View Full Version : Thunder: I don't think the league is rigged so can someone please explain this shit to me?
I don't believe in the whole conspiracy of rigging games, however...
The 2nd half of that game REALLY REALLY had me surprised. THere wasn't even any subtlety when it came to shifting the momentum by making ridiculous calls and missing obvious ones.
I'm a rockets fan so I may have been biased but half way through the 4th I was about to turn the game off because some of the calls were just criminal. Did anyone else feel that way? I don't normally complain about the reffs, I'm still pissed at Harden's head up ass play too.
Jacob1983
04-30-2013, 12:57 AM
It's entertainment brah. Stern has to sell this shit to the Justin Bieber and Kim Kardashian types.
KaiRMD1
04-30-2013, 12:57 AM
I don't believe in the whole conspiracy of rigging games, however...
The 2nd half of that game REALLY REALLY had me surprised. THere wasn't even any subtlety when it came to shifting the momentum by making ridiculous calls and missing obvious ones.
I'm a rockets fan so I may have been biased but half way through the 4th I was about to turn the game off because some of the calls were just criminal. Did anyone else feel that way? I don't normally complain about the reffs, I'm still pissed at Harden's head up ass play too.
Most of the Thunder games are like that sadly.
Robz4000
04-30-2013, 12:57 AM
It's rigged
Clipper Nation
04-30-2013, 12:58 AM
Rigging games isn't a conspiracy, Donaghy already blew the whistle (no pun intended) on the reality of it years ago, tbh.... luckily for the NBA, they have a monopoly on pro basketball at the highest level and we've all already built long-standing allegiances to our teams, so we continue to watch anyway...
TDMVPDPOY
04-30-2013, 01:05 AM
i dunno why you bother watchin games that involve OKC......
Brunodf
04-30-2013, 01:07 AM
Just a regular OKC game
i dunno why you bother watchin games that involve OKC......
Yea I've been hearing that a lot on ST, but the thunder are much better than us we can normally ignore it. I see why the spurs complain about it all the time. Funny thing is none of that shit will work on the heat if they had a chance of making it there this year.
Monster1776
04-30-2013, 01:11 AM
I don't believe in the whole conspiracy of rigging games, however...
The 2nd half of that game REALLY REALLY had me surprised. THere wasn't even any subtlety when it came to shifting the momentum by making ridiculous calls and missing obvious ones.
I'm a rockets fan so I may have been biased but half way through the 4th I was about to turn the game off because some of the calls were just criminal. Did anyone else feel that way? I don't normally complain about the reffs, I'm still pissed at Harden's head up ass play too.
If you talk to any low end NBA basketball player they will complain about how bad the officiating is. I can remember a conversation with a guy that used to play with the Spurs about how the older guys in the league told him that they would rather play in Europe if it weren't for the fact they were payed so well in the NBA. He didn't believe it but after a few years he held the same views. It's a well known fact that refs allow more popular players to get away with certain things to benefit their play style because it draws ratings, and OKC isn't the only team that benefits from this.
Robz4000
04-30-2013, 01:14 AM
If you talk to any low end NBA basketball player they will complain about how bad the officiating is. I can remember a conversation with a guy that used to play with the Spurs about how the older guys in the league told him that they would rather play in Europe if it weren't for the fact they were payed so well in the NBA. He didn't believe it but after a few years he held the same views. It's a well known fact that refs allow more popular players to get away with certain things to benefit their play style because it draws ratings, and OKC isn't the only team that benefits from this.
Not at all, but they benefit from it more than any other lately.
StrengthAndHonor
04-30-2013, 01:14 AM
OKC gets preferential treatment, simple. If Miami wasn't such a resilient team, OKC wouldve been the eventual champions. Unfortunately for Durant and company, Lebron doesn't give a fuck how many FT's OKC shoots. He was winning that series one way or the other.
Budkin
04-30-2013, 01:16 AM
It's not as much fixing as it is manipulating via the refs. A missed call here, a phantom foul there, can really increase the likelihood of the desired outcome. I'm sure if Stern could mind control the players to get the exact outcome he wanted he would not hesitate.
Monster1776
04-30-2013, 01:17 AM
Not at all, but they benefit from it more than any other lately.
Ehh, it's a curse more than it's a blessing. If KD was playing in the 1990's he would of grown some balls by now and stop being so soft. I still say that most fans exaggerate how much more foul calls OKC gets but I will conceded that it's more.
If you talk to any low end NBA basketball player they will complain about how bad the officiating is. I can remember a conversation with a guy that used to play with the Spurs about how the older guys in the league told him that they would rather play in Europe if it weren't for the fact they were payed so well in the NBA. He didn't believe it but after a few years he held the same views. It's a well known fact that refs allow more popular players to get away with certain things to benefit their play style because it draws ratings, and OKC isn't the only team that benefits from this.
Harden does too. Nice transparent post though.
Monster1776
04-30-2013, 01:19 AM
It's not as much fixing as it is manipulating via the refs. A missed call here, a phantom foul there, can really increase the likelihood of the desired outcome. I'm sure if Stern could mind control the players to get the exact outcome he wanted he would not hesitate.
The desired outcome thing is bullshit and only brought up by conspiracy nuts. As long as players are flying down the court and dunking because defenders are too scared to body them up then Stern is happy and there's a shit ton of scoring happening then Stern is happy. The league is always going to make money no matter who is playing, the issue is how that playing is done. Is it boring team oriented pass and shoot play or is it Super Star iso ball followed by a dagger 3 or thunderous dunk; that's what matters.
Thebesteva
04-30-2013, 01:20 AM
I don't believe in the whole conspiracy of rigging games, however...
The 2nd half of that game REALLY REALLY had me surprised. THere wasn't even any subtlety when it came to shifting the momentum by making ridiculous calls and missing obvious ones.
I'm a rockets fan so I may have been biased but half way through the 4th I was about to turn the game off because some of the calls were just criminal. Did anyone else feel that way? I don't normally complain about the reffs, I'm still pissed at Harden's head up ass play too.
Watch game 6 Lakers V Kings 2002
Lakers V Celtics 2008 game 2
Celtics V Cavaliers game 2 2010
The league only fixes series that have interest, and they DON'T always get their way ie trying to get Lebron to win in 2010 but it's notoriously known that the powers to be try to have a certain story line in the finals.
In the years they couldn't fix anything, it was Spurs V Pistons, and while purists enjoyed the series, the NBA was relatively hurt by this series. Personally, I would like to see Spurs V Heat at this point.
Clipper Nation
04-30-2013, 01:21 AM
The desired outcome thing is bullshit and only brought up by conspiracy nuts.
Then I guess Stern himself is a conspiracy nut, since he once said his dream Finals matchup would be "Lakers vs. Lakers" :lol
Monster1776
04-30-2013, 01:21 AM
Harden does too. Nice transparent post though.
I'll always shoot straight even if I am aiming way the fuck off; I leave it up to other people to point me in the right direction if I miss because Lord knows people love doing that.
Monster1776
04-30-2013, 01:24 AM
Then I guess Stern himself is a conspiracy nut, since he once said his dream Finals matchup would be "Lakers vs. Lakers" :lol
Once upon a time maybe but I think OKC has shown Stern that a team can be marketable in the Finals even if it is a small market. Then again maybe it's just because Durant is the poster boy for the NBA and happens to be on the Thunder; who knows. Having his BFF be our owner doesn't hurt either I suppose.
Clipper Nation
04-30-2013, 01:26 AM
Once upon a time maybe but I think OKC has shown Stern that a team can be marketable in the Finals even if it is a small market. Then again maybe it's just because Durant is the poster boy for the NBA and happens to be on the Thunder; who knows. Having his BFF be our owner doesn't hurt either I suppose.
My take on it is that Stern and Clay Bennett made the league look absolutely horrible for what they did to Seattle in '08, and so Stern needed to make OKC be a smash success relatively quickly to make the average sports fan forget about Sonicsgate - hence the series of high lottery picks and the ridiculously favorable officiating OKC gets....
spurraider21
04-30-2013, 01:28 AM
didn't Durant get called for an offensive foul in the final minute of the game?
/thread
Cry Havoc
04-30-2013, 01:34 AM
didn't Durant get called for an offensive foul in the final minute of the game?
/thread
Yeah, because if there were 0 calls on OKC in every 4th quarter and 12 per on the other team, that wouldn't get incredibly obvious really, really fast.
Budkin
04-30-2013, 01:35 AM
Somewhat of a non sequitur but Stern pulling strings for OKC made me think of this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72joJm8Gl-c
didn't Durant get called for an offensive foul in the final minute of the game?
/thread
That was pretty blatantly obvious. It also came after there was a phantom charge call on parsons (NOBODY FELL DOWN) and Fisher jumped in front of harden to give him his 5th foul.
StrengthAndHonor
04-30-2013, 01:35 AM
My take on it is that Stern and Clay Bennett made the league look absolutely horrible for what they did to Seattle in '08, and so Stern needed to make OKC be a smash success relatively quickly to make the average sports fan forget about Sonicsgate - hence the series of high lottery picks and the ridiculously favorable officiating OKC gets....
Even if this was the case, they still need to draft right. Durant was a no brainer, but Westbrook, Harden and Ibaka were all queation marks. It so happen they all developed to become solid players. Assuming the league can tamper the lottery, not all high picks guarantees success. For every Shaq and Duncan, there's Olowokandi, Kwame and Eddy Curry.
TDMVPDPOY
04-30-2013, 01:38 AM
Even if this was the case, they still need to draft right. Durant was a no brainer, but Westbrook, Harden and Ibaka were all queation marks. It so happen they all developed to become solid players. Assuming the league can tamper the lottery, not all high picks guarantees success. For every Shaq and Duncan, there's Olowokandi, Kwame and Eddy Curry.
man those guys basically came into the league and got the starting job on a rebuiding team
if they had been drafted and stuck behind vets, i dont think they would have develop this quick and given a much bigger role
Monster1776
04-30-2013, 01:41 AM
Yeah, because if there were 0 calls on OKC in every 4th quarter and 12 per on the other team, that wouldn't get incredibly obvious really, really fast.
..... The game's fouls were 26-26....... Really?
StrengthAndHonor
04-30-2013, 01:42 AM
The more I watch the game the more I'm confused. I could name a dozen series where a little corruption and referee manipulation could actually make it more exciting but everytime, the officials makes some calls that puts any stop into making the game a lot more entertaining.
The league is not rigged anymore. After the Donaughy whistle blowing case, the league and its officials have been vey careful
Monster1776
04-30-2013, 01:43 AM
man those guys basically came into the league and got the starting job on a rebuiding team
if they had been drafted and stuck behind vets, i dont think they would have develop this quick and given a much bigger role
It may come as a shock, but this team really did suck when it was in Seattle. It's a miracle that they've developed how they have and that we've still retained Westbrook and Durant after their first contract was up.
I'm still shocked that Westbrook didn't bolt for LA when he's from the area and he has that mentality to be a Laker and would probably be paid rather well to be one.
Monster1776 has been pretty reasonable and level-headed, tbh. :toast
Monster1776
04-30-2013, 01:55 AM
Monster1776 (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=35029) has been pretty reasonable and level-headed, tbh. :toast
Which is surprising because I've already downed a bottle of crown and a cigar. I don't know what's more painful, losing to Houston, or losing to Houston because we traded one of the top sg's in the country to them even though we could of waited a year.
HI-FI
04-30-2013, 02:15 AM
Somewhat of a non sequitur but Stern pulling strings for OKC made me think of this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72joJm8Gl-c
:rollin
good shit. it captures the inanity of the whole situation, plus the weird, seemingly gay emails between Bennett and Stern
My take on it is that Stern and Clay Bennett made the league look absolutely horrible for what they did to Seattle in '08, and so Stern needed to make OKC be a smash success relatively quickly to make the average sports fan forget about Sonicsgate - hence the series of high lottery picks and the ridiculously favorable officiating OKC gets....
This is the same conclusion I've come to as well. It doesn't hurt that Durant is great and the NBA loves turning superstars into mythological heroes with officiating, but I think it's also about solidifying the OKC market after the shit in Seattle.
the fact that the NBA is determined to screw over Sacramento, one of the most loyal fanbases despite having the worst owners in the NBA, is proof imo that the NBA screwed up the Seattle situation. Not that OKC is a total shithole, I can understand trying to put a team in the midwest, but you don't move a team from Seattle to OKC. Stern even said they'll agree to a one year deal with Sacramento, which is kind of bullshit if you ask me. They really are more committed to Seattle over Sacramento, can't say I blame them but not at the expense of a great fanbase.
props to Lakesarethebesteva and even Monster1984 for admitting that something shady goes on. At this point, I just don't see how someone can deny it. shit, didn't Donaghy help out the Spurs against the Suns in 07? fuck, i guess we should thank his gambling addiction. the scary thing about Donaghy is, IIRC, he had a B+ internal grade from the NBA, yet this guy was making money for the mob. That shows you screwed up it is. Even if it isn't a conspiracy, it's a mess.
I happen to believe it's not rigged but pushed into a direction that Stern et al believes is the most profitable. If it was outright rigged, then most people wouldn't watch. If they left it to chance, well billionaires don't want to leave it to chance. so they try to guide things along to a more suitable, storybook ending if possible.
Cry Havoc
04-30-2013, 02:33 AM
..... The game's fouls were 26-26....... Really?
I don't think every game is tilted in OKC's favor. The NBA loses nothing by extending this series.
I don't think every game is tilted in OKC's favor. The NBA loses nothing by extending this series.
And they make more profits by doing so.
Latarian Milton
04-30-2013, 07:20 AM
the league is rigged and you can find evidence for that from almost every lakers game since the all-star break, whereas i don't think there's much to complain about in the chinkton - OKC series, where the rockets just got curbstomped by the better team
A lot of people who live their lives as the victims on here. Always a step behind, a day late, and a dollar short - and it's never their fault. It's always the result of the wrongdoing of someone else, an injustice, a conspiracy. We all know people like this. Every shortcoming in life is never their fault and the success of others is never legit. They're being conspired against and those that succeed are being unjustly aided. And so these people with that viewpoint in life have it with basketball as well. Simple as that. You won't convince them otherwise.
StrengthAndHonor
04-30-2013, 09:12 AM
man those guys basically came into the league and got the starting job on a rebuiding team
if they had been drafted and stuck behind vets, i dont think they would have develop this quick and given a much bigger role
That's true and I agree but at the same time this formula has been tried by a lot of teams starting from scratch amd very few were succesful.
Milwaukee tried this with Vin Baker, Glenn Robinson and Ray Allen.
Dallas with Jamal Mashburn, Jim Jackson and Jason Kidd
Clippers came out every season with fresh talents, see my sig and none made any noise.
Chicago with Tyson Chandler, Curry and Jay Williams. I think Ron Mercer who was drafted 5th may have been a part of that core too.
GSW had Webber and Spree. They even had Hardaway and Mullins both veterans to guide them and that was a failure too.
Maybe its luck too but Presti's blueprint is pretty damn good. No amount of tampering can translate success when you're dealing with lottery picks. They could turn out to be a bust or your prospects could suddenly turn into glass as the Portland Trailblazers over the year have demonstrated too.
Clipper Nation
04-30-2013, 10:01 AM
A lot of people who live their lives as the victims on here. Always a step behind, a day late, and a dollar short - and it's never their fault. It's always the result of the wrongdoing of someone else, an injustice, a conspiracy. We all know people like this. Every shortcoming in life is never their fault and the success of others is never legit. They're being conspired against and those that succeed are being unjustly aided. And so these people with that viewpoint in life have it with basketball as well. Simple as that. You won't convince them otherwise.
You can keep spamming this butthurt rant every time the word "refs" is mentioned, but it doesn't change the fact that NBA refs are the most corrupt in sports....
mercos
04-30-2013, 10:45 AM
Only one team in the NBA is allowed to play stiff defense against the Thunder, and that is the Miami Heat. Call it what you want, but that much was clear in last year's playoffs. OKC went from all time great offense in the WCF to garbage in the Finals. Miami's defense is not that good, and OKC's offense is not that streaky.
Spurs9
04-30-2013, 11:29 AM
didn't Durant get called for an offensive foul in the final minute of the game?
/thread
Stern wants to extend the series as much as possible for revenues. In the end he will let OKC win.
dbestpro
04-30-2013, 12:53 PM
If you talk to any low end NBA basketball player they will complain about how bad the officiating is. I can remember a conversation with a guy that used to play with the Spurs about how the older guys in the league told him that they would rather play in Europe if it weren't for the fact they were payed so well in the NBA. He didn't believe it but after a few years he held the same views. It's a well known fact that refs allow more popular players to get away with certain things to benefit their play style because it draws ratings, and OKC isn't the only team that benefits from this.
Low end teams get more bad calls. I agree with that. Also, the Thunder far and away get more calls against any team, but the Heat. This is why you live by the ref, you will die by the ref. As long as the Thunder rely on officiating as much as they do they never will beat the Heat in the championship playoffs.
Monster1776
04-30-2013, 08:38 PM
Low end teams get more bad calls. I agree with that. Also, the Thunder far and away get more calls against any team, but the Heat. This is why you live by the ref, you will die by the ref. As long as the Thunder rely on officiating as much as they do they never will beat the Heat in the championship playoffs.
No, I meant specific individual players in the NBA were largely frustrated with how refs give All-Stars superstar treatment; not just lower end franchises. A lot of players hate Stern and all think its rigged.
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