in the NBA than walking off the court after being eliminated from the playoffs. None. Six months of looking forward to the next game. Then it’s over.

It was a weird game yesterday. Exciting. Intense. And they called travelling. I almost didn’t know how to react in the game at certain points. I’m so used to reacting to missed calls and was so used to watching Webber drag or switch pivot feet, that I was already halfway out of my chair to ask why they hadn’t called it when the ref blew his whistle and signaled travelling. All I could do is offer the “we are not worthy wave” to the official who made the call. When the whistle blew, the whole bench immediately looked over at me with that “I can’t believe they actually called it” look.

When they called it a 2nd and 3rd time it was nice to see, but more importantly it made the point that officials CAN call travelling. Even when they got the travel call on Walker wrong in the 4th quarter, it showed that it’s possible to make this call one that is actually part of the game once again.

Which leads to a couple questions. If they can call it, why don’t they?

It also leads to the question of why do they call playoff games differently than regular season games? The league says that it doesn’t. EVERY player, coach, mediaperson and fan knows they do. Who is lying?

The game last night game came down to the final shot. Sac had a foul to give. Their coach tells the players to foul with 3 seconds left. We know it.The players know it.Everyone on our bench knows it. Its basketball strategy 101. How in the world could the officials not know it? Peja intentionaly fouls Dirk. They don’t call it.

We will never know if it affected the outcome. It doesn’t really matter either way. But it leads to other questions.

Is there someone in the NBA office telling them to do their jobs this way? Is it just an unwritten rule that the refs share among themselves, but not with their bosses?

If it’s an unwritten rule, where is league management to change this? It’s not like they don’t know about it? If the head of the officiating group denies this happens and the league believes him why not come out and allow the media to offer examples of games where it happened and let the league explain why things happened as they did, so we would all have a better understanding. The league is very much concerned with the integrity of the officiating and the game. So am I. The best way to prove “playoff officiating” is an urban myth is to provide the facts that support their position.

The league needs to do the right thing and offer transparency and public accountability for the officiating at the same levels we have for players and coaches. Let’s dispel these urban myths.

And one more thing as it relates to the blog. I’ve decided to turn off the comments going forward. The comments haven’t let to any meaningful discussion or interaction, and there is always an idiot who comes in an posts things off-topic or rude. Since I don’t have time to babysit this, there is no point in leaving them on.

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It’s going to be a big week! The Mavs start their comeback against the Kings. We have a screening for Godsend in Vegas at the Palms….I can only hate Joe, Gavin and Phil for as long as they hate me about 48 minutes of game time then it’s about the fun, and we are going to have fun Wednesday at the Palms with the Godsend showing in their Brendan Theater at 7:30pm.

Then Godsend opens up everywhere this Friday!!!!! Talk about a new and different experience. It’s going to be fun hearing what people think about the movie.

Also fun was the Godsend premiere in LA this week. It’s a whole new world for me. It’s fascinating to contrastthe sports and movie worlds. The sports world is always about what are you going to do next. Sports reporters want to get the story about the game over and done with as quickly as possible so they can bug the hell out of you about what you are going to do next. They will ask you the same damn question over and over. Are you going to sign/resign/hire/fire XXXXX. That’s 90 pct of the questions I get, and it’s ridiculous because if I do anything, it’s immediately available to everyone at the same time. So why not ask a question with some substance? Then I realized how lucky I was that I only had to put up with annoying repetition of questions.

At the premiere of Godsend this week, I watched Rebecca Stamos deal with the same type of stupidity but at a level that made me realize and appreciate how little I have to deal with.

The premiere was typical. Lots of paparazzi. It was cool to walk down the red carpet with my wife and Todd Wagner, my production partner. Cameras flashing, people screaming your name to look at them for pictures. But it was a pittance compared to what happened when she came by. My goodness. The questions probably would have had me jumping over the ropes to knock someone out. Personal. Personal. Personal. She handled it like a champ. Laughing off questions she didn’t want to answer and being incredibly gracious with her time. Of courseI was only watching every step she took because I was curious how she would deal with the media. It was purely an intellectual exercise. I had to refer to the physics classes I didn’t take to wonder how she fit in that dress… But I digress.

Watching a Hollywood star takea walk down the red carpet on TV doesn’t compare with seeing it in person. Watching how Rebecca handled herself with the media left a lasting impression that I will conjure up to calm myself when I’m getting annoyed by the sports media.

After the red carpet, we got our seats and I got to see the final cut of the movie. I really liked it, and am very proud of what Todd, Nick Hamm and the crew and cast put together. This isn’t a movie that was done for critics, and I’m sure we will get bashed by some simply because it definitely plays to scares and the thriller aspect of the movie. My most trusted critic, my wife, really liked it, and like she says, that’s all that matters!

Naturally, since I’m competitive in business, the talk turned to betting on what we thought the movie would gross our opening weekend…My number was 7mm.

Go see the movie and let me know what you think!

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It’s going to be a big week! The Mavs start their comeback against the Kings. We have a screening for Godsend in Vegas at the Palms….I can only hate Joe, Gavin and Phil for as long as they hate me about 48 minutes of game time then it’s about the fun, and we are going to have fun Wednesday at the Palms with the Godsend showing in their Brendan Theater at 7:30pm.

Then Godsend opens up everywhere this Friday!!!!! Talk about a new and different experience. It’s going to be fun hearing what people think about the movie.

Also fun was the Godsend premiere in LA this week. It’s a whole new world for me. It’s fascinating to contrastthe sports and movie worlds. The sports world is always about what are you going to do next. Sports reporters want to get the story about the game over and done with as quickly as possible so they can bug the hell out of you about what you are going to do next. They will ask you the same damn question over and over. Are you going to sign/resign/hire/fire XXXXX. That’s 90 pct of the questions I get, and it’s ridiculous because if I do anything, it’s immediately available to everyone at the same time. So why not ask a question with some substance? Then I realized how lucky I was that I only had to put up with annoying repetition of questions.

At the premiere of Godsend this week, I watched Rebecca Stamos deal with the same type of stupidity but at a level that made me realize and appreciate how little I have to deal with.

The premiere was typical. Lots of paparazzi. It was cool to walk down the red carpet with my wife and Todd Wagner, my production partner. Cameras flashing, people screaming your name to look at them for pictures. But it was a pittance compared to what happened when she came by. My goodness. The questions probably would have had me jumping over the ropes to knock someone out. Personal. Personal. Personal. She handled it like a champ. Laughing off questions she didn’t want to answer and being incredibly gracious with her time. Of courseI was only watching every step she took because I was curious how she would deal with the media. It was purely an intellectual exercise. I had to refer to the physics classes I didn’t take to wonder how she fit in that dress… But I digress.

Watching a Hollywood star takea walk down the red carpet on TV doesn’t compare with seeing it in person. Watching how Rebecca handled herself with the media left a lasting impression that I will conjure up to calm myself when I’m getting annoyed by the sports media.

After the red carpet, we got our seats and I got to see the final cut of the movie. I really liked it, and am very proud of what Todd, Nick Hamm and the crew and cast put together. This isn’t a movie that was done for critics, and I’m sure we will get bashed by some simply because it definitely plays to scares and the thriller aspect of the movie. My most trusted critic, my wife, really liked it, and like she says, that’s all that matters!

Naturally, since I’m competitive in business, the talk turned to betting on what we thought the movie would gross our opening weekend…My number was 7mm.

Go see the movie and let me know what you think!

ShareThis

It’s going to be a big week! The Mavs start their comeback against the Kings. We have a screening for Godsend in Vegas at the Palms….I can only hate Joe, Gavin and Phil for as long as they hate me about 48 minutes of game time then it’s about the fun, and we are going to have fun Wednesday at the Palms with the Godsend showing in their Brendan Theater at 7:30pm.

Then Godsend opens up everywhere this Friday!!!!! Talk about a new and different experience. It’s going to be fun hearing what people think about the movie.

Also fun was the Godsend premiere in LA this week. It’s a whole new world for me. It’s fascinating to contrastthe sports and movie worlds. The sports world is always about what are you going to do next. Sports reporters want to get the story about the game over and done with as quickly as possible so they can bug the hell out of you about what you are going to do next. They will ask you the same damn question over and over. Are you going to sign/resign/hire/fire XXXXX. That’s 90 pct of the questions I get, and it’s ridiculous because if I do anything, it’s immediately available to everyone at the same time. So why not ask a question with some substance? Then I realized how lucky I was that I only had to put up with annoying repetition of questions.

At the premiere of Godsend this week, I watched Rebecca Stamos deal with the same type of stupidity but at a level that made me realize and appreciate how little I have to deal with.

The premiere was typical. Lots of paparazzi. It was cool to walk down the red carpet with my wife and Todd Wagner, my production partner. Cameras flashing, people screaming your name to look at them for pictures. But it was a pittance compared to what happened when she came by. My goodness. The questions probably would have had me jumping over the ropes to knock someone out. Personal. Personal. Personal. She handled it like a champ. Laughing off questions she didn’t want to answer and being incredibly gracious with her time. Of courseI was only watching every step she took because I was curious how she would deal with the media. It was purely an intellectual exercise. I had to refer to the physics classes I didn’t take to wonder how she fit in that dress… But I digress.

Watching a Hollywood star takea walk down the red carpet on TV doesn’t compare with seeing it in person. Watching how Rebecca handled herself with the media left a lasting impression that I will conjure up to calm myself when I’m getting annoyed by the sports media.

After the red carpet, we got our seats and I got to see the final cut of the movie. I really liked it, and am very proud of what Todd, Nick Hamm and the crew and cast put together. This isn’t a movie that was done for critics, and I’m sure we will get bashed by some simply because it definitely plays to scares and the thriller aspect of the movie. My most trusted critic, my wife, really liked it, and like she says, that’s all that matters!

Naturally, since I’m competitive in business, the talk turned to betting on what we thought the movie would gross our opening weekend…My number was 7mm.

Go see the movie and let me know what you think!

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This blog has generated a lot of great feedback from high school, college and recreational officials. Consider this a test of your knowledge of NBA rules. I’m hoping to get feedback from all of you who have a tape or TiVo of our game 4 last night on plays that occured at the times listed below.

I haven’t heard back yet from the NBA on their position on the calls, so it will be interesting to compare the emails and comments I get versus what the NBA comes back with.

1st quarter5:00

2:43

2nd quarter 4:14

2:27

3rd quarter 1:32

4th quarter 8:51

4:18

3:42

2:41

1:17

0:16

Thanks in advance for the feedback. It’s what makes blogging fun! For those that don’t have a tape or TiVo of the game,I wishI could provide one, butI can’t.

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In the NY Post’s Page Six on Sunday, The Donald responded to my blog entry saying that he doesn’t remember meeting me and would never have said what I claimed he said.

First,I don’t expect him to remember me. That’s ok. He meets a ton of people. I’m surehe doesn’t usually talk to people like he did to us. It’s possible it was just one of those throw away comments that we all make from time to time. But facts are facts, Donald. You said it. I remember it as clearly as I remember the Hawaiian Tropic Model wannabes with sequin dresses that were on the other side of thepool watching you come over to us.

The reason that I remember it as clearly as I do is not simply because it was you that said it, but rather beause I was probably the poorest guy of the 3 of us at the table. The irony was so rich (pun intended), I was dying to tell my buddies when I got home.

It happened just like I said it did, Donald. That doesn’t make you a bad guy, and it doesn’t mean I don’t like you. We are just different. Very different.

I respect you and think we would have a great time hanging out talking business. How about this as a truce offering: I will come by your apartment in NY, we caneither walk or take a cab to the White Castle of your choice and dinner is on me. Bring yourgirlfriend if you like. If we can’t be friends after sharing a couple dozen sliders and onion chips, it just wasn’t meant to be.

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In the NY Post’s Page Six on Sunday, The Donald responded to my blog entry saying that he doesn’t remember meeting me and would never have said what I claimed he said.

First,I don’t expect him to remember me. That’s ok. He meets a ton of people. I’m surehe doesn’t usually talk to people like he did to us. It’s possible it was just one of those throw away comments that we all make from time to time. But facts are facts, Donald. You said it. I remember it as clearly as I remember the Hawaiian Tropic Model wannabes with sequin dresses that were on the other side of thepool watching you come over to us.

The reason that I remember it as clearly as I do is not simply because it was you that said it, but rather beause I was probably the poorest guy of the 3 of us at the table. The irony was so rich (pun intended), I was dying to tell my buddies when I got home.

It happened just like I said it did, Donald. That doesn’t make you a bad guy, and it doesn’t mean I don’t like you. We are just different. Very different.

I respect you and think we would have a great time hanging out talking business. How about this as a truce offering: I will come by your apartment in NY, we caneither walk or take a cab to the White Castle of your choice and dinner is on me. Bring yourgirlfriend if you like. If we can’t be friends after sharing a couple dozen sliders and onion chips, it just wasn’t meant to be.

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In the NY Post’s Page Six on Sunday, The Donald responded to my blog entry saying that he doesn’t remember meeting me and would never have said what I claimed he said.

First,I don’t expect him to remember me. That’s ok. He meets a ton of people. I’m surehe doesn’t usually talk to people like he did to us. It’s possible it was just one of those throw away comments that we all make from time to time. But facts are facts, Donald. You said it. I remember it as clearly as I remember the Hawaiian Tropic Model wannabes with sequin dresses that were on the other side of thepool watching you come over to us.

The reason that I remember it as clearly as I do is not simply because it was you that said it, but rather beause I was probably the poorest guy of the 3 of us at the table. The irony was so rich (pun intended), I was dying to tell my buddies when I got home.

It happened just like I said it did, Donald. That doesn’t make you a bad guy, and it doesn’t mean I don’t like you. We are just different. Very different.

I respect you and think we would have a great time hanging out talking business. How about this as a truce offering: I will come by your apartment in NY, we caneither walk or take a cab to the White Castle of your choice and dinner is on me. Bring yourgirlfriend if you like. If we can’t be friends after sharing a couple dozen sliders and onion chips, it just wasn’t meant to be.

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So my career in Dallas begins. I’m a software salesperson with Your Business Software in Dallas. $18k per year. The first retail software store in Dallas.

I have to sweep the floor and be there to open the store, but that’s not a bad thing. When I tell my future ex-girlfriends that I sell software and am in the computer biz, I’m not going to mention the sweeping the floor part. Plus, I had to wear a suit to work, and the 2-fer madness specials looked good at happy hour after work. Better yet, the store didn’t open till 9:30am, which meant if I had a fun night, I had at least a little time to sleep.

I bet right about now you are questioning where my focus was? Where was my commitment to being the future owner of the Dallas Mavericks? Please. I was stoked I had a good job. I was stoked it was in an industry that could turn into a career. At 24, I was just as stoked that the office was close to where the best happy hours were and that I might finally have more than 20 bucks to spend for a night on the town.

Since I’m talking about partying, I do have to say that my friends and I were very efficient in that area. Beyond living off bar food and happy hours, we literally would agree that none of us would bring more than 20 bucks for a weekend night out. This way we all could pace each other. At least that was the way it was supposed to work, and it did until we figured out the key to having a great night out on the cheap. They key was buying a bottle of cheap, cheap champagne. I can’t even spell the name, but it was a full bottle, and it cost 12 bucks. Tear the label off and as far as anyone knew it was Dom. Each of us would grab one, and sip on it all night. It was far cheaper than buying beers or mixed drinks all night, and we never had to buy a drink for a girl, we just gave them some champagne! Of course the next day was hell, but since when was I responsible enough to care about a hangover…

But I digress. Back to business. As fired up as I was about the job, I was scared. Why? Because I have never worked with an IBM PC in my life. Not a single time, and I’m going to be selling software for it. So what do I do? I do what everyone does: I rationalize. I tell myself that the people walking in the door know as little as I do, so if I just started doing what I told my boss I would do, read the manuals, I would be ahead of the curve. That’s what I did. Every night I would take home a different software manual, and I would read them. Of course the reading was captivating. Peachtree, PFS, DBase, Lotus, Accpac… I couldn’t put them down. Every night I would read some after getting home, no matter how late.

Of course it was easy on the weekends. After drinking that cheap champagne, I wasn’t getting out of bed till about 9pm, so I had tons of time to lie on the floor and read. It worked. Turns out not a lot of people ever bothered to RTFM (read the frickin’ manual), so people started really thinking I knew my stuff. As more people came in, because I knew all the different software packages we offered, I could offer honest comparisons and customers respected that.

Within about 6 months, I was building a clientele and because I had also spent time on the store’s computers learning how to install, configure and run the software, I started having customers ask me to install the software at their offices. That meant I got to charge for consulting help: 25 bucks an hour that I split with the store. That turned into a couple hundred extra bucks per month and growing. I was raking it in, enough that I could move from the Hotel (that was what we called our apartment) where the 6 of us lived, into a 3 bedroom apartment across the street, where instead of 6 of us, there were only 3. Finally, my own bedroom!

I was earning consulting fees. I was getting referrals. I was on the phone cold calling companies to get new business. I even worked out a deal with a local consultant who paid me referral fees, which lead to getting a $1500 check. It was the first time in my adult life that I was able to have more than 1k dollars in the bank.

That was a special moment believe or not, and what did I do to celebrate? Nope…I didn’t buy better champagne. I had these old ratty towels that had holes in them and could stand on their own in the corner, they were so nasty I needed a shower from drying off after a shower…I went out and bought 6 of the fluffiest, plushest towels I could find. I was moving on up in the world. I had the towels. Life was good. Business was good and getting better for me. I was building my customer base, really starting to understand all the technology, and really establishing myself as someone who understood the software. More importantly no, most importantly I realized that I loved working with PCs. I had never done it before. I didn’t know if this was going to be a job that worked for me, or that I would even like and it turns out I was lucky. I loved what I was doing. I was rolling so well, I was even partying less… during the week.

Then one day, about 9 months into my career as a salesperson/consultant, I had a prospect ask if I could come to his office to close a deal. 9am. No problem to me. Problem to my boss, Michael Humecki. Michael didn’t want me to go. I had to open the store. That was my job. We were a retail store, not an outbound sales company. It sounded stupid to me back then too, particularly since I had gone on outbound calls during the day before. I guess he thought I was at lunch.

Decision time. It’s always the little decisions that have the biggest impact. We all have to make that “make or break” call to follow orders or do what you know is right. I followed my first instinct: close the sale. I guess I could have rescheduled the appointment, but I rationalized that you never turn your back on a closed deal. So I called one of my coworkers to come in and open up, and closed the deal. Next day I came in check in hand from a new customer and Michael fired me.

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This isn’t quite a continuation of part 1, but I happened to stumble across an interview I did last year for Young Money Magazine that covers a lot of the things that I probably would have included in part 2.

YOUNG MONEY TALKS TO CUBAN: During an exclusive interview with YOUNG MONEY, billionaire Mark Cuban shared his thoughts on using the fear of failure as a motivator, beating the competition, and why investing in the stock market may not be such a good idea.

YM: What is the key to recognizing a profitable business opportunity?

CUBAN: Knowing the industry very well. Most people think it’s all about the idea. It’s not. EVERYONE has ideas. The hard part is doing the homework to know if the idea could work in an industry, then doing the preparation to be able to execute on the idea.

YM: What personal characteristics should a person possess in order to become a successful entrepreneur?

CUBAN: Willingness to learn, to be able to focus, to absorb information, and to always realize that business is a 24 x 7 job where someone is always out there to kick your ass.

YM: Did you set career goals for yourself while you were in college? If so, what were they?

CUBAN: To retire by the age of 35 was my goal. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get there though. I knew I would end up owning my own business someday, so I figured my challenge was to learn as much as anyone about every and all businesses. [I believed] that every job I took was really me getting paid to learn about a new industry. I spent as much time as I could, learning and reading everything about business I could get my hands on. I used to go into the library for hours and hours reading business books and magazines.

YM: Do you consider yourself an innovator? Why?

CUBAN: No. I don’t really have new ideas, but I manage to combine information in ways most people hadn’t considered. They aren’t new ideas, it’s just that most people don’t do their homework about their businesses and industry, so there is usually a place to sneak in and do something a little different. You just have to make sure what you want to do can sustain a business and make it profitable rather than be a niche that can be crushed [by the competition].

YM: What advice would you give young adults just struggling to move up in the business world?

CUBAN: There are no shortcuts. You have to work hard, and try to put yourself in a position where if luck strikes, you can see the opportunity and take advantage of it. I would also say it’s hard not to fool yourself. Everyone tells you how they are going to be”special,” but few do the work to get there. Do the work.

YM: What types of opportunities would you pursue if you were starting over today? CUBAN: I just started a business called HDNet. There never is one area that has a door open to everyone. Try to find an area with something you love to do and do it. It’s a lot easier to work hard and prepare when you love what you are doing. YM: What would you tell entrepreneur hopefuls who are afraid of failing?

CUBAN: It’s good [for them]. I’m always afraid of failing. It’s great motivation to work harder.

YM: What is the most important piece of advice you could offer someone who’s just starting a business?

CUBAN: Do your homework and know your business better than anyone. Otherwise, someone who knows more and works harder will kick your ass.

YM: Did you have to sacrifice your personal life in order to become a business success?

CUBAN: Sure, ask about five of my former girlfriends that question… I went seven years without a vacation. (from the time I got fired from a job, and started MicroSolutions) I didn’t even read a fiction book in that time. I was pretty focused.

YM: Do you have any general saving and investing advice for young people?

CUBAN: Put it in the bank. The idiots that tell you to put your money in the market because eventually it will go up need to tell you that because they are trying to sell you something. The stock market is probably the worst investment vehicle out there. If you won’t put your money in the bank, NEVER put your money in something where you don’t have an information advantage. Why invest your money in something because a broker told you to? If the broker had a clue, he/she wouldn’t be a broker, they would be on a beach somewhere.

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