The NBA has banned upside-down headbands - Yahoo

[spudfan]

That analogy isn't even close. It's more like your company having a collared shirt policy in the office and you go to work every day with your collar popped up. Sure you still have a collar but you are purposely trying to annoy your boss by doing it.

Rondo isn't wearing his upside down because he thinks it looks cool. He's just trying to be a rebel, which is just lame an immature.

People started thinking of NBA players as a bunch of thugs, so the NBA is trying to change that image.

And of course they shouldn't be paid what they are being paid. Do they have to work harder than your average person? Yes. Do they work 10,000 times harder than your average person? No. They should be paid less and ticket prices should be lower because of it. Arenas get filled and the popularity of the sport skyrockets. Instead it's just a bunch of overpaid players who complain and whine about everything like not being able to wear their headband upside down.

Maybe the analogy isn't even close if you consider a headband part of the uniform, which I clearly don't. Just as I don't believe the shoes are part of the uniform, or the glasses/protective masks, or even tape that holds together a couple of fingers are. I see the headband as a tool some players chose to use whether it be to hold back long hair or keep sweat out of their faces. Hell, even if they are using it as a superstitious charm I would still classify it as a tool. If he thinks it makes him play better, it makes him play better!

If it was considered part of the uniform I would expect them to be team branded/colored and worn by all players. Not that being of the uniform matters too much, but at least then, having some kind of mandate on how it is to be worn would seem more reasonable to me.

You say that he is just trying to be a rebel, the post above clarifies that it's a superstitious item. So is it ok now since its intention isn't to annoy the boss? I also think it is safe to say the way someone wears a headband during a game has little to do with people thinking the league is full of thugs. A petty rule is petty.

I do find your comment amusing about overpaid players who complain and whine... As if underpaid whiners would be any more enjoyable.

+1 on the Superman's views of athletes pay.

 

[ESP47]

How do you know that? Is it really "rebellious" to wear a headband upside down anyways? I think we're taking this a bit too far here.

Also, it cracks me up when fans of a sport complain about how much money the athletes who play the sport make. Your comment about arenas getting filled as a result of lowering ticket prices is laughable. The fact of the matter is that teams with high ticket prices still sell out practically every game (there's a waiting list a mile long for Lakers season tickets, and they have the highest payroll in the NBA). Why would they drop their prices when there's such a high demand for them? When people stop going to games even though the team is good and is playing well, then you can talk about ticket prices being dropped. Until then, that's a hollow argument that doesn't make any sense.

And what players are complaining about it? The NBA told Rondo not to wear his headband upside down, so he stopped wearing it altogether. That's not complaining. And what's ironic about it is that if the NBA's goal is branding (which would explain why they nixed the team logo headbands a few years ago, and why they don't want them worn inside out or upside down), then they just shot themselves in the foot. They'd be better off with Rondo wearing his NBA-issue headband upside down, with a bunch of high school kids buying NBA-issue headbands and wearing them upside down, than to have him not wearing one at all.

I don't care whether players wear headbands, what headbands they wear, or how they wear them. I don't care if the NBA bans them. My only objection is that it's petty, and it's an(other) example of David Stern being a control freak.

Why do people that think athletes shouldn't make so much money crack you up? Are you a fan of paying outrageous ticket and merchandise prices so these guys can live in luxury the rest of their lives? I know no one is forcing you to, I'm just saying there are better ways to go about it. Besides you used one of the few teams in the NBA that sells out every night as an excuse. What about the Kings, Bucks, Minnesota, Memphis etc? All I'm saying is that the greed is out of control. Lower paid players + owners that don't pass on every little cost to the fans = a huge and wildlly popular fanbase. Merchandise and ticket prices would go down so every arena would be filled and people would be supporting their teams more often.

The headband deal isn't about control. He's not saying the logo has to be on a certain part of your head. He cares about the image of the sport, not selling 10,000 headbands to high school kids. It's like your boss telling you that you have your name tag upside down. Sure it's petty but you are a professional and should look like one.

 

[Rookie]

It's professional sport not street bb. Stern respond might be petty but I like the fact he tries to keep the NBA as professional as he can.

 

[Superman]

Why do people that think athletes shouldn't make so much money crack you up? Are you a fan of paying outrageous ticket and merchandise prices so these guys can live in luxury the rest of their lives? I know no one is forcing you to, I'm just saying there are better ways to go about it. Besides you used one of the few teams in the NBA that sells out every night as an excuse. What about the Kings, Bucks, Minnesota, Memphis etc? All I'm saying is that the greed is out of control. Lower paid players + owners that don't pass on every little cost to the fans = a huge and wildlly popular fanbase. Merchandise and ticket prices would go down so every arena would be filled and people would be supporting their teams more often.

Because if you have a problem with NBA players making millions of dollars to play a game, then stop buying tickets. Stop watching games on TV. Stop buying jerseys and team memorabilia. The fact of the matter is that fans provide the revenue that pays their salaries. Supply and demand. If the demand weren't there, these players wouldn't be making as much money. I think it's ridiculous that these guys make as much money as they do, but the fact of the matter is that the fans pay their salaries. You think that gives you a right to complain, and that's fine, but don't complain as you're renewing your League Pass subscription.

And you're complaining about ticket prices, but if teams were being punished for high ticket prices, they'd drop prices. Simple as that. But fans still go, and then prices go up again, and fans still go. It's disingenuous.

I used the Lakers as an example because they are the most extreme example. Highest ticket prices, highest payroll, but they sell out. The Kings, Bucks, Wolves and Grizzlies don't sell out because they aren't good, not because prices are too high. Greed is out of control, and owners do pass on too many costs to the fans, but the fans are willing to pay those costs if you put a good product on the floor. If you put a bad product on the floor, low ticket prices don't matter. No one wants to watch a 25 win team every year, even if it is relatively inexpensive to go. And this is where it comes full circle, because in order to put a solid product on the floor, more often than not you're going to have to hand out some big contracts.

The headband deal isn't about control. He's not saying the logo has to be on a certain part of your head. He cares about the image of the sport, not selling 10,000 headbands to high school kids. It's like your boss telling you that you have your name tag upside down. Sure it's petty but you are a professional and should look like one.

That's the only thing he's not saying. Yet. And the point is simple: It's petty. I am, as yet, unconvinced that NBA players wearing their headbands upside down or inside out tarnishes the NBA's image. And by the way, the only reason the NBA is worried about its image is because it is closely related to its marketability, which includes selling headbands to high school kids.

 

[est.1999]

Superman just raped everyone who's agreeing with Stern.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Superman just raped everyone who's agreeing with Stern.

Uh, no, not really. Not by any generally accepted definition of the term.

And, with respect to Supes' post, just because it's petty doesn't mean it's wrong.

 

[est.1999]

Uh, no, not really. Not by any generally accepted definition of the term.

And, with respect to Supes' post, just because it's petty doesn't mean it's wrong.

If there was one person who I thought would be a smart a** and would take the literal meaning of what I said, it was definitely you.

 

[Superman]

And, with respect to Supes' post, just because it's petty doesn't mean it's wrong.

You're right about that. I don't care about the NBA's decision. I don't necessarily agree with it, but it really doesn't matter. But put in perspective, it's such a small thing, and when you start to look at all the other petty edicts Stern has handed down, it becomes obvious how much of a control freak he is.

What I mostly disagree with is the idea that wearing a headband upside down is a sign of rebelliousness, or that it somehow tarnishes the league's image.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

If there was one person who I thought would be a smart a** and would take the literal meaning of what I said, it was definitely you.

Glad to be of service.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

You're right about that. I don't care about the NBA's decision. I don't necessarily agree with it, but it really doesn't matter. But put in perspective, it's such a small thing, and when you start to look at all the other petty edicts Stern has handed down, it becomes obvious how much of a control freak he is.

Perhaps you would prefer something a little more Lord of the Flies-esque? I mean, maybe it's because of my military background, and I just have a very high tolerance for bull****, but I'm not grokking these sort of edicts as a problem. Unless you subscribe to the belief that he is not dealing with major issues in the NBA (a belief that I do not personally subscribe to), I don't grok why it makes a difference whether he deals with the trivial ones.

Every time I see someone take up arms over something unimportant, I flash back to an exchange between Kurtwood Smith (Red Foreman) and Topher Grace (Eric Foreman) from "That '70s Show," which best summarizes my feelings on the subject:

Eric: "Dad, you yelled at him until he cried!"
Red: "Well, what kind of man starts crying after only fifteen minutes of yelling?"

 

[Superman]

Perhaps you would prefer something a little more Lord of the Flies-esque? I mean, maybe it's because of my military background, and I just have a very high tolerance for bull****, but I'm not grokking these sort of edicts as a problem. Unless you subscribe to the belief that he is not dealing with major issues in the NBA (a belief that I do not personally subscribe to), I don't grok why it makes a difference whether he deals with the trivial ones.

Every time I see someone take up arms over something unimportant, I flash back to an exchange between Kurtwood Smith (Red Foreman) and Topher Grace (Eric Foreman) from "That '70s Show," which best summarizes my feelings on the subject:

Eric: "Dad, you yelled at him until he cried!"
Red: "Well, what kind of man starts crying after only fifteen minutes of yelling?"

I love that show.

I hardly think allowing NBA players to wear their headbands upside down, inside out, or even wearing headbands sporting their teams' logos, instead of the NBA logo, is in any way comparable to Lord of the Flies. It's a headband. It's a total non-issue, until Stern outlaws it.

You'll notice that I didn't have much to say, other than to call this a petty rule, until wearing a headband upside down became a rebellious act. When Stern banned team logo headbands, and Rasheed Wallace decided to wear his inside-out, that's being rebellious. From what I understand, Rondo wore his upside down out of superstition. That's not rebellious. And when the NBA told him to stop, he decided not to wear a headband anymore. I think it's unfair to label him an immature rebel because he wore his headband upside down, and that's what I objected to. In the same vein, I think it's a serious stretch to equate this headband situation to a bunch of preteen kids living in anarchy on a desert island. Wasn't there murder and torture in that book?

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Nothing like a little reductio ad absurdum to get someone's attention...

Ultimately, what it boils down to for me is that, whereas you say that "it's a total non-issue, until Stern outlaws it," I say that it's a total non-issue, either way. I don't necessarily disagree that this is petty, but I still think it's a rather daft issue to take a stand over. I mean, really? This is where you draw the line at? Again, maybe I just have an unnaturally high tolerance for bull****, but my two thoughts regarding this rule are simply 1) Just because it's petty doesn't necessarily make it wrong, or a bad idea, and 2) People shut just quit their ****in' bitchin.

 

[Superman]

Nothing like a little reductio ad absurdum to get someone's attention...

Ultimately, what it boils down to for me is that, whereas you say that "it's a total non-issue, until Stern outlaws it," I say that it's a total non-issue, either way. I don't necessarily disagree that this is petty, but I still think it's a rather daft issue to take a stand over. I mean, really? This is where you draw the line at? Again, maybe I just have an unnaturally high tolerance for bull****, but my two thoughts regarding this rule are simply 1) Just because it's petty doesn't necessarily make it wrong, or a bad idea, and 2) People shut just quit their ****in' bitchin.

I just learned something. Thanks for making this day productive.

I agree that it's a non-issue either way. You make a good point. It doesn't really matter. I agree with that. No one is really taking a stand about this. Rondo just stopped wearing a headband, period. Like I said, my objection was to the idea that Rondo (or anyone else who was wearing their headband upside down) is an immature rebel. If we're talking about the absurd, I think that qualifies.

It's still petty, and when you add it to Stern's body of work, it's just more evidence that he's a control freak. My opinion, nothing more. And while it's true that just because it's petty that doesn't mean it's wrong or a bad idea, that's not really proof that it's not a bad idea. At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter much, but that's kind of a lightweight defense.

Lastly, this entire discussion is making a mountain out of a molehill. Stern banned upside down headbands. The players stopped wearing headbands upside down. End of story. It's the insistence that a player who was wearing a headband upside down was doing it to be an outlaw or a rebel that I took exception with, particularly with respects to the idea that because they're paid a lot of money they should just do whatever they're told to do. Showing respect for the NBA is one thing. Being a drone is quite another.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Don't be hatin' on drones, now...

 

[Warhawk]

Don't be hatin' on drones, now...

Uh, that would be clones, not drones. Just sayin'.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I don't think it was a matter of "rebelliousness", like I said if it was just Rondo or one or two others the NBA would be cool with it. Its when it became a silly trend rather than any one individual expression that the NBA decided to step in and say "wear your uniform correctly". It may be petty but I agree with that call same as I agree with banning dumb messages on eye black when that got out of control or would support an MLB decision to make players wear their caps straight if one season everyone decided to wear them tilted at 45 degree angles.

 

[Superman]

I don't think it was a matter of "rebelliousness", like I said if it was just Rondo or one or two others the NBA would be cool with it. Its when it became a silly trend rather than any one individual expression that the NBA decided to step in and say "wear your uniform correctly". It may be petty but I agree with that call same as I agree with banning dumb messages on eye black when that got out of control or would support an MLB decision to make players wear their caps straight if one season everyone decided to wear them tilted at 45 degree angles.

I don't know that wearing a headband is really part of the uniform, seeing as how you don't have to wear one. Wearing a jersey backward is one thing. Wearing a headband upside down is another. Next thing the NBA is going to say that if you wear one, the logo has to be at the front of your head, not on the side, or at the back. It is a silly trend, but I don't see how it really matters.

Banning eye black messages would be like banning messages on headbands. And the fact that no MLB players wear their hats to the side makes me wonder whether that's already a rule. But whatever.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I'd say that at the point the NBA mandated all headbands have their logo (and I suspect they also required players to wear them in official team colors) they became part of the uniform even if it was considered an optional part.

 

[tyrant]

just another choke hold from stern. he's gona get himself thrown out of the league one day. who cares how they wear the headbands. not everyone wears it upside down anyway. whats the difference between this and players wearing 2 million dollar earings under their helments in the NFL. these players are individuals and the game looks boring if everyone looks the same/acts the same. so sad, nba has to fix who plays in the nba finals and how many 7 games series there are to try and make up for the abysmal loss in tv viewings during the regular season. i love when stern gets booed on national tv

 

[Gargamel]

I used the Lakers as an example because they are the most extreme example. Highest ticket prices, highest payroll, but they sell out. The Kings, Bucks, Wolves and Grizzlies don't sell out because they aren't good, not because prices are too high. Greed is out of control, and owners do pass on too many costs to the fans, but the fans are willing to pay those costs if you put a good product on the floor. If you put a bad product on the floor, low ticket prices don't matter. No one wants to watch a 25 win team every year, even if it is relatively inexpensive to go. And this is where it comes full circle, because in order to put a solid product on the floor, more often than not you're going to have to hand out some big contracts.

Yep, yep. LA and other teams that are lucky enough to be title contenders can turn profit even w/ the contracts and tickets.

As far as ticket prices go, most Laker fans old enough to have an opinion think that the "real" fans (fake fans meaning ones sitting in the lower level who look as blase as Paris Hilton would at a production of Hamlet -- she herself goes to games, btw) have been priced out since leaving the Forum. I watch old gms from the 80s and 90s and it's really difficult to argue that the opinion has no merit. ...There WILL be people to buy those high priced tix if the team is winning.