God I wish we knew the truth...and knew it was the truth This is saddening if its all/mostly true (proceed to rag on my Lakers fandom as if this has something to do with me)
DaRizzle - Man, I honestly feel bad for Lakers' fans as well. This sort of shitty cloud being blown in over your franchise isn't cool either. I would actually feel better if I knew Portland legitimately lost games because they weren't skilled enough. If roles were reversed - that's a sickening thought, sorry - I'd want to know that my team won games because they were more talented. It's appeared for years now that this wasn't the case. Now, I'm squarely believing that it isn't. The whole thing is just one big fat clusterfuck.
Those Lakers teams were damn good and the 2001 team might be in the top 5 of all time teams. He did say the games were not fixed it was just that he could use other refs biasis. Biases dont make Brian Shaw go on fire in the 4th quarter. I remember one of you guys talking about a ticky tac foul on Sabonis early in the 4th of that WCF...maybe it was a good call, maybe (probably) not....but do you really think the refs would single somebody like Sabonis out?!? Correct me if Im wrong but wasnt Sabonis relatively low key and respectful?
You're right. That team was very good. The Blazers were equally as good in my eyes. Or, for the sake of argument, they were nearly as good as the Lakers. I think we both could agree on this, right? So, if Sheed was targeted by the collection of refs throughout the season, how many points did that cost them. We wouldn't be able to count just made free throws for the known impact, but also need to factor in the loss of possessions and the loss of a superior player being sent to the bench in foul trouble. How many games did that cost us? Did it cost us home court advantage? Did Sabas, Smith, and, most of all, Pip, have to post more of a toll on their veteran bodies, and did that diminish their impact on the court later in the season, and into the Playoffs. It's not just about the series. It's about the season. It doesn't feel like we've been operating on an even playing field.
The refs had an issue with the Jail Blazers as a whole. Sabonis was a good guy, so were Pip and Smitty, but Bonzi and Sheed were asshats. That stuff carried over, especially when trying to guard Shaq. Shaq got the benefit of most of the calls, and that's undeniable.
Ok...great defenders get the benefit of the calls in a defensive situation...agreed What I also know is of the all the hacks against Shaq when he was under the basket I would say 70% at best were called. Shaq might suck at FT's but and one's are all gravy
The defensive theory of verticality was destroyed with the arrival of Shaquille O'Neal. I've never seen a player given more leeway to displace the defender than Shaq.
DaRizzle... he did not say the games were not fixed... he said he did not fix games. I'm not a lawyer... but I believe I read somewhere that his jail time would have been much longer if he did admit to that or if they could have proved that. He did say in other quotes how the NBA made it known to the refs what was in the best interest of the league... and somehow in those cases what was best for the league happened.
Who are you, Glenn Beck? lol ..."im just asking questions" (just kidding) He said he didnt fix games nor did he know of any ref that did....He would have named names if he could have. I doubt it...the investigators wanted info...they were already planning on reducing his sentance....Im yet to hear an investigator say that Tim was dishonest in interviews with them.
He was called to task on his distinction about how calling Ts on certain players was not manipulating games. In his mind... a ref can make just about any call... so he can't be wrong for making valid calls. That may be a defense mechanism for his ego... or it may be for fear of legal issues... but I think clearly if you are favoring one team or certain players... as he said specifically he did and other refs did... that yes... in fact... they were manipulating games. If I was Glen Beck I'd jump off a bridge right now. =)
As a corollary to my discussion of Shaq being allowed to plow defenders, people have been allowed to absolutely clobber him in return. Part of my frustration with the way GO was officiated was that people were allowed to hammer him, but he didn't get the same break when he played defense.
Why would he lol I wouldn't LOL so funny. But I think that is justified. He was looking at the ref and trying to intimidate him. That is not okay. This is a basketball court, not the hood. Sheed doesn't need to be acting like a thug. It's not singling out Sabonis, it was about the Lakers beating the Blazers. Same thing with the Steelers and Seahawks a couple years back in the Super Bowl. No one wants to see a small market team win. They want to see the big market teams. Big market = more people watching = more ratings = more PROFIT. -------------------------------------- 90% of any question that ANYONE has in life, can be answered by money. IMO
Maybe there were some biases in that WCF game 7...I dont know one way or another. What is reasonable to say is that no reffing team is gonna allow a team to go down by 17 in the 4th quarter if they are fixing the game to put the Lakers in the finals. They also had to bank on Shaw going on fire....You guys ALSO had to go on an epic cold streak. Im not trying to rub salt in wounds, just prove a point. It doesnt make ANY sense to say the refs were fixing that particular game in the Lakers favor considering how it played out. Soooo many things had to align perfectly in that 4th qtr for the lakers to win that game.
We didn't collapse at all, the refs stole the game with bogus calls and non-calls. Like a judge continually over-ruling an attorney to influence the outcome without valid reason. Except there is no Appellate Court in the NBA.
I already mentioned it again in this thread. Shaq had been limited by foul trouble and entered the 4th with 4 fouls. Sabas entered the 4th with 3 fouls and proceeded to foul out in less then 3 minutes. One of the 3 fouls on AS was legit, the other two were drawn by Oneal smashing elbows into his face and neck. Sabas wasn't exactly greased lighting in general and on those two he was planted waiting on Shaq to start his move. Shaq finished the game with 4 fouls Sabas's demeanor had nothing to do with it, he played for the wrong team STOMP
and that was the reason everybody on POR went ice cold and the Lakers Shaw went on fire. Even if those 2 fouls were BS thats not enough to change the outcome...POR biggest lead was like 4 min into the 4th....If my timeline is correct the POR extended the lead after AS was out of the game.
You are probably correct....and of those people who care enough to say that how many do you think were already laker haters and as soon as ANYBODY would say something to taint the lakers they would jump on that bandwagon. No reffing team is gonna allow a 17 point lead in the 4th quarter to the team the are "manipulating" to lose How can you argue against that?!?
