Celtics T-shirt Ray Allen
Celtics T shirt Ray Allen
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US $16.99
Fundamental Changes II
The NBA has started its season off with a bang. Everyone is talking about “the big 3” in Boston which consists of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. Dwayne Wade and his immanent return to the Miami Heat and Kobe Bryant’s reluctance to stay with the Lakers are dominating sports headlines. Even talk of Gilbert Arena’s gimpy knee being drained twice a month is newsworthy material. However, there is no talk of the off-season betting scandal involving NBA referee Tim Donaghy. NBA commissioner David Stern was informed by federal investigators that the aforementioned referee was involved with the mafia in betting on NBA games. Donaghy was immediately relieved of his duties and placed into the witness protection program. But you rarely hear any news of Tim Donaghy. Is it because the NBA has a marvelous PR department and just did a great job of diverting attention from Mr. Donaghy? Or is it because commish David Stern is focusing on other issues? Like instituting a new NBA dress code or a brand new basketball without consulting the players? There seems to be a double standard in the NBA and culture is the underlining issue.
You will often hear me talk about William Rhoden’s book “Forty-Million Dollar Slaves.” In the book he discusses the history of the black athlete. How they have been treated, viewed and he even speaks about the evolution of the black athlete. William also goes into detail regarding the lack of responsibility today’s African-American athletes have for themselves and their respective sports. With so many black professional players making millions of dollars in today’s sports market, the spotlight often shines the brightest on them. Also, most black athletes receive negative attention from the media. Whether they are criticized for being selfish or wanting more money, being in the limelight is not always a plus for professional black athletes.
This is where Mr. David Stern comes into play.
Last season, David created a new policy geared toward cleaning up the image of pro basketball. Players had to turn in their long t-shirts, baggy jeans, doo-rags and big jewelry. That attire was replaced with suits, button down shirts and penny loafers. One would begin to think that the new dress code has nothing to do with race or culture, the commish simply wants his business to run like one. Wrong. The NBA grew tired of its hip-hop image and was desperate for something new. Rappers that regularly performed at All-Star and playoff games were replaced with country and pop singers. Rap music was toned down in arenas and players no longer could proclaim their affiliation with the hip-hop culture through their wardrobe.
The players that make up the National Basketball Association are 80% black. Compare that to mostly white males attending basketball games and a problem is created. David Stern noticed that attendance at games was slipping and so were ratings.
So to combat his company loosing so much money, he changed the representation of the National Basketball Association. Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki were installed as NBA poster boys and begin winning MVP awards.
Now, allow me to go back to William Rhoden’s book for a moment. Black athletes have been made out to be villains since the dawn of sports. From Jack Johnson all the way up to Allen Iverson. No matter how hard they work or much they fight, their plight continues. So if there are so called “villains” on the court playing a game that someone paid $60 plus dollars to see, NBA fans may stop showing up if they feel un-comfortable.
Back to David Stern.
Stern wanted to soften the image of his athletes and make them look “presentable.” Therefore, he constructed a policy that would change the NBA dress code.
Since the dress code’s institution, NBA players have been fairly quiet. There have been minor scuffles and small off the court infractions, but nothing the NBA can’t handle. But this off-season the league was hit with a bombshell. Gambling has always had a presence in the NBA going back to the league’s investigation into Michael Jordan’s gambling habits. But this time it was different. The Fed’s were involved and so was the mafia. This case was so awful Tim had to be placed into the witness protection program. Even worse for the National Basketball Association was that Tim bet on games. He broke the golden rule. If you gamble never bet on your own sports games. Pete Rose broke that rule and was forever banished from Major League Baseball. The same goes for Mr. Donaghy. He is now awaiting trial for his role in the NBA betting scandal.
It seems to me that Tim’s situation is more serious in nature and far outweighs the NBA dress code. Yet the NBA has done an incredible job of keeping this matter out of the public eye.
However, I can’t entirely fault the league for wanting this story to disappear. It was a public relations nightmare when the league least needed negative publicity. If I were commissioner of the NBA I would try my best to keep the spotlight off of Tim and gambling as well. Also in the commissioner’s defense, it seems that as soon as the NBA gets past a negative story there is something even worse that follows. So for his handling of the fight in Detroit, the horrendous of the new NBA basketball, NBA player’s dress code and the betting scandal, Mr. Stern receives a C - when it comes to PR and how he handles his players. David has created a double standard within the league. While Tim will probably receive jail time for his actions, David made sure he kept the media away from this story. When NBA players were suspended for fighting and Stern created the new dress code, he did not do a great job of keeping the media away from both stories. It seems as if the African-Americans players got a raw deal.
By no means am I insinuating that David Stern is a racist. African-American athletes have excelled in the NBA and the most recognizable NBA player of all time is black. Their newest and brightest are mostly black and they also receive the biggest paychecks. I am very proud of some of the brothers in the NBA for reaction to David’s new rules. The bottom line for these players is they have to play above what is expected of them. Instead of David mandating a dress code, the players should already wear suits. Also, fighting anywhere is embarrassing to yourself and to the league. So instead of possibly being suspended for on the court problems don’t let your temper get the best of you. It is all about making fundamental changes. The NBA is a business and if the CEO makes a change then the employees have to adapt to it. Lets just hope David Stern only makes changes that are for the betterment of the league and not because he wants to rid his business of a certain culture.
-JH
About the Author
Jason Henry started writing a few years ago with the angle of "sparking positive debate through writing." To enhance his writing skills and share his writing with the world, he started his own newsletter entitled "The Henry Project." A by product of the newsletter is his blog with the same name. Mr. Henry continues to provide his opinion on a number of issues facing America today. You can check out his blog at aanw.blogspot.com.
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Ray Allen $93.99 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Walter Ray Allen (born July 20, 1975), referred to as Ray Allen, is an American professional basketball player for the NBAs Boston Celtics at the position of shooting guard. He has also played professionally for two other organizations, the Milwaukee Bucks and Seattle SuperSonics, and collegiately at the University of Connecticut. One of the most accurate 3point shooters in NBA history, he is a ninetime NBA AllStar and won an Olympic gold medal as a member of the 2000 United States Mens Basketball Team. Allen has also acted in two films, including a costarring role in the 1998 Spike Lee film He Got Game. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Timpledon, Miriam T./ Marseken, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 152 Publication Date: 2010/06/14 Language: English Dimensions: 5.98 x 9.01 x 0.35 inches |
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Ray Allen, Boston Celtics, 1/29/2012 $14.99 BOSTON- MA - JANUARY 29: Ray Allen #20 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket against Omri Casspi #36 of the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 29- 2012 at the TD Garden in Boston- Massachusetts. Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo by Steve Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) |
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Ray Allen, Boston Celtics, 2/5/2012 $14.99 BOSTON- MA - FEBRUARY 5: Ray Allen #20 of the Boston Celtics shoots the ball against Sam Young #4 of the Memphis Grizzlies on February 5- 2012 at the TD Garden in Boston- Massachusetts. Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) |
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Ray Allen, Boston Celtics, 2/15/2012 $14.99 BOSTON- MA - FEBRUARY 15: Ray Allen #20 of the Boston Celtics shoots against the Detroit Pistons on February 15- 2012 at the TD Garden in Boston- Massachusetts. Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) |
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Ray Allen, Boston Celtics, 2/20/2012 $14.99 DALLAS- TX - FEBRUARY 20: Ray Allen #20 of the Boston Celtics goes in for the lay up against Jason Kidd #2 of the Dallas Mavericks on February 20- 2012 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas- Texas. Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images) |
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