Do you think the NBA playoffs are rigged?

I don't understand how, for the 8 that voted yes, it is completely rigged, what the draw is of watching each year. I know there are different types of fans, not saying you are not a fan, just am curious of the draw. If I knew that it was rigged, or felt so confidently so, I can't imagine I would bother watching it and investing time into it to the extent of posting on a team's message board.

 

maybe they are hoping it will be rigged in favor of their team this year?

 

I suppose so. Although it just seems like if it was all set up and pre-determined, it'd be like going on IMDB.com(movie database) and chatting about ways they can avoid hittin gthe ice berg with the Titanic.

 

There is also the small matter that all the other refs implicated ultimately apologized and accepted responsibility. Mauer never has, and continues to paint himself as a martyr.

A person unwilling to admit he is wrong, even when a jury convicts him? That doesn't strike me as a great personality for a ref!

 

Did anybody else see the postgame on TNT after the CLE/BOS game 1?

They (including Chris Webber) were interviewing Shaq and Shaq relates the game just played to the LAL/SAC rivalry games back in the day...sorta giving Webber a little good ribbing....everybody is laughing...and then

Chris Webber: "Hey Shaq, Tim Donaghy is on the phone for you."


Oh shit I was rolling!

 

9 with my vote. When watching I live/enjoy the moment and hope that someday I'll be proven wrong. But to my eyes it's pretty much a settled fact that who can bring in the revenues is who the deck is stacked for. If what I suspect is so, then the only ways that a smaller market contending team could enjoy even a level playing field is if they have an extremely popular star (or team) that can move product nationally or if the team(s) they face are also lacking that sort of draw. IMO, Portland's only player that has any chance of doing that is Greg.

STOMP

 

by his own account he said that crews were told by the league front office to make more favorable calls in favor of the L*kers in the playoffs. I'm out the door in seconds or I'd find the exact link I'm recalling but the first google hit from a Donaghy Lakers Kings query pretty much works

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3436401

I'm sure you could do a little digging and find more dirt if you care to

STOMP

 

Yeah but that's what I mean, they might have given more calls to LA in Game 6 but what about Game 5? Shaq fouled out quickly and they got the ball back illegally at the end of the game and won with a 3. The Kings had a decent amount more FTs for the whole series, even with the Game 6 fix. They benefited from their homecourt advantage plenty of times, it wasn't a one-sided affair at all. It would be very difficult to fix an entire series.

 

So what happened with San Antonio and their success? They are in a small market, and have the least popular, least marketable superstar in decades, yet managed to win multiple titles.

 

If there were a conspiracy (and I am not saying there is) wouldn't it be smart to ensure a couple of wins by a small market team just so that those wins can be used as "proof" no such conspiracy exists.

Stern is an arrogant fuckhead but he is a far cry from stupid. Were I in his shoes and wanted to make sure I maximized revenue I would make certain high dollar series happend more then low dollar ones do.

And wouldn't you know, that's pretty much exactly what happened.

Also, it doesn't matter if two teams in the finals are marketable. Really only one needs to be. Further, it hardly matters who wins the series once it starts. The number of games is far and away more important from a money perspective.

So, when the Spurs played the Cavs in the finals it wasn't as bad as you might think. Same with the Lakers versus Detroit.

The exceptions are Spurs/Pistons and ... well that's the only one I can think of off the top of my head.

I think the big mistake is assuming the NBA cares who wins it all. They don't. They do care about who gets farther in the playoffs and who makes it to the finals.

 

So basically, a glaring hole in the conspiracy theory is your proof that there is in fact a conspiracy

 

Tim Duncan and David Robinson were both superstars. They may be a small market, but they're in Texas. It wasn't the market or the superstar, it was their style. The Spurs were simply boring to watch. That's why they got low ratings.

 

San Antonio, Texas is 7th in population for all US cities. Is that a small market?

 

My curiosity is piqued. Do you mind elaborating?

 

Tonight's Celts/Cavs game actually gave me a little hope. The Cavs shot 38 FTs to the Celts' 18, but Boston still won.

 

The Spurs bring not only Texas but a lot of international fans with Parker and Manu. Having Mrs. Parker (of Desperate Housewives fame) in the stands brings in some more casual viewers too (I'd like to see KP trade for Jaric ). While certainly not a revenue gusher, they aren't exactly the Milwaukee Bucks either. Timmy is an All time talent and some of those Spurs clubs were dominant, but it could also be argued that they won their titles in down years for the other contending major markets.

*looks like others are hitting some of these points too

STOMP

 

http://assets.espn.go.com/media/pdf/080610/donaghy03.pdf

the court record of the United States vs. Tim Donaghy details all sorts of officials altering the outcome of playoff games following the directions of League executives. One can stonewall and say that TD's admissions can't be trusted as he is dirty etc... but that he alleged that the League actively manipulated game results isn't debatable.

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