NBA won't have problems like NFL

Over the last week, a few news items have come to my attention, and I just think the mob is wrong. Contrarians, unite:

• NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, when asked about recent NFL protests during the national anthem, said he expected his players to stand during the anthem.

The general reaction I’ve seen from fans has been a sarcastic, “Good luck with that.” But I think the NBA won’t have the problems that people think it will.

It goes back to the person on top. Since the day he began, Silver has been a commissioner who’s kept player concerns in mind. He encouraged his players to be active about the things they care about off the court and on social media.

If an NBA player has an issue, I’m betting he feels confident he can go to Silver’s office and come up with a solution. I don’t think NFL players get that feeling with Roger Goodell, who’s often been the jury, judge and executioner.

• To everybody wondering how Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock could get a dozen guns into his hotel room without detection, I have to ask if you’ve ever stayed at a hotel.

I’ve never been to Mandalay Bay, but I’ve been to several hotels in and out of Vegas that get far less foot traffic. People are carrying countless bags in and out during check-in and check-out. A friend of mine used to carrying her makeup bag, two suitcases, her purse and food to a hotel room, all without making a second trip.

Paddock had three days to get his 400-pound arsenal to his room. He only needed about 30 minutes to avoid detection, and hotel staff isn’t trained to look out for a person bringing a dozen guns in a bag because that’s far from an everyday occurrence.

Think about it: Has a hotel employee ever asked, “What’s in your bag?” Never happened to me. Hotel staff will help you if you prompt them, but their assumption is your luggage is your business.

• Netflix is going to charge another dollar or two to subscribers in the next month or so, with your increase level depending on your package.

Every time a streaming service price increase is announced, somebody will tell me, “It’s not even worth keeping (service here) if they’re not going to stream (10-year-old series here).”

The more people stream, the more studios will charge for their properties. And the studios know they can choose the price, because the streaming service gets the negative blowback for dropping a series or increasing prices to cover the higher royalties.

If you really like a series, get the physical copy. It might be more expensive, but you can control what you own more than you can control studio-streamer negotiations.

Kevin Wilson is managing editor of The Eastern New Mexico News. Contact him at: [email protected]