My blog entry about the national beacon of NBA controversy currently focused on the Rockets/Mavs series: http://realityhole.wheelcipher.net/2005/05/is-fix-in.html The biggest story in the NBA right now is not about Shaq's Miami Heat, the Phoenix Suns, or the San Antonio Spurs. It's about the Houston Rockets and their first round playoff matchup with the Dallas Mavericks. Houston, after winning the first two games handily on the road, have lost three straight to the Mavs. The losses have hurt Houston fans, but the way the Rockets have lost has raised more than a few eyebrows ... and not just in Houston. Even in their two wins, Houston has seemed to be the unfortunate beneficiary of an unusually high number of bad calls or non-calls. Suspiciously, these same objectively-judged official errors (as analyzed by presumably-impartial national sports commentators -- even those who have known for an anti-Rockets sentiment -- see below for examples) have not been inflicted on the Mavericks. In other, plainer terms, there is a definite national murmuring that the Rockets are being screwed by the refs (and thus, by the NBA). After the Game Four loss, Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy (from USAToday) "said he got a call from his friend who is an official after Houston took a 2-0 lead. The coach said he was told the targeting of Yao was mentioned in an online evaluation from supervisor of officials Ronnie Nunn." "The NBA fined Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy $100,000 — the largest amount ever for a coach — on Monday, a day after [he accused] officials of targeting center Yao Ming this postseason and saying Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is to blame." NBA Commissioner David Stern -- in Dallas for and an eyewitness to the awfully-officiated Game Five -- even hinted that Van Gundy might face further punishment -- perhaps even a lifetime ban -- after the season if he doesn't reveal the NBA official who called him with this information. "'If he's going to say things like that, he's not going to continue in this league,' Stern said. 'If the attitude reflected in those comments continues to be public, he's going to have a big problem with me as long as I'm commissioner.'" (SI.com) Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been complaining loudly about a claimed officiating bias against Dallas. He has been making noise particularly about Yao and his alleged setting of 'moving screens' during games. When asked about Van Gundy's claim "Cuban, who has been fined more than $1 million since buying the team five years ago, said in an e-mail that the accusations were 'crazy' and 'an insult to officials.' He also noted that Dallas center Erick Dampier has picked up quick fouls in every game in this series." "'They don't officiate individual players differently,' Cuban wrote." An aside regarding Mark Cuban's inconsistent statements: Pot. Kettle. Black. You do the math. Van Gundy's claims have shone a bright spotlight on one of the NBA's dirty little open secrets: that NBA referees call the game differently for different players. Everyone who watches basketball knows this to be the case. It's the elephant in the room that the NBA never talks about except to deny (and heavily fine the players, coaches or owners who have the temerity to bring it up). There are no "Superstar Rules", they steadfastly maintain. But -- like a distant hidden planet that can be detected only by its gravitational effect on the other heavenly bodies around it -- the Superstar Rules are there, and they are real. Their methods -- both subtle and blatant -- are clear to even casual fans of the game. And the gravitational wobble they exert in the NBA is currently focused against the Houston Rockets. The NBA can deny it all they want (toss a gravity-denier off a roof and see what happens to him), but the results are plain. Whether by decree or by default, NBA superstars -- and superstar teams -- are all-too-often given wide latitude that other players don't get. And for some stated or unstated reason, this generally-acknowledged bias is currently crushing the Rockets. [snip] More at my blog, Reality.Hole.
Figured this was the best place for this question: We all know the major grievances and bad calls that have gone against the Rockets this series. Can anyone name me some of the blatantly bad calls/no-calls that went against the Mavs this series(in any of the games)???
That's a good point. I can't think of any costly bad calls that went against Dallas....... But to reply to these Dallas fans.... I don't think for 1 second Van Gundy waited for QOUTE: Houston to loose. These Dallas fans are ice Wipes. I believe Gundy heard about it and waited to see if it was any merit based on the way they would call the game. This was the appropriate, wise and intelligent way to go about it instead of jumping the gun because he was told something. And this Dallas fan talking about why would anybody have to take Yao out the game. Yao is one of the most under productive centers in the league? Have this butt wipe seen Yao's percentage? You can smell the BS in this guys yap before he opened his mouth. If Yao wasn't a problem for you, there was no need to send tapes whining was it? "Dampier has been in foul trouble too...?" Dampier getting into foul trouble and Van Horn getting injured, though as tragic it was to Van Horn, was a blessing in disguise for Dallas. Have you wanks been watching the games and getting facts? Why is this suppose to justify something in the first place? Where do they get these Dallas fans? Did Cuban pay you guys to talk idiotic? Why does everybody sound like Cuban? It's okay for them to foul Yao out because Dampier was getting fouls called too. Is it an even trade Dallas Fan? What the #$% was that? What did this guy say after he said this? Ooops did I say that? I'm sorry for saying that Cuban? No, I tell you what. Let's untie Yao's hands and you leave Dampier in and leave Yao alone and let's play some basketball. Let's play the series like we were supposed to in the first place. You know a basketball game may the best team win. Cuban don't whine like a blank the rest of the playoffs. And for this Dallas fan with the - Houston didn't start saying anything until they started loosing? of course you would say this. But Cuban was the one with the whining and crying because he lost wasn't he? But then again he always does....how many times Cuban got fined again? Avery was crying after game 1..... Didn't hear you fan say: Avery wasn't crying until they (Dallas) started loosing... Houston fans didn't whine after being down to Phoenix 3 games, in the playoffs, some years ago. Don't need to whine about Dallas. ...Cuban is looking for any little thing. Illegal picks? I can show fouls Yao didn't commit but was called on him that probably makes up for illegal picks. I can go back and show fouls on Dirk that probably would have fouled him out if we have to get technical with video tapes. You don't see Cuban whining and sending tapes because his team won off the bad none out of bounds call that assisted the Mavs in a win do you? Don't give me the BS Houston crying refs because we lost. We are not talking because we lost. We are saying something because one of our star players is getting his hands tied behind his back with excuse me fouls and getting mugged on the other end. I have no problem win or loose. Yao and TMack and this Rocket nucleus is just getting started. But lets play some B-Ball and leave it on the wood. Cuban don't whine like a blank the rest of the playoffs. If I'm whining it's because I want to see a good #*@& #*@& basketball game and not a fake made-up game by Mark Cuban that leaves Yao in foul trouble before the game even started.
