A Recoup for Rest?
Right before the NBA schedule is set to be announced, we pause to acknowledge the league’s ongoing “rest” issue. What if someone stepped up to combat the notorious “DNP-Rest” epidemic and helped get fans some cash back in their pockets? Enter Fansure Inc.
Let’s start with the problem…
The trend of superstar NBA players occasionally sitting out games to rest — while nothing new — has become especially noteworthy in recent years. In fact, there is an endless number of sports columns and articles out there that discuss the subject exclusively. NBA coaches (we’re looking at you Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr, and Tyronn Lue) have employed this tactic to preserve their key players over the course of an 82-game season. While commissioner Adam Silver and the league have disputed the science behind it, teams are convinced that this strategy is ultimately effective, not only by preserving the health of their best players, but by helping get them through the regular season and playoffs, while maximizing their chances of actually winning.
In short, resting players is great for teams. But for the league and its fans as a whole? Not so much.
Think about it. From the fans’ perspective, players sitting out games presents a major risk to them (especially in those instances when they purchase tickets to attend games where star players end up resting). While the NBA is forced to say otherwise, it’s a superstar’s league. It’s safe to say a majority of fans buy tickets in hopes of seeing their favorite players compete. And whether the NBA would ever admit it or not, ticket prices for games with said superstars, certainly reflect that. ABC commentator and former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy is openly against players resting, and even once called this action a “prosecutable offense” on the air.
Players resting has also had negative consequences for National TV ratings. Perhaps the most infamous tale of this occurrence was when former commissioner David Stern levied a whopping $250,000 fine against Gregg Popovich for sitting out several of his stars at the time in Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Danny Green during a road game against the Miami Heat that was broadcast on National TV. After being questioned, Stern vehemently defended his stance on the action by issuing a statement:
“The result here is dictated by the totality of the facts in this case. The Spurs decided to make four of their top players unavailable for an early season game that was the team’s only regular-season visit to Miami. The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media, or the league office in a timely way. Under these circumstances, I have concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans.”
You said it, David! Unfortunately, this heavy fine has not deterred teams from employing the same strategy. LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant are just a few of the prominent names that have recently sat out games due to rest. “DNP (Did Not Play)— Rest” has even became an official category in nightly box scores. Stunningly, only 17 (17!) players played all 82 games last year. Last April, commissioner Silver has repeatedly stated that resting players is “an extremely significant issue” for the NBA. It’s an ongoing power struggle between players/coaches, the league, and fans.
… now let’s hear a potential solution
While the issue has seen much debate among league officials and fans for years, no clear solution has ever really presented itself. The NBA has made a concerted effort to lessen the burden of travel and back-to-back games over the course of a season. Further efforts have been made (led by commissioner Silver) to reach out to arena venues themselves, stressing the importance of arenas being more flexible with availability dates in order to help the NBA spread out its schedule. In time, we’ll see how fruitful these talks have been.
The NBA has also implemented a number of refinements to the schedule to reduce back-to-back games, 4-game-in-5-night stretches and other measures to prevent “rest.” Regardless, we’re still going to see a fair share of Cleveland Cavaliers games with LeBron on the bench. Ultimately, fans have to live with the unfair risk of purchasing a ticket without seeing their favorite player on the court.
What exactly is Fansure?
Luckily for sports fans, a new startup will be launching in time for the 2017–18 NBA regular season to give fans more leverage on this matter. Fansure (TM) is a company founded in the Silicon Valley area to help sports fans combat the risk of not seeing their favorite player(s) at a game they purchased tickets to attend. In essence, a fan can purchase protection for — or as they say, “Fansure” — a particular player in exchange for a small fee, similar to buying insurance. It’s basically insurance against resting players. If a particular player ends up resting that specific game, the fan will receive a payment equivalent to 50% of their ticket cost. Think of it as a consolation prize for seeing a game without a major star player.
So how does it work?
After a fan buys a ticket to the game, they can approach Fansure and submit a quote to “Fansure” their favorite player they are hoping to see at the game. The fan can make a small purchase (typically a fraction of their ticket price) in exchange for a peace of mind that their favorite player may or may not play that game. For example: If a fan buys a $100 ticket to a Cavaliers-Hawks game and really wants to see LeBron, he or she can pay an additional $8-$12 (depending on the game) to “Fansure” him. If LeBron ends up sitting out due to rest, the fan will be eligible to receive $50 from Fansure. Subtract the $8-$12 initial payment for the protection plan, and he/she will have saved around $40 for LeBron missing the game.
Fansure does not only cover instances when players rest, but injury-related reasons as well. For an additional premium, fans can “Fansure” their favorite player if he happens to miss the game due to injury — that is, if he succumbed to injury after the fan had purchased the ticket.
Can I “Fansure” all NBA players?
Since Fansure is a completely new venture, fans will start out by having the option to purchase a protection plan for a limited list of twelve players at present time. If you bought a ticket to see one or more of these players, you would consider purchasing Fansure’s protection plan for your ticket(s). The current list includes:
LeBron James, Cavaliers
Russell Westbrook, Thunder
James Harden, Rockets
Stephen Curry, Warriors
Kevin Durant, Warriors
Anthony Davis, Pelicans
Kawhi Leonard, Spurs
Chris Paul, Rockets
Dwyane Wade, Bulls
Isaiah Thomas, Celtics
Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers
Giannis Antetokoummpo, Bucks
Fansure will be working to add additional players to the list as they ramp up operations. Still, they encourage fans to reach out if they want to Fansure a different player that what you see on the list.
I want to learn more. How do I do that?
Fansure is encouraging sports fans to submit comments and inquire about “Fansuring” their favorite players. They can be reached by
- Email: info@fansureit.com
- The website
