Before I pen my thoughts ( I think this phrase is outdated now, who pens their thoughts anymore, we just key-in/type what we think but I digress) I have to say that I realized y'day that ranting against NBA should be least of my/our priorities, what with the inflation, war, ecosystem's near-collapse, poverty, racialism and more important issues out there in the open.
Having said that, lets get back on NBA. So in my office we were discussing the NBA finals (though my colleagues know that I become a raving lunatic every time someone mentions NBA League Officials or the Referees, they can't resist to needle me and I can't resist to be provoked) and my colleagues wanted my views on NBA finals and who will win it, now that Celtics are 3-1 up in the series.
So I'll share with you the breakdown of next there games;
Game 5 - Lakers
Game 6 - Lakers
Game 7 - Celtics
I'll also share with you why I think it'll be this way;
Everyone knows that Celtics have been a ragged team ever since the playoffs started so many have been surprised at their surprising lead over Lakers who looked infallible going into the Finals. Didn't Lakers defeat such teams as Utah and Spurs and didn't Celtics seem to be bumbling idiots while playing Atlanta and Cleveland.
So what makes them suddenly appear the claimants to the throne??????
Allow me, Ladies and Gentlemen to introduce to you;
David Stern and the
NBA Referees.
These two make me easy to predict how the league is going to play off the NBAs.
It really not that hard to predict actually, just go back in previous years; Remember when Mark Cuban screamed about Stern and the Refs. - Stern had no option but to get Mavericks into the NBA finals BUT because Stern hated the screaming, had Mavericks loose to a team that was totally undeserving to win the NBA final. Heck, that year, Miami couldn't even have been in the play-offs, if the games were called the way they should have been.
Don't mistake me, Dwayne Wade is as good a baller as there are in the NBA and the Big Diesel has his own presence on the court but if you look at the tapes of the entire season twice, you will still not know how they came in the play-offs or the bigger shock - went on to win the finals.
We can go back every year and you will see the same pattern - surprising teams appear in the play-offs and surprising teams lose in play-offs - remember Golden Warriors losing in play-offs last year! If only someone could look at all those game tapes and convince me that its a fair game out there.
Anyways, back to our current series; if you read my last column you'll recall that I mentioned the fact that Lakers will win two out of three at the home court - not because I was looking at skills of either team - I just concentrate on Stern and Referees.
So my prediction is league will try to show that Lakers have got a huge shock to their system by this sudden loss(wink, wink) and hence will rebound and win the next game.
In fact, it will be such a big rebound ( read- the winning margin of Lakers in game 5 will be around 15 or more points) that they will go on to win the next game - the game 6th at Celtics home court - oh! what a shocker!
The game 7 will be a winner for Celtics - oh because they are at home court!
Now you may say; wasn't it the same home court that your predict that will loose the previous game (game 6 of the finals) on! How can a court change its color in two days!
If you ask that, then all I can say is you don't know this NBA league.
Stern has decided that East must win the trophy this year and that's that.
Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Eat this Stern!
So David Stern of NBA still wants to deny that league manipulates the games. All along I have been thinking that maybe I'm too harsh on this poor man! Maybe I'm biased and blinded by my own fury And of course there is no denying that I am a Rantmaker, BUT I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I'm not alone in believing that NBA sucks and the results of the series/games are pre-decided before the jump off is called at the start of the game.
The reason of this reaffirmation; the feedback comments from people, in the NY Post today, that follow the article ( the web address for the article is- http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/2008/06/11/2008-06-11_nba_commissioner_david_stern_dismisses_e.html)
The comments reaffirm my faith in Humanity.
The intelligence of human beings.
The smartness of the animals with opposable thumbs.
While you can always read the full article and the follow-up comments, I have pasted some of them below and these are just from the first page, read and enjoy them;
The reason of this reaffirmation; the feedback comments from people, in the NY Post today, that follow the article ( the web address for the article is- http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/2008/06/11/2008-06-11_nba_commissioner_david_stern_dismisses_e.html)
The comments reaffirm my faith in Humanity.
The intelligence of human beings.
The smartness of the animals with opposable thumbs.
While you can always read the full article and the follow-up comments, I have pasted some of them below and these are just from the first page, read and enjoy them;
joebruno999 Jun 11, 2008 1:59:02 PM
DAVID STERN HAS ONE OBJECTIVE AND ONE OBJECTIVE ONLY: DEFLECT BLAME AWAY FROM THE NBA FOR ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING. ANYONE WITH AN OPEN MIND WOULD PROBABLY DEDUCE THAT DONAGHY IS TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT OTHER REFEREES DOING WHAT HE GOT CAUGHT DOING. COMMON SENSE. PLAYERS GET TENS OF MILLIONS IN SALARIES. REFS GET RELATIVELY PEANUTS. SO DOING A LITTLE BUSINESS MAKES SENSE, IF THE REF'S GOTTA PAY THE BILLS. STERN IS LIKE EVERY OTHER LAWYER IN THIS WORLD. HIS CLIENT ( THE NBA) IS INNOCENT. YEAH, AND SO WAS CHARLES MANSON.
Slugger Jun 11, 2008 2:13:53 PM
David Stern is a liar. In 2002, the NBA referees handed the Los Angeles Lakers a playoff victory over the superior Sacramento Kings basketball team. It was the most obviously fixed series of basketball games I have ever seen in my life. There was a Kobe Bryant forearm to Mike Bibby's nose which resulted in a foul call on Mike Bibby. There was a Robert Horry game-winning shot that came after the game had ended. And David Stern can only say that Tim Donaghy is the criminal, when he is the biggest criminal and phony that has presided over a major sport since the late major league baseball commissioner Mountain Landis.
vince301 Jun 11, 2008 2:14:25 PM
What????? You mean Charles Manson (AKA the 5th Beatle) DID kill those people????? And all along I thought it was the Little Piggies.......
Livinginterribletimes Jun 11, 2008 2:30:27 PM
I believe he is telling the truth. I always felt and you can tell when one team is being favored or penalized by unfair officiating. Just look at the current series.You know the Lakers are already deemed to win. Kobe is one of the last few remaining draws in the NBA and if his Lakers dont win....the commish knows his league is in trouble because we all know Kobe will pout and shout and he doesnt want his premier money maker to be unhappy.
bigbrooklyn Jun 11, 2008 2:32:13 PM
i dont think he's lying. i think his reasons for doing this aren't just, but the game was rigged, i remember game 6 like yesterday. the kings used to dominate, it was always kings vs lakers this and that. that was so blatantly obvious to me something was wrong. im not sure if they wanted the lakers to win the series or bring it to 7 games to get more money, butit was rigged either way.it seems we have no sport without flaws. i dont consider the flaws of football to be as bad as the others though
rollo555 Jun 11, 2008 3:08:13 PM
David Stern is a lying, thieving Jew. He has ruined basketball, and I am sure that Tim Donaghy is right on the money when he says this. It's been rigged for years, they should just admit it. We need more refs to stand up and state the truth now. All referrees are major slime, payoff loving, money grubbing scum.
tdl326 Jun 11, 2008 3:30:58 PM
Stern's just trying to do damage control in light of the current series. I have to believe in what Donaghy's saying. The leagues's been corrupt for years. I believe in "pro" wrestling before I believe in leagues like the NBA, NFL, NHL etc..... David "Mo money" Stern, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme...........
superman_1969 Jun 11, 2008 5:40:33 PM
So I see this guy at the gym this morning and I say what about Donaghy telling what he knows and this pea brain says he's just saying that stuff to not make himself look bad. I only called him naive. How come with everyone stealing everything that's not nailed down for the last 50 years I know of that we have never heard of one nba ref, one mlb umpire or one nfl official ever caught lying, cheating or gambling? How would you like to have lost a 10,000 dollar bet on that Kings Lakers series now? or 500 or 250, who cares how much. Now I just watch the playoffs (sometimes) and don't get s ucked in for a whole season.
FIRECRACKER392 Jun 11, 2008 6:56:55 PM
Now they want Viagra, Just because Baseball Players take it !!!
Yeshua Jun 11, 2008 7:35:43 PM
David Stern was in on the fix when he suspended the NY Knicks (incl. Patrick Ewing) for leaving the bench of a brawl in 1996-1997 2nd rounfd playoff series vs. Pat Riley's Miami Heat.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Mr. Jackson - You are Right and Wrong!
I should have clarified the title a bit more - I meant to direct it to Phil Jackson, the coach of the L.A. Lakers basketball team, but I have reasons to suspect that he doesn't read my blog yet, so we'll wait till such time as he does, nonetheless, I'm gonna say my piece for now.
So Phil felt that the game two of Celtics/Lakers final was called wrongly by the Referees - and I am with him on that, but unlike the basketball experts like Mark Kriegel who exhort Phil and Lakers to shore up their defense or play it harder - I have a simple advice
Ignore it Phil
Yup, just plain ignore it Phil,
because you and I and million other NBA fans know, that you won't be here if it was not the same Refs that brought you here in the first place.
Remember, the no call on Brent Barry by Joey Crawford in the last seconds of Spurs/Lakers game. Sure you were gracious enough to say in the post-game conference that, you thought Barry was fouled and Spurs could have won that game, but you knew it then and you know it now, that Refs are Refs - they have to do the bidding of the League as well as "protect" their personal interests.
What personal interests you ask? You didn't forget Donaghy, did ya!
As if my rantings in the past have not been enough about League a.k.a David Stern, fixing up games/results/series, Donaghy gave me a great boost today, here is what Fox Sports writes; "Court documents filed by Donaghy's lawyer detailed the "inner-workings" of a plot in which top league executives used referees to manipulate the games. Donaghy claims two referees were "company men" whose job was to extend a playoff series in 2002 to a seventh game.
The full article is here; http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/8231176/Report:-Donaghy-says-refs-fixed-playoff-series
Anyways, if you are an NBA fan, you don't have to read the full article, you already know about surprising wins and losses your own teams have had all these years. You shriek with joy when they win (even though you know its not just a surprise but a big shock that your team won against a very good team) and blame the Refs when they loose (when your team was really playing their heart out) but because you have those fleeting joyous moments that kept you from saying that Refs cheated your opponents, you don't have the gumption or moral right to complain, when your team lost.
When you don't stand up for wrong things at the right time, be prepared to be wronged at all times.
I don't blame Stern much though - he has to run this league, make sure that sponsors get their money's worth (TV, Shoes, Drinks.....), keep journos happy, create "stars extraordinaire " like LeBron and others and expand NBA internationally AND all that depends on the NBA League.
All I want is that if you must manipulate games, if Golden State Warriors must lose to Utah during the season, let it be, but PULEEZZ, stay-off the Play Offs. It will be good both, for the game as well as for you in the long run. Let the real stars emerge, don't create them.
Don't give away MVP awards because someone has been playing long in the league and has not got one while a younger player deserves it, no I'm not alluding to Kobe/Paul but rather the overall design, year after year.
So Phil, just ignore the damn fouls - you know as well as I do, that you are guaranteed at least two of the three games at your home court, not because you are great and Celtics are away from their turf but because league cannot and will not let the series go down just like that. I was willing to say that you will win all 3 games but damn that Donaghy - in his statement he also mentions that league has manipulateed series in the past such that a profitable series gets extended to a 7th game, so I think David Stern as smart as he is, may not let this series to go to game 7 - it will be too obvious now. Damn! He's smart!
Sorry, the dice is already loaded and the hype about Celtics must be maintained and the sham revival of Lakers/Celtics must continue.
Based on how Celtics barely survived the earlier play-off series this year, I had marked you to win this sham series in 6 games but oops, the trophy must rotate and league wants to give it to East this year. Its not you Phil, its the money and Stern knows how to follow a good trail.
Oh Phil, another thing, I almost forgot to mention that for a change this year's finals are easy on my heart and mind and I'm not too deeply involved as a fan, so I don't care if Lakers win or Celtics carry the trophy. I'm just glad that I'm emotionally already out of the series.
About an hour is left for the game but don't worry Phil, you got at least two out of three at the home court even if your team doesn't show up or Celtics performs well.
Let the BEST TEAM (as wanted by David Stern) WIN.
So Phil felt that the game two of Celtics/Lakers final was called wrongly by the Referees - and I am with him on that, but unlike the basketball experts like Mark Kriegel who exhort Phil and Lakers to shore up their defense or play it harder - I have a simple advice
Ignore it Phil
Yup, just plain ignore it Phil,
because you and I and million other NBA fans know, that you won't be here if it was not the same Refs that brought you here in the first place.
Remember, the no call on Brent Barry by Joey Crawford in the last seconds of Spurs/Lakers game. Sure you were gracious enough to say in the post-game conference that, you thought Barry was fouled and Spurs could have won that game, but you knew it then and you know it now, that Refs are Refs - they have to do the bidding of the League as well as "protect" their personal interests.
What personal interests you ask? You didn't forget Donaghy, did ya!
As if my rantings in the past have not been enough about League a.k.a David Stern, fixing up games/results/series, Donaghy gave me a great boost today, here is what Fox Sports writes; "Court documents filed by Donaghy's lawyer detailed the "inner-workings" of a plot in which top league executives used referees to manipulate the games. Donaghy claims two referees were "company men" whose job was to extend a playoff series in 2002 to a seventh game.
The full article is here; http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/8231176/Report:-Donaghy-says-refs-fixed-playoff-series
Anyways, if you are an NBA fan, you don't have to read the full article, you already know about surprising wins and losses your own teams have had all these years. You shriek with joy when they win (even though you know its not just a surprise but a big shock that your team won against a very good team) and blame the Refs when they loose (when your team was really playing their heart out) but because you have those fleeting joyous moments that kept you from saying that Refs cheated your opponents, you don't have the gumption or moral right to complain, when your team lost.
When you don't stand up for wrong things at the right time, be prepared to be wronged at all times.
I don't blame Stern much though - he has to run this league, make sure that sponsors get their money's worth (TV, Shoes, Drinks.....), keep journos happy, create "stars extraordinaire " like LeBron and others and expand NBA internationally AND all that depends on the NBA League.
All I want is that if you must manipulate games, if Golden State Warriors must lose to Utah during the season, let it be, but PULEEZZ, stay-off the Play Offs. It will be good both, for the game as well as for you in the long run. Let the real stars emerge, don't create them.
Don't give away MVP awards because someone has been playing long in the league and has not got one while a younger player deserves it, no I'm not alluding to Kobe/Paul but rather the overall design, year after year.
So Phil, just ignore the damn fouls - you know as well as I do, that you are guaranteed at least two of the three games at your home court, not because you are great and Celtics are away from their turf but because league cannot and will not let the series go down just like that. I was willing to say that you will win all 3 games but damn that Donaghy - in his statement he also mentions that league has manipulateed series in the past such that a profitable series gets extended to a 7th game, so I think David Stern as smart as he is, may not let this series to go to game 7 - it will be too obvious now. Damn! He's smart!
Sorry, the dice is already loaded and the hype about Celtics must be maintained and the sham revival of Lakers/Celtics must continue.
Based on how Celtics barely survived the earlier play-off series this year, I had marked you to win this sham series in 6 games but oops, the trophy must rotate and league wants to give it to East this year. Its not you Phil, its the money and Stern knows how to follow a good trail.
Oh Phil, another thing, I almost forgot to mention that for a change this year's finals are easy on my heart and mind and I'm not too deeply involved as a fan, so I don't care if Lakers win or Celtics carry the trophy. I'm just glad that I'm emotionally already out of the series.
About an hour is left for the game but don't worry Phil, you got at least two out of three at the home court even if your team doesn't show up or Celtics performs well.
Let the BEST TEAM (as wanted by David Stern) WIN.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Men with the whistles....... They are the real payers!!
As much as I wanted to I couldn't watch most of the first quarter of the Spurs /Lakers game. My wife did inform me that at one time the score was Spurs 8 and Lakers 22 and then of course I sat down to watch the drama unfold.
I then listened at the end of the first quarter to Lakers coach, Phil Jackson say to the TV Commentator; " To be honest, I thought the men with the whistles changed the game" and this was little startling to me.
Phil, rarely if ever goes there in the middle of the game and even though granted that this coachtalk-direct on TV-from-sidelines-while-the-game-goes-on is a new phenomenon, he's one of the few coaches that in my opinion, speak the truth. Now I don't know if it was meant to be a strategic input so that referees would ponder over it and keep in mind so as to give make-up fouls later, or was just his observation.
Normally, I would be upset and angry if Spurs didn't get that foul call on Brent Barry as he was fouled by Fisher but I was not.
I was just happy that these pathetic, incompetent, league manipulated, bumbling bunch of idiots or as they are officially called, referees, were on National TV and exposed to the public at large. They seem to do it all the time but to be caught with your hand in the cookie jar on prime time TV is just great.
I'm just happy that next time someone opens his/her mouth to defend these bozos, they will have a real time picture to refer to.
Mind you, I'm not saying Spurs should have won. In fact, this is one of a game in a very long time that I'm not going to complain about at all. Lakers were running with the ball all through the night and they should have won anyway, just that if David Stern wants his dream of Laker/Celtic final to happen, it should be on competence and not by using his henchmen.
I just hope that more and more NBA fans will put pressure on NBA league to let the games be won or lost on merit of the players rather than being manipulated by vested interests.
Going back, I guess then its also highly likely that Celtics will win their series because apparently that;s what he wants. Sorry Pistons, your campaign is over even before it really starts. Say thank you to Stern uncle!
Reminds me of a long email exchange I had last year, with one of the key sports writers on New York Post (I think it was NYPost but could be NY Daily News), about what I felt was blatant manipulation of games by NBA referees. While I insisted that the intent of some referees was malafide, he insisted that it was incompetence. Not too many months later, the corrupt practices of Tim Donaghy came out in the open and I felt somewhat vindicated. To my surprise David Stren came out with a quick rebuttal that it was just one referee and they had taken care of the problem. I do understand that statement from PR angle but to not extend a thorough public review is unacceptable to me.
I'm sure right at this moment and through out this season, there were all kind of shenanigans going on and many people are benefiting/benefited from the corrupted results.
Hopefully, you guys can put enough pressure as fans on the league to stop it right now!
I then listened at the end of the first quarter to Lakers coach, Phil Jackson say to the TV Commentator; " To be honest, I thought the men with the whistles changed the game" and this was little startling to me.
Phil, rarely if ever goes there in the middle of the game and even though granted that this coachtalk-direct on TV-from-sidelines-while-the-game-goes-on is a new phenomenon, he's one of the few coaches that in my opinion, speak the truth. Now I don't know if it was meant to be a strategic input so that referees would ponder over it and keep in mind so as to give make-up fouls later, or was just his observation.
Normally, I would be upset and angry if Spurs didn't get that foul call on Brent Barry as he was fouled by Fisher but I was not.
I was just happy that these pathetic, incompetent, league manipulated, bumbling bunch of idiots or as they are officially called, referees, were on National TV and exposed to the public at large. They seem to do it all the time but to be caught with your hand in the cookie jar on prime time TV is just great.
I'm just happy that next time someone opens his/her mouth to defend these bozos, they will have a real time picture to refer to.
Mind you, I'm not saying Spurs should have won. In fact, this is one of a game in a very long time that I'm not going to complain about at all. Lakers were running with the ball all through the night and they should have won anyway, just that if David Stern wants his dream of Laker/Celtic final to happen, it should be on competence and not by using his henchmen.
I just hope that more and more NBA fans will put pressure on NBA league to let the games be won or lost on merit of the players rather than being manipulated by vested interests.
Going back, I guess then its also highly likely that Celtics will win their series because apparently that;s what he wants. Sorry Pistons, your campaign is over even before it really starts. Say thank you to Stern uncle!
Reminds me of a long email exchange I had last year, with one of the key sports writers on New York Post (I think it was NYPost but could be NY Daily News), about what I felt was blatant manipulation of games by NBA referees. While I insisted that the intent of some referees was malafide, he insisted that it was incompetence. Not too many months later, the corrupt practices of Tim Donaghy came out in the open and I felt somewhat vindicated. To my surprise David Stren came out with a quick rebuttal that it was just one referee and they had taken care of the problem. I do understand that statement from PR angle but to not extend a thorough public review is unacceptable to me.
I'm sure right at this moment and through out this season, there were all kind of shenanigans going on and many people are benefiting/benefited from the corrupted results.
Hopefully, you guys can put enough pressure as fans on the league to stop it right now!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
League wins, basketball looses
So I just finished watching the Lakers /Spurs game 1 of '08 Conference finals and its clear that Referees and the league won. Its funny, how they helped Lakers make a 20 point deficit into a 4 point lead!
Bravo David Stern!
Looks like your dream of having a Lakers /Celtics final will be carried out by your henchmen a.k.a. Referees.
In other words, if you are a NBA watcher, it should come as no surprise to you when Pistons loose their series - if NBA wants a Lakers /Celtics win.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the dice is loaded - heavily.
Having said that, Manu Ginobli is still making some bad decisions and though I know he had an injury to his hand and was kind of brave on his part to play (well actually in NBA, really it would be considered just a minor scratch considering that the players are paid millions) yet he is nowhere close to performing what he's capable of. He's been somewhat disappointing and that's likely to cost Spurs some critical games.........maybe a shot at title itself.
We'll see what happens next
Bravo David Stern!
Looks like your dream of having a Lakers /Celtics final will be carried out by your henchmen a.k.a. Referees.
In other words, if you are a NBA watcher, it should come as no surprise to you when Pistons loose their series - if NBA wants a Lakers /Celtics win.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the dice is loaded - heavily.
Having said that, Manu Ginobli is still making some bad decisions and though I know he had an injury to his hand and was kind of brave on his part to play (well actually in NBA, really it would be considered just a minor scratch considering that the players are paid millions) yet he is nowhere close to performing what he's capable of. He's been somewhat disappointing and that's likely to cost Spurs some critical games.........maybe a shot at title itself.
We'll see what happens next
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Basketball Predictions come true - Spurs win & so do others exactly as I said
So I'm feeling good right now. Spurs win and the only slight miss hit in my predictions ( if you read my earlier blog*) was that I thought Lakers /Utah series will go to 7 games.
Before I go back to Spurs here are my predictions for the conference finals:
Pistons/Celtics - Pistons in 6
Lakers/Spurs - Spurs in 7 OR Spurs in 5. Oh I know, Spurs in 5 is impossible you say. Here's my thought - If Spurs can win the game 1 of the series then it will be either a sweep (don't shoot me Laker fans - I'm just a messenger) or Spurs will win in 5. SHOCKED!
Finals: Spurs/Pistions - Spurs in 7
Gooing back to Lakers/Spurs, I know this is a shocker Moreover Spurs winning the game # 1 of the series is like the chances of being hit with a lightening - not only impossible but incomprehensible. If you are a Lakers fan then you may even consider this reprehsensible. I must mention though, not before long, I used to be one myself.
Ok I say that Spurs can win the series from Lakers based on two important thoughts
1. Spurs maintain/keep their momentum that they are carrying from game 7 with Hornets, while the Lakers play rusted from the rest
2. This is very important: David Stern & his henchmen sorry, I mean Referees, do not intervene on his behalf.
The story this year will be Spurs and Pistons - not waht Stern/League /Refs/ want but what should happen logically based on the team performances. I can't deny though that my Lakers/Spurs prediction is very very very tight. If you have seen lakers play the past few days, you know, they are playing like a team possessed so I know the peril I am getting into by making this bold prediction. Pistons/Celtics on the other hand I have no qualms about. Sure a good number of poeple will like Celtics to win and sure they have a home court advantage ( if the series goes to 7 games, it will only be because of this factor) but they have been struggling excatly as I thought and said before the play offs.
Of course, its well known and now even documented that Stern would like nothing better than a Celtics and Lakers final to revive old rivalry, bring back old days etc. BUT that is exactly that - OLD days.
Oh, I do understand Stern's dilemma and savvy though. As basketball czar, he has to make sure that all metro markets are well covered, all demographics specially white paying customer's wishes are well taken care of, keep promoting new players to keep the excitement going ( remember LeBron is the "King" - what a baloney of hype), keep fans interested in the game and teams and this is not an easy task, the downside of ruling like a czar however is that genuine plays and players get bumped off in the season and experienced fans can't help but feel that games are manipulated through Refs.
Still if you are a fan, you will not and you can't stop watching! Its an addiction, a fix, a need even though it may cause you to seethe when you watch the games.
What are the alternatives if you are a hard core NBA fan! Switch to another sport, Stop watching NBA! Move to Asia! Not happening! So we grumble, ooh aah in each game, curse the league and then go right back to watch the next game and start the grumble cycle all over again.
So like I said, if league can somehow keep people interested and yet not really influence the results of a game/series, that will be awesome and real exciting too.
Well any ways , going back to Spurs/Hornets game 7, I was almost shocked to see Spurs get some calls their way and even though I thought they should have got some more & obvious calls in their favor, it was true that Hornets didn't get some calls. Specially strange was the sequence when Manu tried to make it tough for Chris to take the last second shot. First of all it was a no call so it was bogus right off the bat but then after calling it a foul, the refs in their wisdom decided that the "foul" was committed after the buzzer went off. Really! That's not what the replay on the TNT showed, but hey, I'm not complaining, Spurs got that one and god knows they deserve that and many more calls just based on the fact they have been on the wrong end of the foul calls so many times, that it is tragically comic and poetic justice.
Lets get set to Pistons/Celtics now!
Before I go back to Spurs here are my predictions for the conference finals:
Pistons/Celtics - Pistons in 6
Lakers/Spurs - Spurs in 7 OR Spurs in 5. Oh I know, Spurs in 5 is impossible you say. Here's my thought - If Spurs can win the game 1 of the series then it will be either a sweep (don't shoot me Laker fans - I'm just a messenger) or Spurs will win in 5. SHOCKED!
Finals: Spurs/Pistions - Spurs in 7
Gooing back to Lakers/Spurs, I know this is a shocker Moreover Spurs winning the game # 1 of the series is like the chances of being hit with a lightening - not only impossible but incomprehensible. If you are a Lakers fan then you may even consider this reprehsensible. I must mention though, not before long, I used to be one myself.
Ok I say that Spurs can win the series from Lakers based on two important thoughts
1. Spurs maintain/keep their momentum that they are carrying from game 7 with Hornets, while the Lakers play rusted from the rest
2. This is very important: David Stern & his henchmen sorry, I mean Referees, do not intervene on his behalf.
The story this year will be Spurs and Pistons - not waht Stern/League /Refs/ want but what should happen logically based on the team performances. I can't deny though that my Lakers/Spurs prediction is very very very tight. If you have seen lakers play the past few days, you know, they are playing like a team possessed so I know the peril I am getting into by making this bold prediction. Pistons/Celtics on the other hand I have no qualms about. Sure a good number of poeple will like Celtics to win and sure they have a home court advantage ( if the series goes to 7 games, it will only be because of this factor) but they have been struggling excatly as I thought and said before the play offs.
Of course, its well known and now even documented that Stern would like nothing better than a Celtics and Lakers final to revive old rivalry, bring back old days etc. BUT that is exactly that - OLD days.
Oh, I do understand Stern's dilemma and savvy though. As basketball czar, he has to make sure that all metro markets are well covered, all demographics specially white paying customer's wishes are well taken care of, keep promoting new players to keep the excitement going ( remember LeBron is the "King" - what a baloney of hype), keep fans interested in the game and teams and this is not an easy task, the downside of ruling like a czar however is that genuine plays and players get bumped off in the season and experienced fans can't help but feel that games are manipulated through Refs.
Still if you are a fan, you will not and you can't stop watching! Its an addiction, a fix, a need even though it may cause you to seethe when you watch the games.
What are the alternatives if you are a hard core NBA fan! Switch to another sport, Stop watching NBA! Move to Asia! Not happening! So we grumble, ooh aah in each game, curse the league and then go right back to watch the next game and start the grumble cycle all over again.
So like I said, if league can somehow keep people interested and yet not really influence the results of a game/series, that will be awesome and real exciting too.
Well any ways , going back to Spurs/Hornets game 7, I was almost shocked to see Spurs get some calls their way and even though I thought they should have got some more & obvious calls in their favor, it was true that Hornets didn't get some calls. Specially strange was the sequence when Manu tried to make it tough for Chris to take the last second shot. First of all it was a no call so it was bogus right off the bat but then after calling it a foul, the refs in their wisdom decided that the "foul" was committed after the buzzer went off. Really! That's not what the replay on the TNT showed, but hey, I'm not complaining, Spurs got that one and god knows they deserve that and many more calls just based on the fact they have been on the wrong end of the foul calls so many times, that it is tragically comic and poetic justice.
Lets get set to Pistons/Celtics now!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Letter to Adrain Wojnarowski
To my surprise, sports writer Adrain Wojnarowski wrote today, what I would consider an attention seeking trashy piece of writing so I had to write and let him know what a good majority of true NBA followers think about his article. Mind you, I actually really really like his articles but this one was titled and written as a cheap piece.
Adrian,
I have always wondered, how good writers do it such that they create something out of nothing or create a controversy when none exists! Thanks to your article on Robert Hory, now I understand.
Congratulations. You are the hate maker, flame stroker of the day!
I always read your columns with great interest but for once it looks like that its you who's taking a cheap shot and not Hory, who you try to malign for no reason at all. You have written it yourself in the very column
"West said. “He just caught me really clean, and my guard was down, because I didn’t know anybody was behind me.” AND “I’ll take a look at it, but right now, I’ll just say he caught me with a good shot,” West said.
I'm sorry but it sure looks like you are taking a very cheap shot, but for what! I could understand, if you were a rookie writer and needed attention to your column but since that is not you then why! Did someone tell you that reader numbers were falling!
I don't know but then you may know better! Maybe that is the case, because you also attempt to bring in Bowen into this! Is Bowen annoying to all top players, he sure is as the best defensive man in the league, do players hate him, I'm sure they do, its hard not to hate him if you are a superstar and he shuts you down. What I don't get is what is your beef in all this!
Incidentally, if you were not at the game and were watching it on TV then I think either your TV was on mute or you were drunk because, the three analysts that included Jeff Van Gundy and Marc Jackson said that it was a non-foul, no call required foul or at the best a hard foul. If you doubt me and you are sober by now, go watch the replay.
For a man, who gives us many wonderful views on NBA, this is not a worthy article. I just hope that it's a temporary lapse of judgment and not a hidden streak that we readers were unaware of.
Lastly, In the spirit of the full disclosure, I'm not for/against Spurs or Hornets. I love them both as in my opinion they are both great to watch and follow.
I'm just a basketball fan
Adrian,
I have always wondered, how good writers do it such that they create something out of nothing or create a controversy when none exists! Thanks to your article on Robert Hory, now I understand.
Congratulations. You are the hate maker, flame stroker of the day!
I always read your columns with great interest but for once it looks like that its you who's taking a cheap shot and not Hory, who you try to malign for no reason at all. You have written it yourself in the very column
"West said. “He just caught me really clean, and my guard was down, because I didn’t know anybody was behind me.” AND “I’ll take a look at it, but right now, I’ll just say he caught me with a good shot,” West said.
I'm sorry but it sure looks like you are taking a very cheap shot, but for what! I could understand, if you were a rookie writer and needed attention to your column but since that is not you then why! Did someone tell you that reader numbers were falling!
I don't know but then you may know better! Maybe that is the case, because you also attempt to bring in Bowen into this! Is Bowen annoying to all top players, he sure is as the best defensive man in the league, do players hate him, I'm sure they do, its hard not to hate him if you are a superstar and he shuts you down. What I don't get is what is your beef in all this!
Incidentally, if you were not at the game and were watching it on TV then I think either your TV was on mute or you were drunk because, the three analysts that included Jeff Van Gundy and Marc Jackson said that it was a non-foul, no call required foul or at the best a hard foul. If you doubt me and you are sober by now, go watch the replay.
For a man, who gives us many wonderful views on NBA, this is not a worthy article. I just hope that it's a temporary lapse of judgment and not a hidden streak that we readers were unaware of.
Lastly, In the spirit of the full disclosure, I'm not for/against Spurs or Hornets. I love them both as in my opinion they are both great to watch and follow.
I'm just a basketball fan
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Please God Make me a NBA referee - or NOT
So I have never understood on why no NBA analyst, player, NBA covering journalists ever brings out the fact that some of the referees ( a good majority!) seem to be either blind, deaf, perverts, idiots or who knows - are just rotten.
I guess since every team gets some benefit at one time or another, they can't complain and then they end up facing these bumbling jackasses in critical games or critical times like playoffs and then they can't do much about it because they are guilty of not bringing out all this in open earlier and this cycle continues on, year after year. The only real losers are the fans who are actually paying for all this carnival and who quickly switch off to baseball or hockey or NFL or other games and then start feeling bad all over again the very next year.
Some of the most "interesting" refs in my opinion who should NOT be refereeing any games are:
I guess since every team gets some benefit at one time or another, they can't complain and then they end up facing these bumbling jackasses in critical games or critical times like playoffs and then they can't do much about it because they are guilty of not bringing out all this in open earlier and this cycle continues on, year after year. The only real losers are the fans who are actually paying for all this carnival and who quickly switch off to baseball or hockey or NFL or other games and then start feeling bad all over again the very next year.
Some of the most "interesting" refs in my opinion who should NOT be refereeing any games are:
Bennett Salvatore (Don't even get me started)
Steve Javie (fair! what does the word fair mean!!!)
On the other hand some Refs that seem to be fair in my opinion are:
Dick Bavetta (most objective!)
Joey Crawford (Fiery, may hold grudges against some but not corrupt)
Violet Palmer (women better than many men)
I will keep adding to this list so go over it again next week.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Federer, Henin's departure from the Tennis World - So Sad...
So I like Federer and Henin both and hence this shock on departure of both from the Tennis world.
Ok Ok Federer has not announced his retirement or anything but for all practical purposes every match that he plays makes it look like that he is getting ready to give away his games, his matches and eventually his crown.
Now, I have been watching him for last several years and to me, the moment of truth was in the 2006 US Open semis and the final. I just couldn't believe that he was hitting some shots with casual abundance at critical times in the match. I just couldn't. Till date I believe he won 2006 US open not because he played great but because his opponents folded up - after all, Its not easy to play center court in front of a huge crowd and world number 1 looking at you from the other side of the court.
Now don't go thinking that I don't like the guy. I am probably his biggest fan, in my home I am his ONLY fan because my wife and kids only like Nadal. I don't question Roger's skills, he's the best there is, I question his shot selection and his stubbornness. Stubborn because he refuses to change his game plans to match the changing situations during a game. I guess many of his opponents have started realizing this, so now he's tasting defeat so frequently. He, of course, is a player with great skills, talent and knowledge but if he doesn't take corrective action NOW, he may only be one amongst the top few instead of THE man in command in the Tennis World.
Justine Henin - I guess most of the tennis world is shocked beyond belief, I know I am and given my size, I'm at least half the tennis world, so its a certified stunner for the world.
DO you know any other women in sports who had so much grit, mental toughness and determination! What a loss! I hope she will just take a hiatus and come back in a year or less.
On the other hand, if you look at her roller coaster ride of last few years - estrangement from the family, divorce from the husband, reuniting with family- it must not have been easy even for a woman of so much courage.
May she get what she desires and may god fulfill her wishes As Well As wishes of everyone who reads this blog.
Non-readers, I can't guarantee your future though. Sorry. Wait a minute, if you are a non-reader you are not reading this blog... Right!!!
Peace.
P.S. - Damn the Spurs - I can't believe they lost to NO last night. They are messing up my predictions from the previous blog. *%#@ them.
I can't believe that so much bad decision making can be done by such an experienced team. I hold Manu specially responsible for taking a few perimeter shots that should have been in the paint hoops. Only consolation is that the loss is to Byron Scott's team - a man I feel was unfairly fired by Nets due to that smart ass Jason Kidd! What a sweet deal - Kidd sits out and Byron is still in there. JUSTICE.
Ok Ok Federer has not announced his retirement or anything but for all practical purposes every match that he plays makes it look like that he is getting ready to give away his games, his matches and eventually his crown.
Now, I have been watching him for last several years and to me, the moment of truth was in the 2006 US Open semis and the final. I just couldn't believe that he was hitting some shots with casual abundance at critical times in the match. I just couldn't. Till date I believe he won 2006 US open not because he played great but because his opponents folded up - after all, Its not easy to play center court in front of a huge crowd and world number 1 looking at you from the other side of the court.
Now don't go thinking that I don't like the guy. I am probably his biggest fan, in my home I am his ONLY fan because my wife and kids only like Nadal. I don't question Roger's skills, he's the best there is, I question his shot selection and his stubbornness. Stubborn because he refuses to change his game plans to match the changing situations during a game. I guess many of his opponents have started realizing this, so now he's tasting defeat so frequently. He, of course, is a player with great skills, talent and knowledge but if he doesn't take corrective action NOW, he may only be one amongst the top few instead of THE man in command in the Tennis World.
Justine Henin - I guess most of the tennis world is shocked beyond belief, I know I am and given my size, I'm at least half the tennis world, so its a certified stunner for the world.
DO you know any other women in sports who had so much grit, mental toughness and determination! What a loss! I hope she will just take a hiatus and come back in a year or less.
On the other hand, if you look at her roller coaster ride of last few years - estrangement from the family, divorce from the husband, reuniting with family- it must not have been easy even for a woman of so much courage.
May she get what she desires and may god fulfill her wishes As Well As wishes of everyone who reads this blog.
Non-readers, I can't guarantee your future though. Sorry. Wait a minute, if you are a non-reader you are not reading this blog... Right!!!
Peace.
P.S. - Damn the Spurs - I can't believe they lost to NO last night. They are messing up my predictions from the previous blog. *%#@ them.
I can't believe that so much bad decision making can be done by such an experienced team. I hold Manu specially responsible for taking a few perimeter shots that should have been in the paint hoops. Only consolation is that the loss is to Byron Scott's team - a man I feel was unfairly fired by Nets due to that smart ass Jason Kidd! What a sweet deal - Kidd sits out and Byron is still in there. JUSTICE.
Monday, May 12, 2008
NBA, Knicks, Spurs and rest
So what better way to start blogging than to talk (bitterly) about Sports. Now basketball is my favorite sport but over the years, well at least over the last 7 yrs. I have felt that league tries to force results; in other words, tries to control who wins a match or a title or even the championship. How they do it! Through the refs. in my experience.
Tom Donaghy was just a scapegoat in my eyes. I bet that almost every ref. is influenced one way or the other, by the league office to ensure that the some teams are kept under check in a game while others are allowed to get away with all kind of nonsense plays. In the name of a hard game, some teams will be allowed to physically hurt, almost injure, players of the opposing team in a game while opposing team will be called for a foul every time they are within an inch of the players of the favored team. Since the non favored team knows that they will be called out fro the slightest touch, they start being tentative and end up backing away from any contact on both sides of the floor, resulting in obvious results - non-favored team loses out.
My guess is that league does this not with a specific malice but to ensure that advertising dollars, TV rights and general sentiments of NBA fans are taken care of while making the max money possible. I saw this in 2006 when Dallas Mavs were getting all kind of foul calls on other teams almost through out the season BUT in the post season when Mark Cuban started making loud noises about refs playing favorites, the league suddenly pulled out the "easy call" cushion for Dallas, mainly during the finals with the Miami Heat. Nowitzki and rest of the Mavs looked stunned during the games with Heat and lost to a team that they had no reason to lose to. Some can give an argument that Heat was really good that year, Shaq and Wade were a deadly combination but that's all B.S. No time during the season or post season that year, Heat looked good enough to beat any team in Western Conference leave alone Mavs but there they were, Champions of 2006.
Big joke but well, no one can complain, can they! As for Wade and Shaq, is there any doubt that they are exceptional players, none. Were they capable of playing good that year - absolutely, WERE THEY capable of winning a title that year - no way.
Anyways, I must mention the fact that I am not a Miami or Mavs fan, heck I live in Jersey so these are not even my teams. Just my oobservations of last few years.
Before I go on to make quick statements on Knick and Spurs I do want to quickly give my predictions for the current play offs ;
Lakers and Utah - Lakers in 7, (even though I'm conscious of the fact that league would like to make it Utah in 7 - apparently a good bunch of NBA fans think that Jerry Sloan should get a title that he has never got)
Spurs and Hornets - Spurs in 6 ( even though I know league would like it to go to 7 games to make enough TV and advertising dollars)
Pistons and Magic - Pistons in 5
Celtics and Cavs - Celts in 7 (only because they have home court advantage)
Conference Finals
Lakers and Spurs - Spurs in 7
Pistons and Celts - Pistons in 6 or 7
Championship
Spurs and Pistons - Spurs in 6 or 7
Knicks
There are many doubts being expressed on D'Antoni's move to Knicks with an overwhelming majority of comments expressing their disapproval and the fact that Mike will have to manage Marbury and Curry. In my opinion, it will be a great move benefiting everyone and Mike will be very successful.
Spurs
So everyone was writing off Spurs when they went down 0-2 against Hornets and how old spurs were done and finished. Oh my, how things change, last night during the fourth game suddenly the TV presenters were talking about " New Orleans inexperienced youth"! What an about turn. Same specilaists were talking about how New Orleans was a perfect picture of young and experienced just four days back.
As of now I pick Spurs to clean the act and the match up, by picking next two games
Tom Donaghy was just a scapegoat in my eyes. I bet that almost every ref. is influenced one way or the other, by the league office to ensure that the some teams are kept under check in a game while others are allowed to get away with all kind of nonsense plays. In the name of a hard game, some teams will be allowed to physically hurt, almost injure, players of the opposing team in a game while opposing team will be called for a foul every time they are within an inch of the players of the favored team. Since the non favored team knows that they will be called out fro the slightest touch, they start being tentative and end up backing away from any contact on both sides of the floor, resulting in obvious results - non-favored team loses out.
My guess is that league does this not with a specific malice but to ensure that advertising dollars, TV rights and general sentiments of NBA fans are taken care of while making the max money possible. I saw this in 2006 when Dallas Mavs were getting all kind of foul calls on other teams almost through out the season BUT in the post season when Mark Cuban started making loud noises about refs playing favorites, the league suddenly pulled out the "easy call" cushion for Dallas, mainly during the finals with the Miami Heat. Nowitzki and rest of the Mavs looked stunned during the games with Heat and lost to a team that they had no reason to lose to. Some can give an argument that Heat was really good that year, Shaq and Wade were a deadly combination but that's all B.S. No time during the season or post season that year, Heat looked good enough to beat any team in Western Conference leave alone Mavs but there they were, Champions of 2006.
Big joke but well, no one can complain, can they! As for Wade and Shaq, is there any doubt that they are exceptional players, none. Were they capable of playing good that year - absolutely, WERE THEY capable of winning a title that year - no way.
Anyways, I must mention the fact that I am not a Miami or Mavs fan, heck I live in Jersey so these are not even my teams. Just my oobservations of last few years.
Before I go on to make quick statements on Knick and Spurs I do want to quickly give my predictions for the current play offs ;
Lakers and Utah - Lakers in 7, (even though I'm conscious of the fact that league would like to make it Utah in 7 - apparently a good bunch of NBA fans think that Jerry Sloan should get a title that he has never got)
Spurs and Hornets - Spurs in 6 ( even though I know league would like it to go to 7 games to make enough TV and advertising dollars)
Pistons and Magic - Pistons in 5
Celtics and Cavs - Celts in 7 (only because they have home court advantage)
Conference Finals
Lakers and Spurs - Spurs in 7
Pistons and Celts - Pistons in 6 or 7
Championship
Spurs and Pistons - Spurs in 6 or 7
Knicks
There are many doubts being expressed on D'Antoni's move to Knicks with an overwhelming majority of comments expressing their disapproval and the fact that Mike will have to manage Marbury and Curry. In my opinion, it will be a great move benefiting everyone and Mike will be very successful.
Spurs
So everyone was writing off Spurs when they went down 0-2 against Hornets and how old spurs were done and finished. Oh my, how things change, last night during the fourth game suddenly the TV presenters were talking about " New Orleans inexperienced youth"! What an about turn. Same specilaists were talking about how New Orleans was a perfect picture of young and experienced just four days back.
As of now I pick Spurs to clean the act and the match up, by picking next two games
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