David Stern, Jim Rome battle on radio

[superb1]

I ran across this and thought it was funny

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/80...me-get-lottery

NBA commissioner David Stern got into a heated exchange with Jim Rome Wednesday when the radio host asked him if the Hornets winning the draft lottery was fixed.

"I know that you appreciate a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, was the fix in for the lottery?" asked Rome, who hosts a daily show on CBS Sports Network.

"I have two answers for that," Stern said. "The simple easy one, no, the second, a statement, shame on you for asking."

Rome went on to say that he thought it was his job to ask because people wonder.

"No, it's ridiculous, but that's OK," Stern said.

Rome, who used to host the show "Jim Rome is Burning" on ESPN, said he didn't think the question was ridiculous.

Stern responded: "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?"

Since Rome has no history of spousal abuse, it appears that the commissioner was using a traditional loaded question as a tool to make his point: that the question itself, in this case about the lottery, presumes guilt.

Rome responded: "I don't think that's fair."

After a little more back and forth, Rome said he hoped Stern wouldn't hold the question against him.

"I wouldn't hold it against you," Stern said. "You and I have been in more contentious talks that that. But it's good copy. You do these things for cheap thrills."

Rome took offense to that statement, and Stern changed his characterization.

"Cheap trick," he said. "You've been successful in making a career of it, and I keep coming on."

That prompted a flurry of exchanges:

Rome: "Making a career of it? Making a career of what? What? Cheap thrills?"

Stern: "Now you're getting mad. You're taking on the world and now Jim Rome is pouting."

Rome: "I'm not pouting, I'm taking offense."

Stern: "You want to hang up on me?"

Rome: "No, I'm seriously running out of time."

Stern: "Listen, I gotta go call somebody important like Stephen A. Smith back. He's next."

Rome: "OK, you go make that call and I'll go talk to somebody else too I guess. Have a nice day. I did not hang up on him, we are officially out of time."

[TheBeagle]

Hmmm. Methinks Stern protests a bit too much. Wow. I never thought the lottery was fixed but his explosive reaction seems to say otherwise.

[Chef]

i see why stern is irritated. the conspiracy thing, while fun, is so not plausible. the ewing draft? much stronger case. but you are talking big time jail time for this. not just sports trouble but real jail trouble. on top of that, engineering a fix would take at least a handful of people from at least three different companies (nba, accounting firm and the security firm) making it infinitely harder to pull it off without a leak.

but, don't get pissy when you go on a show like rome. just say no there is no conspiracy, i stake my reputation and life (in terms of prison) on it, yadda yadda yadda. it is all wwe and we are the unsuspecting audience.

[dnbman]

i see why stern is irritated. the conspiracy thing, while fun, is so not plausible. the ewing draft? much stronger case. but you are talking big time jail time for this. not just sports trouble but real jail trouble. on top of that, engineering a fix would take at least a handful of people from at least three different companies (nba, accounting firm and the security firm) making it infinitely harder to pull it off without a leak.

but, don't get pissy when you go on a show like rome. just say no there is no conspiracy, i stake my reputation and life (in terms of prison) on it, yadda yadda yadda. it is all wwe and we are the unsuspecting audience.

Mostly agree, but Rome is a "cheap thrills" opportunist. (Jim Everett being the most famous) I actually don't mind at all that Stern called him on it, just because Rome is such an ass and needs a little humility.

[Wolfpackbobcat]

David Stern is an ass-hole

[Chef]

David Stern is an ass-hole

he is hell bent on keeping the bobcats in charlotte though. so there is at least that.

[superb1]

he is hell bent on keeping the bobcats in charlotte though. so there is at least that.

then if that was the case, when will we win a lotto. maybe 2013

[adam187]

the "i need to call someone more important like stephen a. smith" line was pretty funny.

[Black]

I really don't care for Rome. Good for Stern.

[BETCATS]

Rome is the most annoying ESPN personality. "Listen, I gotta go call somebody important like Stephen A. Smith back. He's next." Stern with the W.