Donaghy: it would be "very, very difficult" for the Blazers to win a championship

And that was with LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, stars up the yinyang. Of course, back in 1977 no one watched on line but does that make up for a big increase in US population and the huge increase in international viewers?

It should be very difficult to win a title. The just missed are a lot more numerous than the champions.

Remember, the Blazers were not beaten by the refs that terrible June day in 2000. Yes, Smitty should have gotten a flagrant foul call and not a no call, but it basically came down to not playing defense and hoisting bad shots for 10 minutes. The Blazers were not beaten by the refs when they could not score on a 4 on 1 fast break in 2001. Or when people like Bobby Hansen hit a zillion 3's in 2002. Painful as it is to recall, and it is VERY painful, the refs did not crush our dreams.

Had Sacramento not bricked a ton of free throws, they are in the Finals, not Lakers.

I agree there is a star system, in all sports, perhaps more so in the NBA where one player can make a much bigger difference than in baseball, where the best hitter gets only 1/9 of the at bats and the best pitcher 1/5 or 1/4 of the starts, or football, where a great quarterback won't help if the receivers can't catch and the OL can't protect. But it is odd that after 4 years and 2 all NBA teams, and 3 all star appearances, people are ready to declare Roy will never be a big star. Or that the word of a convicted felon, admitted liar and cheat, is suddenly gold. And if it's all about star players and coaches, how did the Pistons, with Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince et al coached by the uncharismatic Larry Brown beat the Lakers with Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, Gary Payton coached by Phil Jackson? A Pistons team that was expected to maybe win one game in the series?

Small market costs Portland an All Star game hosting. 10 crappy minutes cost this team a title.

 

1) Sheed took a lot of good shots in the post that he usually makes. They just bounced out.

2) You're thinking of 1991 and 1992.

 

Yep, off by a decade.

Yes, I know, I was there in 2000, Sheed did have some bad luck but what about the rest of the team? I recall Sheed had about 35 points in that game.

And what about defense?

My point stands, the refs, sadly, did not cost the Blazers that title.

 

Ah, but I'm a Beaver fan. I don't have the luxury of worrying about the BCS most seasons.

 

You're missing the point entirely. They did not "cost" the Blazers, but through their biased officiating they certainly contributed to the loss. No doubt about it. I find it beyond mind boggling that any one that has been a Blazer fan and has religiously watched Blazer games for the better part of their lives would think there isn't a bias against our team. It's just fact at this point.

 

[video=youtube;6swUWZW_Mi4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6swUWZW_Mi4[/video]

Case Rested.

 

And to make my point: Oden would have been called on that.

 

Everyone LOVES Sabonis and Brian Grant around here but they TOTALLY BOMBED in that game. And yet it's Sheed that everyone hates. Sabonis and Brian Grant should be the most hated Blazers of all the time for the way they cost a championship with their horrible play in the biggest game the Blazers have played in the last 18 years.

 

Maybe if he did something to increase his overall popularity, like anally raped some girl, took illegal money from college sponsors, or got on all fours in a game and barked like a dog?

 

Watch that game again. The cheating was obvious at the time, and it's obvious in replay.

 

San Antonio is the US Navy's favorite team, ever since they drafted David Robinson. That's one of the biggest markets in the world.

 

God, no.

 

San Antonio's four NBA Finals appearances were 4 of the 5 worst rated Finals of all time.

 

I've watched it many times and we missed shot after shot after shot after shot. The league has no control over whether our shots go in. Also, the league couldn't make Brian Shaw and Robert Horry make their three point shots. And Shaq made his freethrows while Rasheed did not. The league had no control over that. The only questionable call was the no call against Steve Smith but we had already dug our grave prior to that call.

And it's not the league's fault that Sabonis and Grant completely bombed.

 

TV ratings are only a piece of the pie. Jerseys and other fan memorabillia are other pieces, as is the pushing of the NBA onto European fans by featuring teams which have the most popular players from Europe. Worldwide domination of the game of basketball has long been Stern's stated goal.

 

By the way, Roy may not be a Supertstar but truly... Kobe ain't a superstar either. Look at the ratings of Bulls-Suns. Now look at the ratings for 2008 Lakers-Celtics. Neither Kobe nor any other active player is a television draw. There hasn't been a true NBA superstar since Michael Jordan and the league has suffered because of it.

 

That is true but does the league sell many Tim Duncan jerseys?

 

No matter what you post about lately, it's as if all you think the game consists of is fg%. There were at least a dozen no-calls in the 2nd half, and as many touch fouls against us. Nothing subtle about it. We were robbed, pure and simple.

There

 

If we make the shots, we win. The refs can lead us to the free throw line, but they can't make us hit them.

 

Here's a question: Do you think the declining television ratings could have something to do with what the general public sees as a "rigged" sport (superstar calls, etc.)? Is it possible that as the league has tried to anoint MJ's replacement, they have actually turned much of the audience away by the biased officiating?

I see the NFL continuing to gain popularity and I wonder why this happens as the NBA's popularity continues to decline.

Honest question(s).