Just remembering my own trip to the St. Regis Hotel. Standing outside with media members for 9 hours in a very hot NYC afternoon. I actually had not planned on attending. NY Vinnie called me up that eveningb and I literally booked my flight for 6am in the morning at 8pm the night before. Flew out deathly sick and had a crazy trip. I was in the room with the pope, got to know all the national media guys really well, made Jerry Buss walk around me on the sidewalk, got hammered with the Mexican Ambassador to the US, and ran without any planning at all appearing on a bunch of national television. I was very, very sick on this trip and faked energy the whole way through.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhT8ODIoVoo
Let me say that at that trip and during several others the NBA has been really good to me. I stand by the argument that they let their customers down and did not treat us well as customers. However I am very happy to see communication being rebuilt and to hear from so many sources recently about their renewed support of our market. Lots of mistakes were made. Its now incumbent on all of us to move on, get past them, and create a positive fresh start.