John Feerick was released from his duties as the
grievance arbitrator under the NBA's new CBA, according to
Mike Wise of the N.Y. TIMES. The league had asked for the
dismissal of Feerick, a Fordham Law School dean. Feerick:
"I have no ill feelings. I feel terribly privileged to have
had the opportunity to work as a judge in a great American
sport." Wise reported that a replacement for Feerick hasn't
been announced and the league and the union will have to
agree on the appointment (N.Y. TIMES, 2/21).
CAN'T THEY SHOOT OR SCORE? The quality of play in the
NBA continued to be criticized by the media. In Chicago,
Sam Smith wondered, "Don't these guys know how to play
basketball? ... Can't anyone here play this game?" Pistons
F Jerome Williams: "There are a lot of guys here who aren't
playing hard. It's all across the league. Guys have their
own agendas. Guys want their checks and they want this and
that" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/21). In N.Y., William Rhoden
calls the NBA season a "sham," with "fumbling and bumbling
quality of play, a lack of cohesion" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/22). In
St. Pete, Hubert Mizell reports that, "For every sweet
stroke, there appears to be an array of ugly pro basketball
clangs. Teams too often are struggling to shoot with semi-
efficiency" (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 2/22). Interviewed
during the first half of a sluggish Bulls-Knicks game, Spike
Lee told NBC's Jim Gray, "This game is boring" ("NBA on
NBC," 2/21). But in Dallas, Bart Hubbuch noted that despite
the play issue, the fans have returned. The "grim mood that
pervaded the league during the lockout ... has been replaced
by smiles all around. ... Little of the fan anger or apathy
that followed labor woes in the NFL, NHL, and [MLB] have
been evident in the NBA" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 2/21).
NHL'S STRANGE ATTENDANCE BUMP: In Pittsburgh, Dejan
Kovacevic wrote under the header, "Go figure," that during
the NBA lockout, NHL rinks "were filled" to 90.4% capacity.
Since the NBA resumed play two weeks ago, NHL arenas "are
filled to" 92.5% capacity (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 2/21).
