I provided you with what you requested... reasoning why the league might direct calls one way or another. Wasn't Yao out last year vs Utah? And isn't Dallas a huge market as well? I have no clue what you're referring to with the league instructing refs to get Yao stuff... do you have a link to clue me in? STOMP
I understood why people think the league might do it. What I was saying is that people who think that's actually what happened should make the case on why they think it did happen. In other words, I understand the motivation from an economic standpoint. But that in itself isn't evidence, IMO. Even without Yao last year, the Rockets were still an extremely popular team amongst Chinese fans. The Jazz stomped us good for two years, and I don't recall any sort of favoritism in terms of calls heading our way. Here's the links you asked for: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E05E5DE1630F930A35756C0A9639C8B63&sec=&spon= http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/5830586.html http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/s...em&ex=1213329600&en=284a2e97b05c5cec&ei=5087
And my already very low opinion of Canzano gets just a little bit lower. Suck a bag of dicks Canzano you worthless hack.
Yep. The playoffs have been mapped out for nearly a decade, and it's been fairly obvious to anyone with eyeballs.
This issue is bigger than basketball. It's about how Portland is perceived across the nation. And since we live here, it's about you and me. I'm sick of Canzano attaching himself to us like he's an Oregonian. He's from Fresno and pleaded with Blazers fans to for sake their team and cheer the Lakers on a few years ago. The fact he thinks we have a little brother syndrome with LA or Seattle shows how unobservant he really is. We've been years ahead of any city on the left coast for as long as I can remember in politics, music, the arts, you name it. They're the ones tagging along behind us.
but a mystery memo is??? Donaghy provided damning evidence that the league manipulates results. The star system being openly acknowledged by the commissioner is as well. Sure as rain coming down in a Portland winter you know if a visiting team gets out to an early lead that their star players will soon find themselves in foul trouble so the home team's fans don't leave in the 3rd. I think it's pretty clear that the league is into sports entertainment more then just straight sport. This Portland fan has seen a few too many occasions where Sabas's neck fouls Shaq's elbows (and the like) and those sort of calls seem to happen in game 7. I'd rather they just called the game straight up like they do in college, and in baseball, football, and every other sport... but whatchagonnado? STOMP
But there is no evidence that the Rockets get more calls than the Blazers because of this so-called "star system". Brandon Roy is an established star in this league as well, plus he happens to be a perimeter player. The NBA allows much, much more contact against post players than wings. The lack of respect Yao gets from the refs has been an on-going theme for the Rockets for years, so its funny to hear you charge that the NBA is clearly biased towards Yao over the Blazers. The Donaghy memo suggests that the league was specifically targetting Yao back in the 2006 playoffs, and I think that undercuts the argument you're trying to make here. Another link: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...ff_van_gundy_vindicated_over_yao_ming_-1.html
Utah has an enormous following, the entire Mormon church, and a great coach in Jerry Sloan. Houston had Yao, some scrubs, some has-beens, and their coach was um............. Obviously that never happened. Check a stat sheet. Bottom line is Rockets needed a coach back then to at least make it look like they could win. Refs can only do help so much.
However Yao didn't get the 3 or 4 fouls he should have had easily in the first half. And suppose there were multiple fouls called in the first 10 minutes - then how does the game change?
I still believe it was one of the worst officiated performances I have ever witnessed, but they were not the reasons we lost, but it was a reason why the game was not competitive. Houston, regardless of the calls, was on fire, so they would have been tough to beat on that night. It should have been closer though.
I'd like to see some video proof of all these fouls Yao should have had. Or maybe you can just point out the possessions, the specific plays, and I can go back and check them on my DVR. And in case you are not aware, the NBA officials are very clear about this ruling -- as long as the center jumps up straight with his hands in the air, they will not call a foul on on hi when there is contact. So if that's what you think should have been fouls, it's not the case.
I'd rather have fans chanting about the refs, rather than sitting on their hands like the fans in Cleveland. Who cares if we come off as small town? This is Portland. I've lived here my whole life. Maybe Canzano cares what the rest of the country thinks about us, but I sure as shit don't.
