NBA, WWE grapple over Denver booking conflict

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are scheduled to be at the Pepsi Center in Denver next Monday night.

Problem is, so are John Cena and a bunch of wrestlers -- and they called it first.

World Wrestling Entertainment said it is booked at the arena for an episode of Monday Night Raw, the same night the Nuggets are slated to host the Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.

WWE chairman Vince McMahon told The Associated Press he doesn't believe there was "any malice, just ineptness," on the part of Kroenke Sports, which owns the team and the building, but can't tolerate the company "just simply throwing us out on our ear."

Without a quick resolution, McMahon plans to send his trucks to Denver.

"That's what we intend to do," he said. "We're going to show up."

over 2 years ago NormVanBeer 38 comments 0 recs |

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WWE should transition to Coors Field.

Since it is available…how cool would it be to see Wrestling outdoors? McMahon could demand that Kroenke foot the bill.

McMahon blamed Kroenke for not believing his team was good enough to still be playing in mid-May.

“The fans in Denver had a lot more faith in making the playoffs than the owner,” he said in a phone interview from Louisville, where Raw was taking place later Monday night.

" I've looked at these numbers and decided the #1 problem

is that Ben Gordon is selfish..." -your friendly bulls blogger

by Dionysus2.0 on May 18, 2009 11:45 PM CDT reply actions

Logistical nightmare

but an interesting proposition. The WWE is holding a contract. Look out for Mr. President and his contract wrecking White House.

12/31: Fire Vinny Del Negro.

by NBA Observer on May 19, 2009 4:23 PM CDT up reply actions

Stan Kroenke makes Jerry Reinsdorf seem like Mother Theresa.

McMahon could demand that Kroenke foot the bill.

"Whoever was responsible for pulling that offer [to Ben Gordon] off the table...bring him before me and I'll punch him right in the face " - Frederick Pfeiffer

by Granny Waiters on May 19, 2009 7:19 PM CDT up reply actions

With the way things have been ref'd lately

I don’t know if TV viewers would notice which they were watching anyway.

That being said, one is a fake sport and one is a real sport. Basketball should win out on this one even if by a hair.

Everything I post is speculation. I have no insider information nor ideas deemed concrete enough by those who are self-elected to regulate post content.

by cranscape on May 19, 2009 12:01 AM CDT reply actions

It doesn't matter what the event is or isn't

If the WWE has had a contract in place for some time then they win.
There is really no ifs ands or buts.
The arena officials screwed up, by scheduling this event knowing dam well the Nuggets could still be playing. The WWE was there first therefore they win.

by Edicus2288i on May 19, 2009 1:28 AM CDT up reply actions

Its funny some people are saying the Bulls-Nuggets- and other teams just turned it up once the playoffs started. I really don’t think thats the case to some degree people have to see these teams coming I think its just an excuse for analysts when they don’t predict it. I think when people say something along those lines they haven’t paid attention to the team they’re talking about.

But anyway Denver it was obvious I thought they had a chance even around what march you could see they weren’t slipping. But it says here they did this once the matchups were pretty much all set. Denver had the 2 seed locked for a bit because of their schedule and obviously wouldn’t have met with the lakers. I mean its kinda surprising.
But I wonder if it comes down to whos bigger and I think the NBA will be on a bigger network.

by Camry on May 19, 2009 1:43 AM CDT up reply actions

WWE is a pretty big company themselves

Hell, their show might actually get better ratings than the game.

Why resort to name calling?
-Dionysus2.0

because I wish to insult you personally
-your friendly BullsBlogger

by Big D on May 19, 2009 10:17 AM CDT up reply actions

Mmm, no

But the Nuggets owner still looks really bad here.

12/31: Fire Vinny Del Negro.

by NBA Observer on May 19, 2009 4:22 PM CDT up reply actions

WWE gets...

better ratings than many of the NBA playoff games…

" I've looked at these numbers and decided the #1 problem

is that Ben Gordon is selfish..." -your friendly bulls blogger

by Dionysus2.0 on May 19, 2009 4:58 PM CDT up reply actions

I meant the channel wasn't sure where the WWE comes on

by Camry on May 21, 2009 1:49 AM CDT up reply actions

But I would be surprised if they did get better ratings

I think both the teams are pretty exciting if anyone is planning on watching some good playoffs Bball.

by Camry on May 21, 2009 1:53 AM CDT up reply actions

I agree

I read an article saying that WWE made plans for the event before the Nuggets/NBA did for the arena; so barring the NBA enticing their offer for that night, the WWE should have an upper hand for this one.

by NittanyCub on May 19, 2009 2:33 AM CDT up reply actions

And if it was some figure skating ice show or the circus you'd feel the same way?

People should remember that while they have the right to their opinion, they are not entitled to be taken seriously. --Bruce Bartlett

by tyger1147 on May 19, 2009 9:49 AM CDT up reply actions

Big secret here...I don't care.

I can sleep at night even if they hold the national Rock, Paper, Scissors competition there that night. Did it really sound like I was serious? Was this originally posted to generate serious comments anyway?

Everything I post is speculation. I have no insider information nor ideas deemed concrete enough by those who are self-elected to regulate post content.

by cranscape on May 19, 2009 11:38 AM CDT up reply actions

You offered an opinion. That implies some sort of "caring".

I truly hope that no one truly, deeply cares that much about anything discussed on this blog.

People should remember that while they have the right to their opinion, they are not entitled to be taken seriously. --Bruce Bartlett

by tyger1147 on May 19, 2009 12:29 PM CDT up reply actions

I have no clue what the original poster intended...

…but i also am unsure whether much here, as milquetoast as it is, is very serious discussion. If “serious” is only relative to the rest of the discussion on BaB, I don’t see why this is all that less significant.

People should remember that while they have the right to their opinion, they are not entitled to be taken seriously. --Bruce Bartlett

by tyger1147 on May 19, 2009 12:31 PM CDT up reply actions

Considering

I implied that the NBA should have preference over WWE because it was a real sport indicates I was joking. This is a business matter and the Nuggets screwed up. There isn’t anything to discuss beyond joking around since that is pretty black and white. Beyond being a little funny the whole topic is cut and dry.

Everything I post is speculation. I have no insider information nor ideas deemed concrete enough by those who are self-elected to regulate post content.

by cranscape on May 19, 2009 12:56 PM CDT up reply actions

"the original poster" = me

It was posted because it’s the offseason…any basketball-related/news-worthy item is considered fair game in my eyes. Besides, I’m sick of reading posts like who’s better between Kobe or MJ…or other shit like “should the bulls keep BG or let him go”.

It had to do with the Nuggets/NBA/playoffs, so it was posted.

http://awsomepeoplesearch.com/

by NormVanBeer on May 19, 2009 2:29 PM CDT up reply actions

I don't mind you posting it at all.

But I find it weird that people think it is debatable. Were we supposed to have argument over if it was right or not? It was fairly simple. The Nuggets screwed up. The fact it involved WWE is funny which was why I though you posted it in the first place. Especially considering complaints about the refing this playoffs. Otherwise it comes down to arguing if the Nuggets did or did not screw up. They did. That is all.

Everything I post is speculation. I have no insider information nor ideas deemed concrete enough by those who are self-elected to regulate post content.

by cranscape on May 19, 2009 3:24 PM CDT up reply actions

exactly

that was the only reason I posted it…I thought it was interesting/funny considering it had to do with the WWE, and to my knowlege, nothing like this has ever come up before…at least nothing that I can remember.

I figured people would post some jokes and sarcastic remarks and that would be it.

http://awsomepeoplesearch.com/

by NormVanBeer on May 19, 2009 3:49 PM CDT up reply actions

the penguins had to reschedule

because of a YANNI concert!!! :D

the owner of the team had this to say:

“It is a shame that both teams will have to play back to back games later in the series because the Pittsburgh building – against NHL rules – booked a series of concerts and forced the league to alter the playoff schedule. This is bad for the league, both fan bases and for the players.

“The playoffs are very intense and physical and players need time to recoup. No one is advantaged by playing back to back games so no one can complain but it is unfortunate that the Yanni concert takes precedence over high quality NHL playoff hockey.”

in this case, of course, the owner of the team and arena weren’t the same. kroenke was screwing himself in the nugs case…..

"They should. They better. I'm Vinny Del Negro!"

by Jaina on May 19, 2009 4:14 PM CDT up reply actions

Shows how arrogant the NBA is

They could have avoided this with one phone call. “Is Pepsi Arena booked for Monday the 25th? It is? OK, then we’ll schedule Game 3 for Sunday and Game 4 for Tuesday.” Instead, they’re so arrogant they think the world revolves around them.

Why resort to name calling?
-Dionysus2.0

because I wish to insult you personally
-your friendly BullsBlogger

by Big D on May 19, 2009 10:13 AM CDT reply actions

i think this is more on the nugs management (who also own the pepsi center)

than on the NBA. why the hell would they schedule WWE then when they knew the nugs could indeed be playing basketball now? that, and people make a good point in the comments… it’s memorial day… make it an afternoon game. problem solved. game 1 was moved earlier when the bruins were playing in the evening.

"They should. They better. I'm Vinny Del Negro!"

by Jaina on May 19, 2009 10:28 AM CDT up reply actions

WWE booked the Pepsi Center last August, mgmt probably would have had no idea when the WCF would be scheduled

Even if they knew that the WCF would be scheduled for that day, they’d have to weigh the chances that the Nuggets could make it that far and that they’d be the home team on that particular day against the likely large sums of cash a WWE event brings to the arena. If anyone should be blamed for this fiasco, it should be the NBA for not looking at the schedules of the arenas for their remaining teams and swapping the starting days for the WCF and ECF.

As to moving the game to an earlier slot, the NBA has an obligation to ABC to provide a prime time game. Even if ABC let that slide, it’d likely be very, very difficult for them to host an NBA playoff game, empty the arena and prepare it for a WWE event. It’s one thing to do the basketball → hockey switch as everything is already inside the arena for that and they’re used to making that switch. The WWE would have to have the basketball court removed and then begin building a stage, ring area, and layout their pyrotechnics while assuring it’s all done safely.

The NHL’s had to work around a couple conflicts in the past couple years with children’s arena shows. Still, they have to pay for their product to be aired on TV, so rescheduling their games as they did probably didn’t have the same contractual issues.

We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look.
Ronald Reagan

by snley on May 19, 2009 10:59 AM CDT up reply actions

All the NBA had to do was start the ECF today, and start the WCF tomorrow

Cleveland’s had a longer wait than Denver anyways, so they should have just started the Eastern finals earlier. It’s pretty dumb on the league’s part, because now one of their owners is likely going to have to write a very large check to get WWE to move their show.

Why resort to name calling?
-Dionysus2.0

because I wish to insult you personally
-your friendly BullsBlogger

by Big D on May 19, 2009 11:03 AM CDT up reply actions

it's actually not quite as simple

because WWE booked it for monday AND tuesday. it would have been one thing if it was just monday, then yes, put the WCF on the other day. but this way it would cause a 2 day break no matter what you do.

i still think they should have just made it an afternoon game… it’s memorial day.

"They should. They better. I'm Vinny Del Negro!"

by Jaina on May 19, 2009 11:43 AM CDT up reply actions

I swear I remember there always being an NBA doubleheader on Memorial Day

Shame they got rid of that tradition, who wants to go to a bbq or play outside when you can stay in and watch playoff basketball

We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look.
Ronald Reagan

by snley on May 19, 2009 12:04 PM CDT up reply actions

The setup time for WWE probably

wouldn’t work with an NBA game just hours prior to it. They’d have to clean up after the game (people are messy y’know) and set up all of their staging and lighting stuff and whatever else they need to do. And since it isn’t really a sport they might need to do walk-through earlier in the day too so they get their lines right.

Everything I post is speculation. I have no insider information nor ideas deemed concrete enough by those who are self-elected to regulate post content.

by cranscape on May 19, 2009 12:09 PM CDT up reply actions

they couldn't start the game at noon?

barring any crazy game, that would leave 4 hours before the WWE is supposed to start. or make the game start at noon (or hell, even 11) and see if WWE can start a little later. i dunno. i don’t see how they couldn’t work it out somehow.

it’s messy because yeah they set this date almost a year ago, but the NBA also has contracts with the tv studios which are probably from equally long ago. i feel like there could be a way for everyone to get what they want… but i’m sure mcmahon will be happy enough with the large amount of money he’s going to be receiving for this. :P

"They should. They better. I'm Vinny Del Negro!"

by Jaina on May 19, 2009 12:44 PM CDT up reply actions

McMahon has his own TV contract to worry about as well

NBA probably doesn’t have enough accessible cash to pay him off. My completely unsupported guess is that tonight’s game dictates where Game 4 gets played. If the Lakers win, they’ll play Game 4 in SLC if their arena is available. If the Nuggets win, they’ll switch locations for Games 4 & 5.

We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look.
Ronald Reagan

by snley on May 19, 2009 1:39 PM CDT up reply actions

i already heard WWE is conceding

if you go to that espn article the headline is now “WWE losing Pepsi Center on May 25”.

and yes, i know he does also. but it sounded like they were trying to move it. also NBA ain’t stepping in and changing schedules either, since they’re leaving it up to WWE and Pepsi center officials to deal with it.

"They should. They better. I'm Vinny Del Negro!"

by Jaina on May 19, 2009 1:44 PM CDT up reply actions

But once the playoffs start, aren't the beginnings of each series date pre-determined?

At least for the conference finals and finals.

That Steve Nash is exactly the same as Kirk Hinrich, but worse.
by NBA Observer on Apr 8, 2009 12:23 PM CDT

by Ozzie Montana on May 19, 2009 11:03 AM CDT up reply actions

Naturally, the Executive of the Year is from the Nuggets

I love the NBA.

That Steve Nash is exactly the same as Kirk Hinrich, but worse.
by NBA Observer on Apr 8, 2009 12:23 PM CDT

by Ozzie Montana on May 19, 2009 10:55 AM CDT reply actions

lol, timing

Seriously, just get Jerry “The King” Lawler out there to referee game 3.

12/31: Fire Vinny Del Negro.

by NBA Observer on May 19, 2009 4:25 PM CDT up reply actions

All this controversy over a rigged sport filled with drug users

But enough about the NBA already.

Why resort to name calling?
-Dionysus2.0

because I wish to insult you personally
-your friendly BullsBlogger

by Big D on May 19, 2009 5:07 PM CDT reply actions

well

I think they made a compromise by letting the WWE refs do this game. What a joke

by JSlakov on May 19, 2009 10:49 PM CDT reply actions

I thought it was one of the best games of the year (in terms of officiating)

I may be biased though because it was fun watching the Lakers get mauled for 3 quarters, yet were able to wait for Denver to give them the game. Gah.

That Steve Nash is exactly the same as Kirk Hinrich, but worse.
by NBA Observer on Apr 8, 2009 12:23 PM CDT

by Ozzie Montana on May 19, 2009 11:39 PM CDT up reply actions

That was really painful to watch.

And I thought the Bulls were the only team who could blow an inbound pass late in the game (or at all).

Everything I post is speculation. I have no insider information nor ideas deemed concrete enough by those who are self-elected to regulate post content.

by cranscape on May 20, 2009 8:37 AM CDT up reply actions