In my naive days I used to think that news stories were meant to be stories of interest. That they were uncovered topics that were being revealed to a public thirsting for information and knowledge.

Now, Im coming to realize that there is something more to how stories are selected. Im just not quite sure what that “something ” is.

I keep on reading commentary about how Ozzie Guillen “makes himself the story” . That “Mark Cuban made himself the story”. It reminds me of the days that everyone wanted to know what color Dennis Rodmans hair was going to be. “Dennis made himself the story”

Is this something like “The Devil made me do it ?”. Is there some invisible editor in the ether doling out assignments ? How does someone “make themselves the story ?”

Worse than being “made to cover”, it becomes a process as inevitable as a gerbil’s progress on his wheel.

Once everyone writes the story that “was made”, the inevitable follow up is for the same media that wrote the “made story”, to complain that they are covering the “made story”

Its a shame that Mark Cuban continues to make himself the story of the NBA Finals.

Its a shame we are still covering Mark Cuban, who continues to make himself a story.

Its a shame we had to spend so much time covering Mark Cuban, who made himself the story.

So i have a question for the media. If you dont want a person to be “the story”, then why do you write or talk about it ?

Why not ignore me ? Why not make it policy NOT to point the camera at me. If you think im a publicity hound, wouldnt you be hurting me the most by ignoring me ? If Im “making myself the story”, isnt that the at the same editorial level as Editorial for pay ? Except you are doing it for free ? Is it tabloid journalism ?

Thats what I dont understand. If I shouldnt be the story, why are you making it the story ? Can you not come up with something better ? There are a million stories surrounding every game/series/season. How in the world can you not come up with something better ?

Im sure Ozzie Guillen is feeling the same way right about now.

he is probably thinking to himself…. I want to be left alone. I want to do my job. I want to win another championship. You wont leave me alone, i got mad. i made a stupid comment. i really didnt meant it as anything more than a baselevel derogatory comment, but in this PC world, we have to be incredibly careful what we say, which i recognize. So i apologized. next time i will come up with a better derogatory adjective that wont freak everyone out.

Ozzie, I recommend Jagoff. Its what im going to use from now on. Just call the people you dont like Jagoffs.

Its a word that we used to use in Pittsburgh when I was growing up. I didnt know what it meant then. Still dont. But it works extremely well because no one else does either.

Ozzies choice of words was the least of his problems. His choice of words were just the trigger for the circus called ” You are now the story”

Ozzies uses the wrong word. Now the media has to ask everyone around him what they think. Then you have to ask them what he thinks about what they think. Then you have to ask them what they think about what he said about what they think , which they said when he asked about what he said in the first place.

But thats not enough. they have to call the MLB PR office multiple times every day. The PR guys all stand around and go “Shoot. we have gotten so many calls about this,we have to say and do something. ” So they say that they will make Ozzie go to sensitivity training.

Then everyone has to ask not only Ozzie, but the people they asked about Ozzie and that all work with Ozzie what they think about Ozzie having to go to sensitivity training and how Ozzie will respond.

Next they are asking Ozzie what he thinks about what everyone else thinks about what he thought about the sensitivity training.

is there substance anywhere here after the first round ?

If Ozzie had said Jagoff instead of the word he chose, his intent and target would have been the same, but he would not “have made himself the story”

Personally, I still think it comes down to an ability to find stories that reveal something new and interesting. Instead there is a very distinct trend to “Star Magazineize” sports sections. Pick a personality and extend the stories as long as you can. Substance be damned.

Ozzie, you get to be Brittany Spears. I will be Bradgelina.

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This site should be required reading for NBA fans

and more importantly, I hope they offer this service to newspapers who purchase it for every game.

Hopefully 82games will go back and do all the playoffs. Including our Spurs series.

Thanks as always 82games for taking on the topics that all NBA fans talk about and that the media writes about but only you have taken the time to get into detail and publish !!

Like they say on TNT “let the truth be told”

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I think I have been called more names by more people in the last week than even I thought possible. The beauty is in the irony of it all.

In the first year I owned the team, I was called the same names and media wrote the exact same things they are writing today. Everyone then, like now, wanted to tell me what to do. How to do my job.

Back then it was how the Mavs could never be turned around with someone like me owning the team. Then it was the Mavs could never win with someone like me owning the team. Then it was, The Mavs could never be real contenders, etc, etc, etc. You get the picture, and the irony of it all.

My response ?

No suprises. I dont expect anyone to say anything differently.

To me, the proof is always in the details. No matter what business Im in, most people work in headlines mode. They think that if they say or write something that makes a good headline , then there must be substance to their point. That’s not the way business works. Which is why most people never get further than the middle.

Substance comes from detail. Luck comes from detail. Winning comes from being willing to do the work on the details. Learning comes from investing in details.

In the sports media world this past week, the most work I have seen someone do is Chris Sheridan going through 20 minutes or so of tapes looking to see what words I mouthed to fans in the stands after a game. Beyond that, it was all about deadlines, not substance. Thats fine. It is what it is.

No one does the work. They do “their jobs”. Nothing more. Which is why , despite all “he is the best, he is the worst” commentary from people, none of it matters in the least bit.

The easiest thing in the world for anyone to do is Tivo a game and then break it down. What any of the 13 participants on the court did and how they did it is pretty easy to document for 99.9 pct of the time on the clock. The other .01 can be grey. It doesnt really matter. Aggregate data from a lot of games over a lot of seasons, and all of the sudden you have a database with value.

Once you have information, then you can add brainpower and try to do things better.

Once you have information, then you can start to define excellence and strive for it, measuring your progress along the way.

This certainly isnt a new concept. There are untold number of QC , Process Improvement and Optimization techniques out there. Pick one, pick them all.

Excellence is defined is excellence demanded. Its not always easy to fulfill, but there is one constant in my approach to the Mavs that hasnt changed since the minute I walked in the door in January of 2000. That my job was to put every single one of our players, and the organization in a position to succeed. That I would work hard, continuously, to get better at doing so, and I think I have. I think we have become a much smarter organization. We have learned from what we have done right, and what we have done wrong.

Its also why I get so angry when it comes to certain aspects of the NBA and how they do business. I think there is more politics that optimization. Thats my opinion from the data. And Im not talking about officiating.

One of my favorite books is The Innovators Dilemma. It basically talks about how new technology can destabilize companies and industries if their impact isnt acknowledged and addressed early on.

The NBA is at an interesting crossroads. There are unique situations today that can enable it to lever up and thrive and push its media customers to new heights, or that could destabilize it.

Its all in the data. And I wish I could tell you about it. But i would get fined for it.

And for the record, I have nothing to say about the finals. That was last season.
For the record, Im not turning on comments, they have devolved to the point where they add no value.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/0606

…

I never have to say a word again. Bill Simmons, as one of the 19 die hard says it all.

It is so nice to know there are people who pay attention.

thank you bill

m

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Im used to getting emails from fans claiming the NBA is this or that. The NBA wants a team to win based on market size. The NBA doesnt want me to win because the league doesnt like me. So and so has money on the game. The NBA makes more money when the series goes 7 games.

Its all nonsense. Any prudent, rational person can easily see it. The games are not rigged. Thats a complete insult to the players on the court and the incredible amount of effort they put into preparing for and playing the games. All 82 regular season and post season games. The NBA couldnt rig the games if it wanted to. And it doesnt want to. Its that simple

Do i like that i have gotten more than 12,000 emails in the last week and probably 80pct have questioned some level of honesty. No, I hate it. I hate it more than you will ever know because these are my customers, NBA customers, who are questioning our enterprise. Thats never a good thing and each one is a business hole I have to work harder to dig us out of.

Do I wish there was better communication from the league ? Yes. I dont like when my email box fills up with nonsense. Yes. I wish the league would just come out and explain events that occur in a game to the public. I think it would help the perception of our game. I think it would help fans better understand not only the rules of the NBA, but also the nuances, strategies and challenges of the game. I have suggested it. Many others have suggested it.

Getting an explanation pretty much eliminates everyones ability to question what just occured. Some media people have suggested that the same approach that MLB takes would work well. Simply allow reporters to ask officials questions after a game. Why not ?

Count me as a person who thinks transparency is a good thing in business. But this isnt my business. Im simply one of 30 shareholders.

Two other things. Apparently the Miami Herald is reporting i screamed at the NBA comissioner after the game the other night. Didnt happen. Didnt say a word to the man. Not a single word. And that was absolutely by intention.

Apparently this “reporter” has written he has several “sources”. Well they must be the same sources the tabloids use to find two headed babys and aliens, because it didnt happen.

Ive already blogged about and been fined for the source of my displeasure in these playoffs and there was absolutely no reason for me to say another word about it and i wont.

Back to the same “reporter”. He references the play call that led to Wades 2 free throws. Well there is a picture being sent around showing Devin Harris’s arm on DWades shooting arm. Well beyond not knowing if the contact was more than incidental, there is one thing we do know. It occured AFTER the whistle blew. Notice DWade up in the air, more importantly notice his eyes closed and Dirks hand no where near his back, and no real chance to get placed on his back, which is what triggered the whistle. This was at the end of the play. After the whistle blew.

Chalk up some more great reporting to the Miami Herald. The source of phantom comments. The source where I first learned that I owned a boat and had it docked in Miami
(BTW, the story referenced above still isnt corrected. Way to stand for accuracy folks)

To the executives of the Miami Herald.

Dear Mr, Mrs or Ms Publisher.
I am the easiest person in the world to get a hold of. My email is everywhere. If you want to know if i have a boat BEFORE you write that I do. Just ask.

If you want to know if or what I said to someone. Just ask.

Going to a source. Isnt that Journalism 101 ?

You are also the reason Im thankful for this blog. In the old days I would have had to make the rounds of media, doing my best to discredit your efforts. Now I can just write this blog, link and let your work discredit itself. Which is a whole lot more fun.

One Last Last Note:
Im a competitive person. My blog is an outlet for that intensity. I dont blog about the normal things in my life that make up 99pct of my day. I like to blog about things that get me fired up in the Sport of Business. The things i get fired up about. Ive been accussed more than once of having HID (Hyper Intensity Disorder….ok, i just made that up, but if it were truly a disease, I would claim that I had it). Not everyone likes that

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When I was a kid, one of my favorite comedy routines was George Carlin’s Seven Dirty Words.

Words, words, words. My friends and I couldnt get away with cursing so we made up our own language. From the basic, like, Sugar Honey Ice Tea. to, HE double hockey sticks (for those old enough to remember when using the word Hell was considered cursing) to more advanced words for more advanced cursing. This way we could curse in front of parents, teachers, whoever. The intent was the same, but no one knew we were cursing !

I remember thinking back then, that our culture was evolving quickly enough that some day we all would realize the ridiculousness of everyone deciding together to be offended by those seven words. Typical thinking for an 11 year old, right ?

The good news is we didnt.

Now anyone in America can get a rise out of people by using most of Carlin’s 7 Dirty Words. I know I get a rise out of my wife. I cant think of anything funnier than a 3 year old cursing. I mean come on, does it really matter if we say Poo Poo or shit ? Of course not. Unless of course your married and your wife tells you it matters. She doesnt want to be the one who gets phone calls from teachers and other parents getting blamed for all the 3 year olds in the little gym class screaming “Kiss My Ass you Mo Fo”… Me, i couldnt think of anything i would rather see and hear. but thats me.

Back to the point here. I like to curse. I like to curse because I enjoy how it gets everyone in an uproar. I wont curse in an environment where I have accepted an invitation or am a guest of someone else. I will play by their rules.

But if you come on my home turf and want something from me. Its my rules.

Last night in the locker room after we lost in overtime to the heat. I was asked by reporters to answer some questions. I told them i would if they asked good questions and didnt ask the same cliche’d questions they had asked after other games. It was interesting how quiet everyone got.

then someone asked “Is this your worst loss ever” . What the fuck kind of question is that ? Is this for a VH1 special ? “Worst Losses Ever ?” If it was, then maybe it was a decent question. Otherwise, how do you answer that question…

Let me think. Well we have never been to the finals before, and this is our most recent finals lost. The 3rd in a row. So that could make it the Mavs worst ever. There was a baseball game I played in where I hit the ball into the gap and some guy made a diving catch to end the game instead of me driving in the winning runs and winning the tournament. I cried in the dugout after that one. There have been some tough rugby losses. Am I supposed to get this reporter a thought out answer and catalog my past, or a catalog answer like “this was a tough one… yadda yadda, that sounds like every other answer ever given to this type of question after a lost game.

The reality is that it would be a waste of both of our time if i gave him the “this was a tough one” answer, and a waste of my time to really think about it. Particularly given there were 10 other reporters wanting to ask questions and we had a bus to catch

So I told the reporter to “Ask me a real fucking question”

Apparently some folks have taken exception to me cursing in my response. Well in this case, the reporter was using my time, we were in a locker room and I was trying to provide a response that had no value to me, but could only help him. If he doesnt think enough of either of our time to invest the brainpower and minutes it takes to come up with something different than has been asked a thousand times.

Fuck em.

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Sorry for the lack of posts recently. Laptop died in Miami and sitting in an internet cafe didnt appeal to me.

I have this saying that Right is its own Defense. I actually got it off a tshirt i bought about 20 years ago.

In this day and age, every one wants to categorize you and then make you defend yourself.

Im <fill in the blank> owner of the Dallas Mavericks. How can I be <fill in the blank> Why cant I be like <fill in the blank>

We are starting a website that focuses on uncovering corporate crime. I have every intention of trading on the information uncover, and disclosing exactly what i do. The ultimate transparency.
A journalism professor was quoted as “not being able to get his mind around it ” Others have criticized me for having a good idea but “ruining” it by trading on the information.

HDNet is talking to Dan Rather and we hope to do a deal where he produces a show that uncovers news. Information with a payoff. Some people have already decided that working with Dan alone defines positions we will take in our programming. Of course we have a 5 year history of news features already with World Report, but why let that get in the way.

For some reason the thousands of people send me emails and many others are writing stories about any or all of these things. Its as if they expect something to change. That they have a lock and key on what is right.

Well lets be clear. Right is its own defense. Im going to do what I think is right. Period end of story.

You may not like that i want the officiating in the NBA to get better. I think its the right thing to do.

You may not like that I will trade on information we uncover and then publish it. I think reporting what we find is better than not reporting it. If we can uncover fraud. Thats a good thing. That profiting on the information we find is the smart thing to do. It beats the hell out of trying to remake the site every year to maximize advertising or subscriptions. It changes the newsenomics, which need to be changed.

You may think you know what Dan Rather and HDNet will do together. But you dont. You have no idea. I will tell you that there wont be any corporate considerations. No earnings per share issues. No worries about advertisers and what they might think.

Right is its own defense.

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Watch Letterman tonight. I already have picked out my next charity to donate to…

And this is for all of those people who really, really hate me. A lot.

If you have a very strong dislike for me, then I promise you that you will be extremely entertained by my “antics” in the new Like Mike 2 DVD that just came out.

Rent it or buy it now.

If you really, really hate me.

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You would think the officials in miami would be able to get something so simple right. Wouldnt you ? How difficult is it to see what is or isnt right in front you ?

It amazes me that Miami Officials are telling everyone that they made me take down a Go Mavs Go banner from my boat parked out side the American Airlines Arena.

Well guess what guys.

I dont own a boat.

Never have. Never will. I rented one once. Rowed one a couple times. Thats it.

My apologies to the real owner of that boat who is getting pestered with helicopters and people trying to corner them.

and on the topic of the game last night. No more emails about losing the 4 seconds with 48 seconds to go. THe league knows the game clock was not stopped and 4 secs ran off the clock incorrectly. So all of you Tivo users that emailedme are correct.

They are looking at it to make sure it doesnt happen again.

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I promise never to complain about the weather in Dallas again. Dang. This must be the opposite of a dry heat. I l ove Miami. Have a condo here. Love to visit. BUt i prefer not to have to swim through humidity !

Any, game time countdown 3 hours and counting. Wont be able to blog during the game, Im not going to bring a laptop to the arena. I will bring my new sidekick 3. Got an early edition. I love to play with new toys, and this one is off to a great start. Its also a great way to make the time till tip off go faster. Otherwise I would go crazy.

YOu want to say that this is a huge game tonight. But why. EVERY game in the finals is huge. HUGE HUGE HUGE.

THey are going to come out playing out of their minds. The crowd is going to be nuts. We have to be able to take the early barrage of punchs.

GO MAVS !

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