from the Which-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-other? dept.
Steve Ballmer is bringing his same manic intensity to his new role as owner of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers, which he once delivered as CEO of Microsoft. He's leading the team by example, leaving no stone unturned as he focuses on dominating the enemy.
That enemy is Apple.
Ballmer also told reporters he plans to revamp the 'fan experience', but seems to be keeping the details of his plans under wraps; for example, there was no mention of upgrading the Jumbotron in Staples Center to run Windows.
Ballmer joined Microsoft in 1980 as employee number 30, and was CEO from 2000 until February 2014, when he resigned under pressure from the board. He bought the Clippers for $2 billion in May, in a sale orchestrated by the wife of disgraced owner Donald Sterling. Ballmer resigned from the Microsoft board shortly thereafter, but is still the company's largest individual shareholder.
(Score: 4, Funny) by VLM on Tuesday September 30 2014, @03:29PM
Embrace Extend Extinguish ... a basketball team? Not sure how this is going to work.
(Score: 2) by buswolley on Tuesday September 30 2014, @05:15PM
No racism, no sexism, but yes, do OSism. -Ballmer
subicular junctures
(Score: 2) by nyder on Tuesday September 30 2014, @07:38PM
I tell you how it works.
Move the team to Seattle, rename it to the Sonics.
I can't wait.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Wednesday October 01 2014, @02:03AM
It's the Clippers. They're perfectly capable of extinguishing themselves...
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 30 2014, @03:30PM
...hurling a chair at half court... :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jc2ESr43PY [youtube.com]
But then again, hopefully not...But it could happen.
Both men are/were 'Type A' types that thrived on 'high stakes' activities where 'image is everything'.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 30 2014, @07:33PM
Most of Bobby Knight's former players revere him as a leader and builder of character. I'm not so sure that is the same with Ballmer.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Ryuugami on Tuesday September 30 2014, @03:51PM
upgrading the Jumbotron in Staples Center to run Windows
Or downgrading, as the case may be :)
If a shit storm's on the horizon, it's good to know far enough ahead you can at least bring along an umbrella. - D.Weber
(Score: 2) by Alfred on Tuesday September 30 2014, @04:57PM
(Score: 2) by PizzaRollPlinkett on Tuesday September 30 2014, @03:57PM
At least you can measure this one. The Clippers had a .695 winning percentage last year (57-25). If throwing out Apple is a good idea, this percentage will not decrease in the upcoming season, and should increase. In pro sports, results are all that count. The bottom line is all that counts. Let's revisit this next June or whenever and see what their 2014-15 winning percentage is.
(E-mail me if you want a pizza roll!)
(Score: 2) by strattitarius on Tuesday September 30 2014, @04:12PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Los_Angeles_Clippers_seasons [wikipedia.org]
Slashdot Beta Sucks. Soylent Alpha Rules. News at 11.
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Tuesday September 30 2014, @04:33PM
Why should the choice of device or OS have anything to do with the final score? Of course, if the coach's WinPhone crashes constantly, that might have an effect. Or if they can make a call while holding it wrong, that might have an effect, too.
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 30 2014, @04:43PM
Tablets (mostly iPads) are used as training and scouting aides throughout the NBA and NFL, I think. Coaches use them and players use them constantly to look at footage, stats, playbook, etc.
(Score: 2) by MrGuy on Tuesday September 30 2014, @08:42PM
And, to bring the conversation full circle, Microsoft is actively trying to sign deals with professional sports leagues to exclusively use Microsoft devices, hoping that the exposure will be worth it, as consumers see these cool devices and keep hearing Microsoft's name associated with them.
This is not [cnbc.com] going as planned. [cnet.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 01 2014, @01:51AM
lol
"Let me bing that for you" just rolls of the tongue, doesn't it?
(Score: 2) by PizzaRollPlinkett on Tuesday September 30 2014, @06:25PM
I was sort of joking (the Clippers used to be a byword for awful, until recently), but I think I might be onto something. If you have bad information, your game plan will be wrong. Excel is well known for its calculation bugs. This sort of thing could cost you one or two games (because of bad play calling, bad defensive matchups, and starting the wrong five and making bad substitutions), and what if you miss the playoffs by one game? Sports is getting almost ridiculously into "sabermetrics" (the baseball term, don't know if b-ball calls it that), so this could be important. If you lose out to a team that does use Apple, that would be even more embarrassing.
(E-mail me if you want a pizza roll!)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 30 2014, @05:17PM
> At least you can measure this one.
No you can't. Not unless you can hold all other variables constant and I'm pretty sure that ain't happening.
(Score: 2) by halcyon1234 on Tuesday September 30 2014, @06:21PM
"Your comment violated the "postercomment" compression filter. Try less whitespace and/or less repetition." Yeah, I know, right?
Original Submission [thedailywtf.com]
(Score: 2) by strattitarius on Tuesday September 30 2014, @06:38PM
Slashdot Beta Sucks. Soylent Alpha Rules. News at 11.