I bet you didn't know that David Stern -- in addition to handling his duties as NBA Commissioner -- occasionally takes time out of his busy schedule to teach random reporters about geography. It's true: take a listen.
The annoyance level of Stern here is fantastic, along with the snide comment from the reporter thanking him for the lesson. Stern definitely wins (does he ever lose?) by concluding that "the water doesn't make it into a longer trip," but he's probably right that he'll have to make this point many more times to the media before European expansion will become a reality.
[via Hardwood Paroxysm]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-28-2008 @ 1:38PM
tanning lotion said...
He is so arrogant it is pathetic.
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3-28-2008 @ 3:26PM
Thomas said...
I don't think Stern wins, because he is wrong. It is a much shorter flight from Miami to Portland than it is from Miami to France, and I'm pretty sure Portland has hotels that are plenty nice.
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3-28-2008 @ 3:34PM
Sunil said...
You all are so xenophobic its ridiculous.
Youre so afraid of seeing new cultures and countries.
btw, i was born and bred in the us.
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3-28-2008 @ 3:40PM
Ryne Nelson said...
Not to belittle this whole European thing with the NBA, but how many players actually want to do this? I'm afraid they're going to use this as an excuse to mess around with the beautiful European women and interesting 'culture,' rather than hoop.
This could create more problems than just a waist of fuel.
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3-28-2008 @ 3:40PM
pdr said...
Brett, are you one of those Americans that Miss Teen South Carolina referenced in her oh so eloquent speech not too long ago?
Paris is quite a bit further away from Miami than Portland. Miami to Paris is roughly 4,600 miles. Miami to Portland is around 2,700. Yeah, winner!
I'd like to think even GED equipped citizens know this. Stern only wins in making himself out to be more of an Asshat than we initially thought.
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3-28-2008 @ 3:43PM
Brett said...
People, I know he was wrong, that's not the point.
I'm just extremely entertained by the way Stern talks down to reporters to the point where they can't seem to respond intelligently. This one could have brought up the mileage fact, or even the more telling part about the time zone differences to boost his argument, but he was too busy crafting a sarcastic response to the commish instead.
That's why Stern won: because even though he was wrong, the reporter was too flustered to respond with facts.
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3-28-2008 @ 5:52PM
The Vainglorious Keith Olbermann said...
Another really large problem with Stern's comments is that it is not very often that a team like the Heat flies from Miami to Portland then right back to Miami. More often than not, they make multiple stops on the way out and on the way back, facing teams like the Chiacgo Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns to cut down on total travel.
Unless Stern is going to tell me that there are 4 or 5 cities in the middle of the Atlantic to make the trip shorter, I am going to have to tell him that he is full of dung.
Also, a trip from Miami to Portland takes 7 hrd 45 minutes each way, give or take a few minutes.
To Paris, it takes 12 hours. The return trip is actually longer, thanks to the winds that slow down the plane.
Finally, there is a 3-hour time difference between Portland and Miami. There is a 5-hour difference between Miami and Paris.
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3-28-2008 @ 7:40PM
tobrien28 said...
I've flown from New York to Paris and I'll tell you: Its not the cup of tea Stern makes it out to be. Doesn't anyone else have a problem with Stern referring to the reporter as "such an American" as if its a bad thing?
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3-29-2008 @ 8:17AM
Phil C said...
I think you're missing the point of the "such an American" remark. Granted, maybe he shouldn't be using it in the light that he seems to be (that, generally, Americans can be a little xenophobic or quick to leap to stereotyping). This is evident in the type of humor nowadays (standups using race for material, shows like Family Guy using similar ethnic material). I don't think he's saying "You're acting like an American" where "American" could be replaced by any random swear or curse.
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3-29-2008 @ 12:29PM
search engine placement said...
David Stern needs to go back to practicing law. He is no good for basketball or the NBA.
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4-12-2008 @ 9:53PM
George said...
This has absolutely nothing to do whether the players want to do it or not, they earn a gazillion dollars for what they do and they will do whatever they're told to. It rather has to do with the owners and corporations who sponsor the NBA, because Europe (as well as China) offer a HUGE market for the NBA that has mostly gone unexploited.
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