Bryant Gumbel has used his closing comments on Real Sports to go after the late NFL Players Association head Gene Upshaw, Roger Clemens, and so many others. Tonight, he went after NBA Commissioner David Stern and his handling of the lockout. He started by calling Stern, “The NBA’s infamously egocentric Commissioner” and Gumbel practically called him a slave owner. Well, not practically, he for all intents and purposes did.
Here is the transcript of Gumbel’s comments from tonight’s program. Thanks to HBO Sports for sending this to me.
BRYANT GUMBEL CLOSING COMMENTARY
REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL
EPISODE #175
AIRED 10/18 @ 10:00 PM ET/PT
“Finally tonight, if the NBA lockout is going to be resolved any time soon, it seems likely to be done in spite of David Stern, not because of him. I say that because the NBA’s infamously egocentric commissioner seems more hell-bent lately on demeaning the players than resolving his game’s labor impasse.
How else to explain Stern’s rants in recent days? To any and everyone who’d listen, he has alternately knocked union leader Billy Hunter, said the players were getting inaccurate information, and started sounding chicken-little claims about what games might be lost if the players didn’t soon see things his way.
Stern’s version of what’s been going on behind closed doors has, of course, been disputed. But his efforts were typical of a commissioner, who has always seemed eager to be viewed as some kind of modern plantation overseer treating NBA men as if they were his boys. It’s part of Stern’s M.O. Like his past self-serving edicts on dress code or the questioning of officials, his moves are intended to do little more than show how he’s the one keeping the hired hands in their place.
Some will, of course, cringe at that characterization, but Stern’s disdain for the players is as palpable and pathetic as his motives are transparent. Yes, the NBA’s business model is broken, but to fix it, maybe the league’s commissioner should concern himself most with a solution, and stop being part of the problem.”
Well, HBO is not a rightsholder, but Time Warner corporate cousin TNT is, so we’ll see if there are any ramifications on this. However, I give Gumbel credit for going out on a limb on Stern. Not too many people are willing to go this route.
UPDATE, 10:45 a.m.: We now have the video of Gumbel’s comments from last night.
That will do it.
