prediction at all since you omitted last part of my sentence - "if required." Stern had previously said on several occasions that only thing that would prohibit Las Vegas from possibly acquiring a team was issue of betting on NBA games. The league may have other reasons but betting is the only one Stern has ever raised.

 

[VF21]

I guess my objection is the automatic tie to the Kings "if required" or not "if required." I think there are a number of possible relocation sites for the franchise if it ever comes to pass, but aside from the Maloofs owning the Palms - which wouldn't help in any way since you can't fit 20,000 people in the Palms to watch a Kings game - I cannot recall anything that actually would favor Vegas over somewhere like Anaheim, which has been widely touted as a possible successor in interest.

 

[PurpleHaze]

I agree Vegas is still a long shot bet on getting the Kings "if" it came to that. I think that Stern's comments are quite surprising and may pave the way for some major professional franchise moving in there sooner rather than later. Maybe if there was an annex connected from a big basketball arena directly to The Palms it could work for the Maloofs Otherwise, why would they or any gambling houses want 20,000 people (if they could fill it up) at a live sports event every night instead of sitting at the black jack tables or cranking one-arm bandits.

 

[BMiller52]

Ugh I hate Stern. I feel like he's ruining the NBA. I think most of his ideas sound stupid and only about money, rather than making sure the game is played the right way or it's better for our fans. The only thing I liked is that he said he expects the refs to try to get the right to challenge a play.

 

[Bricklayer]

In the years ahead Stern expects his coaches to follow the NFL's example and push for the right to challenge one play per game or per half. "The problem with that is fascinating, because if you're a coach and you know how to use it, you can stop the play and that takes away something," he said. "The other side gets the ball, and where does the challenge come? So the competition committee has been very, very judicious in moving forward slowly."

That's always been the thing about it, and my objection forever. Basketball isn;t like football. There aren't convenient breaks after every play. And you just can't let coaches stop play wiht those things. That would be aprhibitive advanatge and really screw wiht the game. You get out on the 3-1 break and suddenly *tweet!*, the opposing coach calls for a review.

Coule only work on deadball things. Turnovers/who touched it alst going out of bounds. Maybe fouls (since they stop the ball too), although since that is subjective ******* ref can jsut say its still the foul -- rarely is there no contact at all to make the wrong call upon.

 

[VF21]

I agree Vegas is still a long shot bet on getting the Kings "if" it came to that. I think that Stern's comments are quite surprising and may pave the way for some major professional franchise moving in there sooner rather than later. Maybe if there was an annex connected from a big basketball arena directly to The Palms it could work for the Maloofs Otherwise, why would they or any gambling houses want 20,000 people (if they could fill it up) at a live sports event every night instead of sitting at the black jack tables or cranking one-arm bandits.

And that right there is the one argument that pretty much makes everything else irrelevant IMHO...

Now, back to the challenge possibility: I think it can work and I think it can be valuable. Sure there are some things that will have to be ironed out, but I think it's worth looking at.

As far as Stern ruining the NBA is concerned, I have to post a pretty vehement disagreement. I think he's doing a pretty good job under conditions very few of us would like to work under. Just the number of massive egos alone that he oversees on a regular basis would send a lot of us screaming into the night.

I do not think he's just thinking about the money but am realistic enough to know that this is a business and a business that doesn't profit is eventually going to fail.