First TD, NOW POP...Talking Smack!!!

[jcrod]

Man now Pop is talking smack.


Mavericks owner Mark Cuban stirred things up more Thursday night by referring to San Antonio's "muddy-watered thing they call a Riverwalk."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich initially said he wouldn't "say something mean about Cuban's highly intelligent, insightful comments," but couldn't resist.

"After one margarita, I don't know what's in the river," he said, laughing. "Maybe he should come down and have one. He can look at life a little bit more maturely."




:lol

[jcrod]

Rest of the article.

Link (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2006/news/story?id=2450839)


DALLAS -- Mavericks coach Avery Johnson has a message for his team in the wake of Jason Terry getting suspended for punching San Antonio's Michael Finley between the legs: Don't hit, grab.

"I guess maybe if he would've grabbed him, he wouldn't have gotten suspended," Johnson said Friday, hours before Dallas faced the Spurs in Game 6 of their second-round series.

"You grab, you don't get suspended," Johnson said. "But the rule is clear: You punch, you get suspended.

"So, next time, grab."

The Mavs went into Game 6 without Terry, their second-leading scorer, but holding a 3-2 lead in the series. Dallas is a victory from knocking out the reigning champions and advancing to the conference finals or a loss from having to play Game 7 in San Antonio.

Johnson's interpretation of the rules is based on facts. During the first round, Denver's Reggie Evans reached into the shorts of Los Angeles Clippers center Chris Kaman but didn't miss any time. He was assessed a $10,000 fine and a flagrant foul penalty two.

"Certainly one clear difference is in the case of Reggie Evans we didn't have a clear view exactly what happened," Stu Jackson, the NBA vice president who handles such punishments, said Thursday. "We understand he reached underneath the player, but you couldn't see the end result. It's really an apple and an orange."

Terry called the league's decision-making "very inconsistent."

"But that's neither here nor there," he said. "Every situation is different. ... From a Mavericks perspective, it's not warranted. But they've got a side, too. It's definitely disappointing, disheartening."

Terry and Finley jostled with 3.4 seconds left in San Antonio's 98-97 victory in Game 5 on Wednesday night. Terry was on his back after grabbing a loose ball, then Spurs forward Manu Ginobili leaned on his waist and put a hand on the ball. Then Finley reached in and leaned on Terry's head. Replays clearly show Terry retaliated with an uppercut to Finley's crotch.

"It happened so fast," Terry said. "I wanted to get up, wanted to free myself."

Terry said he knew he did something, but "didn't know to what extent."

His reaction to the replay? "Wow, I really did get him a little bit," Terry said.

Spurs point guard Tony Parker said justice was served.

"Jason Terry has been throwing a lot of punches in the series," Parker said. "He's gotten me so many times with cheap shots."

Terry is averaging 17.9 points per game in the playoffs. He scored a team-high 32 in Game 4.

Although Terry was the starting point guard all season, Devin Harris took over that role in Game 2. Terry's minutes at off guard likely will be shared by Jerry Stackhouse, Marquis Daniels and Adrian Griffin. Veteran point guard Darrell Armstrong, who was inactive the last two games with a knee injury, also could be used.

"We believe we have enough players who can step in and make big plays for us," Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki said. "Our bench was big all year in winning 60 games."

Terry learned about the punishment after practice Thursday. He apologized to his teammates Friday, calling his discussion with Johnson the toughest.

"Everybody involved said they got my back," said Terry, who planned to watch the game from his home.

Dallas is 4-0 without Terry the last two seasons. None of the foes, however, were the caliber of San Antonio and none of the games were anywhere near as important.

"You've got to kind of use it as motivation," Harris said. "There's no point in crying about it. We've been dealt the cards. Now we have to play them."

Mavs fans likely will respond by booing Finley louder than ever. They're already been jeering the guy after spending the last nine years rooting for him.

Dallas released Finley last summer through the NBA's one-time amnesty clause. He's still collecting his $14.6 million salary from the Mavs, plus more from the Spurs.

The Terry-Finley story line is the latest in a series filled with great ones. The best is the most important -- the quality of the games.

A total of four points separated the teams at the end of regulation in Games 1, 3, 4 and 5 combined. The home team won each time. Dallas was a blowout winner of Game 2 in San Antonio after making Harris a starter.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban stirred things up more Thursday night by referring to San Antonio's "muddy-watered thing they call a Riverwalk."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich initially said he wouldn't "say something mean about Cuban's highly intelligent, insightful comments," but couldn't resist.

"After one margarita, I don't know what's in the river," he said, laughing. "Maybe he should come down and have one. He can look at life a little bit more maturely."

[Winnipeg_Spur]

Fuck Terry, Fuck Cuban, and Fuck AJ.

There's nothing remotely inconsistent until they can give me an example of someone throwing a punch and not getting suspended.

[austinfan]

The Mavericks and their organization are really starting to stink up the NBA. If somehow they make it to the Finals, the media, opposing teams, and basketball fans in general are going to be so sick of their wannabe smack that Stern won't ever allow them back again.

[Tigole Bitties]

Dallas released Finley last summer through the NBA's one-time amnesty clause. He's still collecting his $14.6 million salary from the Mavs, plus more from the Spurs.


Anyone know exactly how much more he's getting from the Spurs?

BTW, thanks Mark!

[Tony-Go MAVS]

The Mavericks and their organization are really starting to stink up the NBA. If somehow they make it to the Finals, the media, opposing teams, and basketball fans in general are going to be so sick of their wannabe smack that Stern won't ever allow them back again.

You guys started all this with your bitching about the refs. The spurs didn't make the key shots at the end of the games. You got blown out on your home court (i was there..it was awesome). The mavericks did what they have to do to pump that crowd up to eliminate any possibility of a game 7 in SA. It was a pussy move on the spurs crying about that "punch" the day after the game, when the refs didn't even see it.........babies!!

[Winnipeg_Spur]

You guys started all this with your bitching about the refs. The spurs didn't make the key shots at the end of the games. You got blown out on your home court (i was there..it was awesome). The mavericks did what they have to do to pump that crowd up to eliminate any possibility of a game 7 in SA. It was a pussy move on the spurs crying about that "punch" the day after the game, when the refs didn't even see it.........babies!!
1) Do you have any evidence that the Spurs are the ones that caused Terry to be suspended?

2) Cuban has a whole team of ex-refs whose only purpose is to do the exact same thing.

[SAGambler]

You guys started all this with your bitching about the refs. The spurs didn't make the key shots at the end of the games. You got blown out on your home court (i was there..it was awesome). The mavericks did what they have to do to pump that crowd up to eliminate any possibility of a game 7 in SA. It was a pussy move on the spurs crying about that "punch" the day after the game, when the refs didn't even see it.........babies!!

Excuse me slick, but I believe it was your coach and your owner that fired the first salvo.

Do you recall anything about the "bearhug defense"?

Or did that little remark completely slip whatevers left of your mind?

[CharlieMac]

You guys started all this with your bitching about the refs. The spurs didn't make the key shots at the end of the games. You got blown out on your home court (i was there..it was awesome). The mavericks did what they have to do to pump that crowd up to eliminate any possibility of a game 7 in SA. It was a pussy move on the spurs crying about that "punch" the day after the game, when the refs didn't even see it.........babies!!

Do you have a radio or television? Because the majority of talk shows were talking about it. Oh, and and Cuban prancing around like he's at a male strip club for the first time probably pumped up that metro-filled crowd more than a few Spurs commenting on Dirk getting 21 of his 27 points from THE FUCKING FREE THROW LINE!

[FromWayDowntown]

You guys started all this with your bitching about the refs.

Yet Cuban was fined after Game 1 for things related to complaints about officiating and AJ spent his Game 1 post-game press conference talking about "bear hug" defense.

And San Antonio started it?


The spurs didn't make the key shots at the end of the games. You got blown out on your home court (i was there..it was awesome).

You're right about both of those things. I'm amazed.


The mavericks did what they have to do to pump that crowd up to eliminate any possibility of a game 7 in SA.

Sure. And it's good to know that the lemmings in Dallas will be rooting against San Antonio as much or more than they'll be rooting for Dallas tonight.


It was a pussy move on the spurs crying about that "punch" the day after the game, when the refs didn't even see it.........babies!!

Sure. But Cuban's daily Fed Ex of videotape to the league to complain about some officiating situation (Yao Ming, Chris Webber, etc.) is a principled position. Gotcha.

Enjoy the game tonight.

[angel_luv]

"You've got to kind of use it as motivation," Harris said. "There's no point in crying about it. We've been dealt the cards. Now we have to play them."

:rolleyes
Convenient how he seems to have forgotten the hand Terry had in his own suspension.

[picnroll]

If AJ puts up with that punching shit with his players like {Parker said no way the fucker's jersy should get hung. Hang him instead.

[ALVARORTIZ]

Fuck Avery Johnson, If You Are In Any Way Connected To The Crybaby Dallas Mavericks You Should Never Be Remembered As A Spur, Sounds To Me Like A Trader. How Could You Let Your Boss Trash The Town That Made You. A Spur, Never Again.

[CharlieMac]

I commented almost daily a few times on how unpopular AJ would be here come playoff. time.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

"We understand he reached underneath the player, but you couldn't see the end result. It's really an apple and an orange."

Freudian slip from Stu?

[Tony-Go MAVS]

1) Do you have any evidence that the Spurs are the ones that caused Terry to be suspended?

2) Cuban has a whole team of ex-refs whose only purpose is to do the exact same thing.

stop crying conspiracy all the time. This is a real series...it's 3-2. We should have already been at home resting because should have swept 4-0. Game 4 both teams were at the fould line the same amount of times.

Mavs= makes free throws

Spurs= misses free throws

See you next year!!

[angel_luv]

http://i4.tinypic.com/104rxxt.jpg
------------->http://i4.tinypic.com/104rzms.jpg

[Jimcs50]

"Certainly one clear difference is in the case of Reggie Evans we didn't have a clear view exactly what happened," Stu Jackson, the NBA vice president who handles such punishments, said Thursday. "We understand he reached underneath the player, but you couldn't see the end result. It's really an apple and an orange."


I've heard them called "nuts", "balls" "nads", and cajones" but never an apple and an orange before.


:spin

[CharlieMac]

http://i4.tinypic.com/104rxxt.jpg


Good times.

[Winnipeg_Spur]

stop crying conspiracy all the time. This is a real series...it's 3-2. We should have already been at home resting because should have swept 4-0. Game 4 both teams were at the fould line the same amount of times.

Mavs= makes free throws

Spurs= misses free throws

See you next year!!
I don't know why you quoted me, I don't think you said a single word that had anything to do with my post.

Thanks for playing. :lol

[angel_luv]

Good times.
:angel

Don't mess with my Spurs!

:monkey :D

[Dutch13]

AJ is now officially a traitor. plain and simple.

[ShoogarBear]

Yeah, that's right he's a traitor. Because he should be throwing games.

Grow up.

[jcrod]

Yeah, that's right he's a traitor. Because he should be throwing games.

Grow up.


No kidding, i've said this before. I don't know what Spurs fans expect him to be doing. He's the head coach of the Mavs right now.

[angel_luv]

Yeah, that's right he's a traitor. Because he should be throwing games.

Grow up.


Fine, he is the enemy then.
Name on the jersey won't matter with it in ashes anyway.

:angel

[ducks]

he should not be crying his eyes out to the media about the refs

[Dutch13]

Id expect him to tell Terry to knock off the school yard sheninugans.

[ShoogarBear]

Id expect him to tell Terry to knock off the school yard sheninugans.
You mean like how Pop told Danny Ferry to lay off them or tells Bruce or Robert Horry to lay off them?

I want AJ to lose. But to denigrate and disrespect what he meant to the franchise because he's now with another team is so . . . Mav Fan. So Cuban.

As will be demonstrated in the AAC tonight.

[Leetonidas]

stop crying conspiracy all the time. This is a real series...it's 3-2. We should have already been at home resting because should have swept 4-0. Game 4 both teams were at the fould line the same amount of times.

Mavs= makes free throws

Spurs= misses free throws

See you next year!!

Stop whining like a bitch and man up.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda. STFU.

[Dutch13]

Horry only bit him, He didnt punch him. :lol

[angel_luv]

Horry just went to bite and apologized immediately after in post game interviews.

There was no attempt by Horry to justify stupidity.

[Tony-Go MAVS]

[QUOTE=FromWayDowntown]


Sure. But Cuban's daily Fed Ex of videotape to the league to complain about some officiating situation (Yao Ming, Chris Webber, etc.) is a principled position. Gotcha.

Enjoy the game tonight.[/QUOTE
Yes Cuban wanted to complain about the officiating. But you guys are going nuts with it. And yes....our crowd will be rooting against the spurs when they have the ball and for the Mavs when we have the ball. That's how it works.....have you ever been to a live game???

[Leetonidas]

What's the big deal about the fans complaining? We have the right to. You're TEAM is complaining.

[ShoogarBear]

Yes Cuban wanted to complain about the officiating. But you guys are going nuts with it.
Just when you thought they couldn't say anything dumber.

[FromWayDowntown]

Sure. But Cuban's daily Fed Ex of videotape to the league to complain about some officiating situation (Yao Ming, Chris Webber, etc.) is a principled position. Gotcha.

Enjoy the game tonight. Yes Cuban wanted to complain about the officiating. But you guys are going nuts with it.

Yet, you blast the Spurs for calling Terry's punch to the league's attention. Excellent hypocrisy.

[1Parker1]

Kori is probably maaaaaaaaaad. "City Smack is weak, leave it out of the threads."

:lol

[Melmart1]

Yes Cuban wanted to complain about the officiating. But you guys are going nuts with it.

At least we are not going AFTER nuts, a la Terry.

[Leetonidas]

At least we are not going AFTER nuts, a la Terry.

Zing!

[Viva Las Espuelas]

You guys started all this with your bitching about the refs.

How to improve NBA Playoff Officiating

Note:This was written BEFORE the playoffs started. It wasnt posted till after I had presented this to the league. I stand corrected on the lack of 4 games in a night. There have been. THat doesnt change the validity of the concept. Rather than using the playoffs as an opportunity to promote officials, it should be where only the very best officials work.

I have also turned off comments because as I feared, they end up being off topic.

Here is the post:

Refs miss calls. Its part of the game. Better refs that approach the game objectively miss fewer calls.

During the regular season new refs will come into the league and as might be expected, there will be ups and downs that come with new officials.

The playoffs are different. THe playoffs are where teams and the NBA itself earn their money. Its where team profits are made, its where TV ratings are made and when TV ratings are good, the league makes more money.

In other words, the playoffs are our money product. As with every business, the best people should be on the job with the money products. Thats not the way the NBA does it when it comes to officials.

In the first round, the NBA reduces the number of officials elgible to officiate games from about 60 to 33 (give or take a couple). The first question is how did they arrive at that number ? I dont know, but I can calculate how many officials are actually needed.

In the first round, there 4 series in each conference or 8 series in total.

But the thing about the first round is that the games are spread out. There rarely if ever are 4 games in a single night. ( it hasnt happened since i have been here). The most I have seen is 3 games in a night. 3 games in a night is 9 officials.

But when you look at the schedule further, you realize that because of time zones and TV needs, you never get more than 2 games in the same time zone. Which means that its not unreasonable to ask officials to work games on back to back nights in the first round of the playoffs. THey can travel to the next assigned game in the same or at worst adjoining time zone. Because of the spread out schedule, its unlikely they would work back to backs more than twice in the first round.

So in the first round alone, the number of officials that should be assigned could be as few as 9, plus 3 alternates.

Would the officiating improve if the top 12 officials worked the games instead of the top 33 or so. There is absolutely no question about it.

Would it strain the officials more to possibly work a back to back ? Yes. So pay them a bigger bonus for being selected for the playoffs. Its certainly no more a strain on the officals than it is the players and we have no problem asking players to work back to back.

The numbers get better for the 2nd round. 4 series. 2 games in a day. Sometimes 1 game in a day. Thats 6 officials plus alternates. If the league was absolutely convinced we have 12 finals quality officials, then use 12

But the NBA has a huge problem. It doesnt view the playoffs as a place where the very best of the best of officials go to work. It views the playoffs as part of a reward system for officials. YOu get promoted to the playoffs. Its not unusual to see an official work a single playoff game in the first round . In fact, if the info i have is correct, there are officials who havent even been promoted to full time crew cheif who get playoff assignments. How crazy is that ?

Thats also a huge, huge, huge business mistake. The playoffs are our most important, most visible product. They should never be used as a stepping stone for promotion.

Instead, the NBA should rank its officials, seed them if you will. Top 12 get playoff assignments. Thats it. If an official does a great job and rises to the top 12, he or she gets the reward. If not, not.

Giving less qualified officials an opportunity to officiate playoff games as a reward gives the official a nice attaboy, but it risks the quality of our product.

It makes absolutely no sense to do it the way it is currently done. If the league wants the best officiating in every game, only use the best officials. Anything less cheats us all.

http://blogmaverick.com/entry/1234000970073680/


It was a pussy move on the spurs crying about that "punch" the day after the game, when the refs didn't even see it.........babies!!



Mavs, Cuban hit where it hurts

12:24 PM CDT on Friday, May 19, 2006

It should've been no surprise that Mark Cuban ventured into the film business a few years ago. He's shown a keen interest in the visual arts during most of his time as Mavericks owner.

Ask Chris Webber. Shaquille O'Neal. Yao Ming.

All became subjects of Cuban productions in recent years, productions he was so proud of that he shared them with the league office. Wanted it to see how Webber dragged his pivot foot and the referees never called it. How Shaq always stepped across the free throw line before his shot hit anything. How Yao set moving screens that weren't drawing whistles.

The chicken came home to roost Thursday.

How else to explain the sudden unexpected suspension of starting guard Jason Terry for tonight's Game 6? The league announced late Thursday afternoon that it was benching Terry for punching Michael Finley during a scrum with seconds left in Game 5.

Finley was unusually agitated after the grappling. Terry wasn't assessed a foul on the play. No one seemed to see anything unseemly happen. A jump ball was called.

But the Spurs went Cuban on the Mavericks sometime after the game. They sent a tape to the league office that showed Terry landing a punch to Finley's groin.

It was an easy decision for league disciplinarian Stu Jackson, who earlier in this postseason tossed Miami's Udonis Haslem for a game for angrily throwing his mouthpiece in the direction of an official.

Cuban, not surprisingly, disagreed with Jackson's penalty. A fine was due, he said, but not a suspension.

Oh, well. Live by Netflix, die by Netflix.

Cuban isn't the only NBA team boss who sends the league office tape. He's just made his team one of the biggest exercisers of the practice.

Now the Mavericks' great opportunity to move past the Spurs in the playoffs for the first time is in great jeopardy. With Terry and the home court, where the Spurs haven't beaten the Mavericks in two games during this series, it seemed like tonight's game was theirs to lose. With Terry in civvies, it will be the Spurs' to lose. This will test coach of the year Avery Johnson and his staff like they haven't been all year.

What, after all, are they to do? Return Adrian Griffin to the starting lineup? Griffin teamed with Terry until it became apparent after Game 1 that the team was better with Devin Harris joining Terry in the backcourt and trying to run past the Spurs. Griffin hasn't even played the last three games.

How about starting Marquis Daniels? Johnson has had to defend Daniels as being one of "his guys" because he seems so often to have little patience for any Daniels miscue, as was the case early in this series, when he snatched Daniels after a horrible turnover and foul.

Or how about return Jerry Stackhouse to a starter's role and sacrifice all that microwaved offense he brings off the bench? The bench is short of scorers as it is.
WFAA-TV
WFAA-TV
Jason Terry, on the bottom of the pile, connects with a punch to the groin area of Michael Finley in Game 5.

Of course, the NBA conspiracy theorists among us are probably saying that this is all a grand scheme by the league to somehow ensure that the most-anticipated matchup of the postseason, which is living up to expectations and then some, keeps going until the deciding Game 7 in San Antonio.

But that's pure poppycock. Don King isn't running this show. And the way these playoffs have been going, what with all the overtimes and buzzer-beaters and nail-biters and upsets, the league doesn't need to orchestrate any theater.

The bottom line is that Terry, one of a locker room full of good guys for the Mavericks, lost his cool for a split second and, as a result, got what anyone else who committed the offense he did would get: a game off.

It wasn't Raja Bell clotheslining Kobe Bryant, which Bell did foolishly in Game 5 of the Suns' opening-round series against the Lakers to draw a Game 6 suspension. It wasn't Ron Artest elbowing Manu Ginobili in the head in the opener of the Kings-Spurs series, which cost the historically feisty Artest a Game 2 appearance. It wasn't Miami's James Posey bum-rushing Chicago's Kirk Hinrich, which cost Posey a game in the Heat-Bulls opening-round series.

But it was a punch. The league doesn't tolerate it; can't tolerate it. Terry has no one to blame except himself – at least for losing his cool.

Having been found out, however, after no one saw anything untoward at first, is something Terry can share with his boss.

Had the fist been on the opposition's arm, you can bet a tape would've been overnighted from Dallas to New York pointing out the transgression and calling for justice.


http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/columnists/kblackistone/stories/051906dnspoblackistone.22121a6e.html

[E20]

Yeah, Mark Cuban is a big pussy for whining about the refs. The Dallas Mavericks orginization is just a big pile of shit.

[EVAY]

You guys started all this with your bitching about the refs. The spurs didn't make the key shots at the end of the games. You got blown out on your home court (i was there..it was awesome). The mavericks did what they have to do to pump that crowd up to eliminate any possibility of a game 7 in SA. It was a pussy move on the spurs crying about that "punch" the day after the game, when the refs didn't even see it.........babies!!


Wrong...AJ started it after the first game when he was bitching about Bowen's "bearhug" defense. Since it clearly seemed to work, the Spurs fans have decided to do the same thing. We have so much ammunition, due to some of the worst officiating (at BOTH ends of the court) in the history of the playoffs in this series. did you see who is officiating the game 6 for the Pistons/Cavs? It's the same threesome that had the fifth game for the Spurs and Mavs. These guys were the best group yet not becaue the Spurs won ( we wouldn't have won if either or those two last shots had gone in), but because they didn't make themselves the stars of the game by drawing so much attention to themselves, like Javie did in his game and Bavetta did in his game.

[Ishta]

you know I USED to enjoy AJ's personality, and I'm sure I'll get shit for this one, but the little motherfucking traitor can go screw himself http://spurstalk.com/forums/images/smilies/smiangel.gif http://spurstalk.com/forums/images/smilies/smiangel.gif

[GrandeDavid]

Avery Johnson is a f-ing pvssy (until this series is long over) and Pop is The Man for those comments. He's the freaking sh!t. I can't wait for this slugfest game. Bring it on! Or, as Tupac said in "Thug Love", "Tell these bitch ass niggaz bring it on!!".

[texas84]

Excuse me slick, but I believe it was your coach and your owner that fired the first salvo.

Do you recall anything about the "bearhug defense"?

Or did that little remark completely slip whatevers left of your mind?

Why do Spurs fans take such offense of the "bearhug defense"? It's like "How dare Avery say that..." And, of course, that comment made the league and the refs change. What a joke.

[milkyway21]

Cuban and AJ should be thankful they will miss Terry game 6 in Dallas, at least they have an excuse if they lose the game tonight...:blah :blah :blah

facesaver.

[Spurs Dynasty]

Rest of the article.

Link (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2006/news/story?id=2450839)


DALLAS -- Mavericks coach Avery Johnson has a message for his team in the wake of Jason Terry getting suspended for punching San Antonio's Michael Finley between the legs: Don't hit, grab.

"I guess maybe if he would've grabbed him, he wouldn't have gotten suspended," Johnson said Friday, hours before Dallas faced the Spurs in Game 6 of their second-round series.

"You grab, you don't get suspended," Johnson said. "But the rule is clear: You punch, you get suspended.

"So, next time, grab."

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban stirred things up more Thursday night by referring to San Antonio's "muddy-watered thing they call a Riverwalk."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich initially said he wouldn't "say something mean about Cuban's highly intelligent, insightful comments," but couldn't resist.

"After one margarita, I don't know what's in the river," he said, laughing. "Maybe he should come down and have one. He can look at life a little bit more maturely."

They just keep getting classier.. now AJ is condoning grabbing other players balls !!

[tetasfromtejas]

Here is the PERFECT description of mavpricks fans

THE DUMBING DOWN OF AMERICA