Deadspin
I missed it in Marc Stein's Friday blog update, but Stein mentioned that part of the reason that the NBA changed the basketball they use might be complaints from PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. PETA is claiming responsibility, anyway. From their official website:
In January 2006, PETA contacted the National Basketball Association (NBA) and requested that it switch from leather basketballs to cruelty-free synthetic balls ... Along with the request, PETA sent information on how the leather industry tortures and kills millions of cows, including the fact that it takes the skin of an entire cow to make just four basketballs ... In June 2006, the NBA announced that it would switch to synthetic basketballs beginning with its 2006/2007 season.
My only question is ... if I'm going to be eating the rest of the cow anyway (and I damn sure will be), why not use the skin to put together a few basketball? Do we went to use the whole animal, like the nice Native Americans in "Dances With Wolves," or do we want to be like the bad white men who kill the buffalo for their tongues? Think about that, Pam Anderson.
The NBA denies that PETA had anything to do with the switch, saying that it's "a better ball with a better grip and feel and more consistency from ball-to-ball." Ignoring the words "ball-to-ball" for a second, pretty much everyone in the league agrees that the new basketball does not have a better grip, feel, or anything else. Everyone from Shaq to Mark Madsen hates it.
I think the NBA caved in to PETA. For a dress code that the players hate, the league stands up like they're Corleones. PETA applies a little pressure, though, and they fold like little girls.
About PETA - Victories [PETA]
PETA likes "cruelty-free" ball [ESPN Insider]
Comments
David Stern is the most powerful man in the world. Why he is caving in to PETA's ridiculous demands is beyond me. If Stern keeps this up, next thing you know there won't be hot dogs at concession stands in NBA arenas. In all honesty though I hope PETA's "pressure" is not the actual reason Stern switched to this supposed inferior ball. And I put pressure in quotes because it is more like pseudo-pressure since nobody even knew until now that PETA even cared what kind of balls the NBA used. Stern better not have hurt the integrity of the NBA in order to appease this silly group.
they're not people! they're hippies!
from what i have read. it was because the old ball became too slippery when wet. also so far the players are not very receptive to this new ball as it gets wet as well. plus the players don't like to change the ball during the game and with this ball, they might have to do that.
i don't get that picture. We kill unwashed vegetarian hippies for leather?
I really doubt that was the case, since vegans generally don't buy a lot of season tickets or NBA merch, and losing them as fans wouldn't hurt the league in any way.
Now if the Ultimate Frisbie League switched to a leather frisbie, that would be a different story.
The new ball has gotten some great press from a lot of players, and just because Shaq (who can barely dribble or shoot) hates it, it makes news.
Chris Berman and PETA obviously don't see eye to eye. I have a feeling God tainted spinach with E. Coli just because of people like the ones in that picture.
PETA sucks. It really, really sucks. Everyone in PETA sucks.
I'm sorry, got sidetracked on the PETA sucking thing. What were we talking about again? Oh right--basketballs. Boo PETA! Hooray leather basketballs!
don't be fooled timmy. that cow would kill you if he had the chance!
You're with me, pleather.
I'm sorry.
People Eating Tasty Animals ...
Player Excuses for Throwing Airball ...
Go Vegan!
The only reasonable explanation is that someone has pictures of tiny little D Stern with a cow.
If not, the terrorists have won.
PETA = al quaida
Actually, very little leather comes from animals slaughtered for meat, and most of that is poor quality; a steer old enough to be a beef producer will have far too many scars and blemishes. Most leather comes from cows unsuitable for beef production (such as dairy bulls).
Also, PETA hatred and blind denunciations of vegans are more a Fark thing, surely? Do you really want to align yourself with a website frequented by 1,000,000 clones of the Comic Book Guy?
Don't forget how Vince McMahon was cornholed by a Panda bear.
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