NBA TRIES TO HIDE PROBLEMS.Byline: KEVIN MODESTI In a commercial for a cable network's new pro basketball coverage, NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= commissioner David Stern
The story goes that during a break in the commercial filming, somebody kidded Stern that we'll never see Bud Selig Allan Huber "Bud" Selig, Jr. (born July 30, 1934 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is the Commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was previously the team owner and administrator of the Milwaukee Brewers. and Paul Tagliabue Paul John Tagliabue (born November 24 1940 in Jersey City, New Jersey) was the Commissioner of the National Football League. He took the position in 1989 and was succeeded by Roger Goodell, who was elected to the position on August 8, 2006. do something like this to promote their sports. To which Stern replied - in a statement as revealing as his costume - that the bosses of baseball and football don't have to do something like this to promote their sports. Baseball and football have their own problems, but these days it's basketball that faces the most worrisome league-wide slump, with arena attendance and television ratings Television ratings may refer to:
The good news: The NBA has a solution in mind. The bad news: The solution has little to do with basketball and everything to do with distracting fans with showbiz flair. Cue the commish, and ask him to fasten that towel as tight as possible. Does the league plan to fight public apathy by stepping up its promotion of the exploits of the Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (pronounced "shak-KEEL") (born March 6, 1972 in Newark, New Jersey), frequently referred to simply as Shaq, is an American professional basketball player, generally regarded as one of the most dominant in the National Basketball Association (NBA). (the sport's Barry Bonds Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24 1964 in Riverside, California) is a left fielder for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds, the godson of Hall of Famer Willie Mays, and a distant cousin of Hall of Famer Reggie , without the gloom), Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant (born July 23 1978) is an American All-Star shooting guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. (the sport's most watchable watch·a·ble adj. 1. Capable of being watched; viewable: watchable wildlife. 2. Good enough to watch: "The fastest modem ... property, far and away) and Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson (born September 17, 1945 in Deer Lodge, Montana) is the current coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, an American professional basketball team. (a championship ring from the coaches' record)? Or by making a positive of the United States' embarrassment at the World Championships and promoting the international stars in its midst? Does the league plan to improve its product by seeking remedies for the lack of recognizable personalities and the mediocrity of young shooters that have resulted from ever-younger draft classes entering an ever-expanding league? Or by finding creative ways to spice up its tiresome regular season? No, the league has another idea. It's spelled out in the latest weekly edition of Variety, the Hollywood trade paper famous for slangy headlines that read ``Thesp Crix Ayem Skein Sked Bip Hip Pip Yip Zip'' and turn out to mean ``Murtleman Appointed to Conservancy Board.'' The paper reports that when the NBA's opening-night TV coverage included live music from Santana, Michelle Branch and Randy Newman and comedy from Adam Sandler - and even appearances by cartoon characters from the movie ``8 Crazy Nights'' - it was part of a ``march across the boundaries of sports and entertainment.'' The paper, quoting Gregg Winik, executive vice president of NBA Entertainment, said a deal is close for an ``NBA-sanctioned animated TV series that could help hook the next generation of basketball fans.'' There are plans for ``a reality series along the lines of `Survivor' that would pit contestants against one another to win a tryout with a pro basketball team. And the league is ``in development limbo'' on a deal with a major studio to produce a sitcom about ``the behind-the-scenes activity of a fictional NBA team.'' ``Space Jam'' was only the start, in other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently . David Stern half-naked is only a symbol. High jinx will ensue. ``Let's face it: Sports are really at the center of our entertainment culture, and the league that's in the forefront is the NBA,'' Richard Gay, a partner in the media and entertainment group of Booz Allen Hamilton Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., referred to as Booz Allen is one of the oldest strategy consulting firms in the world.[1] The firm formerly had two consulting divisions: WCB (Worldwide Commercial Business, also known as “The Commercial Side”) and WTB , told Variety. David Carter, of the Sports Business Group, said: ``The NBA wants to go beyond a sports brand to become a lifestyle brand. That's one of the reasons why it's embracing the hip-hop culture and music performers like Santana.'' Carter wasn't speaking for the NBA, of course, so ``lifestyle brand'' might not be the phrase the league fathers would choose. But on the off chance that promulgating some make-believe NBA ``lifestyle'' is what they have in mind, might it not be a nice idea to figure out how to put on a good basketball game first? All of this smacks of lipstick on a pig. One principal you can take to the bank is that sports - and sports leagues - will rise and fall over time based on the quality of the competition. Fancy gyms, dancing girls, basketball-themed reality TV shows, those things help, but they don't make jump shots go in the basket. If basketball can't beat its competitors for the entertainment dollar, joining them won't help. NBA, keep your shirt on. |
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