China media unhappy Yi off NBA ballot

[angel_luv]

I saw this online today.
Sorry if it has already been posted.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=afp-basketnbachnallstaryi&prov=afp&type=lgns

AFP
November 16, 2007
BEIJING (AFP) - China's basketball press lamented Friday the absence of rookie Yi Jianlian from the 2008 NBA All Star ballot, reporting that the world's top basketball league may fear the voting power of Chinese fans.

Yi's name was absent from the ballot released Thursday in the United States, making it much more difficult for Chinese supporters of the Milwaukee Bucks power forward to vote for him to start in the annual All Star Game.

The 20-year-old rookie has impressed in his first month in the NBA, averaging 11 points and 6.9 rebounds a game and replacing Charlie Villanueva, who is on the ballot, as the Bucks starter.


Yi's absence dominated the sports pages of many Chinese newspapers on Friday.

"The NBA does not dare to put Yi Jianlian on the ballot because the voting power of Chinese fans is too big," Titan Sports Weekly said in an editorial.

"If the NBA put Yi Jianlian on the ballot without careful consideration ... he would surely start for the East.

"The NBA fears that if a guy like Yi becomes an All Star and only scores two points in the game, they would lose the meaning of the All Star (game)."

The editorial referred to when Yao Ming won the fan vote in 2003 and shocked the basketball world by starting at centre for the NBA's West All Stars, beating out dominant big man and NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal.

Yao has been voted an All Star starter every year since, largely depending on his Chinese following -- who, like all NBA fans, can vote online and vote repeatedly.

NBA officials here have said Chinese fans are a significant factor in the All Star voting, but they have refused to say how many votes have come from the world's most populous nation.

[SpursFanFirst]

I saw this online today.
Sorry if it has already been posted.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=afp-basketnbachnallstaryi&prov=afp&type=lgns

AFP
November 16, 2007
BEIJING (AFP) - China's basketball press lamented Friday the absence of rookie Yi Jianlian from the 2008 NBA All Star ballot, reporting that the world's top basketball league may fear the voting power of Chinese fans.

Yi's name was absent from the ballot released Thursday in the United States, making it much more difficult for Chinese supporters of the Milwaukee Bucks power forward to vote for him to start in the annual All Star Game.

The 20-year-old rookie has impressed in his first month in the NBA, averaging 11 points and 6.9 rebounds a game and replacing Charlie Villanueva, who is on the ballot, as the Bucks starter.


Yi's absence dominated the sports pages of many Chinese newspapers on Friday.

"The NBA does not dare to put Yi Jianlian on the ballot because the voting power of Chinese fans is too big," Titan Sports Weekly said in an editorial.

"If the NBA put Yi Jianlian on the ballot without careful consideration ... he would surely start for the East.

"The NBA fears that if a guy like Yi becomes an All Star and only scores two points in the game, they would lose the meaning of the All Star (game)."

The editorial referred to when Yao Ming won the fan vote in 2003 and shocked the basketball world by starting at centre for the NBA's West All Stars, beating out dominant big man and NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal.

Yao has been voted an All Star starter every year since, largely depending on his Chinese following -- who, like all NBA fans, can vote online and vote repeatedly.

NBA officials here have said Chinese fans are a significant factor in the All Star voting, but they have refused to say how many votes have come from the world's most populous nation.

I'm so tired of the Chinese government...they have some nerve demanding that the NBA do things their way...whatever.

I feel bad for Yi though. It would suck to be caught in the middle of this.

[Pero]

He`d probably get voted in... But he doesn`t belong there. Maybe some day.

[phyzik]

the problem with Chinese voting for the allstar game is that even if there was a 5'2" overweight chinese player who was a 3rd stringer in the NBA and managed to get on the allstar ballot, they would vote him in simply because he is Chinese.... and thats not right. Screw them.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Wake me up when they threaten to cancel Nintendos.

[Walter Craparita]

Twa

[v2freak]

Will they ever be happy?

[CubanMustGo]

Fuck the chinese "media", aka the government. The dude is a fucking rookie.

Get back to us when you want to do something about your rampant DVD/CD copying, your lead paint on half the shit you send to the US, and the rampant censoring of the internets in your frigging country.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

The editorial had it right.

If Yi is voted in and scores two points on 1-9 shooting and turns it over five times, the game and his selection mean shit.

I think they're also saying the Chinese are too stupid to write Yi in as that is an option.

Get to writing, China.

[Johnny RIngo]

Being in the rookie game at All-Star Weekend isn't enough for the Chinese?

[Tippecanoe]

fan voting, as a whole, sucks

[SenorSpur]

Fuck the chinese "media", aka the government. The dude is a fucking rookie.

Get back to us when you want to do something about your rampant DVD/CD copying, your lead paint on half the shit you send to the US, and the rampant censoring of the internets in your frigging country.

I was trying to think of a proper retort, but I can't say it any better than you did.

Talk about putting the "cart before the horse". This dude has only been playing in the league for less than 10 games and he's already supposed to be considered on the of the top 4 SFs in his conference?

This guy is fortunate enough to be playing for the greatest basketball league in the world. His time will come. It just hasn't arrived THIS YEAR.

The Chinese government needs to "get over themselves".

[mffl89]

I think Yao got more votes from the Americans than Shaq did when Yao was voted in.

[bdictjames]

I think Yao got more votes from the Americans than Shaq did when Yao was voted in.
Maybe you're talking about Asian Americans, there are a lot out there.

[J.T.]

The ASG is just a popularity contest... generally players are popular because they are good, so it evens out, but Yi does not belong in the ASG simply because he's from China.

[samikeyp]

"If the NBA put Yi Jianlian on the ballot without careful consideration ... he would surely start for the East.

Translation:
You live in China, you vote Yi or you don't eat!

:lol

[Texas_Ranger]

If he'd be on the ballot, then he would get more votes than James, Pierce, Butler, J.Smith, Jefferson,...

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Translation:
You live in China, you vote Yi or you don't eat!

:lol
:lol

[Indazone]

When Yi is not a rookie and has proven himself in the league, then fine go on the All-Star balloting. Right now, he can be ROY and play in the Rookie All-star game.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

We americans have to get online and vote for our guys, dont we have a bigger population than them?

I stopped reading and taking anything previously said seriously after that statement.

China's population (http://www.cpirc.org.cn/en/eindex.htm)

United States' population (http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html)

[Marklar MM]

^what he said..China has like 5 times the population of the US.

[THE Dr. Evil]

He will play in the rookie game and that is where he should be. I don't want to see him in the big game.

[K-State Spur]

I stopped reading and taking anything previously said seriously after that statement.

China's population (http://www.cpirc.org.cn/en/eindex.htm)

United States' population (http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html)

Yeah, I was going to make a point-by-point argument. But when somebody makes that statement, what's the purpose?

[K-State Spur]

^what he said..China has like 5 times the population of the US.

To put it in other terms:

The ratio of China's population to the rest of the world is greater than the population of the US to that of China.

[resistanze]

I stopped reading and taking anything previously said seriously after that statement.

China's population (http://www.cpirc.org.cn/en/eindex.htm)

United States' population (http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html)
:lmao Where did that post go?

[Amare_32]

Fuck the chinese "media", aka the government. The dude is a fucking rookie.

Get back to us when you want to do something about your rampant DVD/CD copying, your lead paint on half the shit you send to the US, and the rampant censoring of the internets in your frigging country.


So basically the chinese media want Yi to start in the ASG game over more deserving players like Ray Allen, Ben Gordon ,Wade or even his teammate Michael Redd. I hope the NBA does not cave and name him a reserve. Let him earn it.

[Fillmoe]

We better put him on the ballot before they start putting GHB in toys again.