Definitely deserves a fine. It's a big game between the two best teams in the league. I thought San Antonio would've given the Heat a better finals series than OKC last year and was really looking forward to this game. If you want to rest your guys, rest them in one of the earlier games. It doesn't matter if they win or not, because at this point, it's like watching a preseason game instead of a playoff quality game. I've always liked Pop, but this is just a slap in the face to the fans.

Spurs surprisingly playing some good ball. Pop with a huge middle finger to Stern.

He's not a hall of fame coach because he tries to please fans.

But the Spurs are winning right now because Pops system is that good.

It would be complete bullshit to fine them. SA doesn't owe shit to anyone. If it puts them in the best position to win in the playoffs it's their choice.

Fining him is just going down a slippery slope. From now on, who gets to say which stars HAVE to play and who decides when old players need to get a day off? Will Stern start monitoring all teams from now on to make sure they don't rest their main players during big games?

There is precedent for Stern stepping in here:

http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/25/sp...rs-a-fine.html

Exactly.

No way they can do it.

LOL @ the heat

It's a long season. Pop can rest his players and manage his roster however he sees fit. A fine is nonsense.

No, it's a business. A business of entertainment. As much as everybody would like to pretend that getting to the playoffs is what pays the bills, it's the fans buying tickets and watching on tv that pays the bills.

The analogy where everybody pretends that athletes are like regular employees; this is like a manager saying they're not going to send their best employees to meet with their biggest client.

You're talking about slippery slope? Think about the fans, think about the network execs that pay a ton of money to televise these games. If they don't think they're going to get the best possible product, they're going to stop buying tickets, stop televising.

Think about if you're a fan. Say you're a spurs fan that just happens to live in Miami. You buy expensive tickets to go see them play the heat and you're treated to Matt Bonner and Patty Mills. How would you feel right now? It doesn't even matter if the spurs win, because the atmosphere goes from a playoff intensity to a preseason level.

Once again, it's a business, just like any other. You shouldn't let customers decide certain aspects. Lineups are one of those aspects. Pop has more basketball knowledge in one of his livers pots than all Spurs fans combined. How he sets his line ups on gamedays should be his decision. Not the fans.

Pop isn't playing for regular season wins. He's playing for championships. I know that strange to Chiefs fans, but Pop knows how to win championships and that's what he's trying to do with Tim at least one more time.

Tough titty if you didn't get to see who you wanted.

Splash!

This.

So it's cool if you buy tickets to see Led Zeppelin and they decide that this is the 4th show in 5 nights so Jimmy Page and Robert Plant are going to skip this show. No refunds, the rest of the band will perform and you'll just have to deal with it.