Van Gundy Challenges Officials and Says an Owner Is to Blame

No, JVG is indirectly blaming Cuban for Yao's foul trouble.

 

Man, calm down with the huge font.

 

Its always great to have your head coach whining about refs. It sets a great example for your team. Especially from the "no excuses" guy.

 

jeff learned this from phil last year. don't you all remember phils comments - "they are a physical team, they are pushing us around."


jeff tried to weather the media storm with some common sense - "we are more physical? we are pushing them around? they have shaq, malone, payton, 3 of the most physical players of all time."


jeffs attempt didn't work. phil had the balls to pull something like that while winning 2-1.


we will win the next 2 games.

 

I had the similar feeling right away. Not necessary racism, but definitely some bias or prejudice towards Yao. It's about time. I think it is the right time to do so. During regular season, your voice could be heard but it wouldn't last. After 2-2, after the world is watching, everybody is talking, given Cuban's reputation and NBA's reputation in "conspiracy". JVG is a genius, he knows that everyone knows that he doesn't whine too much and he's an honest guy. But if he's outraged and standing up and also pointing out the unnamed source about the officiating towards Yao. It is a bomb, and it will echo for a while. I believe NBA would look into this more carefully, and make sure it doesn't make it a scandle or something else. Whether the guy said the truth or not, NBA will deny it; however, they will definitely send a memo out to the playoff referees to urge them call it more consistently. Of course, that's my hope.

 

this was on Fox x-tra.

channel 26

 

if there's one thing you can say about jvg, it's that he hardly ever complains about the refs. not after games, not during games. hell, did he even get 5 technicals this season? and now he is not only calling them out, but essentially saying they've fixed it against one player, and using an anonymous referee's statements as corroboration. that's pretty big in my book. this isn't just complaining, it's going straight to the integrity of the game. essentially, they're allowing another owner to determine how things will be called and screwing us.

i love to see this. it had to be said. there is no way in hell yao should be getting 5 friggin' fouls in 28 minutes of play every single game. that's ludicrous. one time might be ok. but he has now fouled out of 1 game and gotten 5 in two other games, with 9:28 left in the last game even. guys guarding shaq don't foul out that damn fast.


and what's amazing is to hear mavs fans complain. some guy on hornfans keeps going on about how unfair the refs have been to dirk and how yao gets away with murder. despite the fact dirk has been called for 11 PFs and gone to the line 44 times and yao has been called for 20 PFs (!!!) and gone to the line 25 times. in fact, dirk has gone to the line in the playoffs more than anybody in the league but amare, and dirk can hardly be said to have been the most physical, take it to the basket guy in the playoffs thus far.


so thank you jeff van gundy. and if that "other things" really was about the whole chinese thing, then it was even more ballsy. now lets see if some justice finally prevails.

 

I'm drawing a fine line between this and "whining". JVG is pointing out a very specific offense that he wants to get taken care of.

Yao is the hardest guy in the game to ref, and he doesn't get away with things that 6'6 or even 7'0 players routinely get away with.

Yao has the skills (and then some) of those players, but he gets held back because of his size... there's something wrong with that, and the NBA needs to fix it. Its not even like his size is that unfair of an advantage that they have to even it out... because the things he contributes on the court have more to do with his skills and awareness, than just his flat-out size.

Frankly, there are times that I wish Yao was just 7'0, or 6'10... he'd be a little faster, he wouldn't be so neutralized by "smaller" players with the fronting defense, and he wouldn't be noticed by the refs for every freaking foul call to be made against him.

oh yea... btw... "whining" is what every player does after every call against them... namely what our team was about when Francis and Mobely were here. Now, we only have Deke to do that.

 

my bad i'm pure energy

 

1. There is no referee friend. He made that up.
2. Like Nick said, he waited until the right moment to use this.
3. "there's many other things it could be too." - that's the part that's going to make them listen. any time you bring race into it, people take notice. Otherwise, to the league this would just be Gumby whining to the refs.
4. I love Jeff Van Gundy.

 

I hope TNT and ESPN talks about this. We need to shine the spotlight on these jackoffs.

 

It is time to send a request to TEAM YAO to mobilize his fan base! Stern only cares about $ so let's make it a $ issue! Who else has more marketing influnce than Yao?

 

I don't think he made up the story about the "referee friend"

JVG is a smart guy, he knows anything you say publicly can be corroborated by the press...he will not embarass himself by lying about something like that.

They did mention on TNT last night that Mark Cuban has been calling NBA officials about Yao's supposed fouls so its not like JVG just all of a sudden made this up.

 

JVG is Da Man.

 

It being in the NY Times, the Houston newpaper (and probably Dallas as well) will already be enough for the league (and the refs) to take notice... it being on TV (Sportscenter, ATH, PTI, TNT) is just pure gravy, and more for the fans' awareness.

 

How do we do that?

I agree with francis 4 prez very good post
also agree with thacabbage..and inferring that it could be race..which pisses me off..but anyways i do believe he has a referee friend..or he lied about that?

 

btw... much love given to Doug Collins (or Kevin Harlan) for bringing this up on the air on the TNT game broadcast itself.

It further allowed JVG to go public with this... and forced Cuban into a position where it would be impossible to deny his doings (which he might have done... or simply refused to respond... had JVG just come out with "my friend said this is what is goin on...")

 

Perfect timing by Van Gumby to point out the obvious... Yao getting raped by the officials. We'll see if it has an impact. It should.

I wonder if he'll get fined? It would be ludicrous, but you never know what the arcane thinking behind the scenes in the League front office is going to come up with. I'm just thrilled that Jeff finally uncorked what so many of us have been thinking. A huge play by him, and he deserves buckets of credit for it.


And he's been more economical with his timeouts!

 

can you summarize what doug said on the matter?

 

Very good timing on these comments. It is very sad, and true. Human nature dictates that the squeaky wheel gets the oil. All you have to do is raise your voice, make a few public accusations, and you are likely to see some results.

I do want to add that I am going to puke if I hear someone else say that "Yao and Shaq are the most difficult players to officiate in the league." There is no reason why you can talk about them together on this matter.

Yao and Shaq are big and tall, and that is the beginning and the end of their similarities. Shaq is a power player, and Yao is a finesse player. Shaq is difficult to officiate because the NBA has a hidden agenda. They don't want him to foul out, yet he is constantly committing offensive fouls in the post. Cheating is difficult to disguise, and the refs have never done it very well... watch any Lakers championship series game in the fourth quarter as evidence.

Yao on the other hand, is not difficult to officiate. He is one of the slowest players in the league - WHICH MAKES HIM EASIER TO SEE. He is never called for offensive fouls in the post because he does not commit them like Shaq. The refs don't have to make an interpretation of power moves with Yao.

Yao is called for fouls on DEFENSE... and the refs have forced him into a timid game with their inconsistent and poor officiating. You can see how his strategy has changed time and again trying to find something the officials will call consistently. Should he jump for the block, not jump for the block, try to change the shot, try to draw the charge, hold his hand straight up, reach for the ball?

JVG is letting these guys off the hook WAY to easy. It would take such little effort for him to completely humiliate the NBA on this.