"I Own Phil Jackson" -Mark Cuban

[dada]

read this yesterday, found this pretty interesting and thought I would share. Mark Cuban replying on his blog to Phil's recent comments.

I Own Phil Jackson
Posted Feb 8, 2006, 4:02 PM ET

Not literally of course. That thrill belongs to the smartest businesswoman in professional sports, Jeannie Buss. Figuratively however, the coach formerly known as the Zen Master must now be considered my bucket boy.

This wasnt an acquisition I proactively pursued. There wasnt an official competition that I won, thereby confirming my dominance of his psyche. Instead Phil has initiated an ongoing commentary about me that started in his previous stint with the Lakers and was reinstated this year with his return, that proves that I own the guy.

For whatever reason, I have gotten to Phil so completely and thoroughly that every time he comes to Dallas he has to offer unsolicited comments about me to the media. I wonder if he dreams about me the nights he spends here in Dallas. Ok, I dont wonder. Im curious about it.

How can the NBA coach with so many championship rings find me so intimidating ? I really dont know, but he said as much in December when he called me an “intimidating force” to the LA Times

”consider a place like Dallas, where the owner runs around, pumps up the volume, intimidates the referees and … has announcers as hired cheerleaders, which is an intimidating force.”

Then of course last night he again took the initiative to comment to the media about how I am such a presence in the NBA, that i turn the officials into “nervous nellies”. Implying that I can have more influence on the outcome of a game than his coaching skills. I wish. But if Phil wants to think so. Im fine with that. Thats what happens when you own someone, they cant get you out of their head, and they dont often think , speak or act rationally.

I guess Phil was so overwhelmed that it caused him to take back to back delay of game penalties and the technical foul that comes with it, rather than send his team out to the court at the conclusion of a timeout in the 4th quarter.

Of course the officials werent intimidated. At least no more than the other officials who have given Kobe technical fouls to the tune of a league leading 11. Maybe, instead of being so concerned with Mark Cuban, Phil should be worried about the new rule in place that causes a player to be suspended a game after he gets his 16th technical foul of the season. And if I remember correctly, every technical after 16 results in a 1 game suspension as well. Cant wait to hear what he has to say when that happens….

Of course I dont truly believe that I own Phil. This is all tongue in cheek, but that wont prevent me from walking up to him and saying “Boo” to see if he jumps, just to find out for sure

Thoughts?

[Axel]

Well, I definetly think Phil Jackson has said a few things that warrant this response from Cuban... even though it seems like he took it a bit far. That's ok though, he's entertaining, and I woulnd't have a problem if he owned my fav teams.

[air2k5]

I was watching that game..... Phil has just gone crazy with Lakers becoming such horrible team....Hell, Kobe can score a damn 300pts, but it won't win them shit

[Jackal]

Hehe, Cuban's got a big mouth now that LA is weaker, I didn't hear him jabbering off a few years ago when LA destroyed his team. Where were you then Cuban?

[kinokong]

in dallas wishing that shaq and phil would come to his team

[Axel]

Where were you then Cuban?

What are you talking about? He's always had a big mouth.

[Mazzocchi]

Oh Cuban,
You so crazy.

This furthers my theory that Cuban is just a teenager trapped inside a Billionares body lol

[mark_30_112]

Oh Cuban,
You so crazy.

This furthers my theory that Cuban is just a teenager trapped inside a Billionares body lol

I can't agree with you more...

[Matthew]

This is why I have no respect for owners. They think they are the game. The players and (to a lesser extent) coaches are what makes the game special. Do you think fans get captivated by what Mark Cuban writes in a blog, or when Kobe scored 81 points in a game? Who do you think the Laker fans would rather have; Shaq or Jerry Buss?

Owners are peices of shit.

[dada]

Hell, Kobe can score a damn 300pts, but it won't win them shit

Actually, if he did that everyday the Lakers would probably end the entire season and playoffs undefeated.

[IronMan]

Hey don't knock all owners, Mario Lemieux did more than any player ever did while wearing a uniform. He saved the team AND led the team in scoring.

[Matthew]

I'm knocking NBA owners.

[magius]

owners are pieces of shit that make it possible for you to watch the nba. what makes a player or coach more deserving of any more respect than an owner? what? they can jump high and put a ball through a ring? the owners are the ones taking all the risks, not the players, thank them for the nba not the coaches. if anything players are the pieces of shit for getting paid so much to play a game.

[Matthew]

Me paying for my cable is what makes it possible for me to watch the NBA, not the hard working and risk taking Mark Cuban. Tell me, what do the owners do on the court exactly? Do you watch the owners in their office "working"? Thats what I thought. But we do watch the NBA players out there.

Oh and lets not forget who locked out the NBA for half a season in the the 98/99 season. Way to go team owners. They can go fuck themselves.

[dada]

They can go fuck themselves.

...and each other.

[kinokong]

Me paying for my cable is what makes it possible for me to watch the NBA, not the hard working and risk taking Mark Cuban. Tell me, what do the owners do on the court exactly? Do you watch the owners in their office "working"? Thats what I thought. But we do watch the NBA players out there.

Oh and lets not forget who locked out the NBA for half a season in the the 98/99 season. Way to go team owners. They can go fuck themselves.

ah the old chicken or egg debate... always love that.... both have legit points but don't know which one to support

[magius]

Me paying for my cable is what makes it possible for me to watch the NBA, not the hard working and risk taking Mark Cuban. Tell me, what do the owners do on the court exactly? Do you watch the owners in their office "working"? Thats what I thought. But we do watch the NBA players out there.

Oh and lets not forget who locked out the NBA for half a season in the the 98/99 season. Way to go team owners. They can go fuck themselves.

are you kidding me? the players were asking and getting outrageous contracts (garnett, shaq) which saw no end of rising in sight, what did you expect. Are you telling me that you can only respect what you can can see translated directly in front of you? who cares what the owners do on the court, if it wasnt for them thered be no court. In fact, you can say that because you pay for cable which feeds the owners profits which allows players to play, you yourself are an owner profiting from the ability to watch a game on tv. If it werent for the owners; you; willing to shell out so much money your precious players and coaches would fly to europe and play there if it paid more.... or if it didnt pay at all they would cease to exist anywhere but on your local hardcourt where theyd be forgotten.

What really makes the game great is the owners collective ability to market it; is talent neccessary in order to market something? yes. but who in their right mind would harness the talent, to the degree it is now, to bounce a big orange ball around and shoot it through holes if it wasnt to some degree foreseeably profitable? Owners are not only what make the game worth playing at the level its played, but they make the game available and known. us enjoying the nba is an effect of the effect of owners pouring money into it.

[Matt]

Owners make the league happen as much as the players do.

[Matthew]

the players were asking and getting outrageous contracts (garnett, shaq) which saw no end of rising in sight, what did you expect.

And who were the gutless cowards who kept giving them these contracts? Thw owners? Yes, the owners. OMG!! haha. I'd much rather the players get paid for what they do becuase guess what? We watch the nba for the players, not the owners.

Are you telling me that you can only respect what you can can see translated directly in front of you? who cares what the owners do on the court, if it wasnt for them thered be no court

No I never said that. What I'm saying is that I watch the game for the game. Not a fancy arena, not who owns the team or what colour their uniform is. Why should I respect an owner who buys a team more than the players? Owners mean nothing to me, they think they are the reason the nba is around. If it wasnt for the players, no one would watch.

n fact, you can say that because you pay for cable which feeds the owners profits which allows players to play, you yourself are an owner profiting from the ability to watch a game on tv.

And you're profiting from comming to NLSC as well then . But what is your point in saying that exactly? Elaborate.

If it werent for the owners; you; willing to shell out so much money your precious players and coaches would fly to europe and play there if it paid more.... or if it didnt pay at all they would cease to exist anywhere but on your local hardcourt where theyd be forgotten.

If it wasn't for the owners, the NBA wouldnt be so watered down with ads and marketing. The owners have done nothing for the fans. Nothing. Think back to all the great moments in nba history.. willis reed, isiah thomas, magic's skyhook, jordans last shot in 98, horry in 2002, kobe's 81. Do we credit the owners for those moments? I dont think so.

But to use an analogy, lets use working. Say you work in a shop, and you sell a plasma tv by showing off your knowledge of the tv system. WHo gets the credit? You should, becuase you sold the fucking thing. It's not the ceo who is not even in the country.

What really makes the game great is the owners collective ability to market it; is talent neccessary in order to market something? yes. but who in their right mind would harness the talent, to the degree it is now, to bounce a big orange ball around and shoot it through holes if it wasnt to some degree foreseeably profitable?

If it's so easy, why don't you do it on their level?

Owners are not only what make the game worth playing at the level its played, but they make the game available and known. us enjoying the nba is an effect of the effect of owners pouring money into it.

Owners dont give a shit about basketball. How often do you see veterans and rookies released without a second thought? All they care about is making money, not the game.

Owners make the league happen as much as the players do.

How many jerseys are out there of the team owner? Now compare that to the players. What makes the game? Fans know whats important to the league, and its not owners. I'd watch the nba if it was played in uzbekistan.

[IronMan]

Dude you are one unappreciative jerk, and ignorant too. Who pays those salaries? The OWNERS maybe?! Without owners funding a damn team, do you honestly think those players would be out there playing for your beloved teams and NBA? Do you have no concept of business? If players did not think they could make a living out of playing basketball, do you think that many players would be out there playing for freaking minimum wage? Most of those players are out there only because the OWNERS that you hate so much can pay for your idols to play. Why aren't you out there trying out for the NBA? Because you suck dick at basketball and can't make a living out of the NBA. So without owners, those players wouldn't be out either trying to make a living out of basketball and the NBA would not exist.

And I'm drunk.

[Matt]

Owners make the league happen as much as the players do.

How many jerseys are out there of the team owner? Now compare that to the players. What makes the game? Fans know whats important to the league, and its not owners. I'd watch the nba if it was played in uzbekistan

The point i was trying to make is that you can't have players without owners & vice versa. Players earn the profits, get the buzz and make the big bucks but it's the owners that give them that opportunity. The more investors, the more NBA franchises the more players that can play.

[J@3]

Wow you're so obviously drunk. I don't think there's one spelling/grammatical error in that entire post.

[Matthew]

lol ironman.. you're drunk? what are you doing on a message board then? Go get laid. As for your "drunken" tirade, you make it sound as if NBA owners are losing money. They are making more than any player. Its not like the NBA is free to all, no ticket or cable required, and the owners give away jerseys and then pay the players out of the kindness of their heart. Wake upto yourself.

The point i was trying to make is that you can't have players without owners & vice versa. Players earn the profits, get the buzz and make the big bucks but it's the owners that give them that opportunity. The more investors, the more NBA franchises the more players that can play.

Matt, would you seriously watch the NBA with replacement players? Or, replacement owners? I would watch the best in the world no matter what league they are in, or country.

And it's not every owner I hate. I respect Reinsdorf and Aurebach, and to a lesser extent Jerry Buss.

[IronMan]

Once again, I ask if you know the concept of business? The NBA would not be able to operate with the funding of owners. Without the startup capital, there would be no money to support players from the start. It's called investment, and without their initial capital, players would not be earning the crazy amounts they are right now. What owners ARE earning right now, however, is return on their capital. Usually when you invest, you get some kind of return... .

[Matthew]

How many of the original owners are actually in charge now though? I'm not talking about post 1988 expansion either.

As for the rest of your post, I know its a business, and if it wasnt for the best athletes in the world, id take my business as a consumer and a fan elsewhere. You can replace the owners with anyone, and the league wouldnt be effected. But you cant replace the players.