Knicks · Apparently Jim Rome and David Stern were arguing on radio and it got heated... (page 1)

Anyone have the audio?

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/804842...

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 than 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."

Wow

Subzero posted the audio in the bird rights thread. Hopefully stern was in a bad mood after what went down with the arbitrator

Jim Rome is a complete tool and David Stern was completely right about how he's made his career.

VCoug wrote:Jim Rome is a complete tool and David Stern was completely right about how he's made his career.

It was embarrassing for an NBA commissioner to behave that way. I dont like Jim Rome at all but Stern really came off like a jerk. I mean asking Jim rome if he stopped beating his wife id low even for a know degenerate

I have never listened to Rome before, I see no reason to change that. Stern was right in the way he parried a loaded question. What did Rome think he would say? Yes it was fixed.??

loweyecue wrote:I have never listened to Rome before, I see no reason to change that. Stern was right in the way he parried a loaded question. What did Rome think he would say? Yes it was fixed.??

i disagree they way the Rome presented the question was for Stern to just shut down the stupid conspiracy rumor talk. He didn't sound sly or like he was trying to take a cheap shot. It was more like lets get this out of the way so people can stop calling me about it.

Listening to this now...

Verdict, meh. Assholery couched in coyness, on both sides.

I don't think he was really implying that Jim Rome beats his wife. He was giving an example of what he felt Rome was doing to him.

IrishKnickFan wrote:

VCoug wrote:Jim Rome is a complete tool and David Stern was completely right about how he's made his career.

It was embarrassing for an NBA commissioner to behave that way. I dont like Jim Rome at all but Stern really came off like a jerk. I mean asking Jim rome if he stopped beating his wife id low even for a know degenerate

DrAlphaeus wrote: Listening to this now...

Verdict, meh. Assholery couched in coyness, on both sides.

Nothing suprising there, thats there personalities clashing a little..Sterns right in a sense that ppl will always feel the draft was fix, and maybe it is..But who's going to come out and admit to that unless there was sht load of evidence..

I think rome ask the question wrong. I would have ask him, ' HOW EASY WAS IT TO SELL THE TEAM ONCE THE 2013 TOP PICK WENT TO THE N O??, It also would have been better to ask that in person just to see his true reaction and body language..

Its like when palmero was ask if he ever used steriods, had you heard his response on the radio it sounded believable, but watching him point that finger and his defensive reaction, most people knew he was full of shhh, just couldn't prove it at the time..

David Stern would've given Rome the pimp hand strong if this was face to face. Rome is all talk....

yellowboy90 wrote:

loweyecue wrote:I have never listened to Rome before, I see no reason to change that. Stern was right in the way he parried a loaded question. What did Rome think he would say? Yes it was fixed.??

i disagree they way the Rome presented the question was for Stern to just shut down the stupid conspiracy rumor talk. He didn't sound sly or like he was trying to take a cheap shot. It was more like lets get this out of the way so people can stop calling me about it.

Oh so Stern having already officially denied it multiple times isn't enough? Now he has to do it on every talk show he is interviewed on? This is like asking OJ Simpson if he killed his wife. Regardless of what you beleive it's a stupid question to ask.

loweyecue wrote:I have never listened to Rome before, I see no reason to change that. Stern was right in the way he parried a loaded question. What did Rome think he would say? Yes it was fixed.??

I agree the question was insulting but I disagree about Stern being right. Stern's response was at best undignified and at worst embarrassing. Can you imagine if every time he was asked an insulting, unfair question, President Obama acted like David Stern?

never been a fan of rome but the question he asked the commissioner is legitimate. there are many people who have speculated that there has been foul-play involved with the hornets franchise the past two years. if people are asking then theres no problem asking the commissioner. answer the question in a dignified manner and move on.

nyk4ever wrote:never been a fan of rome but the question he asked the commissioner is legitimate. there are many people who have speculated that there has been foul-play involved with the hornets franchise the past two years. if people are asking then theres no problem asking the commissioner. answer the question in a dignified manner and move on.

I agree Stern got very defensive. Just answer the question. I doubt the issue was even brought up to stephen a and francessa. Kudos to rome for.trying to clear the air

yellowboy90 wrote:

loweyecue wrote:I have never listened to Rome before, I see no reason to change that. Stern was right in the way he parried a loaded question. What did Rome think he would say? Yes it was fixed.??

i disagree they way the Rome presented the question was for Stern to just shut down the stupid conspiracy rumor talk. He didn't sound sly or like he was trying to take a cheap shot. It was more like lets get this out of the way so people can stop calling me about it.

I think you are right. Stern became very defensive and kept throwing cheap shots after. He made himself look bad and he could have just been forthcoming. Stern is the commisioner. I don't think he could have handled this any worse then he did.

From Ball Don't Lie

You do not have to implicate yourself or your employer. You do not have to, by tendering an answer, stoke the fire. (Which, frankly, will be stoked no matter what you do, but most definitely won't die down now.) Simply saying "No" wouldn't have had any negative associations. So that's what you say. That's what you always say.

[Related: Adrian Wojnarowski: Sixers discuss front-office job with Danny Ferry]

You know why? Because you're a grown-ass man, and because the satisfaction of landing a quip on Jim Rome should be well past its expiration date by now. Because you're a 69-year-old adult whom (until recently) we'd matter-of-factly discussed as the clear sharpest chief executive in American sport. Because you're at the helm of a billion-dollar industry in the front of the American sports fan's mind right now, and the story that industry should have on the off-day between Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals damn sure isn't that you just allowed listeners across the country to think that you think a guy who racks hot takes hits his wife.

And yet: "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?" Well, aren't you clever.

Even given the apparently clear lack of malicious intent here — again, I can't stress this clearly enough, I believe Stern was referencing the loaded-question issue and not any impropriety on Rome's part — this is bad for Stern. This will only make it look more like his grip on the wheel's loosened and that he's not making the best decisions anymore. This is a distraction — and a weird one — at a time where focus should be entirely on the game. This is the kind of thing that he'll have to defuse, but I imagine he'll come off as something of a jerk in that process, too, since he doesn't seem to grasp that that's not the kind of thing you drop with no setup.

It's unnecessary, and it's negative, and it's a speed bump. The last thing you need immediately after the start of the most anticipated series in years. Take a bow, Commish. You've earned it.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-d...

Rome was being a dick. Its an old question and Rome wanted to get Stern ire.

NBA had its best opening finals game ratings in 9 years and he don't care!

Bonn1997 wrote:

loweyecue wrote:I have never listened to Rome before, I see no reason to change that. Stern was right in the way he parried a loaded question. What did Rome think he would say? Yes it was fixed.??

I agree the question was insulting but I disagree about Stern being right. Stern's response was at best undignified and at worst embarrassing. Can you imagine if every time he was asked an insulting, unfair question, President Obama acted like David Stern?

Maybe true. The way I saw it, the dude asked the question with the express desire of irritating Stern. They both knew that if Stern said no it wasn't fixed it wouldn't change anybody's opinion. So I don't think the question has any value at all. He was trying to get under Stern's skin, and Stern gave him a taste of his own medicine. Good for Stern.

I've never cared for Rome too much but Stern was out of line, he is president of the NBA and should have shown class and just ended the interview if he was insulted by the question not talk about Rome being an alleged wife beater. That was an unnecessary and personal low blow he's supposed to represent the league shame on him.

loweyecue wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:

loweyecue wrote:I have never listened to Rome before, I see no reason to change that. Stern was right in the way he parried a loaded question. What did Rome think he would say? Yes it was fixed.??

I agree the question was insulting but I disagree about Stern being right. Stern's response was at best undignified and at worst embarrassing. Can you imagine if every time he was asked an insulting, unfair question, President Obama acted like David Stern?

Maybe true. The way I saw it, the dude asked the question with the express desire of irritating Stern. They both knew that if Stern said no it wasn't fixed it wouldn't change anybody's opinion. So I don't think the question has any value at all. He was trying to get under Stern's skin, and Stern gave him a taste of his own medicine. Good for Stern.

He didn't give Rome a taste of his own medicine. He gave Rome exactly what he (Rome) wanted: an immature reply that would get played countless times on the internet and TV, thereby giving Rome tons of publicity. Imagine if Stern actually had the maturity to realize what Jim Rome was up to and gave Rome the last thing he wanted: a boring one word, two letter answer: No.