The Canadian Press: Commissioner David Stern considers NBA regular-season games in Europe

Except maybe on a Sunday they won't be playing any of those games during the daytime and playing night games in Europe for the fan in the U.S. that wants to watch the games live is a nightmare. Who today should have to watch an NBA regular season game delayed?

Garbage for the U.S. fan but great for the Europeans and for Stern's, the owners' and the players' wallets.

Playing in Europe will increase the number of and value of the European marketing deals that players sign.

Also traveling back and forth between Europe and the U.S. will reduce the quality of the play due to jet lag and other assorted problems arising from international travel.

If this happens, they should change the NBA to the WBA (World Basketball Association). Naismith invented the game. I say keep the games here. If it were soccer, then North American athletes can go live across the pond. I realize this sounds very ethnocentric, but I really don't care. Stern likes the idea because it helps grow the league worldwide. All about marketing, folks. If the Euros want to watch the game, they have satellite TV over there. Imagine if Manchester United or Arsenal suggested playing a few regular-season games over here to waken the States' awareness of soccer. There would be bedlam in England.

__________________
"I don't believe there's any problem in this country, no matter how tough it is, that Americans, when they roll up their sleeves, can't completely ignore. - George Carlin

It would actually be a very smart move for them to do that.

Why would that be?

There are not enough English expatriates in this country that would make it worth while.

The U.K. soccer teams including their owners and the head of their leagues could probably care less about coming over her to play Yanks or even Hispanics. If you don't know why, you might want to live in Europe for a while. If you have lived in Europe already then I still don't agree with you.

Of course you could be correct that it would be a smart move, but I doubt that we will ever live to see it happen.

I lived in Europe. I could really care less to have regular season games overseas. There were only 14 home games a year and there's no way I'd agree to not be able to go. Imaging having NFL games in Europe, that would be similar.

That is why it only makes sense for a preseason game.

The NBA has so many games that it would be less of an issue though. I think that traveling and feeling like you are representing the game of basketball would be a good experience for a lot of NBA players.

However, the best marketing happens when a player from a foreign country makes it into the NBA. Yao Ming.

Charter a Concord, the plane can still fly.

I can't help but to think this is a distraction from the ref scandle. Perfect timing right before the pre-season begins.

If they played regular season games over there they would have to find a way to compensate the team owners for the lost gate revenues. How would the fans over here feel about having that many less games to attend? US fan considerations seem to be low on that guys list anyway.

If they established a Euro league and integrated them into the playoffs I am not sure how that would work. Have to cut down on the reg season games to have this extra series.

No thanks.

There are safer lower risk from terrorists ways to fly to Europe. I am talking from experience and research on this one.