NBA

From ESPN:

 The NBA's most powerful man and its most respected and iron-willed coach plunged into an unexpected battle of wills Thursday over a basic tenet: A coach can decide what is best for his team.

San Antonio's Gregg Popovich sent stars Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, plus key role player Danny Green, on a commercial flight home instead of playing them in a nationally televised game against the Miami Heat so they could rest ahead of the Spurs' Saturday home game against the league-leading Memphis Grizzlies.

NBA commissioner David Stern issued a statement before the game started apologizing to fans and saying, "This was an unacceptable decision by the San Antonio Spurs and substantial sanctions will be forthcoming."

So the commissioner now decides what's best for each individual TEAM?

I don't think so. The Spurs were playing their fourth game in six nights and their sixth game of the road trip. The coach decided to go with his more rested bench so that the starters could get a rest before the huge game with Memphis on Saturday night. AS A COACH HE HAS TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR HIS TEAM. He did that. The commissioner should have no say in this matter at all.That he's injecting himself into the situation AND threatening some sort of sanctions shows you just how idiotic PRO sports have become.

IF he does something I hope San Antonio takes him to court with all barrels blazing. Teams need to do what is best for themselves looking at the longterm perspective of what THEIR own individual team needs.

Baseball rests stars all the time. It's a long season. The BEST NBA teams have good benches and know when their stars NEED rests. What Popovich did was brilliant and necessary AND as the head coach of that team, Commissioner Stern has NO RIGHT sticking his nose in San Antonio's business.

NONE!

I can't wait to see what happens next. Sports are better than regular television shows.

Sometimes the drama is better, too.