David Stern Needs To Go

There is a lockout coming in the NBA.

Not the anticipated lockout that is coming after the 2011 season of the players, but rather the lockout of NBA officials coming on Oct. 1.

David Stern is holding this lockout over a measly $700,000. He has broken off talks with union head Lamell McMorris, and word has it he doesn’t plan on picking up talks until the union has completely caved.

Stern is notorious for taking a hard line stance and not moving.

"The problem is, David Stern does not negotiate. He tells you what's going to happen and then when you don't do it, and do something differently, he whines and acts like a child," McMorris said. "That's not how you negotiate. Not with adults."

If you thought the officiating was terrible in the NBA, then the NBA is going to be even worse when the lockout happens. We will long for the days of Dick Bevetta, Scott Foster, Bennett Salvatore, and Steve Javie.

The sad fact that you can look at officials before a game and tell exactly who is going to win is very telling of the current state of NBA officiating.

These referees will be replaced by guys the NBA has already deemed not worthy of calling games on the top level.

So we will get guys from the D league, college, and maybe even some high school referees.

These guys are not going to be used to the speed of the game, some will not be in good enough shape to keep up with the game. Calls will be missed and bad calls will be made because the referee will simply be out of position.

That is not a product I want to watch.

This does give us more insight into Stern’s state of mind and how he is dealing with negotiations. This is exactly why Seattle doesn’t have a basketball team right now.

It’s not because of lack of support, it’s because Stern never got the palace he wanted Clay Bennett to have, even though a quick upgrade to the Key would be more than sufficient and would get a team back into Seattle.

Stern is ruining the NBA.

He’s moved teams from lucrative markets to markets that don’t generate any income for the NBA on a league level. Memphis, Oklahoma City, Charlotte, and New Orleans should not have teams. It's time to look at coming back to Vancouver, Seattle, and Kansas City and look at expanding into San Jose, St. Louis, and maybe even Mexico City.

Mark Cuban said it best over the summer when he said, “The NBA needs a general overhaul and it starts at the very top.”

Cuban is right, Stern needs to be removed.

If he is not removed, the whole 2011-2012 season will be lost.

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