It
      is
      no
      doubt
      the
      dream
      of
     
     
      many
      sports
      fans
      to
      own
      a
      profes-
     
     
      sional
      sports
      franchise.
      To
      be
      able
     
     
      to
      draw
      millions
      of
      people
      into
     
     
      your
      stadium
      every
      year
      to
      watch
     
     
      your
      million
      dollar
      athletes
      do
     
     
      what
      they
      do
      best:
      entertain
      the
     
     
      crowd
      and
      hopefully
      win
      a
      champi-
     
     
      onship.
     
    

    
     
      If
      a
      person
      had
      ownership
     
     
      of
      a
      team
      they
      would
      likely
      use
     
     
      their
      luxury
      box
      seats
      to
      enjoy
      the
     
     
      game
      with
      their
      guests.
      If
      so
     
     
      desired,
      the
      owner
      could
      sit
      in
      the
     
     
      reserved
      seats
      behind
      the
      player’s
     
     
      bench.
     
    

    
     
      The
      picture
      that
      many
      of
      us
     
     
      perceive
      to
      be
      the
      consummate
     
     
      owner
      is
      the
      person
      dressed
      in
      a
     
     
      business
      suit
      watching
      carefully
     
     
      over
      their
      investment.
      Owners
     
     
      seem
      to
      control
      their
      outward
      exu-
     
     
      berance
      when
      the
      game
      is
      going
      on
     
     
      especially
      in
      the
      regular
      season.
     
    

    
     
      Wouldn’t
      it
      be
      more
      inter-
     
     
      esting
      to
      see
      an
      owner
      who
      let
      him-
     
     
      self
      go
      and
      was
      just
      like
      the
      com-
     
     
      mon
      fan?
      A
      person
      who
      would
     
     
      taunt
      the
      opposing
      team’s
      players,
     
     
      yell
      at
      the
      referees
      and
      jump
      up
      in
     
     
      excitement
      when
      his
      team
      would
     
     
      score
      like
      a
      true
      fan?
     
    

    
     
      There
      is
      such
      an
      owner
      in
     
     
      professional
      sports
      and
      his
      name
      is
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MARC.
      MACDONALYD
      PRESENTS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SPORTS
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mark
      Cuban.
      He
      is
      the
      co-founder
     
     
      of
      Broadcast.com
      which
      was
     
     
      bought
      by
      Yahoo!
      in
      1999.
      Cuban
     
     
      took
      some
      of
      his
      billion
      dollar
      for-
     
     
      tune
      and
      bought
      the
      Dallas
     
     
      Mavericks
      of
      the
      NBA.
     
    

    
     
      Cuban
      is
      very
      involved
     
     
      with
      his
      team
      which
      includes
     
     
      working
      out
      with
      the
      team
      and
     
     
      traveling
      with
      them
      on
      away
     
     
      games.
      He
      has
      lavished
      players
     
     
      with
      electronic-filled
      lockers,
     
     
      ultra-soft
      towels
      and
      even
      custom-
     
     
      made
      courtside
      chairs.
     
    

    
     
      His
      energy
      and
      enthusiasm
     
     
      have
      helped
      revive
      one
      of
      the
     
     
      league’s
      most
      dreadful
      teams
      and
     
     
      made
      him
      a
      local
      celebrity.
      He
      has
     
     
      given
      the
      fans
      a
      break
      by
      paying
     
     
      for
      service
      charges
      on
      tickets,
      and
     
     
      buying
      tickets
      for
      fans
      who
      travel
     
     
      to
      the
      road
      games
      and
      wear
      the
     
     
      team’s
      colors
      of
      green
      and
      white.
     
    

    
     
      If
      there
      was
      an
      award
      for
     
     
      ownership,
      Cuban
      would
      likely
      get
     
     
      the
      most
      votes
      by
      fans
      but
      not
     
     
      NBA
      officials.
      In
      fact,
      Mark
      Cuban
     
     
      has
      been
      fined
      $395,000
      for
      five
     
     
      separate
      offenses
      this
      season.
      The
     
     
      majority
      of
      the
      fines
      have
      come
     
     
      from
      doing
      what
      many
      fans
      do:
     
     
      criticizing
      officials.
      Except
      Cuban
     
     
      took
      it
      to
      a
      higher
      level.
     
    

    
     
      On
      January
      4,
      Cuban
      was
     
     
      fined
      $250,000
      when
      he
      criticized
     
     
      officials
      and
      then
      showed
      replays
     
     
      on
      a
      scoreboard
      of
      a
      disputed
      call
     
     
      that
      went
      against
      the
      Mavericks.
     
     
      Cuban
      has
      stated
      that
      his
      team
      has
     
     
      been
      on
      the
      losing
      end
      of
      many
     
     
      calls
      this
      season
      because
      of
      care-
     
     
      less
      officiating.
     
    

    
     
      “I
      have
      no
      problem
      if
      it’s
      a
     
     
      good
      game,
      but
      if
      a
      ref
      steals
      a
     
     
      game
      from
      us,
      how
      am
      I
      going
      to
     
     
      be
      quiet?”
      he
      said.
      “I’m
      not
      criti-
     
     
      cizing
      the
      refs,
      really
      I’m
      not.
      But
     
     
      hopefully
      the
      averages
      will
      start
     
     
      turning
      out
      in
      our
      favor.”
     
    

    
     
      Cuban
      has
      even
      been
      fined
     
     
      when
      he
      wasn’t
      disputing
      a
      refer-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ee’s
      call.
      On
      January
      12,
      he
      was
     
     
      fined
      $100,000
      for
      sitting
      on
      the
     
     
      baseline
      with
      the
      reserve
      players
     
     
      and
      trainers
      during
      a
      January
      10
     
     
      game
      in
      Minnesota.
      Cuban
      who
     
     
      was
      dressed
      with
      a
      sweatshirt
      and
     
     
      warm-up
      pants
      bearing
      the
      teams
     
     
      colors
      and
      logo
      said
      in
      his
      defense
     
     
      that
      their
      was
      no
      open
      seats
      behind
     
     
      the
      bench
      and
      he
      did
      not
      want
      to
     
     
      take
      one
      of
      the
      coach’s
      seats.
     
    

    
     
      To
      put
      it
      in
      perspective
      as
     
     
      to
      how
      hard
      the
      NBA
      has
      been
      on
     
     
      Cuban,
      the
      _
      retired/unretired
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dennis
      Rodman,
      who
      has
      had
     
     
      many
      run-ins
      with
      league
      officials,
     
     
      was
      fined
      a
      total
      of
      $193,000
      over
     
     
      his
      entire
      career.
     
    

    
     
      Cuban
      has
      let
      it
      be
      known
     
     
      to
      the
      media
      and
      the
      league
      that
      his
     
     
      criticisms
      have
      come
      to
      an
      end
      but
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      20
      The
      Cadre
     
    
   
   
    
     
      he
      also
      said
      that
      after
      his
      third
      fine
     
     
      of
      November
      for
      $25,000.
     
     
      Although
      the
      league
      has
     
     
      made
      a
      lot
      of
      money
      off
      of
      Mark
     
     
      Cuban
      this
      year,
      and
      are
      anticipat-
     
     
      ing
      the
      day
      when
      he
      sells
      the
      team,
     
     
      they
      should
      also
      be
      appreciative.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cuban
      has
      the
      leverage
      to
      have
      his
     
    
   
   
    
     
      voice
      heard
      on
      some
      of
      the
      bad
     
     
      officiating
      which
      exists
      in
      the
     
     
      game.
      The
      league
      may
      ignore
     
     
      Cuban
      or
      they
      may
      look
      at
      the
     
     
      complaints
      which
      he
      has
      instituted
     
     
      at
      the
      next
      league
      meeting.
     
     
      Whatever
      happens
      between
      the
     
     
      two
      it
      is
      likely
      to
      be
      interesting
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      very
      entertaining
      if
      Cuban
      contin-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ues
      to
      have
      his
      say.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      With
      files
      from
      CNNSI.