Gregg Popovich delivers insulting remark to Robert Sarver

[Mainstreet]

Gregg Popovich delivered what I consider an insulting remark to Robert Sarver who was just stating the facts in the recent Spurs at Suns game. Here is what Popovich said

"The only thing that surprises me is that he didn't say it in a chicken suit. I'll just leave it at that," Popovich said Saturday before San Antonio's preseason home opener against Miami.

"As I said, the silliness begins. Most wise individuals would check facts before they made statements; unless you're interested in putting on a show. In that case, the facts get in your way, as in this case."

The Spurs have a history of resting players during the season, including being fined $250,000 by the league in December 2012 for sending home Duncan, Ginobili, Tony Parker and Danny Green rather than have them play in a nationally televised game in Miami against the Heat.

Here is the remark that Sarver made which Popovich took exception.

Sarver got on the public address microphone during Thursday night's exhibition game between the Spurs and Suns in Phoenix and apologized to the fans because the Spurs were without several players and Popovich himself.

"This is not the game you paid your hard-earned money to watch," Sarver told the crowd. "I apologize for it. And I want you to send me your tickets if you came tonight with a return envelope and I've got a gift for you on behalf of the Suns for showing up tonight. Thank you."

The key thing to note and straight to the point, Sarver did not say anything which deserved a cheap shot in return by Popovich. The fans came out to watch the Spurs at Suns game and got a diluted version of the game. Nothing more and nothing less. Sarver did not deliver an insult to Popovich or the Spurs. He only stated the facts and offered Suns fans a gift.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...o-spurs-jabs-phoenix-suns-owner-robert-sarver

 

[sunsfan88]

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showpost.php?p=3060201&postcount=36

 

[Mainstreet]

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showpost.php?p=3060201&postcount=36

That's fine. I'm glad you posted about it but it sort of got lost. What are your thoughts?

 

[Finito]

Gregg Popovich delivered what I consider an insulting remark to Robert Sarver who was just stating the facts in the recent Spurs at Suns game. Here is what Popovich said



Here is the remark that Sarver made which Popovich took exception.



The key thing to note and straight to the point, Sarver did not say anything which deserved a cheap shot in return by Popovich. The fans came out to watch the Spurs at Suns game and got a diluted version of the game. Nothing more and nothing less. Sarver did not deliver an insult to Popovich or the Spurs. He only stated the facts and offered Suns fans a gift.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...o-spurs-jabs-phoenix-suns-owner-robert-sarver

The chicken suit thing comes from Sarver mocking Pop and the Spurs back in the day when the Spurs rested there players against the suns.

This was a PR move by Sarver means nothing to me. Duncan and Ginobli are the two oldest players in the league you really think Pop is going to trot them out in a meaningless pre season game. Make no mistake the Spurs are playing for a championship they don't care what seed they are just as long as everyone is healthy come play off time.

 

[Errntknght]

I like Sarver's move and I love that it got under Pop's skin. Now if we can just kick their butts when they drag them back here on the 31st.

 

[Mainstreet]

The chicken suit thing comes from Sarver mocking Pop and the Spurs back in the day when the Spurs rested there players against the suns.

This was a PR move by Sarver means nothing to me. Duncan and Ginobli are the two oldest players in the league you really think Pop is going to trot them out in a meaningless pre season game. Make no mistake the Spurs are playing for a championship they don't care what seed they are just as long as everyone is healthy come play off time.

Didn't Duncan and Ginobli play in preseason games in Europe?

 

[elindholm]

This is just standard Popovich gamesmanship. Sarver should recognize it for what it is and ignore it.

 

[Finito]

Didn't Duncan and Ginobli play in preseason games in Europe?

All the more reasons to not play them. I bet the NBA made it very known to them that the stars needed to play in those over seas games.

 

[Mainstreet]

All the more reasons to not play them. I bet the NBA made it very known to them that the stars needed to play in those over seas games.

I understand what you are saying but it's contradictory to what you said earlier. I just don't like Popovich taking a cheap shot.

 

[JCSunsfan]

To his credit, Sarver only said that the game "Was not what you paid to see." He did not call out the Spurs or accuse them of doing something wrong. It was just a substandard preseason game with overblown prices.

Pop was the one who made it personal.

 

[AzStevenCal]

To his credit, Sarver only said that the game "Was not what you paid to see." He did not call out the Spurs or accuse them of doing something wrong. It was just a substandard preseason game with overblown prices.

Pop was the one who made it personal.

Correct. I have no problem with what Sarver said and I have no problem with the way Pop approached the game. But Pop took it somewhere it didn't need to go.

Steve

 

[elindholm]

Pop was the one who made it personal.

But Pop took it somewhere it didn't need to go.

Big effing deal. Seriously, he's just a competitor trying to engineer an advantage down the road. Don't honor his nonsense by giving any thought to it. It's like common trash talk, except among executives.

 

[sunsfan88]

Didn't Duncan and Ginobli play in preseason games in Europe?

The basketball fans in Europe only get this opportunity to see these guys play live while Duncan and Ginobili will both be back in PHX this season to play a meaningful regular season game.

 

[Iceman]

This was a great gesture on Sarvers part, IMO. He didn't have to do anything for any fans because it was a preseason game. If I go to a preseason game, I don't expect to see the star players playing and if they do play, it's a bonus. I go for the atmosphere and its usually a free ticket from somewhere (I wouldnt pay for a preseason game).

Going to cost Sarver a pretty penny, but I think it will help him in the long run.

And you are all right, he never said it was wrong for Pop not to have his star players there. Can't stand the Spurs!

 

[Cheesebeef]

I understand what you are saying but it's contradictory to what you said earlier. I just don't like Popovich taking a cheap shot.

So, it's okay for Sarver to call out the Spurs with chicken dances and grandstanding at the mic (in a preseason game of all things) but it's not okay for Pop to dish it back? Another completely classic contradictory post by Mainstreet.

 

[AzStevenCal]

So, it's okay for Sarver to call out the Spurs with chicken dances and grandstanding at the mic (in a preseason game of all things) but it's not okay for Pop to dish it back?

It was bush league the way Sarver behaved with the chicken dances but I see nothing wrong with his message to the fans. He didn't call out Pop or the Spurs, he just promised a gift for the fans that send in a return envelope because they had the right to expect a better game than they received. I'd have had a big problem if he'd suggested that the Spurs did something wrong but that didn't happen. But if you want to weigh offenses, Sarver's earlier behavior probably still tilts the scales in favor of the Spurs even with Pop's recent cheap shot.

Steve

 

[Hoop Head]

What Sarver said at the game wasn't negative towards anyone and I'm sure all the casual fans who attended left feeling pretty good about Sarver and the direction the Suns are going. Hopefully this is the end of it though. Sarver has done a pretty good job rebuilding his image as of late and if he responds to Pop's cheap shot then he will be taking multiple steps back.

I don't think this will be over though until the game has passed on the 31st. I really hope Sarver stays quiet through that game, the Suns don't need him acting as a distraction to start the year off. The Spurs open their season in SA on the 28th and then come to Phoenix and don't have another game until November 5th, which is back in San Antonio. If Pop decides to push Sarver's buttons he could leave some players behind in SA, it's only the second game of the year, but if he did that I wouldn't be surprised if the league fined him for it. That would be totally classless and would directly be trying to egg Sarver on.

 

[Mainstreet]

The basketball fans in Europe only get this opportunity to see these guys play live while Duncan and Ginobili will both be back in PHX this season to play a meaningful regular season game.

I think this is the mindset of the Spurs and the NBA playing in Europe, to give those fans a chance to see the whole product by seeing the players they saw during the regular season and in the case of the Spurs, win a championship. Still preseason games are preseason games. Fans who buy tickets in the U.S. want to see the whole product as well.

 

[Covert Rain]

This is just standard Popovich gamesmanship. Sarver should recognize it for what it is and ignore it.

This. People should realize by now that POP LOVES this stuff. He could care less what people say about him but he loves getting under other's skins.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Big effing deal. Seriously, he's just a competitor trying to engineer an advantage down the road. Don't honor his nonsense by giving any thought to it. It's like common trash talk, except among executives.

That's fine. I was more defending Sarver than trying to rip on Pop. Guess I did not communicate that very well.

 

[sunsfan88]

I think this is the mindset of the Spurs and the NBA playing in Europe, to give those fans a chance to see the whole product by seeing the players they saw during the regular season and in the case of the Spurs, win a championship. Still preseason games are preseason games. Fans who buy tickets in the U.S. want to see the whole product as well.

If fans expect to see the whole product in pre season games then that's their fault for being misinformed.

Even I know that old players have a less chance of playing and that even if they do play, it will be for minimal minutes since it's pre season.

 

[Chaplin]

If fans expect to see the whole product in pre season games then that's their fault for being misinformed.

Even I know that old players have a less chance of playing and that even if they do play, it will be for minimal minutes since it's pre season.

Right, but at least they are there, even if for minimal minutes.

 

[JCSunsfan]

If it was anyone but Pop, no one would care. But he does this in the regular season too. It makes other owners (he sits players on road games), the league office, and sponsors angry because the product they are selling is diminished. He some how doesn't get that the NBA is entertainment first.

I don't care that much. But the people who are trying to sell a product care a lot.

 

[Cheesebeef]

If it was anyone but Pop, no one would care. But he does this in the regular season too. It makes other owners (he sits players on road games), the league office, and sponsors angry because the product they are selling is diminished. He some how doesn't get that the NBA is entertainment first.

I don't care that much. But the people who are trying to sell a product care a lot.

he's got the oldest team in the league and only cares about winning and doing what he needs to do to win a title. that should be the goal of every team, no?

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

If the NBA's sole intention was entertainment they wouldn't subject to these numerous worthless preseason games and a regular season that's probably 10-15 games too long.