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

WHAT IF?

Do you ever wonder what if? What if I went to Boston College? What if Posada’s blooper was caught? What if this actually worked? What if Larry and Sarah Parker never met and we never got Candace??!!! I guess we wouldn’t have Anthony either, so there is some silver lining. Anyway, I was thinking what if today about a few sporting events. Here’s my top six (random number I know) what if moments, definitely up to debate, definitely wrong, and there’s probably a New England slant in here.

SIX: What If Eisley’s Shot had counted?

1998. Game 6. The game Michael hit this shot. Earlier in the game Howard Eisley hit a three pointer that should have counted. He hit this three with one second left on the shot clock. Bavetta overruled it. If that three counts, certainly the whole game is affected.

What would have happened: The Jazz win game six and go on to win the series. They may have been the better team, game three notwithstanding. Jordan doesn’t retire. The 1999 Lockout doesn’t happen because Jordan wouldn’t let it. 1999 Bulls win championship number six over the Spurs in 4 games.

FIVE. What if Offerman had been called safe?

Game 4. ALCS. 1999. The first year the Redsox played the Yankees in the ALCS. The Redsox are trailing 3-2 in the eighth inning. John Valentin hits a groundball. Offerman is not tagged (see picture). He is called out. Knoblauch throws to first to get a double play. Instead of Nomar (one of the greatest hitters in the league at the time) coming up with a runner on second, the Redsox were retired and their hopes dashed, going on to give up 6 runs in the ninth and lose 9-2.

What would have happened: Nomar comes up with a runner in scoring position and, as always, delivers, this time with a wall scraping double. Mike Stanley walks, and then Brian Daubach homers giving the Sox a 6-3 lead. Rich Garces isn’t allowed to suck the whole ninth inning, and the Sox hold on to win 6-5. The Sox lose game five but take game six. Pedro then throws the first perfect game in ALCS history and the Sox win game 7 and the pennant. The Sox overmatch the Braves and win their first World Series in 81 years. Nomar and Pedro become lifetime Sox heroes and are never traded/let go in free agency. The Sox team currently sucks, but we’ll always have memory of that game seven where Pedro pitched the greatest game that never happened.

FOUR: What if Brady didn’t tuck?

2002. AFC Divisional Playoff game between the Patriots and the Raiders. Tom Brady pumps, the ball is knocked loose. Originally it is called a fumble. On the review the officials use the tuck rule to call the pass incomplete. The Patriots go on to win the game and the Super Bowl.

What would have happened: The Raiders win the game. They beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh and then lose 77-3 to the St Louis Rams in the Super Bowl. The Raiders are currently in the same position they are now… sucking. The Patriots continue to build on to their promising team and make the playoffs in 2002-2003 (instead of missing them, which is what actually happened). The Patriots teams are mildly better due to that specific offseason and the Patriots win three Super Bowls, including going 19-0 in 2007-2008. Yup, this is what would have happened. Aren’t you glad they called it the way they did Raider fans?

THREE: What if Len Bias hadn’t died?

June 18, 1986. Some crappy hotel room. Coke covered tables. Len Bias livin’ it up. Len Bias injests too much and dies.

What would have happened: The Celtics take the 1987 Finals over the Lakers in 5 games. The Celtics also take the 1988 Finals becoming the first team to three-peat since themselves in the sixties. The Lakers settle for their one Finals win in the 80’s (1985). Magic dedicates himself to basketball. He doesn’t get AIDS (we can joke about aids now right?). The Lakers win the Finals in 1992. Jordan doesn’t retire in 1994. The Bulls win the Finals six consecutive years 1993-98, defeating the Celtics in the Conference Finals 1993-1996.

TWO: What if Game 6 was called fairly?

2002. Western Conference Finals. Lakers beat the Kings after shooting 27 free throws in the final period. Nearly every call is bad. Kobe elbows Bibby in the face near the end of the game, adding injury to insult (by the way, no call was made). Kings go on to lose (also questionably from what I hear) game 7. They are never the same.

What would have happened: The Kings win Game 6, it’s not even close. They go on to sweep the Nets in the Finals. Webber is not seen as a choker. The Kings team is kept in tact. The Kings win the Championship in 2004 and 2006, alternating with the Spurs. Dwayne Wade never becomes that famous. He never makes those “you in my five” commercials. Webber is still playing. In a few years he will make the hall of fame.

ONE: What if Shamm hits the elbow jumper?

1997. NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. Providence has just come back from down 85-78 with 1:05 left to tie the game at 85. Providence steals the ball at center court. Shammgod drives, pulls up, and clanks the elbow jumper miserably off the side of the rim. Providence goes on to lose the game in Overtime.

What would have happened: Providence holds on for the final 4 seconds and wins the game. Providence goes on to destroy North Carolina and Kentucky to win the National Championship. Instead of “Simon Says Championship,” Jim Nance states, “God delivers Providence to the promised land.” Shammgod and Austin Croshere go on to have stellar NBA careers. God currently plays for the World champion Celtics, playing about 40 minutes per game (rondo gets 5, house 3). Mike Bibby can’t deal with how chokey he and his team played. The Kings never trade for him. The Kings win the 2002 Western Conference finals on a last second behind-the-back alley-oop from J-Will to Webber.

If anyone was offended by this, or disagrees with this, I apologize.

100th Post!

I am starting out this post with no idea where I am going to go with it. I just saw us sitting at 99 posts and realized I had to take matters into my own hands. Plus, like in basketball, I realized someone had to step up and come through in the clutch. Also, like basketball, if I miss and this post is awful, people won’t really remember it, but if I come through I’m looking at a clutch blogger of the year award. Lastly, because I have no belief in “clutch” whatsoever, it sort of makes me clutch. Really. I live for games at Brodie that come down to the last shot. I don’t actually play better, but some people believe it, and that’s all that matters.

On to… somthing.

hmmm

Um, I read a book! Yeah I read Bringing Down the House. That’s kinda a sports book right? It’s about blackjack and these kids that count cards. Solid book. I recommend. Also, with apologies to Jim Gaffigan, the book was much better than the movie. Although I did enjoy that I didn’t have to read the movie. I’m so smart because I read books.

Let’s do something involving the number 100.

Ok Wilt’s 100 point game. That was impressive. The coolest part is that during the final minutes players were openly passing up wide open shots in order to get the ball to Wilt. Wilt’s team was fouling to get the ball back

Dajuan Wagner had a 100 point game. Here’s a good look on what happened to him. He’s currently playing in Poland.

Um, here’s a list of the top 100 sports books of all time.

The Conn Sun beat the Atlanta Dream 100-68 a couple weeks ago.

I once bowled over 100.

Kobe had 81. That’s not 100.

One time I got a 100 on a test. No link for this one.

I could watch this 100 times.

I have watched this 100 times.

100 times 100 = 10000

100 divided by 100 = 1

The Pats scored 100, or close enough.

Game tied at 100 after regulation. Socal probably already knows what I’m talking about.

If I was making a list of the hundred best movies, this would be at the top. (not really make sense? It’s not that I’m lazy. It’s that I just don’t care.)

Interesting theory involving monkeys.

Well, I’m bored 100 times over by this post. Here’s to 100 more! We know how easy it is to fall short (from talking to our friends).

I was wrong V2

I’m sorry Kendrick. I was wrong. Maybe you’re not my Jason Campbell. When you have the best night by a Celtics center in like 3 years (Mark Blount had some sick games) you’re excluded from the Jason Campbell category. Who is it then? I know it’s definitely not a point guard that used to wear #12 for the Friars. Maybe it’s Tony Allen. I like Tony Allen a lot. I’ll figure it out soon enough.

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.