Every company of any size has had a problem(s) that its CEO and stakeholders have lost sleep over. Its the law of big numbers. If enough things go on, something is going to go wrong.
Products get recalled or are tampered with. There are workplace disasters. There is corruption. No industry is immune. Churches, consumer products, law enforcement, cars, planes, trains and plenty more. No profession is immune. From the CEO who misrepresents corporate numbers or events at the expense of shareholders, to the doorman who tips himself from the cover charge at the expense of the club owner, people of every profession make bad decisions.
Shit happens. Bad Shit happens. When it does, there are two options. Cry over it and do nothing or recognize the problem and do the best you possibly can to not only fix it, but make the entire organization stronger..
As bad as the allegations facing the NBA today are, its also an opportunity to face every allegation that has ever been directed towards the NBA and its officials and pre empt them from ever occuring in the future.
Calamity can be a catalyst for significant change.
There are any number of examples in the business world where calamity led to better management, better communications, greater transparency and even better products. As the proverb goes, Necessity is the Mother of Invention.
The NBA took a hit today. Behind that hit is a catalyst and opportunity for significant change that could make the NBA stronger than it ever has been. Its a chance to proactively put in place people, processes and transparency that will forever silence those who will question the NBA's integrity.
I have complete confidence that David Stern and Adam Silver will do just that and the NBA and our officiating will be all the stronger for it.
Calamity as Catalyst - My Vote of Confidence in the NBA
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Reader Comments
(Page 1)2. Mark, you should post a link to the news so we can all understand what you are talking about. Not all of us follow things as closely as you.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19868741/
Posted at 10:26PM on Jul 20th 2007 by Pete
3. anecdotal evidence: having spoken to a good number of my nba-fan friends about this.... the sentiment is bad apple, not rotten crop. my perception of media coverage of his whole situation is that it's been pretty level headed. I don't think that the public's image of the NBA will be tainted by this at all. In fact, I think - like all things that gain undue press coverage - that this is an excellent opportunity to engage the fans on some of the operational aspects of the NBA that might have previously been opaque.
all press is good press, as they say.
Posted at 10:32PM on Jul 20th 2007 by blyx
4. Classy articulate response. General consensus was you would say "I told you so." As a serious NBA fan I'm glad you took this position.
Posted at 10:44PM on Jul 20th 2007 by Dennis
5. Mark,
great post. Thought that the suspension of Crawford was a turning point. I will even submit a comment without mentioning 2006 finals, well almost.
Posted at 10:54PM on Jul 20th 2007 by Chris Price
6. "Its a chance to proactively put in place people, processes and transparency that will forever silence those who will question the NBA's integrity." how poetic. too bad it won't happen. there is a reason for the timing of this going public. it's going to be really sad when it comes out that this is not just a isolated incident of one referee.
as the nba continues it quest for marketing supremacy & global dominance, it's officiating and game operations will continue to suffer (as they have for many years)and be the worst out of the 4 major sports leagues. time for the suits in ny to get their eyes-ears back on the content & pulse of the game. hopefully this will serve as a wake-up call, but mind you, it won't be the last.
Posted at 10:54PM on Jul 20th 2007 by heath
7. READER COMMENT #3: "All press is good press, as they say."
This is a decent rule of thumb, but mostly it applies to people, products, companies, et cetera, that are in need of coverage. When Paris Hilton's sex tape was quote-unquote leaked, any press was good press because at the time she was unknown to nearly everyone.
But being that the NBA is one of the four major professional-sports leagues in the United States, bad press for the NBA is just that: bad press. When Bridgestone Firestone tires started blowing out, flipping SUVs and killing people, that also was bad press. When there was a hoax about a severed finger in a bowl of Wendy's chili? Bad press. Just ask the company, which lost millions of dollars in sales as a result.
On the other hand, before the Mark Foley congressional-page scandal, the congressional-page program was virtually unknown to most Americans. So while the scandal initially threatened the very existence of the program, when it was decided not to kill the program, the scandal had the opposite effect: It increased interest in the program. That, ultimately, is an example of bad press being good press, so to speak.
So while Mark is right in saying that today's bad news provides an opportunity to strengthen the NBA brand, that doesn't change the fact that today's news is bad news.
8. the words Mob Investigation and NBA should never be in the same sentence, but this is the league that must have a lottery in order to keep teams from tanking.
links:
[url]http://www.nypost.com/seven/07202007/news/columnists/nba_in_a_fix_columnists_murray_weiss.htm[/url]
[url]http://www.nypost.com/seven/07202007/news/columnists/nba_in_a_fix_columnists_murray_weiss.htm[/url]
Posted at 11:01PM on Jul 20th 2007 by Jason Slick
9. Mark, you should request a refund of your fine, appears you were right on with your comments about the officiating being crap! Must be sweet justice for you...
Posted at 11:22PM on Jul 20th 2007 by Ken Castillo
10. My Mavs friends sent tons of emails to me today, basically all saying the same thing, i.e. "Don't you know Mark Cuban is laughing his butt off because he has been telling the league that 'something's just not right' for years". My standard reply was "I'd be more shocked if Mark Cuban issued any kind of a statement, other than support for the NBA." Kudos to you Mark Cuban.
Posted at 11:49PM on Jul 20th 2007 by Linda
11. I kept waiting for the "I told you so". Good on you for not succuming to the temptation.
Posted at 11:56PM on Jul 20th 2007 by Miles Archer
12. Mark....thanks for fighting the good fight these past few years. Today's news is good despite the initial shock. My question is, will other leagues both pro and college follow the lead of what will likely be revolutionary changes? Don't forget that arguably the most pathetic display of officiating occured in the Pitt-Seattle Super Bowl a couple of years ago....and these guys 'earned' the honor to call the game...they were the 'best'. Don't get me started on the ref shenanigans that have plagued college football for decades.
Posted at 12:09AM on Jul 21st 2007 by Doug T
14. Does anyone know if Tim Donahea worked any Mavericks playoff games this season or last?
Posted at 12:38AM on Jul 21st 2007 by Zane
15. "That’s terrible Joey!" However, it is absolutely unfair to demonize the entire NBA for the actions of one man. Are there image issues with, on and off the court? Sure but don’t we all face issues? Mr. Donaghy, should and will face the stiffest penalty and while this had an effect on several games, we should be focusing on the positives.
The league with the help of its owners, coaches and players have always done what it takes to solve these situations. Rarely is everyone happy but the action of making change toward long term solutions is ever present.
The NBA has the most exciting product in the world, better than music and technology. In an atmosphere where grown men idolize other grown men, where stars idolize the needs of communities who so desperately cling to them and the pride of one city in the spring that can say WE are Champions, there exists no greater satisfaction.
It may sound absurd but this is a great opportunity for the NBA and Owners! This provides the league with an opportunity to make whole sale changes! Remember how big of a deal players made about the dress code change? Ask the players now, ask the fans now. I am motivated every time I see my favorite players come down the tunnel looking sharp. It gives the average guy an even greater motivation to be like their heroes. The NBA now can make the changes it has wanted but struggled to implement.
Will we have a better league next year? You are damn right. I, think it will be one of the best seasons the NBA has ever had. Every team is deeper than ever before in history. The face of the league is no longer 3 stars (Magic, Bird and Jordan), its 30 strong worldwide! One asshole is not going to ruin that!
Mark what can I design for you? Got any branding you want to through to a youngster and watch him make magic? :)
Jerry R. Reynolds
http://www.alimoedeveloping.com
http://alimoethegeneral.wordpress.com/
http://www.ushomewatchers.com
Posted at 12:45AM on Jul 21st 2007 by Jerry R. Reynolds
16. Mark, if you're not going to say it I will. The NBA has always lacked for transparency with respect to its officials. Whether the 2006 Finals were rigged or not, the league's posture in this matter lends itself to criticism at best and speculation of the mob influencing every call at worst. I don't know if the 2006 Finals were rigged but I strongly suspect they were. Although Tom Donoughey didn't call a single Mavs/Heat game in the Finals, it doesn't matter. It's the league's handling of referees that needs to be fixed. Let's hope this very public exposure becomes every NBA fan's clarion call for change.
Posted at 12:52AM on Jul 21st 2007 by V
17. Apparently Ed T. Rush can't manage a Dairy Queen after all! LOL!
Posted at 2:09AM on Jul 21st 2007 by Ken Castillo
18. I would expect nothing less from one who has so much invested in this. The real question is what are you going to do about it? You and the other owners. Do you really think the integrity of the league lies soley with this one individual? It's time to make sweeping changes, as I assume you are eluding to. The first change is to replace the commisioner. His consistently turning a blind eye to poor officiating is a slap in the face of all fans. Right now the NFL has the best commisioner in all of sports. Follow the example. The NBA is turning off fans in droves.
Posted at 2:31AM on Jul 21st 2007 by Mike
19. Q. how many Tim Donaghy's does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A. one. The fans are the lightbulb.
~And to think that a quality Official like Crawford was suspended for spitting on the sidewalk -- Way to be there, Stern and Stu!~
Posted at 2:33AM on Jul 21st 2007 by saM FFL
20. Even Chicken Little has his day. It is great to see that he isn't gloating but instead trying to focus on what needs to be done to fix it.
After the dust settles, then he go back to promoting his team again and winning a championship.
Tex
http://www.GamerTex.com
http://www.mmoExchange.com
1. "I have complete confidence that David Stern and Adam Silver will do just that and the NBA and our officiating will be all the stronger for it. "
So David Stern is going to give you his job? :)
Posted at 10:13PM on Jul 20th 2007 by Ben