More Cuban bashing

[scooterj5]

Anyone else disagree with this?

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Blackistone: Cuban's rants court disaster
04/26/2001

Mark Cuban must go.

For the rest of whatever is left this season, he ought to be banished to David Stern's penalty box. For the rest of his career as Mavericks owner, he ought to recuse himself in whatever skybox he owns at the Mavericks' new arena.

He should no longer be allowed to sit courtside with the players and coaches he loves. For the league's good. For his own good. Particularly for his team's good.

Where should Mark Cuban sit during Mavs' games?

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Stein: Mavs wanted Jazz, need experience

Notebook
As it turned out Tuesday night at the Delta Center, where Cuban's Mavericks fell behind the Jazz two games to none in their best-of-five playoff series, it was a good thing Game 2 started so late and ran into the wee hours of morning. Much of the potential viewing public, especially impressionable youngsters, probably hit the sack before it was over. As a result, fortunately, they probably missed much of Cuban's sideline histrionics.

Throughout the night, Cuban made it a practice to leave his seat behind his players' bench and make his way over to the press section behind the scorer's table at center court. From there, he launched into any number of tirades.

Early on, he stood over the shoulder of Mavericks announcer Bob Ortegel screaming at the nearest referees. He wanted them to look at a replay of a call they had just made.

At halftime, Cuban plopped down on the end of the press table I was sitting at and loudly questioned the abilities of the people at the scorer's table who run the scoreboard and game clocks in Utah's arena.

Later on, Cuban was crouched in the aisle beside Mavericks public relations officials, his face contorted in anger, cursing at referee Mike Mathis for not making a call. Mathis calmly looked at Cuban and asked him to take his seat.

At some point, it all prompted Mavericks president Terdema Ussery to make his way over to the scorer's table from the other side of the court and try to save the owner from himself.

All of that I witnessed. The following, I did not.

A Dallas cameraman said he saw Cuban flash a one-handed choke sign at the officials. It was the same gesture that drew Cuban the fine a couple weeks ago that put him over the half-million dollar mark in penalties for the season. It also cost him a one-game suspension. Those things, obviously, make no difference to him. He has said as much more than once.

The question is what will make Cuban realize the fallacy of his ways?

After all, if it were not for Cuban's inability to contain the ugly side of his passion, he would be the best sports owner money could make. His checkbook is open to bring in the best talent. His ears are open to listen to those with whom he's entrusted the coaching of his team. His enthusiasm is contagious.

His handling of displeasure, however, is sickening. It even has infected his team, leaving them in a weakened state of competitiveness whenever they step on the court and he is near.

It is doubtful the referees will look at the Mavericks as they do other teams, what with Cuban's mouth making an already inhospitable setting for them even more hostile. We might call referees zebras, but they have memories like elephants and hold grudges like folks in the Holy Land.

That should be reason enough for Cuban to relocate to his skybox next season, lest he takes to buckling himself in his courtside seat, sporting a straitjacket and sealing his lips with duct tape. He could give his team a fighting chance.

He's not likely, of course, to take such a suggestion from this space. He hasn't taken similar requests to take a timeout from the league office or even from his occasionally combustible coach, Don Nelson.

There is a faction, however, that could get Cuban to think of his behavior's impact on his team's success as he does cushy chairs, chef-made meals and DVD players. His players.

If Michael Finley, who could opt out of his contract this summer, or Dirk Nowitzki, scheduled to be a free agent after next season, suggested to their boss that they'd rather he privatize his disgust, I bet he'd defer to their wishes. For if Mark Cuban loves his players as much as he always says, he won't want to be seen as a detriment to their determination.