In my column in today's Miami Herald I quoted Mavericks owner Mark Cuban as having yelled the following at NBA commissioner David Stern in the emotional moments following Sunday night's controversial Heat overtime win in Miami: "[Bleep] you! [Bleep] you! Your league is rigged!"
Cuban, in his blog today, denied having said that. In an e-mail to me just after noon today, he wrote, "I never said a word to the commissioner [after the game]. Not a single word. Stared at him. Yes. Said a word. No."
Someone near the scorer's table who said he heard Cuban say what I quoted him saying passed the information to someone I trust who informed me. My source in turn trusted the person who reported hearing it.
For the record, I never believed Cuban actually believed the fix was on. I believed then, and do now, that, in context, an outspoken owner was venting in the heat of the moment at a raw, emotional time.
In any case, however, I was wrong to use the quote. That doesn't mean the words were never said, denial notwithstanding. I was wrong, journalistically, to put quotation marks around words I did not personally hear. I would be wrong even if Cuban had not denied having said it.
Stern, asked today by Boog Sciambi on 790 The Ticket about that quote, said: "That did not happen to my knowledge."
CBS SportsLine.com reported today that Cuban, after yelling at referee Joe DeRosa on the court after the final buzzer, "...then stared and screamed toward commissioner David Stern and a group of league officials..."
In that same story, it was reported Cuban had been fined $250,000 by the NBA for "several [unspecified] acts of misconduct" following the game.
This Miami Herald journalistic "mistake" along with the other surrounding the "Mark Cuban boat" story (correction statement found here: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/corrections/14831000.htm)
Miami writers are all too happy to jump on any anti-Mavs gossip they can find, it seems.
Posted by: miamihumidity | June 20, 2006 at 03:31 PM
Absolutely no integrity whatsoever in Miami journalism
Posted by: Blake | June 20, 2006 at 03:39 PM
Mark Cuban whines all the time to the league and the refs when his team is losing especially in the playoffs. Tonight after the Heat take care of his Mavs, he will be whining even more.
Posted by: miamihumidity | June 20, 2006 at 03:41 PM
I heard from a source that it's actually Cote that is going around these forums, re-typing and mixing up posts written by non-Heat fans and using their names. Brilliant!
Posted by: miamihumidity | June 20, 2006 at 03:44 PM
A lack of integrity would be standing by something you realize is wrong after the fact. People screw up. It happens.
Correcting it is what maintains your integrity.
Posted by: David Tucker | June 20, 2006 at 03:47 PM
He stands by what he said, he still believes it happened, even though Stern and Cuban both say it didn't. Cote is just saying he was wrong to use quotation marks. He then goes on to imply it actually happened anyway. That is not integrity, that's the Miami Herald.
Posted by: miamihumidity | June 20, 2006 at 03:53 PM
He's allowed to believe it. Its not a quote though and shouldn't be listed as one.
I've read Cuban's blog though and while I can say many things about him, I don't believe the man is a liar. So I'm willing to take him at his word. Greg is not required to do the same, though.
Posted by: David Tucker | June 20, 2006 at 04:04 PM
This is no more than a CYA--getting in front of the storm. You heard from someone who heard from someone.....that's usually reliable. The euphoria of closing in on a trophy is no excuse for printing unsubstantiated statements in a news daily.
Posted by: Tony | June 20, 2006 at 04:06 PM
Cuban expects to have it his way with the league. He will find out today that he is so wrong in that regard. Cuban repeat after me 2006 NBA World Champions Miami Heat.
Posted by: miamihumidity | June 20, 2006 at 04:20 PM
Mr. Cote
As someone who used to be in the profession and loves it so, you are a disgrace. I don't care if your preacher told your mother and your mother told you what Cuban said, to use it as a quote is unacceptable. There would assuredly be consequences at the papers where I worked. Shame on you for giving a profession based on integrity another black eye.
Posted by: Brad Shepard | June 20, 2006 at 04:36 PM
Mr. Cote
As someone who used to be in the profession and loves it so, I am a disgrace to be trolling here. I have such a bad habit talking about other people's mother. There would assuredly be consequences that my Mavs,I,trolls,and Mark will get a dosage of our own medicine tonight. Shame on us trolls for giving a profession based on integrity another black eye.
Posted by: Brad Shepard | June 20, 2006 at 04:39 PM
Reporting this crap based on a reliable source who was told by a reliable source is unacceptable and shows the bias of anyone reporting such a thing. The use of quotes is particularly disturbing. A real report actually does some investigation of the subject matter. Then, the reporter insinuates it still happened even after Stern and Cuban both say it did not happen!!
Posted by: Curtis | June 20, 2006 at 05:42 PM
I'm loving this! The NBA is fixed and has been since the Suns - Celtics series in 1976. Controversy sells. Look at you fools that believe this series is on the up and up. Isn't there something more important to you all than a silly playground game?
Posted by: Vince McMahon | June 20, 2006 at 06:03 PM
Funny stuff. The people commenting on this blog act like the MH is the only journalist rag that has mis-represented something that was said by a famous star. Do any of you ever remove your eyes from the computer or the tv and actually see what world we currently live in?
Is it right? No. Does it happen every minute of every day in every newspaper around the country? Yes. We all know it.
Does it really bother you? Do something about it instead of bytching in a barely read blog.
Posted by: Mike Mare | June 20, 2006 at 06:32 PM
Um...I don't have an EsPN Insider account, but if any of you do, what does the rest of this story say?
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2006/columns/story?columnist=sheridan_chris&id=2492915
Posted by: mark | June 20, 2006 at 07:59 PM
My Mom bakes great brownies.
Posted by: Juan Perez | June 20, 2006 at 08:10 PM
Mark Cuban speaks what everyone with a single brain cell has known for years. Because of his lofty status, it is finally getting the pub necessary to get the NBA's dirty little secret out into the mainstream.
Until now it has been the mumblings of degenerate gamblers and a few low-lifes that contended the outcome of NBA games were predetermined.
Remember, a large percentage of NBA referees have plea agreements in place for past indiscretions including tax evasion for failing to report the profits from selling their airline tickets.
This is a much greater problem than steroids. Wake up gang.
Posted by: Vince McMahon | June 20, 2006 at 08:17 PM
Mark Cuban is the biggest pussie ever. Dallas fans have no class at all so of course what would you expect Greg?
Posted by: Jim | June 20, 2006 at 10:23 PM
Integrity is owning up to a mistake and doing it as soon as possible. You have it.
Posted by: CAA | June 21, 2006 at 09:09 AM
I would like to apply for a job as sportswriter for your paper. I have minimal qualifications but I feel that is all is needed. I would like to use Greg Cote as a reference since he was my mentor. He has taught everything that I don't know. I feel I will fit in perfectly with your paper.
Posted by: francomef | June 21, 2006 at 11:16 AM
I don't even like Dallas. I don't know what a "troll" is. Yeah, that's right, Mr. Shepard was talking about Mr. Cote's mother. Makes sense.
Posted by: Joe Mama | June 21, 2006 at 01:18 PM
Are sports writers now turning into the TV/Radio personalities that talk "smack" and perpetuate or fabricate controversy for the sake of viewership? What happen to the days when we could read articles by the likes of Jack Murphy.
Posted by: Ralph | June 21, 2006 at 04:03 PM
You should be ashamed of using hearsay quotes about what Mark Cuban is to have said to David Stern about the NBA being rigged
I live in Dallas and root for Miami (thought it would go to 7 games) and I was looking for a higher standard of reporting but instead find the same drivel as Dallas reporters generate.
Posted by: Douglas A. McCarthy | June 21, 2006 at 10:22 PM
Kinda funny, in the context of "history" - 4 days now - how the entire media and NBA world has accepted the essence of Greg's original thesis in the Tuesday column. I.E. - Mark Cuban = self defeating jerk.
Maybe the "deep throat" who is the trusted source of "rigged" can someday go public, so we know for sure that Cuban said what Greg feels likely was said. Shame? For this? Go feel shame that the president of the free world outs CIA agents. Get real.
"Trusted Sources", in a larger scale - Watergate, Phone records, Wistleblowers, etc. help alot of people in the real world.
Posted by: David Gaines | June 24, 2006 at 04:53 PM
I've known for years that the NBA is rigged. Look no further that that infamous
Hugh Hollins call against Pippen a few years back. The sight of that ref makes me sick to this day.
Posted by: Andrew King | June 28, 2006 at 07:07 AM