NBA Fans Deserve Change

By Blondie for ClubSpurs.com

The NBA has suffered greatly from a variety of unfavorable incidents in the last several years. The most pressing is the Donaghy Scandal, but many other issues, from players being repeatedly arrested to unscrupulous owners holding fans hostage for corporate welfare, have damaged the image of the league to a point nearly beyond repair. It is no wonder the European Leagues are being preferred by players, and not just for monetary reasons.

Instead of addressing these issues, Stern sits idly by, fiddling while his league burns down around him. According to a recent report, the NBA will soon be the least popular of all professional sports.

Drastic and immediate action must be taken if the league is to turn things around. Here is one fan’s opinion of what needs to happen:

1)Force Stern to step down in favor of a more reputable impartial commissioner.

2)Appoint someone other than the commissioner to oversee and regulate the referees.

3)Subject referees to multiple quality control reviews per season. Those not making the cut should be placed on probation, then terminated if improvements in accuracy are not achieved.

4)Implement Instant replay challenges similar to those in the NFL.

5)Aggressively market the league toward the audience that spends the most money on sports and cultivate a more fan/family friendly image, as the Spurs marketing department has done. Imagine what they could accomplish if they pimped players like Duncan as much as they currently do Kobe, Iverson, Anthony, etc…

6)Impose limitations on players entering the draft. If a player enters the draft and is taken in round one, they must accept the offer given them or wait ten years to try and enter the league again. Players taken in round two must wait 5-7 years if they reject an offer from the team drafting them.

These ideas are by no means cure-alls, but they would go a long way towards restoring fans’ trust in the sport.

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