Maybe Not a Conspiracy, but Definitely Favorites
The Dallas Mavericks Lost Sunday Night. Unless you live in a bubble (or in a state other than Florida or Texas) you already know this. The interesting thing is not that they lost, but how they lost. And the article linked above claims that Mark Cuban (owner) and Avery Johnson (coach) are calling for conspiracy theories and blaiming the officiating for the loss. Well, I don't think they are blaming them wholly for the loss. But they should at least shoulder some of the blame.
But this story at ESPN is a little more even than the editorial above. The Heat shot a total of 49 free throws on Sunday. Dallas? They shot a paltry 25. Dwayne Wade, the NBA's new darling and
their new MJ, went to the line as many times as the entire Mavs team. Hmm...did the Heat just get fouled more? Not likely. Anyone who watches this sport knows that fouls are more often than not intentional, and happen on both sides of the court at least every other possession. There's even a thing called "Hack a Shaq," where you run to the offensive end, give Shaq a quick bear hug, and send the poor 32% free throw shooter to the line. He misses almost every time, the fouling team gets the rebound, and it's practically a turn over. So that's what Dallas was doing, and that explains Shaq's free throws, but Wades? Come on. I believe he was fouled maybe 1/3 of those times but the others are just flagrant attempts by the league to get his numbers up and improve his image so they can have a new poster child. Reference the poster above. I almost want to ask that person where they got that. Did the league president hand that to you over drinks in the club house?
Every year they push for a new Michael Jordan. EVERY YEAR. For a while it was LeBron James. But that didn't go, he's really good and all, but MJ he is not. Then Kobe, but his personal life is such a mess and he's so hated by half the fans of the sport that that is never going to happen. Then there was Tim Duncan of the Spurs last year. But, unfortunately Tim hates the spotlight and wants his privacy and doesn't really speak to the media much. That does not go along with the leagues idea of what a "star" player should be. And it certainly doesn't make you MJ.
Jordan was great not only because of his obscenely good lay-ups and jump shots, but because of his overall charisma and his amazing ability to get a crowd and his team going. He was the trifecta. He was a great spokesman, a great player, a great man. A wonderful role model that would volunteer with children and still wear suits to his game. He was a family man who loved his father, and a player who strove to not only win, but to win definitively and over, and over again. 3-pete Repeat! Now that was an amazing series.
But the league is going to have to get over the fact that finding another player like Jordan is at best a unicorn. You've heard about it, maybe even seen it, but it does not truly exist. You'll catch a glimpse and then it'll go up and smoke. And every year they try really, really hard to make the fans see a glimpse of Jordan in another player, but it's really not there. Wade is a great basketball player, but he's no Jordan. Jordan made the other players on his team look like All-Stars. Wade does not do that. No other player on the Miami Heat is shining along with him. There's only Wade, out there like a bouy, attracting attention for a league that desperately wants seven games so they can make seven games worth of money.
Just look at the numbers. 4 games versuses 7. Hmm...you could practically double your money if you push to seven. So why not give the officiants a little nudge in that direction, a bonus if they have to go to seven. Call it for their extra work. Either way, against a team like Dallas whom the League hates anyway (reference all the fines on Cuban and our team overall and like, none on the Heat), it's really not a tough call. They'd like nothing more than to irritate Mark Cuban. If that means his team has to lose, so be it. They have no all stars on the Dallas team anyway. No one to exploit.
But Michael Jordan Dwayne Wade is not. And you'll see that tonight in game 6. The Mavs are angry, and the fans are angry. And we're angry for a host of good reasons. One, that overall favoritism being shown. Like that crap call on Sunday night with 1.9 left in overtime. Those officials knew, knew, that Howard wasn't calling a time out. They knew he wanted the time out after the 1.9. They knew. A 6th grade basketball player knew he didn't want to call time out right then. He was talking to his coach, not the stupid official. So they robbed us of the win right there, knowing that with 1.9 left and infielding the ball at half court we had a very good chance at throwing up a 2 and winning. They knew he didn't want that called, but they did it anyway. Why? Because then the series would be over tonight when the Mavs win. Instead, now they force a game 7 when we win.
And win we will. Go Mavs. I love you no matter what the outcome tonight. And you deserve to win. Show up and play with class. They got nothing on us Texans anyways.
But this story at ESPN is a little more even than the editorial above. The Heat shot a total of 49 free throws on Sunday. Dallas? They shot a paltry 25. Dwayne Wade, the NBA's new darling and
their new MJ, went to the line as many times as the entire Mavs team. Hmm...did the Heat just get fouled more? Not likely. Anyone who watches this sport knows that fouls are more often than not intentional, and happen on both sides of the court at least every other possession. There's even a thing called "Hack a Shaq," where you run to the offensive end, give Shaq a quick bear hug, and send the poor 32% free throw shooter to the line. He misses almost every time, the fouling team gets the rebound, and it's practically a turn over. So that's what Dallas was doing, and that explains Shaq's free throws, but Wades? Come on. I believe he was fouled maybe 1/3 of those times but the others are just flagrant attempts by the league to get his numbers up and improve his image so they can have a new poster child. Reference the poster above. I almost want to ask that person where they got that. Did the league president hand that to you over drinks in the club house?Every year they push for a new Michael Jordan. EVERY YEAR. For a while it was LeBron James. But that didn't go, he's really good and all, but MJ he is not. Then Kobe, but his personal life is such a mess and he's so hated by half the fans of the sport that that is never going to happen. Then there was Tim Duncan of the Spurs last year. But, unfortunately Tim hates the spotlight and wants his privacy and doesn't really speak to the media much. That does not go along with the leagues idea of what a "star" player should be. And it certainly doesn't make you MJ.
Jordan was great not only because of his obscenely good lay-ups and jump shots, but because of his overall charisma and his amazing ability to get a crowd and his team going. He was the trifecta. He was a great spokesman, a great player, a great man. A wonderful role model that would volunteer with children and still wear suits to his game. He was a family man who loved his father, and a player who strove to not only win, but to win definitively and over, and over again. 3-pete Repeat! Now that was an amazing series.
But the league is going to have to get over the fact that finding another player like Jordan is at best a unicorn. You've heard about it, maybe even seen it, but it does not truly exist. You'll catch a glimpse and then it'll go up and smoke. And every year they try really, really hard to make the fans see a glimpse of Jordan in another player, but it's really not there. Wade is a great basketball player, but he's no Jordan. Jordan made the other players on his team look like All-Stars. Wade does not do that. No other player on the Miami Heat is shining along with him. There's only Wade, out there like a bouy, attracting attention for a league that desperately wants seven games so they can make seven games worth of money.
Just look at the numbers. 4 games versuses 7. Hmm...you could practically double your money if you push to seven. So why not give the officiants a little nudge in that direction, a bonus if they have to go to seven. Call it for their extra work. Either way, against a team like Dallas whom the League hates anyway (reference all the fines on Cuban and our team overall and like, none on the Heat), it's really not a tough call. They'd like nothing more than to irritate Mark Cuban. If that means his team has to lose, so be it. They have no all stars on the Dallas team anyway. No one to exploit.
But Michael Jordan Dwayne Wade is not. And you'll see that tonight in game 6. The Mavs are angry, and the fans are angry. And we're angry for a host of good reasons. One, that overall favoritism being shown. Like that crap call on Sunday night with 1.9 left in overtime. Those officials knew, knew, that Howard wasn't calling a time out. They knew he wanted the time out after the 1.9. They knew. A 6th grade basketball player knew he didn't want to call time out right then. He was talking to his coach, not the stupid official. So they robbed us of the win right there, knowing that with 1.9 left and infielding the ball at half court we had a very good chance at throwing up a 2 and winning. They knew he didn't want that called, but they did it anyway. Why? Because then the series would be over tonight when the Mavs win. Instead, now they force a game 7 when we win.
And win we will. Go Mavs. I love you no matter what the outcome tonight. And you deserve to win. Show up and play with class. They got nothing on us Texans anyways.
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