The NBA's worst nightmare

[Elliotte Friedman]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3400551

Of course, this is far from over, but I couldn't imagine Stern having a worse Shabbas.

 

[jakewriter82]

Ruh Roh
Might put <img src="http://www.hfxnews.ca/photos/TheDailyNews/stories/Suns1.jpg"> Into a whole new perspective perhaps? I for one hope not. Bunch of babies. Argh.

 

[broadway joe]

I've been surprised at how little skepticism there's been about the refs this season. I would have thought the Donaghy thing would come up every time there was a questionable call, but it hasn't. This should put it back on the front burner though, just as we head into the meat of the playoffs.

 

[Starman]

The situation is somewhat similar to Pete Rose: the big news is when the "line of virginity" is crossed -- that came last year, with the revelation a ref was involved in gambling (prior to that, the NBA categorically denied such a thing could possibly happen). Pretty much nothing from now on, up to and including the revelation that Donaghy fixed games, will really be that big a deal.

Now if it turns out some PLAYERS were in on it, look out. Don't think Stern isn't following stories like Latrell Sprewell quite carefully (if there wasn't ever a better candidate [than maybe Chris Webber] for a player throwing/fixing games, wouldn't it be Sprewell??).

 

[DanOregon]

I thought this was about a Detroit-New Orleans final...

 

[rube]

I thought this was about a Cleveland-New Orleans final...

Fixed.

 

[Stoney]

I've been surprised at how little skepticism there's been about the refs this season. I would have thought the Donaghy thing would come up every time there was a questionable call, but it hasn't. This should put it back on the front burner though, just as we head into the meat of the playoffs.

I agree completely. I thought the Donaghy thing was gonna cast a much darker shadow over this season. I'm really surprised how many have let it drop or forgotten about it.

 

[broadway joe]

I thought this was about a Cleveland-New Orleans final...

Fixed.

Might not be the league's first choice, but any Finals involving LeBron wouldn't be a nightmare.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

People have always had conspiracy theories when it comes to NBA refs. Not too much room for that to increase.

And, this story is hilarious. Not that I want the NBA to die, but what a story.

 

[zagoshe]

Yes, the NBA is one league who could live without more "smoke" to prove the "NBA is fixed through officiating" conspiracies.......

There have been some ridiculous examples in the past -- Larry Johnson's four-point play against the Pacers for one -- but if there is actual proof of it, it is bad.

 

[rube]

I thought this was about a Cleveland-New Orleans final...

Fixed.

Might not be the league's first choice, but any Finals involving LeBron wouldn't be a nightmare.

It certainly was last year.

 

[Evil Bastard (aka Chris_L)]

In the second round of the playoffs - the home team has a 91% winning percentage. If this was a Vegas casino and you were sitting at a blackjack table and the dealer suddenly won 91% of the hands - wouldn't you start to wonder if some cheating was going on? The house advantage is not supposed to be this pronounced in any endevour.

Stern and the refs should be answering lots of questions and facing lots of scrutiny. But instead he gets a free pass.

 

[Monday Morning Sportswriter]

Donaghy bets on games that he officiated and he STILL couldn't get ahead of the loansharks?

And we thought Barkley was a bad gambler.

 

[Some Guy]

I thought this was about a Detroit-New Orleans final...

Ha! I thought it was about a Cleveland-Spurs rematch.

 

[Some Guy]

I thought this was about a Cleveland-New Orleans final...

Fixed.

Might not be the league's first choice, but any Finals involving LeBron wouldn't be a nightmare.

Didn't last year's have the worst rating in all history? I'm pretty sure I recall that correctly.

 

[rube]

I thought this was about a Cleveland-New Orleans final...

Fixed.

Might not be the league's first choice, but any Finals involving LeBron wouldn't be a nightmare.

Didn't last year's have the worst rating in all history? I'm pretty sure I recall that correctly.

You are correct, sir. Maybe once LeBron bails on Cleveland and goes somewhere half decent we won't have to say a LeBron James final would be a bad thing, but until then, it will be.

 

[broadway joe]

I thought this was about a Cleveland-New Orleans final...

Fixed.

Might not be the league's first choice, but any Finals involving LeBron wouldn't be a nightmare.

It certainly was last year.

Yeah, true. Game 2 was up against the Sopranos finale and by 3 and 4 there was no more suspense involved, but you're right, the ratings tanked.

 

[Rumpleforeskin]

I thought this was about a Cleveland-New Orleans final...

Fixed.

Having the game's two most-marketable young stars wouldn't be such a bad idea.

 

[Small Town Guy]

In the second round of the playoffs - the home team has a 91% winning percentage. If this was a Vegas casino and you were sitting at a blackjack table and the dealer suddenly won 91% of the hands - wouldn't you start to wonder if some cheating was going on? The house advantage is not supposed to be this pronounced in any endevour.

Stern and the refs should be answering lots of questions and facing lots of scrutiny. But instead he gets a free pass.

I don't know how many more answers they're supposed to give. After every game, should the refs be grilled about every call? And the NBA gets more criticism than any other league; that's hardly a free pass. Home teams have been dominant in the second round, but they weren't in the first round, and in years past it hasn't been like it is this round. So just this round the refs are again conspiring with mobsters? And most of these home games in the second round have been complete routs - in the Spurs-Hornets series the home team has won by 18 points a game. I don't know how a few blocking calls that should have been charges would change that.

 

[nafselon]

I thought this was about a Cleveland-New Orleans final...

Fixed.

Having the game's two most-marketable young stars wouldn't be such a bad idea.

San Antonio-anyone is an NBA death kneel