By Larry Graham
Executive Sports Editor, U-T San Diego
NEW YORK — The first day of the Associated Press Sports Editors Commissioner's Meetings featured information and commentary from some of the most influencial figures in professional sports.
APSE played host to four sessions Thursday — NASCAR's Brian France, Major League Soccer's Don Garber, the NBA's David Stern and MLB's Bud Selig.
Selig, last on the docket, paced the room like a professor, weighing in on David Ortiz's public profanity last week after the Boston bombings.
"I thought David Ortiz's choice of words was outstanding," Selig said. "And I mean that sincerely."
From the NBA, Stern spoke up about the possibility of new rules against the hack-a-Shaq strategy, offering a very simple solution instead for players such as Dwight Howard, "just shoot better free throws."
Stern also addressed Brittney Griner's announcement that she was gay, and his expectations for when a gay player comes out in one of the big four of professional sports.
"We'd like everything to get the same attention that Brittney Griner got, which was very little," Stern said. "It should be a non-issue in this country."
Major League Soccer and Garber outlined plans to increase its visibility. And at the top of the list is improving the quality of the league, which has begun with each team investing in better training facilities and its youth programs.
"Frankly, our youth US teams are not good enough," Garber said. "We didn't qualify for the U-17s, we didn't qualify for the U-20s, we didn't qualify for the Olympics.
"That's something we the league and the federation have to work together to do better. And the league, as it does in every other country, needs to take the lead on that."
NASCAR's green initiative was a fairly impressive point of the day. April is Green Month for NASCAR, and all the tracks are participating.
France also addressed recent rules changes and the modification of the cars.
"I like where we're going," France said. "I always want more passing, because when we get more passing, we get more contact. And when we get more contact, we get more of the style and brand that is NASCAR."
Day 2 of the Commissioners meetings starts at 9 a.m. Friday with USOC Chief Executive Officer Scott Blackmun, followed by the NHL's Gary Bettman and the NFL's Roger Goodell.
