Cuban racks up another $200,000 in fines
when will this guy learn his tactics aren't worth it, when he's broke
when will this guy learn his tactics aren't worth it, when he's broke
May 10, 2006
DALLAS (AP) -Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been fined $200,000 for his two recent episodes of referee-bashing.
Half of the punishment was for going on the court Sunday to complain during the Mavericks' 87-85 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of their second-round series. The rest was for some critical comments made in a blog entry he posted Sunday under the title, ``How to improve NBA Playoff Officiating.''
``Change in any business never comes cheaply,'' Cuban wrote Wednesday in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
NBA spokesman Tim Frank confirmed the fines.
Cuban was punished eight times for more than $1 million and suspended from three games in his first two years after buying the Mavericks in 2000.
He was quick to publicize each one - especially a $500,000 penalty for saying he wouldn't hire the NBA's head of officials ``to manage a Dairy Queen'' - and matched each with a donation to charity.
He's rarely acknowledged fines since then, but has said that doesn't mean he's gotten away with every criticism.
In the blog entry deemed inflammatory by the league, Cuban starts with the disclaimer that it was ``written BEFORE the playoff started'' and wasn't posted ``after I had presented this to the league.''
His main complaint was how officials are chosen for the playoffs, calling the selection process ``a huge problem.''
``(The NBA) doesn't view the playoffs as a place where the very best of the best of officials go to work,'' he wrote. ``It views the playoffs as part of a reward system for officials. ... In fact, if the info I have is correct, there are officials who haven't even been promoted to full-time crew chief who get playoff assignments. How crazy is that?''
His suggestion: Rank the top refs based on their regular-season performance and use the minimum necessary in the playoffs. While that would require back-to-back games in different cities, Cuban recommended paying them more to do so.
In Game 1 on Sunday, Cuban went onto the court during a timeout to lobby his complaints to officials Dan Crawford, Greg Willard and Mark Wunderlich.
He was more restrained Tuesday night during a 113-91 Dallas victory. San Antonio fans, however, took issue with almost every call made - and those not made - by the crew of Steve Javie, Eddie F. Rush and David Jones.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich didn't say anything about them afterward, but star Tim Duncan mentioned ``the whistle was going crazy left and right'' during the second quarter.
DALLAS (AP) -Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been fined $200,000 for his two recent episodes of referee-bashing.
Half of the punishment was for going on the court Sunday to complain during the Mavericks' 87-85 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of their second-round series. The rest was for some critical comments made in a blog entry he posted Sunday under the title, ``How to improve NBA Playoff Officiating.''
``Change in any business never comes cheaply,'' Cuban wrote Wednesday in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
NBA spokesman Tim Frank confirmed the fines.
Cuban was punished eight times for more than $1 million and suspended from three games in his first two years after buying the Mavericks in 2000.
He was quick to publicize each one - especially a $500,000 penalty for saying he wouldn't hire the NBA's head of officials ``to manage a Dairy Queen'' - and matched each with a donation to charity.
He's rarely acknowledged fines since then, but has said that doesn't mean he's gotten away with every criticism.
In the blog entry deemed inflammatory by the league, Cuban starts with the disclaimer that it was ``written BEFORE the playoff started'' and wasn't posted ``after I had presented this to the league.''
His main complaint was how officials are chosen for the playoffs, calling the selection process ``a huge problem.''
``(The NBA) doesn't view the playoffs as a place where the very best of the best of officials go to work,'' he wrote. ``It views the playoffs as part of a reward system for officials. ... In fact, if the info I have is correct, there are officials who haven't even been promoted to full-time crew chief who get playoff assignments. How crazy is that?''
His suggestion: Rank the top refs based on their regular-season performance and use the minimum necessary in the playoffs. While that would require back-to-back games in different cities, Cuban recommended paying them more to do so.
In Game 1 on Sunday, Cuban went onto the court during a timeout to lobby his complaints to officials Dan Crawford, Greg Willard and Mark Wunderlich.
He was more restrained Tuesday night during a 113-91 Dallas victory. San Antonio fans, however, took issue with almost every call made - and those not made - by the crew of Steve Javie, Eddie F. Rush and David Jones.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich didn't say anything about them afterward, but star Tim Duncan mentioned ``the whistle was going crazy left and right'' during the second quarter.
