It's SA - And They're Whining Already? (Pre game 1)

[DieMrBond]

This guy really dislikes the spurs... wonder what hes saying now?

BLOGFISH
It's SA - And They're Whining Already?
by Mike Fisher -- DallasBasketball.com

'The Finest Dentists In The Metroplex': click here

TESTING THE SPURS:Oh, we know. They've won championships, so they are steeled against all challenges.

Well Mavs, test 'em, anyway.

Fans in San Antonio explained away their struggles against Sacto -- Round 1 struggles that finally ended late Friday when the Spurs survived the Kings in six -- by saying things like, "We've be in this situation several times and won championships'' and "The Spurs are bored with these early games against an 8-seed'' and "They're better for having been challenged.''

Even Bruce Bowen tried to pull that crap, saying something about being glad San Antonio had to "dig deep.''

Nonsense.

You "dig deep'' for every win. Dallas "dug deep,'' too; it's just that they dug deep enough to get the excavation project finished in four shovels-full instead of six. And now, starting with a Game 1 on Sunday at noon in the Alamo City on ABC, the Mavs start trying to plow through Round 2. The Mavs' journey begins Saturday morning with a flight out of Dallas (interestingly, the Spurs begin with a journey, too; a late-Friday win at Sacramento, and sleepover there before a long flight home on Saturday.)

And let the Spurs' crying commence: The quick turnaround is "awful,'' says Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, adding sarcastically, "We're going to play them in about 20 minutes. We're going to try and do a litle scouting. We just hope the game doesn't start at 8 a.m."

Again, Pop, it starts at noon. At YOUR HOME. And there wouldn't be such a demand had you, a No. 1 seed, not bumbled so against a No. 8 seed.

Geez, the Spurs whine as much as any team is the NBA. Is that because they view themselves as privileged? Or because they've recently experienced some desperate moments?

Remember, the Spurs' present situation, as it relates to Dallas, is nothing new. These two teams being within an eyelash of one another is a stage play with a four-year (so-far) run.

In 01-02, San Antonio won 58 games to win the Midwest. Dallas won 57.

In 02-03, San Antonio won 60 games to win the West. Dallas lost the tiebreaker but was also a 60-game winner.

In 04-05, San Antonio won 59 games to win the Southwest. Dallas won 58.

And this year, San Antonio won 63 games to win the West. Dallas was also a 60-game winner.

It starts Sunday. And if the Spurs really believe they are better for having labored to defeat an 8-seed while the Mavs grew all marshmallowy by crushing a Memphis team that had the fourth-best record in the West, well. ...

Quit whistling past the graveyard, Spurs. And quit whining before the series even starts. Prove it.

[J.T.]

Mavs writers, shut the fuck up you sore losers. The NBA/ABC tried to help you and you got owned. Deal.

[T Park]

Mike Fisher, what a bitch :lol

[Kori Ellis]

This is just a blog/fan writer, correct?

[Winnipeg_Spur]

Wow, that guys whole "analysis" is based on the fact that Sacramento was an 8 seed, so they must suck. His description of the Spurs as whiney is pretty hilarious too, he's got Pop saying one word (awful) and cracking a few jokes (good ones too, imo) as opposed to the Mavericks, whose owner writes a new blog entry complaining about NBA refs every time the Spurs punk him. :lol

[DieMrBond]

Yeah, it was just a blog writer - not anyone with legitimate credit. Was just posting for entertainment purposes.

[whottt]

What's funny is the way the Mavs fans keep acting like sweeping the Grizzlies was akin to sweeping the 97 Bulls...

Pssst...they only had 49 wins this year...they had 50 the year the Spurs swept them(and blew them out by the same margin the Mavs just did). Unfortunately, they didn't give a trophy for that.

That series wasn't about you Dallas...it was about the Grizz.

[ShoogarBear]

And Mavs fans wonder why they are universally considered the pre-eminent dumbshits of professional sports.

[baseline bum]

What do you expect from a city whose only claim to fame is shooting the President?

[Obstructed_View]

Mike Fisher is awesome. He just doesn't know anything about basketball. I used to listen to his radio show and it's 99% Cowboys. I've yet to hear anyone that claims to know anything about basketball say that Memphis was better than the post-trade Kings.

It's funny that Fish is working for Dallasbasketball.com, when his only real qualification is that he can write.

[TDMVPDPOY]

wtf, whats there to prove anyway? spurs - 3 rings vs mavs - zero

[fyatuk]

In 01-02, San Antonio won 58 games to win the Midwest. Dallas won 57.

In 02-03, San Antonio won 60 games to win the West. Dallas lost the tiebreaker but was also a 60-game winner.

In 04-05, San Antonio won 59 games to win the Southwest. Dallas won 58.

And this year, San Antonio won 63 games to win the West. Dallas was also a 60-game winner.


He seems upset that the Mavs keep coming in second to the Spurs. I like the fact that he lessens the 3 game difference in records this year by saying the mavs were "Also a 60 game winner" instead of saying they won exactly 60 games...

[maxpower]

This is just a blog/fan writer, correct?

He is a "legitimate" media guy if you can call him that. Well he was on the radio in dallas some time back. The Dallas Ticket guys mentioned how they ran him out of radio ratings-wise a few years ago. He does not seemed to be liked much..

[Ginofan]

And there would be no mention of a 36 hour turnaround had the Mavs been in the same position? Please.

[Extra Stout]

This is just a blog/fan writer, correct?
Apparently not. He's "big media." This is what passes for enlightened thought in the "Metroplex."

It's so embarrassing to have Dallas in the same state. Observing them in their full coprophagic-yet-condescending idiocy sheds so much light upon the contempt so much of the country has for Texans.

Is there any way we could pawn them off on Oklahoma or Arkansas?

[Obstructed_View]

He is a "legitimate" media guy if you can call him that. Well he was on the radio in dallas some time back. The Dallas Ticket guys mentioned how they ran him out of radio ratings-wise a few years ago. He does not seemed to be liked much..
LOL. The Dallas Ticket guys are certainly not legitimate media.

[IceColdBrewski]

Mike Fisher is awesome....

"Awsome" at what? Being a Cowboys homer?

I have no doubt that he's great at sucking Cowboy dick, but all he managed to do with this "article" was make himself look bitter.

[Ginofan]

Legitimate media/journalists use the word "crap" in their writings? Nice.

[Obstructed_View]

"Awsome" at what? Being a Cowboys homer?
Um. Yeah, actually. I already said he doesn't know anything about basketball. Once again, reading comprehension is our friend, genius.

[IceColdBrewski]

Um. Yeah, actually. I already said he doesn't know anything about basketball. Once again, reading comprehension is our friend, genius.

Buuuuuuuh. He obviously does know a few things about basketball if he can recall everything Spurs/Mavs related back to 2001. Nevermind the fact that he's been a sports journalist for over 20 years. Nice deflection though dumbass. Try answering the question now. What the hell makes this guy so great in your mind? All he wants to do is slam the Spurs without giving even an ounce of credit. Regardless of your opinion on his basketball IQ, all that does is scream of a guy who turns into bitter crybaby. Yeah, real awesome. :rolleyes

[Obstructed_View]

Buuuuuuuh. He obviously does know a few things about basketball if he can recall everything Spurs/Mavs related back to 2001.
If you consider being able to recite the number of wins for the two teams "everything", then yes, the dude is a goddamn sports encyclopedia. And five whole years. Good fucking God, that's like one third of your lifetime...


What the hell makes this guy so great in your mind? Seriously, why the fuck do you care? He's been on TV, radio and print in the Dallas area for years, and he's always talked mostly football. I've listened to him and exchanged emails with him. Like Kevin Blackistone and Buck Harvey, he always answers them and enjoys the discussion. If you were to spew moronic vitriol at one of those guys just because you disagreed with their opinion, which you have a habit of doing, I'd probably say something about it. The fact that he says something that hurts your wittle feelings doesn't automatically make him rotten at what he does.

[CharlieMac]

Quit whistling past the graveyard, Spurs. And quit whining before the series even starts. Prove it.


"Again."

[loveforthegame]

Mark Cuban owns dallasbasketball.com and that's a big reason why Fish breaks a lot of the news regarding the Mavs. It's the only reason he gets those "inside" sources. Fish is Cuban's pet.

[Shank]

wtf, whats there to prove anyway? spurs - 3 rings vs mavs - zero

What does that have to do with the current series? Why aren't we looking at a Lakers/Celtics matchup if that's the argument.

[A-Train]

You "dig deep'' for every win. Dallas "dug deep,'' too; it's just that they dug deep enough to get the excavation project finished in four shovels-full instead of six. And now, starting with a Game 1 on Sunday at noon in the Alamo City on ABC, the Mavs start trying to plow through Round 2. The Mavs' journey begins Saturday morning with a flight out of Dallas (interestingly, the Spurs begin with a journey, too; a late-Friday win at Sacramento, and sleepover there before a long flight home on Saturday.)


I'm sure the Mavs would've swept the Kings too. Oh well, didn't seem to matter too much in Game 1.




Remember, the Spurs' present situation, as it relates to Dallas, is nothing new. These two teams being within an eyelash of one another is a stage play with a four-year (so-far) run.

In 01-02, San Antonio won 58 games to win the Midwest. Dallas won 57.

In 02-03, San Antonio won 60 games to win the West. Dallas lost the tiebreaker but was also a 60-game winner.

In 04-05, San Antonio won 59 games to win the Southwest. Dallas won 58.

And this year, San Antonio won 63 games to win the West. Dallas was also a 60-game winner.


:lol They're just as good as the Spurs. In the regular season. What a homerific argument.




It starts Sunday. And if the Spurs really believe they are better for having labored to defeat an 8-seed while the Mavs grew all marshmallowy by crushing a Memphis team that had the fourth-best record in the West, well. ...

Yeah, the Kings were just like any 8th seed that finished the season 26-14.




Quit whistling past the graveyard, Spurs. And quit whining before the series even starts. Prove it.

Spurs are 1/4th of the way towards proving it. Enjoy.

[pache100]

What does that have to do with the current series?

As I pointed out yesterday...three things count more than any other in the playoffs (whatever round)...1) experience...2) Experience...and...3) EXPERIENCE. That's what it has to do with the current series.

[leemajors]

What does that have to do with the current series? Why aren't we looking at a Lakers/Celtics matchup if that's the argument.

well, to begin, those teams aren't even in the playoffs.

[LB7]

He wrote that article to get people talking. Guess what, it worked.

[dmac]

What do you expect from a city whose only claim to fame is shooting the President?yea, those 5 Super Bowl Trophies don't really count for much!


http://spurstalk.com/forums/images/smilies/smielephant.gif

[pache100]

yea, those 5 Super Bowl Trophies don't really count for much!


Wait a minute! Those trophies belong to everyone in Texas...well, except for Houston Texan fans... :lol . I cried just as many tears for those damned trophies as anyone in Dallas.

[Obstructed_View]

Mark Cuban owns dallasbasketball.com and that's a big reason why Fish breaks a lot of the news regarding the Mavs. It's the only reason he gets those "inside" sources. Fish is Cuban's pet.
His nickname is "back pocket boy" for exactly that reason, but for Jerry Jones instead of Cuban.

[Jimcs50]

Pop never whines, that is a fact. He just made a sarcastic remark after the last series and it was dropped and out of mind at that point. Adleman complained about it more than Pop did, and even said that Pop probably would not even complain about it.(Because he knows Pop)

This writer blows....FUCK THE COWBOYS TOO!!!

[Despot]

Does anyone have the link to that blog? I'd like to see what he has to say after the game 1 loss.

[Obstructed_View]

Does anyone have the link to that blog? I'd like to see what he has to say after the game 1 loss.
www.dallasbasketball.com

[Kori Ellis]

So, he's not just a fan/blogger, he's an accredited journalist??

[Despot]

:lmao He calls the act of shooting free throws "Free throwing"

[Despot]

Here is his blog for today

BARF-BAG MONDAY: Print yourself out a boxscore from Spurs 87, Mavs 85. Fold it up and put it in your wallet. And then for the next few days while we await Game 2, play this parlor game along with me:
How'd the Mavs do, man-vs.-man, against the Spurs?
What I mean is, let's go up and down the totem pole. Our guy who plays a certain role vs. their guy who plays a certain role.
Oh, and as we play this parlor game, a warning: In addition to this piece of paper, you'll eventually need another paper product.
A barf bag.
Here we go:
Starting point guard: Parker scores 19, Terry scores 14. JET had an awful game, failing to properly run pick-and-rolls. But Parker was kept from penetrating much. So no huge Spurs edge here.
Backup point guard: Devin added a little pace for Dallas, and NVH hit his first field goal for the Spurs since, like, the Carter Administration. No edge.
Three-headed center: Robert Horry technically plays center for the Spurs, and is a supposed scorer, backed by Rasho Nesterovic and Nazr Mohammed. They, in a word, suck. They trio combined for 44 minutes, 12 rebounds, 1 block, and five points. Yecch. Dallas, meanwhile, does not ask for offense from its centers but did get from Dampier 10 rebounds and five blocks. And they asked alot of Damp, Diop and D.J., putting them on Duncan. Dallas wins the edge.
Defensive ace: Griff was a factor defensively. Bowen was a bigger factor defensively, and hit one huge shot. Edge SA, but both guys met expectations.
Slasher: Had it not been for his flopping, Ginobili would've been almost invisible. J-Ho was better, pitching in with 17 points and nine rebounds. Edge Dallas.
Sixth man: Stack goofed up on the final play, but he did score 24 large points. Finley launched away to manage just seven points. Big edge, Dallas.
Throw in Daniels and Barry each doing nothing, and let's lump 'em together: Parker and Nick and Manu and Rasho and Horry and Nazr and Bowen and Fin vs. Terry and Devin and Griff and Damp and Diop and Benga and Howard and Stack.
Even.
So where did the Mavs not find a way for the guy on his totem pole spot to match the guy on the opponent's totem pole spot?
You got it. ...
All-NBA First Team superstar: Dirk wasn't near the factor that Duncan was.
Period.
Duncan made his gotta-makes, Dirk didn't. Dirk was a powerful rebounder, but Duncan was just as good. Duncan was hidden on defense, just like Dirk was, but came up with one more play on that end. Duncan dominated, Dirk didn't.
Duncan won. Dirk didn't.
The Mavs have a puzzle piece that can answer and/or exceed every one of SA's puzzle pieces. I'm biased, but for all the Spurs' fanfare, I'd just as soon have Howard as Manu, rather have Stack than Fin, much rather have Devin than Nick, much rather have Dallas' center situation than theirs.
So it was all set up. And then Duncan won. And Dirk didn't.
The analysis goes on, but it could conceivably start and stop there.
Read your boxscore. See if you agree. And then ready that barf bag.

FREE THROWS, OF ALL THINGS: You figured to make a fortune had to bet on Dallas' chances of winning because of the happenings at the free-throw line.
Free throwing is among Dallas' strengths. Really, it's an important part of the gameplan. Free throwing is not a SA strength. The regular-season comparison: Dallas' 78.3 percent to San Antonio's 70.2 percent.
The Spurs essentially did their thing at the line; they made 22 of 30 free throws for 73.3 percent in Game 1.
Had the Mavs "done their thing,'' they walk away with a win. Instead, they shot just 8-of-14 from the line in the second half. Dirk Nowitzki got to the line just six times and missed twice. Dampier missed one in the final minute. Howard missed one two minutes before that.
"They're supposed to be the poor free-throw shooting team, but we were the ones missing them," said Dirk. "I don't know how to explain it. Maybe because the second round means more than the first round. But still. ..."
Hmmm. Dallas, in the first round, shot 85.5 percent from the line. When Dirk says "the second round means more than the first'' as a way of explaining missed FT's, is he suggesting the Mavs gagged?
Hmmm.


COPYCATTIN': One thing that's always bothered me: If the Mavs find a technique, a trick, that works against them, rather than finding it offensive why not mimic it?
Two cases in point:
1) The Flop. Manu Ginobili makes a living at it. Manu actually has invented a way to fake a flop while simultaneously claiming he's earned a jump ball. Dallas gets infuriated by the act, gets infuriated because the refs almost always buy it, but. ... well, why not flip the script? And flip to the flop? (You know, Mavs 12th man Darrell Armstrong flops with the best of 'em. Time for a clinic, DA?)
2) The Bear-Hug. This is a new accusation, leveled by Avery Johnson at Bruce Bowen. Bowen is a filthy player, and gets away with plenty. Now he's got a new act. "Bear-hug defense,'' Avery says. "What happens when a bear hugs you? That's the new NBA rule. That's pretty much what's going on, so I've got to formulate or simulate a drill for bear-hug defense.''
The Mavs believe that Bowen was extending his arms along the sides of Dirk, restricting him by framing him. And maybe he was.
By the way, the Mavs also believe Tim Duncan and his and-one parade to 31 points was the result of lopsided officiating.
"It’s hard when they’re going to give him every call,” Dampier said.
But rather than bitching about things, why not use the same techniques on them? Why not frame, restrict and "bear-hug'' Tim Duncan? And flop on drives? And initiate offensive contact in the paint?

[A-Train]

How on earth did the Mavs manage to lose? :lol funny shit

[pache100]

How on earth did the Mavs manage to lose? :lol funny shit

Yes! :lol Scoreboard talks, buddy!

[A-Train]

Three-headed center: Robert Horry technically plays center for the Spurs, and is a supposed scorer, backed by Rasho Nesterovic and Nazr Mohammed. They, in a word, suck. They trio combined for 44 minutes, 12 rebounds, 1 block, and five points. Yecch. Dallas, meanwhile, does not ask for offense from its centers but did get from Dampier 10 rebounds and five blocks. And they asked alot of Damp, Diop and D.J., putting them on Duncan. Dallas wins the edge.


Nice. Doesn't seem to consider the possibility that the Spurs don't generally ask for much O from their other bigs.

Mav Fan is one dumb sumbitch.

[Kori Ellis]

What's funny about his assessment of the "centers" is that Horry played a pretty good game. He pulled down 9 boards and played good defense. He should have just ignored Rasho/Nazr's existence -- they barely played.

[boutons_]

" "It’s hard when they’re going to give him every call,” Dampier said. "

.... says the lousy-defending klutz whose season avg is over 6 fouls per 48 minutes.

[Kori Ellis]

This part of his blog is good:


COPYCATTIN': One thing that's always bothered me: If the Mavs find a technique, a trick, that works against them, rather than finding it offensive why not mimic it?
Two cases in point:
1) The Flop. Manu Ginobili makes a living at it. Manu actually has invented a way to fake a flop while simultaneously claiming he's earned a jump ball. Dallas gets infuriated by the act, gets infuriated because the refs almost always buy it, but. ... well, why not flip the script? And flip to the flop? (You know, Mavs 12th man Darrell Armstrong flops with the best of 'em. Time for a clinic, DA?)
2) The Bear-Hug. This is a new accusation, leveled by Avery Johnson at Bruce Bowen. Bowen is a filthy player, and gets away with plenty. Now he's got a new act. "Bear-hug defense,'' Avery says. "What happens when a bear hugs you? That's the new NBA rule. That's pretty much what's going on, so I've got to formulate or simulate a drill for bear-hug defense.''
The Mavs believe that Bowen was extending his arms along the sides of Dirk, restricting him by framing him. And maybe he was.
By the way, the Mavs also believe Tim Duncan and his and-one parade to 31 points was the result of lopsided officiating.
"It’s hard when they’re going to give him every call,” Dampier said.
But rather than bitching about things, why not use the same techniques on them? Why not frame, restrict and "bear-hug'' Tim Duncan? And flop on drives? And initiate offensive contact in the paint?

He understands that Bowen's D against Dirk wasn't illegal or anything, and understands that sometimes flopping is good.

[pache100]

" "It’s hard when they’re going to give him every call,” Dampier said. "

:lmao

Dampier doesn't get out much, does he? That or he doesn't pay attention when they do let him out of his cage.

[Sek-cMan]

What is Dampier's Foul to point ratio?

[CubanMustGo]

Free throws: SA 30, Dallas 28

:stfu noob blogger!

[A-Train]

So, in MavFanLand, Dirk mysteriously decided to hold himself back in Game 1 while the Mavs won at every other spot on the floor (funny how when TP outscores Terry it's not a major difference but when Dampier outrebounds Horry by a board then the Spurs' bigs suck.) Dirk could've driven to the hole in the final 13 seconds, but he wanted his teammate to have the glory. Nevermind that Bowen guy.

[2centsworth]

The guy goes out of his way to say there's an eyelash difference between the teams by comparing regular season records. I say how about the 3 championships compared to 0 for Dallas. Also, how many times have the spurs walked through the Mavs in the playoffs. I don't ever remember the Mavs beating the spurs.

[BigVee]

People's obsession with the "flop" and that it is somehow diminishes a player's ability drives me crazy. A "flop" is usually nothing more than a player exaggerating contact to call attention to what he believes is a foul. (Not talking about phantom contact). How is that any different than when a player drives to the basket and yells out loud when he believes he is fouled? Same reasoning...they do it to draw the ref's attention. And, 80% of the players in the league do this.

[A-Train]

What's funny about his assessment of the "centers" is that Horry played a pretty good game. He pulled down 9 boards and played good defense. He should have just ignored Rasho/Nazr's existence -- they barely played.

The Mavs' other bigs (Dampier, Diop, Mbenga Fever) combined for 4 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks. Spurs' other bigs combined for 5, 12 and 1. So, slight edge to the Mavs overall, especially when you consider that Duncan is a much bigger part of the Spurs' interior D than Nowitzki is of the Mavs'.

MavFan would also rather have Terry over TP and Howard over Manu.

Redneck dumb.

[clubalien]

Dallas also had a disadvantage because
1: They were off so long that they could have lost their "groove"
well Tim was coming off playing with his "groove" in place and working
2:The mavs didn't know who to prepare for spurs or kings so they had to either wait to see who won and have less time.. or learn how to comepte with two totoaly differnt tieams wasting time and energy

[A-Train]

Dallas also had a disadvantage because
1: They were off so long that they could have lost their "groove"
well Tim was coming off playing with his "groove" in place and working
2:The mavs didn't know who to prepare for spurs or kings so they had to either wait to see who won and have less time.. or learn how to comepte with two totoaly differnt tieams wasting time and energy

Cocaine's one hell of a drug.

[clubalien]

A trin I am just saying peoepl have debated for a long time if coming off waiting a long time is a good or a bad thing. Or if getting no rest is a good or bad thing

in the end their are pros and cons of both and they shoudl just negate each other for "anlyasis reasons" unless one week someone recovers from an injury

[FromWayDowntown]

What's funny about his assessment of the "centers" is that Horry played a pretty good game. He pulled down 9 boards and played good defense. He should have just ignored Rasho/Nazr's existence -- they barely played.

I think his assessments are based on: (1) a rationalization for allowing himself (or his readers) to believe that the Mavs played better than they really did; and (2) several misunderstandings of the ways in which the Spurs go about their business, particularly the non-quantifiable things that the Spurs rely on.

The notion that the Spurs somehow rely on their center position to provide consistent offense is laughable. Nazr can occasionally score points and Horry (as a center) offers the same possibility. But the signing of Rasho in the summer of 2003 pretty much put to bed any thought that the Spurs intended to build a team around a scoring center. It's all about defense, and mostly about positional defense. Yesterday, Horry played good positional defense all day long.

I don't know that one could say that the Dallas point guards did much to keep Parker from scoring at the rim. Parker was able to get into the middle pretty much at will; he didn't finish a couple of times because bigs got there and deterred the shot. That's good rotation by the Dallas bigs, not good defensive stops by either Terry or Harris.

And the concept that there is anyone on the Dallas roster who flops more than Herr Nowitzki is a remarkable statement to me. Either Dirk is the clumsiest superstar in NBA history or he has a remarkable penchant for exaggerating even slight contact.

[A-Train]

A trin I am just saying peoepl have debated for a long time if coming off waiting a long time is a good or a bad thing. Or if getting no rest is a good or bad thing

in the end their are pros and cons of both and they shoudl just negate each other for "anlyasis reasons" unless one week someone recovers from an injury

ducks, on crystal meth.

[ShoogarBear]

It's so embarrassing to have Dallas in the same state. Observing them in their full coprophagic-yet-condescending idiocy sheds so much light upon the contempt so much of the country has for Texans.


"Coprophagic"? Oooooh.

*run to look up in dictionary*

Coprophagic . . . ewwwwww!

[dmac]

Dallas also had a disadvantage because
1: They were off so long that they could have lost their "groove"
well Tim was coming off playing with his "groove" in place and working
2:The mavs didn't know who to prepare for spurs or kings so they had to either wait to see who won and have less time.. or learn how to comepte with two totoaly differnt tieams wasting time and energy

I guess it sucks that they drew such a powerful 5 seed, while we "struggled" with the #8 seed. Too bad they had so much time off. Waaah! fuckin' cry babies.

[LEONARD]

Waaah! fuckin' cry babies.

:fro

[ducks]

Page 2 of 2


Now referees aren't allowed to have personalities, to the point of barring them from talking to the press. It's all corporate … except for Cuban, who has paid more than $1 million in fines and made matching donations to charity to show how much it bothered him.

There's more to Cuban than his enfant terrible act, breathing life into his franchise. Despite an ego struggle with coach Don Nelson, they kept it together for five seasons until Nellie walked away, when Cuban turned to Avery Johnson, whom Nelson had nominated as his successor.

Cuban's willingness to answer e-mails makes him the people's owner of all time. On the other hand, he's a little too down-to-earth, acting like a yahoo on talk radio.

His team, he claims, either wins or has it stolen by referees, supervised by the bumbling league office while the national press, which hates Cuban, the Mavericks and Dallas, makes up lies.

Cuban's May 23 blog, the day after his team eliminated the Spurs, was standard conspiracy theory, noting TNT's website had put up a montage of players from Detroit, Miami and Phoenix, with San Antonio's Tim Duncan where Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki should have been.

"I guess we didn't get the memo," wrote Cuban. "Unbelievable? Not to the Mavs family. We don't care what the national media thinks. We don't care what the NBA thinks. We believe!"

Actually, if it wasn't for Cuban, no one would have anything against the Mavericks, who are low-key guys and indisputably an elite team. Nor is Dallas some burg pining to be major league. The Cowboys once billed themselves as America's Team and had the national TV ratings to back it up.

With Cuban around, America's Team may now be Whoever's Playing the Mavericks.

As great as the Mavericks-Spurs series was, Cuban, not Nowitzki, may have been the MVP for going onto the floor in Game 1. (Ka-ching! This is the league, that'll be $200,000. Do you want to use the credit card on your account?)

Coaches think drawing a technical foul buys a call or two, but 200K buys more than that.

The Mavericks won Game 3 because of a 50-32 edge in free-throw attempts, with Duncan fouling out when Nowitzki came down on his foot. They won Game 4 when the officials put Nowitzki on the line at the end after a little bump by Bruce Bowen. In Game 7, the officials let Nowitzki get away with going over Duncan's shoulder and hacking him to prevent the winning layup.

There are always questionable calls both ways and the Mavericks proved themselves as worthy as the Spurs. Nevertheless, with Cuban's exuberance and Johnson's determination to toughen his team up, Big D now stands for Dizzy.

Dallas fans booed the Spurs' Michael Finley, the fourth-leading scorer in Mavericks history, who left only after being dumped for luxury tax relief.

If that wasn't bad enough on the yahoo scale, several media outlets encouraged fans to boo Nash, whose departure to Phoenix had been lamented locally while he was twice most valuable player for the Suns.

Even Cuban, who suggested Finley was a "crybaby," thought that was a bit much and, as Jerry Stackhouse noted, it might be good to "let sleeping dogs lie."

Bingo!

Nash scored 10 of his 27 points in the last 3:26 of Game 1 as the Suns came from nine down to steal it. With Raja Bell reportedly out until Game 5, they remain underdogs but as we in the national media like to say, it ain't over till it's over.

Faces and Figures

Something else that would take some pressure off referees: A no foul-out rule. It's hard to believe we're still talking about it because it's been discussed at all levels of the game for decades and I've never heard a good argument against it…. Meanwhile in the East: The Detroit and Miami media are busy insulting each other's teams, calling Shaquille O'Neal "old and fat" and the Pistons "smug." Indeed, the every-other-day schedule will be hard for O'Neal, especially with three-hour flights after Games 4, 5 and 6, and Pistons officials say privately their players haven't looked as hungry since four became All-Stars…. The East finals also feature, or are embarrassed by, Detroit's Flip Saunders hacking Shaq and Miami's Pat Riley hacking Ben Wallace, highlighting the need to take all intentional fouling out of the game. Any foul that isn't a play on the ball should be penalized by awarding two free throws and the ball….

Lottery scenario, first of many: 1. Toronto doesn't want to re-sign mouthy free agent Mike James and trades down for Portland's No. 4 pick plus Steve Blake or Jarrett Jack. Portland, which wants to dump Theo Ratliff's salary and isn't sure it can re-sign Joel Przybilla, takes LaMarcus Aldridge. 2. Chicago, happy to take Aldridge or Tyrus Thomas, takes Thomas. 3. Charlotte takes Adam Morrison. 4. Toronto takes seven-footer Andrea Bargnani, a crack three-point shooter, as GM Bryan Colangelo gets set to spread the floor as he did in Phoenix. 5. Atlanta needs a point guard but takes Brandon Roy, who's too good to pass up. 6. Minnesota needs someone who can help now with Kevin Garnett antsy, takes Randy Foye. 7. Boston takes Marcus Williams. 8. Houston does a sign-and-trade for James (let's say Luther Head and Clarence Weatherspoon's expiring contract) and drafts another crack shooter, J.J. Redick. 9. Golden State takes seven-footer Patrick O'Bryant, whose stock is rising. 10. Seattle, going young and athletic, takes Rudy Gay….

Even in the Knicks' theater of the absurd, it was a memorable week. Team officials called police, who threatened to arrest media people waiting for Coach Larry Brown in the practice facility parking lot. The media retreated across the road to a grassy strip next to a ditch as traffic whizzed by, including Brown, who waved from his SUV but didn't stop…. Knicks officials maintained their silence on reports they'll buy out Brown and corporate boss James Dolan put off his request for a meeting, letting Brown twist in the wind. However, with Dolan's rock band, JD and the Straight Shot, scheduled to play at a Manhattan club this week, the New York Daily News' Frank Isola wrote, "Can't you just see Brown holding a beer in one hand … rocking his head to the music?" … Just in case, 100 or so media people will be there, holding beers and rocking, too.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/baske...ack=1&cset=true
Page 2 has the Spurs stuff.

[austinfan]

Something I don't understand, and if it's been dissected on this forum already, my apologies, but why do the Spurs generate such hate in the blogosphere in general?

I can understand the boring label, especially since Tim Duncan is the antithesis of And-1ism, but it seems to go beyond that to just general dislike. Where does that come from? I mean, the Pistons have been similar to us in the past couple of years in terms of dominance and success and yet they don't seem to cause quite the same reaction.

[LilMissSPURfect]

Page 2 of 2



The Mavericks won Game 3 because of a 50-32 edge in free-throw attempts, with Duncan fouling out when Nowitzki came down on his foot. They won Game 4 when the officials put Nowitzki on the line at the end after a little bump by Bruce Bowen. In Game 7, the officials let Nowitzki get away with going over Duncan's shoulder and hacking him to prevent the winning layup.



wow the mavs really won

[LEONARD]

wow the mavs really won

Lemme check...Mavs play tomorrow....don't see a Spurs game anywhere? I guess the Mavs really did win, so you're right! :fro

[LilMissSPURfect]

Lemme check...Mavs play tomorrow....don't see a Spurs game anywhere? I guess the Mavs really did win, so you're right! :fro

took me a while there...thanks for the update!

[FromWayDowntown]

It's funny -- the "whining" issue that started this thread lo so many weeks ago, was one that the Commissioner admitted was a horrendous decision.

I'm still trying to figure out where the line is between whining and offering fair-minded criticism of things that have been poorly done. For now, that line appears to be one based entirely upon allegiances -- if you root for the Spurs, you must be whining; if you root for the Mavericks, you're just being objectively critical. That must be it.

[texlawman]

Yes they did. I have it recorded if you would like a copy. It's great fun to watch them whine and cry. Popabitch is particularly funny.

[leemajors]

why would houston want to trade luther head?

[leemajors]

Yes they did. I have it recorded if you would like a copy. It's great fun to watch them whine and cry. Popabitch is particularly funny.

durr durr durr, durr durr durr durr durr?

[Drbio]

As a card carrying Mavs fan I feel obligated to point out how much Mike Fisher sucks ass. Most of us have hated him for years. He steals all of his material and usually effs it up making a legit topic turn to shit. Fisher isn't worth ball sweat. He sucks harder than a 90210 whore and clutters up the internet with crap and garbage.

So in conclusion.....Mike Fisher can suck a turd. Maybe the turd will rub off its good qualities on Fisher who has none.

[FromWayDowntown]

As a card carrying Mavs fan I feel obligated to point out how much Mike Fisher sucks ass. Most of us have hated him for years. He steals all of his material and usually effs it up making a legit topic turn to shit. Fisher isn't worth ball sweat. He sucks harder than a 90210 whore and clutters up the internet with crap and garbage.

So in conclusion.....Mike Fisher can suck a turd. Maybe the turd will rub off its good qualities on Fisher who has none.

I'm relieved to hear someone from the Mavericks side say that. I can't abide Fisher; when I've read his "columns" they lack in any sort of insightful basketball analysis and offer little more than cheerleading and smack talk, neither of which is terribly fresh or entertaining.