The Sports Guy's Cynicism

[inconvertible]

Sadly, he could be right.

he will be right....not one borderline call........now that is cynical, but oh so true....we need to shout this from the roof tops so the league won't pull no bull in the playoffs.

[ChumpDumper]

Nobody listened when the league cheated in our favor....

[JPB]

I'm not buying the favoritism argument.

On the short term, you can get better ratings and dividents, but in the long term, Stern, NBA has no interest biasing the outcome of a season because it discredits the league.

it can quickly become an vicious circle in a way that you'd have to try control every season to keep the Jazz, raptors, Grizzlies (who knows in one or two decades) or other small markets from the finals?

Fans can see if something is wrong, and no matter who's been favoured don't like that.

Stern knows he has to let BB speaks and wait and hope spurs era will come soon to an end.

[ShoogarBear]

Conpare that article to the one he wrote in Oct. 2007

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2...5&sportCat=nba

Spurs over the Bulls in five

[GSH]

... (1)the good news is that Damon Stoudamire and Kurt Thomas give them as much depth as they've ever had ... (2) more importantly, Ginobili jumped a level and became a top-four crunch-time guy (see above) ... (3) every time he's yelling at a referee, he looks like some drunk guy at a Martha's Vineyard wedding who's furious that the open bar just closed and eventually has to be restrained by two in-laws.

Simmons is full of for a bunch of reasons. I'll give 3 quick ones:

1. If you are making a case about the Spurs' depth, you don't leave Ime Udoka off the list.
2. Ginobili didn't "jump a level". He's always been a top-four crunch-time guy.
3. Bill Simmons has never been to a Martha's Vineyard wedding.

[easjer]

Nobody listened when the league cheated in our favor....

I'm genuinely curious as to whether or not you are serious, because I'm not sure. When was this?




As to the refs - I do not think Stern et al are fixing games or instructing (blatantly or otherwise) refs to do so. I do think he and most people feel the best case scenario for the NBA and for ratings would be Boston/LA or Boston/PHX.

I agree that the Spurs will get fewer calls and not receive the benefit of most questionable calls. But really, is that surprisingly different than previous years? As always, you can never assume that you will get a call or should get a call. If you play well, calls don't matter. Don't make questionable plays and you shouldn't need to worry about questionable calls. Make your baskets, defend well, and cheap fouls won't matter.

I like the way Pop has been preparing the team to deal with this and that the whining/complaining/surprise has been cut out and that they are refocusing that energy into their play. That's the only way they can win, is by playing better and ignoring the officials.

[Ocotillo]

Biggest strength: Experience, Duncan, Ginobili and Popovich in some order.

Interesting that last years Finals MVP is not a strength.

[ChumpDumper]

I'm genuinely curious as to whether or not you are serious, because I'm not sure.

Then my work here is done.

[easjer]

Then my work here is done.

Asshole.

[batboy]

Interesting that last years Finals MVP is not a strength.

I've never known Simmons to be particularly high on point guards, which is kind of refreshing considering every other national columnist very much is.