Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who has never been shy about speaking his mind, recently made the decision to ban all bloggers - major and minor -- from the locker room. In a post on Blog Maverick, justifying his decision as a move toward equality, Cuban argued that he didn't feel that a blogger from the mainstream media should have more access to his players than a person who blogs as a hobby.

His assertion that this was an effort to ensure equality was met with heavy criticism from writers, both on and off the Internet. It was seen as a heavy-handed attempt at censorship and the backlash was immediate and overwhelming. In light of Cuban's well-developed persona, the ban seemed particularly out of character. He's opened himself up to criticism for eight years as the most connected owner in sports. By listening to customers about how to improve the fan experience, Cuban has built a brand based on accessibility.