This Post is Long

Note To Reader: I started this post quite a few days ago, certain things have changed in the world since I started it. I refuse to go back and edit stuff I wrote to make it “work” or whatever. Call it honesty. Or Laziness. No, honesty, definitely honesty…

Haven’t made a (real) post in a few days. This one might take a while. Our blog’s last two posts are me talking about this dude (who no one cares about) and a picture of this dude (who no one but finger wag cares about). Also, our last comment from a “reader” features the word “fantabolous.”

My fellow Americans, the state of the blog is “Ugh”.

I have the solution: another poorly researched list that no one cares about, but might get people to argue, but probably won’t because (as previously stated 15 words ago) no one cares.

25 Worst Calls of All Time

Here comes the controversy

This is not what the NBA needs. I don’t want to say a whole lot about it because these simply are allegations from a ref who has proven to be dishonest, but even bringing refereeing into question could be huge for the NBA. Face it, no major sport relies on the judgments of its refs more than the NBA – only short of sports where judges actually score individuals to determine who wins. Steroids in baseball and spygate in football can’t hurt their sport as much as bringing refereeing in basketball into question – it brings the whole game into question, not just certain players or teams. This is amplified by the fact that this article alleges that the 2002 champion probably should not have made the finals (maybe there’s a reason why the 2002 Kings are the best team to not win the championship). This also (officially) calls into question the stars of the NBA, although I’d say it’s pretty common knowledge that the star is going to get the call. If this drags past the preliminary “allegations” stage, the NBA – which has already been slumping in recent years – better have a good plan to revive itself (my personal choice would be to convert to streetball rules – that would be amazing).

Um, so yeah…

… the officiating was weak in game 4 between the Spurs and the Lakers. I’m going to try to be completely un-bias, which I think is possible because I dislike both teams. I think I hate the Spurs more, but I can never root for the Lakers, unless Odom is directly involved. Complicated, and no one cares.

Anyway, on to the officiating in tonights game. AWFUL. Let me explain.

Luke Walton gets NO respect. First he got called for a travel on a play where they easily could’ve called a foul on the spurs. Then a few plays later he dribbles near flopoholic Robert Horry who “draws” a charge by jumping backwards. It was definitely a block or a no call. I would like to point out that the travel by Walton was much less egregious than the three running steps by Duncan that preceded a dunk in the second quarter. Laker fans should’ve been pretty angry at this point in the game.

…But Laker fans have no right to be angry anymore. The refs made up for these few bad calls with a SEASON KILLING bad call on the last play of the game. Yup, it was a foul. You can’t just not call fouls in the last minute of the game. Fisher rammed into Brent Barry with one second left in the game and the score 93-91. Barry understandably forced up a wild three and the game ended 93-91. They call that foul and you have career 82% freethrow shooting Brent Barry at the line with a chance to tie the game.

They interviewed Kobe Bryant after the game. “No foul,” was all he would say. What else is he gonna say? It’s obviously a foul and Joey “call a tech on duncan for laughing” Crawford killed the Spurs again. I guess in a way it’s the ultimate revenge for Crawford, who, I believe, previously got fined because of his poor treatment of the Spurs.

This call was really bad, and I had money riding on the Lakers. Sure it was 11 cents, but it’s still money. if a guy who bets on the Lakers can say that was a bad call, then everyone can admit that was a bad call. Right Socal? (In no way do I think Socal will say it was a bad call.)

So basically, the refs were bad throughout, culminating in a bad call that will be talked about in San Antonio for awhile. Did the refs make up for bad calls against the lakers with that last bad call? Perhaps, but that last no call robbed us of one of the more exciting finishes in sports, a guy at the line shooting two, down two.

On a side note, with about a minute left Odom hit two clutch free throws and then the rest of the Lakers team proceeded to try as hard as they could to give away the game (kobe included). It was very reminicent of this (here for full version). Why would Kobe shoot that shot? Just a strange game.

Waiver Wire?

The Cavaliers new G/F/C Joe Forte creates many match up problems for the Celtics.