Bryant Gumbel calls David Stern "Plantation Overseer"

[Scoooter]

Look at how this guy dresses, and he is an owner.



Who cares how rich people dress? We don't watch the players to see their street clothes. We watch them play basketball in basketball uniforms.

I have absolutely no problem with Stern enforcing any type of dress codes on the court. That is perfectly within his boundary. But putting in a dress code for street clothes is over stepping his bounds.

The dress code only applies to NBA events and stuff, If I'm not mistaken. Arriving and departing games, charity stuff, press conferences, etc. In their free time they're allowed to wear whatever they want. Perfectly reasonable.

[insidehoops]

My response to Gumbel's comments at the bottom here:

http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=8471

[Scoooter]

That's some pretty inflammatory rhetoric by the way. I wonder how pervasive that type of opinion of Stern is.

[Rowe]

The dress code only applies to NBA events and stuff, If I'm not mistaken. Arriving and departing games, charity stuff, press conferences, etc. In their free time they're allowed to wear whatever they want. Perfectly reasonable.

Like I said before the irony is that they dress the same way at NBA related events as they do outside in their free time.

Thats just the modern "urban" style today.

For some reason Stern caved under public pressure because NBA players were showing up to games wearing actual throwback NBA jerseys, baggy jeans, jewelry, etc. That was just the fad of the early 00's. Instead he caved to public pressure from that same ignorant segment of the population who's negative view of NBA players is not just due to their style of dress. Those same people still dont view NBA players in a different light, and it can be due to a mix of their race, name, background, tattoos, salary, etc.

Just a quick read through the comments on Yahoo or ESPN and its just amazing at how much disdain there is for NBA players as people, not just players. You never see the level of disdain for NFL players to the extent it is for NBA players. A story on Calvin Johnson isnt going to turn up with 20 comments claiming hes stupid, a thug, or hes going to go broke and be on Welfare once his career is over. Yet a story on Durant's tattoos generates a whole wave of negative comments for a guy who has been nothing but a class act in his young career.

I cant even go through the comment sections on either site because I'd end up arguing on there with narrow-minded idiots.

[Sarcastic]

My response to Gumbel's comments at the bottom here:

http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=8471

You said:

[QUOTE]though almost every company has dress codes one way or another

[Hammertime]

For some reason Stern caved under public pressure because NBA players were showing up to games wearing actual throwback NBA jerseys, baggy jeans, jewelry, etc. That was just the fad of the early 00's. Instead he caved to public pressure from that same ignorant segment of the population who's negative view of NBA players is not just due to their style of dress.

He didn't cave, it's just good business. The NBA is first and foremost a business. You're selling a product, and you cater to people's wishes about the product. If people don't wanna see guys wearing bling, you make them dress differently. All about selling your product.

I could go on for days about how Apple shifted the focus of electronics from functionality to fashion accessory, but all they did was cater to what the people wanted. Same as the NBA.

If the NBA fan base is racist, then they're racist. It's not as if it's the league's job to lead another Civil Rights movement. Their job is to sell pro basketball.

[Sarcastic]

He didn't cave, it's just good business. The NBA is first and foremost a business. You're selling a product, and you cater to people's wishes about the product. If people don't wanna see guys wearing bling, you make them dress differently. All about selling your product.

I could go on for days about how Apple shifted the focus of electronics from functionality to fashion accessory, but all they did was cater to what the people wanted. Same as the NBA.

If the NBA fan base is racist, then they're racist. It's not as if it's the league's job to lead another Civil Rights movement. Their job is to sell pro basketball.

That view doesn't represent the entire NBA fan base, just a small segment. Most NBA fans are from inner cities and dressed the same exact way.

[Rowe]

You said:



Your mistake there is comparing the NBA to some regular company. It is the entertainment industry. Not a bank, or retail outlet, or tech company, or anything like that.

The NBA is part of the entertainment industry. Are actors told how to dress when coming and going to the set? Are musicians told how to dress when showing up for a concert?

There is absolutely no problem with telling the players how to dress on the court. Wear socks, tuck jerseys in, what type of accessories are permissible. That's all fine since it is part of the NBA product. I get the dress code for the post game interviews as well. That is part of the product too. But off the court walking into a building is not part of the NBA product.

One of the players that was singled out from this was Tim Duncan. He used to wear like flannel shirts or some dumpy outfit. Would anyone consider Duncan to be a thug?

Well said.

Last I checked there is no NFL dress code, and guys show up wearing what they normally would wear on a Sunday. I've seen both the Ravens and Browns players arrive to the stadium in the last year. These guys are dressed like normal people their age, none of them are forced to wear a suit or a dress shirt & slacks to help change their "image". Some guys were wearing a Hoody & Jeans, others were wearing tracksuits, others were wearing Polo, some wear shirts & slacks, etc. There isnt a camera on them arriving to the stadium, & many do all of their post-game interviews in the lockerroom either shirtless or wearing a wifebeater.

[Hammertime]

That view doesn't represent the entire NBA fan base, just a small segment. Most NBA fans are from inner cities and dressed the same exact way.

Are you trolling?

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/D...s-Leagues.aspx

[NuggetsFan]

That view doesn't represent the entire NBA fan base, just a small segment. Most NBA fans are from inner cities and dressed the same exact way.

lol what? That's a pretty absurd statement. Most NBA fans are from inner cities? a huge chunk of the fan base is from China\International. NBA fan base is clearly spread out, can't generalize something that large. It's like saying only people from Canada like hockey.

Dress code makes sense for when your on the bench. I agree with walking into the arena's doesn't really matter much. When players are out and injured sitting there watching the game, it's smart to have them in suits. I don't care personally but could see how it could damage there image when there clothes are hanging off them\tons of bling etc.

[bagelred]

Lol, it's a reference to a Dave Chappelle skit. When Paul Mooney was asked why white people love Wayne Brady so much, he claimed "because he makes Bryant Gumbel look like Malcom X."

I know the reference!!! You think a white man doesn't know that reference!!! Are you racist?!!!!! HUH!!!!!




[COLOR="Silver"]#feedingflames[/COLOR]

[Rowe]

He didn't cave, it's just good business. The NBA is first and foremost a business. You're selling a product, and you cater to people's wishes about the product. If people don't wanna see guys wearing bling, you make them dress differently. All about selling your product.

The NBA product is on the floor, not in the hallway of the Toyota Center.

Should the NBA change its product on the floor to be more fan friendly if that is what a small segment of the fanbase wants? Do you stop the game and let the players interact with the fans? Do you have segments in which the opposing PG's have a Dougie dance-off at halfcourt? Should a lucky kid get a chance to play for 5 minutes each game? I know all of that sounds ridiculous, but I just described a Harlem Globetrotters game.

Now would that be a good business decision?

In that case you're actually affecting the product being sold which has an effect on the business aspect of it. However, the product isn't being affected by what a player is wearing walking into the arena. That has as much to do with the overall product of the NBA as a business as NBA players appearing on Reality TV shows.

The question is how far should a commisioner go to appease the demands of a segment of the population that wont be pleased? At what point do you draw the line and realize some demands are infringing on a players freedoms.

If the NBA fan base is racist, then they're racist. It's not as if it's the league's job to lead another Civil Rights movement. Their job is to sell pro basketball.

The NBA fan base isn't racist. It wouldn't exist in this way if it was.

However, there are is a segment of sports fans in general who let actual stereotypes of young Black males effect their view on NBA players as a whole. Some of us diehard NBA fans actually have a good idea of which NBA players are smart, educated, friendly, and handle themselves well off the court. But others dont know. They just see a bunch of super tall Black guys with tattoos, running, dunking, blocking shots, getting upset at calls with the ref, sweating perfusely & just oozing testosterone you can see through your TV. NBA is a manly sport although its a finesse game. We cant pretend to deny that there isn't a stereotype created of the young Black male that doesn't cross paths with the NBA & NFL to an extent.

[Rekindled]

That view doesn't represent the entire NBA fan base, just a small segment. Most NBA fans are from inner cities and dressed the same exact way.

hmm actually you are wrong

[Rowe]

lol what? That's a pretty absurd statement. Most NBA fans are from inner cities? a huge chunk of the fan base is from China\International. NBA fan base is clearly spread out, can't generalize something that large. It's like saying only people from Canada like hockey.

I think he meant a majority of people in inner cities are NBA fans.

Which is true.

Basketball is typically an "inner city playground" game. Thus, many people living in an inner city will know the game and be fans of it. You've got some rural places like Indiana, Kentucky, etc that are basketball crazy however in most rural places basketball isnt that popular.

Its why football is the #1 sport because its popular in the "inner city" as well as the rural areas & suburbs. Kids in both areas grow up playing the game and being fans of it.

Dress code makes sense for when your on the bench. I agree with walking into the arena's doesn't really matter much. When players are out and injured sitting there watching the game, it's smart to have them in suits. I don't care personally but could see how it could damage there image when there clothes are hanging off them\tons of bling etc.

Why? Because a segment of the population stereotype young Black males, right? Thus, many unknowingly influence those stereotypes by attempting to be theirself. For those who realize stereotypes exist it causes you to second guess your actions, words, & even your physical appearance to avoid being associated with it. I know this very well from my own experiences going through that.

Well, how is how their dressed on the bench any different than being covered in tattoos and "not smiling" on the court which appears as if they're aggressive.

As a Nuggets fan you should see how those perceptions play a role considering the nicknames of Denver "Thuggets" along with other negative associations placed on your players over the last 5-7 years with Melo, K-Mart, Allen Iverson, JR Smith, Camby, etc. Some may be well deserved due to their off the court trouble, but do you think their image of how they appeared on the court didnt help matters? Denver's a mostly White, conservative, somewhat small city tucked into the mountains without being a major metropolitan area. Do you think some people living in Denver were turned off by the appearance of the players of the team that "represents" Denver?

[senelcoolidge]

Plantation Overseer..wow. No one is a slave. These guys can play in the league if they want to or not. It's their choice to play in the best basketball league in the world and get paid millions. Of course there are going to be rules, just like in any work place. What's wrong with these people? These guys are not being held against their wills to play basketball in the NBA. They can always go to other places to play.