I was just thinking that the playoffs are really good this year, and not just because of how good we are. How can anyone NOT love NBA basketball? J
If Stern is so worried about the "integrity" of the NBA being preserved, what a statement it would make if the fans of Houston chipped in the pay the fine (since it goes to charity anyway). That would send Stern a message about "integrity"!!!!
I wonder how many times JVG will be shown on the jumbotron in Dallas? Thank God he's not touching the ball tonight. The refs will be under the microscope more than ever tonight also.
Thats 50k per loss. If the Rockets would have won both games, both were well in reach, this wouldnt be an issue. Stop losing... no more fines.
Good point. Hard to believe this, but apparently he could have gotten away with if he'd actually come out and said that the NBA officials are calling fouls differently on Yao because they are racist. Everybody admits that Phil Jackson "plays" the officials and the NBA with his complaints. Essentially,all Van Gundy did was say that Cuban has done the same thing -- and that it worked! All Van Gundy said is "We've sent tapes about bad officiating all season and nothing changed. Cuban sends a tape and gets immediate results." Jack Nicholson (ironically) to David Stern: "You don't want the truth! You can't handle the truth!" Increasingly the American public is starting to view the NBA the same way they view the WWE -- more entertainment than sport. It's all about the highlights, the smack talk, and the bling-bling. Ratings are down as a result. Increasingly, the public perception (valid or not) is becoming that NBA officials can't possibly be as bad as they appear -- they have to be doing it on purpose. Increasingly, the perception is that NBA officals officiate TV games in such a way as to make sure that the game is close at the end -- so that ratings will stay high. Increasingly, people are wondering out loud whether the referees are calling games in such a way as to make any series that people actually want to watch go 6 or 7 games and to ensure that the teams the networks like advance to the next round. (Personally, I think there may be something to the calling games to keep them close, but find it hard to buy into a conspiracly to advance certain teams.) Whether it's incompetence or deliberate action, the quality of refereeing in the NBA is at an all-time low. And rather than do something about it, David Stern's response is the traditional response of any large organization: "Kill the messenger!"
what? maybe we wouldn't have lost if this whole ref thing wasn't an issue i don't understand the thought process
I've got mad respect for JVG. Way to go dude. And if that's what it takes to inspire this team to come out and fight tonight, then it'll have been worth every frickin' penny.
The bottom line, folks, is that out of all major North American sports, basketball is the one that the highest percentage of fans believe is crooked. I'm not saying it is, but that's the perception. However, instead of doing something positive to address the concerns of his target audience, David Stern is putting a muzzle on anyone willing to complain and thereby raising more questions about the legitimacy of the complaints than the person rasing the issue!
in terms of the officials being crooked, i agree. in terms of players, then that has to go to baseball in this whole steroids witchhunt.
Something tells me that Stern did this because he is worried about the Chinese market getting upset with the NBA's treatment of Yao. The Chinese public getting wind of JVG's comments would set them afire, Stern knows that would be a disaster if it spread.
It is so ironic that such a dictating beast as the NBA organization exists and has been doing well in a democratic country
And it's going to be a public relations bonanza for the NBA when China finds out they fined Van Gundy $100 grand for his comments?
100K is an insane amount of money for a fine. Especially for a coach who has basically no history of complaining about refs in the past. I hope the Rockets organization comes to the aid of JVG. on a positive note, maybe just maybe the Rockets will get some calls in tonights game.
