After seven home games at Reunion Arena, the 9-5
Mavericks have yet to sell out despite the team's "marketing
machine working overtime and the product on the court being
exceedingly better than it has been in over a decade,"
according to Dwain Price of the FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM.
The Mavs are averaging 14,997 at the 18,187-seat arena.
Mavs Owner Mark Cuban: "Attendance is just a process. We've
been faced with bad weather a lot. Plus, last year before I
got here they were giving away 3,000-5,000 tickets a game,
so people were used to being able to get a free ticket
somewhere. Now they've got to realize that you can't get a
free ticket anymore, and you can't just walk up to the gate
and just buy a ticket on the floor like you used to" (FT.
WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 11/26).
CUBAN WHISTLE CRISES: In N.Y., Mike Wise noted that
Cuban has been fined a total of $45,000 for three incidents
this season and wrote that his "recent string of rash
behavior has touched off a debate on N.B.A. owner etiquette.
The league and the nation's news media have essentially told
Cuban to shut up, to be a dignified and polite
representative of the club." But Wise added that Cuban "is
undeterred." Cuban: "As far as people telling me to pipe
down, I don't really care. ... I don't mind being
confrontational at all. I don't pay attention to the
conventional wisdom, like owners should stay out. Or owners
should be quiet" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/26). In Dallas, Jodie
Valade wrote that Cuban "was absent from his typical
baseline seat" during Saturday's home game against the
Nuggets, as he sat in the upper bowl of the arena. Cuban:
"They're great seats. The people up there are yelling like
crazy." Cuban said that he "plans to roam" the upper bowl
during tomorrow's home game against the Raptors (DALLAS
MORNING NEWS, 11/26). In Ft. Worth, Randy Galloway wrote,
"Shut up, Mark. Particularly about the referees" (FT. WORTH
STAR-TELEGRAM, 11/26). In L.A., Mark Heisler: "If you're
such a genius, why can't you spell s-h-u-t u-p?" (L.A.
TIMES, 11/26). In S.F., Gwen Knapp, on Cuban: "He's ranting
on the sidelines and racking up fines from the league office
as if he's Rodman Reincarnated. ... He's taken the notion of
owner eccentricity to a new venue" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 11/26).
In Sacramento, Scott Howard-Cooper: "The money he can afford
to lose. But he's already running flashing-light low on
credibility" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 11/26).
ONE ON ONE: Jazz coach Jerry Sloan took criticism of
Cuban's criticism of officials and the play of Jazz F Karl
Malone: "I just wish Cuban would buy another team so he can
get the best players off two teams and win a championship
and we don't have to listen to him anymore. He's a guy that
loves to talk and loves to be seen. He has all the answers
for everything. He has a lot of money. I don't know if he
has ever played a day of basketball in his life." But Cuban
responded, "Tell (Sloan) I continue to have a distinguished
career playing basketball at the Premier Club in Dallas as
often as I can" (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 11/26). Jazz Owner
Larry Miller, on Cuban: "The pattern I see coming out of
Dallas is that of a crybaby franchise. And as far as Mark
is concerned, there are certain lines you can't cross.
Maybe he needs to take a close look at himself" (SALT LAKE
TRIBUNE, 11/25). Agent Dwight Manley said of Cuban: "The
economy is such nowadays that you have jock-sniffers who can
buy their way into the locker room, not just wait outside
for an autograph. Here you have an admitted sports-a-holic.
He wants players to live with him, he wants players to play
basketball with him, he wants players to fly in his plane.
... It is the classic definition of a jock-sniffer. That's
who this guy is" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 11/23).
