The state of the NBA

by MR on Jan 6, 2009 11:37 PM EST Comment 20 comments

Ok, so this is really bothering me and I have to get it off my chest:

The Wiz have a game against Cleveland on Xmas stolen by a series of bad calls and there is barely a mention in the media. Nobody wants to make the refs the story of the game.

A week later, the next time the two teams meet the "crab dribble" episode is nation-wide news. There is talk, debate, controversy even.

WTF?

Lame. NBA, you are lame.

This represents the view of the user who wrote the FanPost, and not the entire Bullets Forever community. We're a place of many opinions, not just one.

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its the media

they love lebron
im used to being on the other side of things
at the end of the day, if your team wins, they will be talked about positively..or atleast more positively than before

"Aw Shucks" - Wade Phillips

by MrMinority on Jan 7, 2009 12:21 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I don't blame media

I blame NBA marketing.

No need to shoot the messenger.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jan 7, 2009 12:29 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Except

Aren’t news media, and sports media (TV, Radio, print, web, etc..) – aren’t they supposed to be unbiased?

OK fine…. the local guys can be “homers”… and might be persuaded to put a positive spin on coverage of the local team…. but what about the National media? ESPN… SI…. etc

Shouldn’t they be looking at the League with a skeptic’s eye?
Shouldn’t the media be critical of a League that seems to be drifting towards WWF’dome?

When the League takes a black eye over the Summer about a “rogue” Referee that bet on games – Shouldn’t the National Media be examining and reporting on faulty, poor, biased or slanted calls made by the League’s Referees?

Why has there been no expose, to shed light on the “star” foul treatment in the League?
EVERYONE, Fans, Owners, Players and Coaches know that there’s a “star” system in place to protect the League’s marquee players – yet, the media ignores it. So, as a result, the system gets more and more skewed and twisted.

The National media is all over our Political system…. If a Congressman farts, everyone in the Country knows about it the next morning. Why the special “hands off” treatment for the NBA?

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Jan 7, 2009 1:04 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sorry to reply to my own post

but I hit Post by mistake.

Perfect examples of “star” treatment, and non-star treatment happened in tonight’s game against Orlando.

In the 1st Quarter, Songaila got hit with an inadvertent Howard elbow to his head. The contact was so violent, it sent Songaila reeling across the lane – and he had to go to the Locker Room to get “tended to” (ie: check his teeth, x-ray his jaw, check for concussion)….. Now, in the NBA, an elbow to the head, no matter if it’s inadvertent or not, is immediately called a foul – EXCEPT if it’s Dwight Howard’s elbow, and it’s Darius Songaila’s head. Had the situation been reversed, and Songaila had inadvertently hit Howard in the head with an elbow – Songaila would have been whistled for a foul – and probably a Technical as well… with perhaps a suspension to follow. (Speaking of suspensions, remember last year’s Playoff’s? When Songaila’s arm was tangled with LeBaby’s arm, and he inadvertently brushed BronBron’s cheek with the back of his hand, after LeTravel jerked his arm upward?)

Now – I’m not trying to say that Howard should have been suspended – or that it was an intentional act… only that a foul should have been called.

Now – fast forward to later in the game. Dominic McGuire (2nd year scrub player, with ZERO star power) drives the lane. Battie and “Superman” Dwight Howard (League Superstar) converge – sandwich McGuire … and absolutely pummel him – with Howard getting the “block”. The replay clearly shows McGuire was bodied, by both Battie and Howard… and Howard got McGuire on the arm (not a block on the ball)… Referee Steve Javie is looking directly at the play, as McGuire falls to the floor after the contact. NO FOUL IS CALLED.

At some point, if the situation is not addressed, fans will become jaded. We’re already starting to hear some people say they prefer the College game over the Pro’s – because it’s a better brand of team basketball. Oh, sure… some fans will stick around; after all, Professional Wrestling has a following.

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Jan 7, 2009 1:27 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Well wait a minute

I’m not saying mainstream media is blameless. I’m just saying it’s not exclusively their fault. The whole “it’s the media’s fault” meme almost never really applies perfectly. It’s too easy.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jan 7, 2009 2:09 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Both

I blame both, actually.

The NBA sets up their star system and the media buys into it. The media is part of the system too. You think networks, broadcasters, journalists etc want to tarnish their product?

The problem is that it has gotten so out of hand. For that I blame David Stern. And I blame the independent media outlets (ones that aren’t selling NBA), although I guess there aren’t any of those anymore. It’s sad when the Daily Show is our nation’s best source of unvarnished news.

The wall will crumble one of these days. I really am surprised and disappointed that the Donahey scandal didn’t act as a catalyst to make that happen. Stern did a Rovian job keeping that under wraps.

by MR on Jan 7, 2009 7:42 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with you

It’s media and the NBA. The NBA for setting the agenda and for media for not being as proactive as it could have been.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jan 7, 2009 10:32 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I blame the media more for this reason

We can’t expect the NBA, especially with David Stern as commissioner, to do the right thing. The media showed with steroids issue that they have the power to save MLB from themselves (and to lesser a degree the same thing with umpiring).
If the basketball press would turn up the heat on the NBA for its refereeing and how ridiciulous it has become then maybe this is a problem that could be lessened. Basketball is just as great a game as football and could be just as popular were it not for things like incompetent refereeing and the freaking star system!

"Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home." --- Daffy Duck

by George Templeton on Jan 7, 2009 1:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Amen brother!

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Jan 7, 2009 1:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hard to disagree with that

by MR on Jan 7, 2009 2:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I disagree

The NBA is a business. A business will do whatever it takes to be successful; even if those actions might become detrimental to the business in the future…. even if those actions are contrary to ethical and moral standards (ie: Cheating. Unfair. Biased.) That’s why there are laws written to keep Business from going too far.

My analogy to Politics is a good one. If it weren’t for the Press, Politicians would do whatever it took to get re-elected…. whatever it took to consolidate their power…. and whatever it took to amass wealth. But with the watchful eye of the the Press (which is the only venue for the public to know of any transgressions) , they have to temper their baser instincts; otherwise they’ll be voted out of office.

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Jan 7, 2009 8:48 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

getting down from my high horse now

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Jan 7, 2009 10:01 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm confused

How is that disagreeing with the view that media could scrutinize more than they do, but they aren’t the only ones to blame?

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jan 7, 2009 10:32 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The NBA is a business

They will do what is in the best interest of their business…. whether that’s right or wrong, that’s just how it is. If that means keeping the press away from referees after controversial calls, that’s what they’ll do. If that means filtering EVERYTHING through the League office; that’s what they’ll do.

But, it’s the Media that allows them to do that.

You think if the media was all over David Stern to allow post-game interviews with Referees – If they did a 60-minutes type expose about bad calls – if they consistently and persistently pointed out the negatives about the way games are officiated – that Stern and the League wouldn’t do something about it?

David Stern (ie: the NBA) will do NOTHING about the poor, biased and “star” advantaged officiating in the League until they are forced to.

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Jan 7, 2009 10:49 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm a bit lost....

Almost all of the national media attention I’ve seen has said it was a travel, made fun of lebron’s crab dribble comments, and compared it to the travel call that was not made in the playoffs last year. I agree that in general star’s are untouchable by refs and admired by the national media, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised in this case at how much things have gone against lebron. Of course…if your beef is more “Why is a travel call a big deal?” then I agree. If it had been delonte west pulling that move there would have been a whistle 9 times out of 10, and 0 debate nationwide about a good call in a meaningless game.

by five by five on Jan 7, 2009 8:40 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Right, exactly

They’re mocking LeBron on ESPN. Isn’t this what we want?

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jan 7, 2009 10:31 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Today

Tomorrow, when he takes 4 steps (with NO CALL), and scores the winning basket, they’ll be fawning all over him again.

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Jan 7, 2009 10:39 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

fair enough...

But at the same time they are now pointing out his past transgressions…it’s a start. If they did this more frequently (and it’s a shame they do not) maybe the “Jordan Rules” that lebron and other superstars play by will become a thing of the past.

(May I just add here that I hope there are creative and multitudinous “King Crab” signs at the next wiz cavs game at the VC? Can somebody get papa john’s to do up another t-shirt?)

by five by five on Jan 7, 2009 11:10 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I guess so

but it bothers me that it’s such a big deal, even if it’s in a mocking way. No, actually what bothers me is that there was no mention whatsoever of the horrible giveaway by the refs during the NATIONALLY TELEVISED Xmas game.

It is nice to see the idiot mocked almost universally.

by MR on Jan 7, 2009 1:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs