Stern smacks ESPN.
NBA Commissioner David Stern was not pleased with an ESPN the Magazine report on the NBA's image issues.
To coincide with NBA All-Star Weekend, ESPN the Magazine had a comprehensive report on the negative perception of the NBA. The issue was headlined "Perception is not reality", and included several polls showing just how badly sports fans view the league.
While responding to a question by the Portland Oregonian regarding the league's image problem, Stern had some biting comments about the piece, and ESPN."We have a much more sophisticated analysis than walking up to somebody as ESPN The Magazine does and say, 'Which one of these sports would you say the following about?' OK. It's not even close. ... We're having a great year, so ESPN decided that what you should do if you're a magazine is you write an article going into All-Star (weekend) about how terrible things are. Maybe it's because (the game) was on TNT. What do I know?"
It is exceedingly rare for a sports commissioner to make such candid comments in regards to vital network partner like ESPN. While the relationship between the NBA and ESPN is not nearly as strained as the relationship between baseball and ESPN, perhaps Stern's candor is indicative of a behind-the-scenes conflict.
Stern did go on to say that the league has "rebounded amazingly well" from the 2004 brawl between players on the Indiana Pacers and fans of the Detroit Pistons.
Link to Portland Oregonian article found via The Sports Business Daily.
5 comments:
This episode will demonstrate the difference between the NHL and the NBA. ESPN told the NHL to take a walk but you can bet that Stern's upbraiding of the NBA will pass with not even a hint of push-back from their ESPN partners.
ESPN needs the NBA but the NHL needs ESPN - its simple as that folks.
To me this is interesting. Stern would like favorable coverage from ESPN because they are one of their lead presenters of the NBA. Should ESPN give them that favorable coverage? I as a sports fan don't want a league to get favorable coverage from the giant network that covers them.
Stern's criticisms of the article aren't really valid in my opinion. Finding out what the average sports fan thinks of your league is very important and the fact ESPN's methods weren't "advanced" really is not a criticism. The NBA has an image problem that they refuse to acknowledge in a way that would help them.
For anyone who read the article with Stern, did you notice the contradiction/double-talk he put out there himself?
He was asked if the league has an image problem, to which he said no. He continued to explain that the league has been able to respond to some of its recent troubles. The very next question asks if the league takes image surveys, in which he said "All of the time".
Now, to be fair, any business would be wise enough to monitor its perceptions from consumers. Yet, with all of his experience in the legal, media and sports arenas, you'd think that Stern would be well aware of how his own perception has been shaped though the league's constant struggle with its image. Comments like this coupled with his... feisty defiance, if you will... won't help him or the league.
He may have been even more peturbed by the fact that Michael Jordan was dead-on in saying that the league shouldn't try to copy him anymore.
Regardless, it's been an outstanding year if you're a fan of the A.
"ESPN needs the NBA"? Both the NBA and ESPN did quite well for over two decades without each other, I would say, don't you think? ESPN may not want to lose the NBA, but it'll survive without it.
If Stern wants out of ESPN, all I say is "BRAVA!" Take the product back to NBC or CBS (IMO, they do the best job covering sports) and get back those ratings. The "image problem" of the NBA is so overhyped. Did a dress code help ratings?
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