da apostebet：
da brdice： An interview aired on a CNN website on Thursday has led to Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, being fined $100,000 for comments regarding the NBA’s biggest star, LeBron James. The NBA has made clear its stance on any comments made about a player before July 1st, when free agents officially hit the market (in other words, when certain players can choose to opt out of their contracts). The news finds an opportune moment to be publicised in this country considering Barcelona’s broadcasted opinion on Cesc Fabregas and his future.
“The player has shown a desire to play for Barca. But we will not be entering into any talks until Arsenal are happy. Cesc has a contract with his club and we have to be respectful.” -Txiki Begiristain (Daily Telegraph)
These were the sentiments of the Barcelona technical secretary only a few days ago. It is a respectful notion but utterly hollow in its veracity. Barcelona had already engaged in a very public courting of Fabregas and have continued to ‘respectfully’ undermine Arsene Wenger and Arsenal with Xavi and Messi, their two most talented players, heading proceedings in the media. If it is respectful for Xavi to state that it’s ‘criminal’ for Fabregas to remain at Arsenal then some of Begiristain’s words must be lost in translation.
Across the Atlantic the NBA are allowed to levy fines up to a staggering $1m to owners who publicly attempt to unsettle players before their contract allows talks to be held. What did Cuban say to justify the $100,000 fine?
“Come July 1st, yeah, of course. Anybody would be interested in LeBron James and if he leaves via free agency then it’s going to be tough… What I do know about LeBron in the minimal time I’ve spent talking to him is he just wants to win. Money’s not an issue.”
Hardly on par with the recurrent commentary from Spain’s big two in the last couple of seasons. Even more stringent is Steve Kerr, president of operations at the Phoenix Suns, being fined $10,000 for simply joking in a radio interview that LeBron may be interested in the mid table allure of his team. It may seem laughable but at least it is consistent, which is something that governing bodies in football find difficult (we persist on cautioning players for celebrating topless yet there’s no reprimand for clubs in the tapping up of players who are under contract).
If a similar method to the NBA is to be adopted what would be the parameters of discourse? I think, simply, it should be illegal for club representatives to publicly attempt to unsettle any player who is under contract. This leaves much to the subjective interpretation of what exactly is deemed ‘unsettling’ but why not take after the NBA and make it a ubiquitous regulation? Pedantic, yes, but also necessary. It saves clubs from being subjected to external pressures and also allows players to make more informed decisions about their own futures. Let’s face it; it also stops fans from being bombarded with every little update in any saga, large or small, (who a player ate with, where his father flew on what date to meet whom, if said player is bound by prophesy and destiny to return to his homeland etc) by people like me.
Though Barcelona are the latest offenders it is clear that many top clubs use the media as a bartering tool in their transfer dealings. I don’t believe things will change just yet or even if measures like the ones in play at the NBA are workable in the football world but I do think a trial rule, of some kind, is needed to curb the public overtures of clubs to players who are under contract.
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