Players lose public relations war
Posted: Thursday January 07, 1999 12:08 PM
For months now, we have seen them step out of their limos and into the
lobbies of the finest hotels in America, usually in towns with legalized
gambling and very late last calls. Occasionally a microphone would get
shoved in their faces, and at that point their train of thought,
invariably, would run off the tracks.
The most memorable comment from an NBA player during the lockout? That
would have been Patrick Ewing's
brilliant observation that, while the players make a lot of money, they
sure do spend a lot.
Let's face it, James Carville can't post up and Patrick Ewing can't spin a
story. In the battle over billions in NBA revenue, it is ludicrous to
declare either side a loser. But in the PR war, it was a rout. Players
lost. Big time.
They came across as arrogant, ungrateful and completely out of touch, not
to mention out of shape. In Boston, Ron Mercer called
a players-only practice a few weeks ago and his PR firm informed the media.
The media showed up. The players didn't. Not one. Not even Mercer. And
maybe they were better off staying out of sight.
When Shawn Kemp
showed up in Atlantic City for that ridiculous exhibition game, it seemed
that justice had finally been served. Someone apparently had gotten him
pregnant. I don't want to say Kemp looked fat, but when he ran upcourt, the
organ skipped.
In the end, it was hard to root for the players during the lockout. When
they return in a few weeks, it won't get any easier.
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