Commissioner David Stern, responding to a question posed during an ESPN online chat, said he’s no fan of teams blaring music or sound effects while the game is being played.
“We’re trying to find a few games to experiment with for teams to give us a ‘silent night’ so to speak,” Stern wrote to the questioner, identified only as JC from Boston.
Stern declined to elaborate on the noise-free plan, saying in an e-mail after the chat that he isn’t ready to “give up the details yet.”
During the chat, conducted Thursday, the questioner wrote, “If home fans can’t get pumped up and make noise on their own, then there is something really wrong with your league. The game should be the entertainment and able to stand up alone without canned music.”
Stern responded, “I agree with you. Unfortunately, most of our teams don’t and think that the fans like the entertainment.”
I can only hope that the Commissioner’s secret plan will extend to the D-League, where the Austin Toros’ deafening selections include the old theme music from “The NBA On NBC”, CBS’ “Road To The Final Four” and hardest of all to fathom, a “SportsCenter” jingle circa 1988.