David Stern speaks out about...

**RenegadeLonghorn** · 05-12-2008, 09:44 PM

CLEVELAND -- David Stern's senses have been assaulted, and the commissioner feels it's time to turn down the noise and scale back the pyrotechnics at NBA games.

Stern went on a rant Monday night prior to Game 4 of the Celtics-Cavaliers series when asked if the trend toward loud, fiery in-arena entertainment gimmicks had gotten out of hand.

"I'm going to get in trouble for this, but I think they're ridiculous. I think the noise, the fire, the smoke is a kind of assault that we should seriously consider reviewing in whether it's really necessary given the quality of our game," Stern said.

Ben Wallace said the smoke from pregame fireworks in Boston prior to Game 2 worsened the dizzy condition that knocked him out of that game after just four minutes, and the Cavs decided to keep him in the locker room prior to Game 3 so he would not have a similar reaction during pregame introductions in Cleveland. The Cavs put on one of the league's most elaborate player-introduction rituals, with four huge jets shooting large streams of fire out of the corners of the center-court scoreboard.

"It may be that these are the maniacal rantings of a fan from a different era, and I recognize that, but you know I'm sitting there waiting for the next cannon to go off, and then the fire heats up the arena so the temperature in the arena rises by 15 degrees -- that's if you can see it because you're still waiting for the smoke, which is chemical, to clear, which is invariably done by the end of the half," Stern said.

"But I always bite my tongue because I'm not the demographic that wants to be assaulted by loud rap, smoke, pyrotechnics and chemicals. It makes me sort of outdated, but I think it's time for us to say, 'Hey guys, let's look at it one more time,'" he said.

Stern has had similar concerns in the past, and in 1996 the league strictly enforced a little-known rule on maximum in-arena decibel levels when the Utah Jazz were competing in the Western Conference finals against the Seattle SuperSonics.

"I think that's what has happened is that very well-intentioned people feel that it's their obligation to root their team on to victory, to urge them," he said. "But what they do is, they think if you turn up the loudspeaker it's going to help them perform better -- even though there are babies in the building.

"I think we should have it as a time capsule item, because in some future century people are going to look and say, 'What were they thinking about?'" he said. "And I'm positive that Red [Auerbach] is watching and getting ready to call me, because I think we've gone over the top."

Chris Sheridan covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.

**GriffeyJr.FAN3** · 05-12-2008, 09:52 PM

seeing that in person is truly amazing, i love that. it is extremly loud and gets everyone pumped up! just part of the game stern just sit in his office thinking of stupid stuff to kill then nba, just let it happen!