CAA Intimidation and Muzzling of the Press

Jeff Van Gundy, a ESPN commentator and critic of Chicago Bulls management has disclosed some disturbing and ominous accounts of what can only be described as strong-arm agent and organization behavior to silence his critiques.

See: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-sherman-sports-media-spt-0227-20150226-column.html

"I've been asked by (LeonRose of CAA, the firm that represents Thibodeau) to tone it down a bit," Van Gundy said this week.

In the wake of Derrick Rose's latest injury, the coach's future likely will be brought up during ABC's telecast of the Clippers-Bulls game Sunday. Mike Breen, Van Gundy, Mark Johnson and Doris Burke will be on the call. Everything seems to be on the table for a franchise that Van Gundy says "feels snake-bit."

Previously, speculation about Thibodeau's status provoked Van Gundy to rail about Bulls management during an ESPN telecast of a January game in Dallas. He alleged the Bulls were leaking stories "to undermine" Thibodeau.
The Bulls quickly fired back. Van Gundy said Bulls general manager Gar Forman, who was at the game, confronted him at halftime. "He called me a bunch of names," Van Gundy said. 

Two days later, John Paxson, the Bulls' executive vice president of basketball operations, told the Tribune the remarks were "pathetic" and alleged that Van Gundy "was trying to protect his friend."
Van Gundy said the incident resulted in him receiving a call from Thibodeau's agent.

"He asked that I not say anything bad about (Thibodeau's relationship with the Bulls). It was getting people upset," Van Gundy said. "I told him I have a job to do, but at the same time, I don't want to do anything to hurt Tom."

ESPN and the NBA operatives have become so incestuous that it is unlikely anyone will make a fuss about this but for a sport that wants to legalize gambling, incidents like these should be taken far more seriously than something like Phil Jackson saying that a college player is playing well and calling it tampering.

Intimidation tampers with the integrity of the game and the integrity of the relationship between media and fan to something that resembles authentic truthful analysis.