The Sports Guy is watching the same game I am

[NCaliSpurs]

[With all due respect to the Pistons, who may have played the best playoff game of any 2005 team Thursday night (four turnovers?!?!?!), Game 4 was decided in the first few minutes when it became clear that the Pistons were allowed to clutch, grab, paw at the ball and contest every shot with no repercussions, culminating in Ben Wallace raking Duncan across the arm (probably the worst no-call of the playoffs) and Popovich picking up a technical.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/050617&num=2

Sounds something like...



The Pistons D is a result of the refs being too scared to call fouls on the Pistons in this series. I have never witnessed that much slapping, grabbing, and hitting.

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?p=326084#post326084

[Marklar MM]

Yes...we are grabbing, clutching, slapping, hitting, holding, tripping. All that good stuff. Home court helps. Being the aggressor helps. And it would be the same on your home court also...if your team would do it more often.

Bill Simmons...bah. Biggest homer ever.

You also forgot this piece from same paragraph.

"Of course, in Game 2, the Pistons weren't allowed to breathe on anyone without a foul being called."

[TMSKILZ]

Amen, Game 5 will be called differently, it's the Stern way!

Guarantee you if it was Shaq, DET would have been getting whistled & Ben, Rash & Antionio would have had 3 fouls each by mid 2nd Qtr, but since it's the Spurs & we don't bytch publically like most other teams we're given a pass over.

[Marklar MM]

Amen, Game 5 will be called differently, it's the Stern way!

Guarantee you if it was Shaq, DET would have been getting whistled & Ben, Rash & Antionio would have had 3 fouls each by mid 2nd Qtr, but since it's the Spurs & we don't bytch publically like most other teams we're given a pass over.


The problem with Shaq is that Shaq is the one committing the fouls...just other people get called for the foul, such as when his elbow rakes your jaw, or he butt bounces you 15 rows back.

[constantstate]

ncali, i've been seeing that very same game too. except i also see the one marklar's been watching. i think its all on the spurs to keep pushing through those calls early and keep driving it down their throats... the refs are just waiting to give manu the calls too. (especially after all the hype from game 1 and 2) but so far, both of them have gone a few moves, gotten a turnover or bad pass and turnover, and gone away from contact after that... thats killing them more than homecooking.

[baseline bum]

God I hate complaining about the refs. As biased observers we're always going to remember that one bad call. I save my ref complaints for when they're truly warranted, like game 4 of the 2003 series in LA when Shaq and Kobe shot 45 free throws, the refs kept Duncan in constant foul trouble, and first ballot hall of famer David Robinson fouled out in 14 minutes. That was a fix. This wasn't even close.

[constantstate]

i remember that... that was bad. and i remember phil jackson crying to the media before that game... if only we could have made him believe in not complaining about the refs.

[DDS4]

Here's something to ponder....

Look at the bottom of the box score in this game.

2003 NBA Finals Game 5 Spurs vs. Nets (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=230613017)

[Sense]

Bill Simmons...bah. Biggest homer ever.



He's the best writer I know...... in the basketball standpoint.

[Phenomanul]

The problem with Shaq is that Shaq is the one committing the fouls...just other people get called for the foul, such as when his elbow rakes your jaw, or he butt bounces you 15 rows back.


Looks like Chauncey learned to bump Parker with the same mechanism.

[NCaliSpurs]

Chauncy is most definitely dislodging Parker every time they post up. Kind of sickening.

[NCaliSpurs]

I normally hate complaining about the refs. But when the zebras make certain illegal things legal, and do it on a consistent basis, it absolutely irks me to no end.

[Rematch+Repeat=Revenge]

I normally hate complaining about the refs. But when the zebras make certain illegal things legal, and do it on a consistent basis, it absolutely irks me to no end.

I don't mind this at all, as long as they call it the same way for both teams. The refereeing has been consistent in being inconsistent.

Personally, I'm hoping that they've seesawed enough and will come out calling a fair game for the rest of the series.



*Puts on rose-colored glasses*

[constantstate]

I don't mind this at all, as long as they call it the same way for both teams. The refereeing has been consistent in being inconsistent.

Personally, I'm hoping that they've seesawed enough and will come out calling a fair game for the rest of the series.



*Puts on rose-colored glasses*

i hope so too. if they do that sunday, that game should be one for the ages. if they keep the home/home thing going... i'd hate to see 2 or 3 pistons foul out before halftime of game 6.

[duncan_21]

Isn't it rediculous that we even have to talk about fair reffing? Isn't sports based on a "fair game" the equity of game play calling? This is why the nba is not my favorite sports league it's sitting fourth behind the nfl, ncaa football, and ncaa basketball. Sure, those other leagues aren't perfect but the nba officiating is laughable. I thought it was obvious that in the first quarter the pistons could do what ever they wanted and the spurs couldn't do anything. I talked to an unbiased coworker who watched the game he said that he couldn't believe the shit that the pistons were getting away with in the 1st quarter before I said anything about the game. The same could be said but the roles switched around in game 1 and 2.

I hear this over and over as I talk and/or listen to other sports fans that the reason they don't like the nba is the officiating. One star players great offensive move is another role players travel.

I don't think either team needs help. Why can't the officiating be fair every game? For those that played and know the game it is at times furiously obvious. The nba has built itself on stars, why not call a fair game or make an attempt, every game. Instead of concentrating on stars, why not build the league around team.

If you build your league around team you might not have to give the star player "star rules" and believe me stars will still shine. As I was talking to the same guy and asked, "why do they do that," and a guy on the other side of the room said,"greed!". I guess more games = more commercials = more money for abc = a larger profit for the nba come tv contract time.

You can't always count fouls or fts as the deteminate for a fairly called game. You have to look at the timing of calls/noncalls. Why am I still watching the nba?

That's a good question. Maybe it's because watching robinson inspired me to play the game. Maybe it's because I love basketball. Maybe it's because the spurs are my favorite team since '90. Well at least the spurs will hold me over until the last of the baseball season and the real american past time football starts up.

*There done venting* Still don't know why I care when a team on almost any given night might be playing against 8 instead of 5.

[SoundTheToll]

I don't know about you guys, but I didn't think the officiating was that bad. There was the one no-call by the refs (Ben slapping TD's forearm). That got replayed so many times that I think some people started to think that the refs were worse than they were.

On the P.com boards all I see is whining about the refs. I'm so sick of everyone bitching. And don't say that the Spurs don't. Timmy bitched an awfull lot the last game.

[NCaliSpurs]

I don't know about you guys, but I didn't think the officiating was that bad. There was the one no-call by the refs (Ben slapping TD's forearm). That got replayed so many times that I think some people started to think that the refs were worse than they were.



Of course you don't think the officiating was that bad.

Your team is the one getting away with all the slapping, pushing, grabbing, and bumping.

[combs84]

Once again, the Spurs shot MORE FT's then the Pistons. The only player on the Spurs with more then 3 fouls was Bowen with 4. And WE were FAR more aggressive. The officiating was not biased towards either team, that is bullcrap.

[NCaliSpurs]

FT's shot are not the issue here. It is the illegally aggressive behavior that is the issue. Saying the Spurs shot 3 more free throws does not negate this behavior.

I would prefer the Pistons shoot 20 more free throws than the Spurs if the refs would call this hand-slappy bullshit.

[Brodels]

Spurs fans are such pussies, and this thread proves it. The Spurs played like shit, and it had nothing to do with anything the refs did or didn't do. The Spurs weren't aggressive, didn't take care of the ball, and the stars didn't show up.

That's it. Blaming the refs is nothing but an excuse.

[cherylsteele]

Chauncy is most definitely dislodging Parker every time they post up. Kind of sickening.

He is also pushing off EVERYTIME he dribbles the ball upcourt....isn't that an offensive foul too?

[cherylsteele]

I don't mind this at all, as long as they call it the same way for both teams. The refereeing has been consistent in being inconsistent.

Personally, I'm hoping that they've seesawed enough and will come out calling a fair game for the rest of the series.



*Puts on rose-colored glasses*

I've been saying this in other threads and got riducled for saying it.

[May_The_Best_Team_Win]

I agree that the refs have blown a lot of calls equally for both teams all through the playoffs.

I've come to expect it.

[cheguevara]

Pistons have been getting away w/a whole lot games 3,4. This will not be the case in game 5.

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

I normally hate complaining about the refs. But when the zebras make certain illegal things legal, and do it on a consistent basis, it absolutely irks me to no end.

Where was this criticism after G2?

Consistently inconsistent is a great way to describe the refs in these playoffs...