Kolek planning to go pro
I'll buy that. I suppose what I'll say is that NHL regular season performance seems to diverge from playoff performance more than in the NBA. I think teams with true Stanley Cup potential NEED to coast a bit because the playoff grind is so intense. Plenty of NHL regular season pretenders who simply won't be able to up their playoff game. Does anyone really think the Preds were better than the Hawks this year? Frankly, the Hawks are just now starting to play hockey.
The reason that I don't like the NBA as much as college is because the ending to that Game 7 was incredibly shady. About 15 seconds before Paul's game-winner, he was gifted 2 go-ahead FTs when he missed a jumper with Duncan in his vicinity and went down like he was shot. The refs gave Paul the "superstar call" even though Duncan literally did not touch him. That call was followed by some very awkward seconds with Harlan and Webber on the call (presumably because Webber was prominently involved in the shadiest series in NBA history). That phantom call potentially changed the outcome of an otherwise amazing series.I am NOT saying that the NBA blatantly fixes games. I'm not saying that AT ALL, but I do believe that the league knows the officials tendencies (homer, heel, star-lover, etc) and assigns them to games accordingly in hopes of getting the "more marketable" outcome.
If that were the case, San Antonio would never get to the Finals. The NBA officials have some issues, but they are so much better than college officials.
Not true. The NBA gives an advantage to the team that they'd prefer to win but it doesn't always work out. Sometimes one team is simply better than another. Sometimes you end up with Spurs-Pistons in the Finals. Sometimes you have a series like Lakers-Kings, Lakers-Blazers or Bucks-Sixers where the teams were very evenly matched and the "advantage" given to one team was enough for them to win.
I like how you state this as fact. Pretty funny.So, the NBA really doesn't want the Spurs in the Finals but has screwed it up six times in the last 15 years? I love it.Were there not horrible calls near the end of some NCAA tournament games this season?Wasn't a mythical national football championship decided by a phantom call?Wasn't an NFL game decided by a dubious dropped-catch call?Were they -- and all others -- explrightble by conspiracy theories?Ugh.
No, I stated it as opinion. I never said nor implied that the NBA "screwed up" 6 times in 15 years. I said that I believe the NBA gives an advantage to certain teams by the assigning of specific referees to their games. It's similar to giving someone a headstart in a race - it's an advantage but it doesn't necessarily mean they'll win. There are going to be bad calls during every game in every sport. However, there are more questionable calls in NBA Playoff games that favor the more appealing team than in any other sport. So many, in fact, that there are documentaries and websites and books dedicated to some of them.
There are going to be bad calls during every game in every sport. However, there are more questionable calls in NBA Playoff games that favor the more appealing team than in any other sport. So many, in fact, that there are documentaries and websites and books dedicated to some of them.
I agree with you on the merits. This is, though, an exceedingly minor point Chico has seized on to explain why he hates the NBA and never watches it (except when he does, like when some rich, important "friend" gives him freebies). And as for regular season games when one team doesn't try, that happens in all sports. And there's actually more incentive to "tank" in the NFL and MLB where the worst record guarantees the highest pick.Chico is dishonest as to why he really hates the NBA. Here's some of the real reasons on his list:1. The NBA is too black.2. The players (who are mostly black) have too much power.Sports with owners and coaches in control (and the athletes fungible) are more his style.
I agree on NBA cruise control. Could not disagree more on the hockey comment. The hitting, checking, physicality of hockey is brought each and every night. So many more players that have to bust their butts each night to stay in the league, unlike the NBA where 95% of the players are locked in and can't or won't get sent down.
Fair enough. You are allowed to have silly opinions.There was a series of movies about a coded map of the Declaration of Independence pointing to a national treasure, too. Also, many documentaries "proving" aliens having landed in New Mexico, paranormal activities, people dying and "seeing the light" before coming backAll of which proves what? That the NBA wanted the Spurs to lose?What next? The NFL didn't want the Bills in four straight Super Bowls but did a lousy job of fixing the AFC title games?Funny stuff.
+1NBA playoff basketball is absolutely fantastic. Too bad the regular season has to be done on cruise control but I think we all understand why. Hockey has the exact same issue, maybe even more so.