Is there any doubt Stern wants the Cavs in the Finals?

[RebusRankin]

I don't think its a conspiracy (anymore) I just think the refs are really, really bad.

[crownsy]

James dives shoulder first into the defender and gets the call to go his way?? Stern and his incompetent band of refs(?) certainly are trying to fix things and Cleveland still can't get it done.

so in your conspiracy theory, the refs aren't allowed to fix the game in overtime, only regulation right.

Because, as we all know, they fixed the entire game to give the cavs a shot at overtime....but then they somehow forgot how to call the game for clev in the 5 minute overtime.

interesting...so the fix is in, but if you can last till overtime, the ref's forget the entire plan. good info to know.

I can see it now

Stern: "CURSE YOU ORLANDO, YOU KNOW MY GAME FIXING POWERS ONLY WORK IN REGULATION!!! MY PLANS ARE RUINED!!"

I DID say that the refs were trying to fix it but Cleveland still can't get it done-OT or otherwise.

Why would the ref's call 2 and 1's for orlando in the overtime after going to massive trouble to fix the game under this crazy theory again?

and in addition why wouldn't they call the foul for lebron driving that he griped about to the ref for that would have put him on the line and instead let the magic get a steal on critical possession in OT?

It's obvious, but they can't be blatently obvious. But... whatever... I'm just offering my 2 cents.

Why not? your theory is they are being blatant enough about it that "everyone" knows the fix is in...


also, star18, hows the league rescinding the tech on D-12 this morning jive with your "obvious attempt to get Howard suspended by the league office" theory?

is the league having a civil war over weather to screw the magic over or not?

[fairweatherfan]

hows the league rescinding the tech on D-12 this morning jive with your "obvious attempt to get Howard suspended by the league office" theory?

is the league having a civil war over weather to screw the magic over or not?

Come on, obviously the league checked the blogs this morning and realized that we - well, SOME of us - are onto them, so they backed off to throw us off the scent.  Plus with Orlando up 3-1, they want to save Howard's suspension til Game 7. WAKE UP SHEEPLE!

[star18]

McHale's clothesline was a completely different play than Horry's.  First of all McHale's play was in 1984, did you watch basketball in the 1980's? Cornbread went into the stands and fought with a fan and there wasn't even a foul call back in the 80's, it was a completely differnet game.   Also McHales play happened during the game while the winner was yet to be determined.  Horry's shot was in 2007 and it occured after the game had already been decided in the last minute.  Two completely different plays that cannot be compared.... And the T on Howard got taken back because it shouldn't have been called in the first place.

[Fafnir]

I never said anything about Howard's technical.

The plays were both very similar, no matter what era they took place during. Cheap shots taken out of frustration during a game. To argue that they were different acts merely because of the date they occurred is silly.

I must confess I didn't watch much basketball that I can remember during the 80's. I wasn't even in grade school yet.

[crownsy]

McHale's clothesline was a completely different play than Horry's.  First of all McHale's play was in 1984, did you watch basketball in the 1980's? Cornbread went into the stands and fought with a fan and there wasn't even a foul call back in the 80's, it was a completely differnet game.   Also McHales play happened during the game while the winner was yet to be determined.  Horry's shot was in 2007 and it occured after the game had already been decided in the last minute.  Two completely different plays that cannot be compared.... And the T on Howard got taken back because it shouldn't have been called in the first place.

so time of game, the era the game was played in, and the fans perception has to come into play now?

I thought the rule book was good enough, but i guess thats old fashioned and sheep like of me.

And the T on Howard got taken back because it shouldn't have been called in the first place.

Last night you were sure it was part of a master plan by the league to screw the magic into a suspension of their best player for game 6, thus forcing a game 7 for massive ratings, to the point that you started a whole thread on it.

What do you suppose changed so drastically overnight at the NBA front offices that they had to audible away from that clever plan and rescind it?

[guava_wrench]

McHale's clothesline was a completely different play than Horry's.  First of all McHale's play was in 1984, did you watch basketball in the 1980's? Cornbread went into the stands and fought with a fan and there wasn't even a foul call back in the 80's, it was a completely differnet game.   Also McHales play happened during the game while the winner was yet to be determined.  Horry's shot was in 2007 and it occured after the game had already been decided in the last minute.  Two completely different plays that cannot be compared.... And the T on Howard got taken back because it shouldn't have been called in the first place.

It's the same thing. Guys go postal or play dirty. Now we just don't allow it, but the players are the same. McHale's play was one of the all time most dirty, but it turned out to be a difference maker.

[guava_wrench]

James dives shoulder first into the defender and gets the call to go his way?? Stern and his incompetent band of refs(?) certainly are trying to fix things and Cleveland still can't get it done.

so in your conspiracy theory, the refs aren't allowed to fix the game in overtime, only regulation right.

Because, as we all know, they fixed the entire game to give the cavs a shot at overtime....but then they somehow forgot how to call the game for clev in the 5 minute overtime.

interesting...so the fix is in, but if you can last till overtime, the ref's forget the entire plan. good info to know.

I can see it now

Stern: "CURSE YOU ORLANDO, YOU KNOW MY GAME FIXING POWERS ONLY WORK IN REGULATION!!! MY PLANS ARE RUINED!!"

I DID say that the refs were trying to fix it but Cleveland still can't get it done-OT or otherwise.

Why would the ref's call 2 and 1's for orlando in the overtime after going to massive trouble to fix the game under this crazy theory again?

and in addition why wouldn't they call the foul for lebron driving that he griped about to the ref for that would have put him on the line and instead let the magic get a steal on critical possession in OT?

It's obvious, but they can't be blatently obvious. But... whatever... I'm just offering my 2 cents.

I think 2 cents might be overly generous on that last comment.

[Rondo_is_better]

McHale's clothesline was a completely different play than Horry's.  First of all McHale's play was in 1984, did you watch basketball in the 1980's? Cornbread went into the stands and fought with a fan and there wasn't even a foul call back in the 80's, it was a completely differnet game.   Also McHales play happened during the game while the winner was yet to be determined.  Horry's shot was in 2007 and it occured after the game had already been decided in the last minute.  Two completely different plays that cannot be compared.... And the T on Howard got taken back because it shouldn't have been called in the first place.

so time of game, the era the game was played in, and the fans perception has to come into play now?

I thought the rule book was good enough, but i guess thats old fashioned and sheep like of me.

And the T on Howard got taken back because it shouldn't have been called in the first place.

Last night you were sure it was part of a master plan by the league to screw the magic into a suspension of their best player for game 6, thus forcing a game 7 for massive ratings, to the point that you started a whole thread on it.

What do you suppose changed so drastically overnight at the NBA front offices that they had to audible away from that clever plan and rescind it?

Let me answer for him, crownsy.

Apparently, the league WANTS to screw the Magic over and help the Cavs win, but the Magic are SO GOOD that its not working. The league can make their fixing of games only so obvious--if it gets too blatant that will lead to an "investigation" and Magic fans will burn tires in the street.

In other words, the league is trying to fix games, but do it as covertly as possible so the average fan doesn't notice the fix, and continues to believe that the NBA is about competition--not just ratings and money.

So while it can't be proved, the league definitely is crooked. I don't have any proof because the league has been careful not to make their cheating too obvious, but trust me, its happening. Take my word for it. Really. It is. I have lots of precedent to base my argument on. Leagues across the world do this. All the time. Really. C'mon. You're being a sheep STOP LISTENING TO TONY KORNHEISER.

[BASS_THUMPER]

stern wants that Dolla Dolla Dolla Bill yall~

[Rondo_is_better]

stern wants that Dolla Dolla Dolla Bill yall~

Cash Rules Everything Around Me C.R.E.A.M

[the TRUTH]

Last I checked, this is a message board where people are entitled to speak their minds. Yet every time someone brings this topic up, a whole group of posters bashes and belittles them. I mean it's not like one of the NBA's officials was indicted for a conspiracy to fix games or anything. Man.

Not only that, but when he came out and said EXACTLY WHAT MANY OF US ARE SAYING - that the NBA orders its officials to give preferential treatment to select teams/players - Stern just came out and flatly denied it. Since then, there has been NO transparency, NO proof that Donaghy was alone, and in fact the officiating has gotten WORSE and even more biased.

If you honestly watched the Cavs game last night and didn't see the non-stop trend of the refs bending over backwards for the Cavs, then please give me what you're smoking. I've never seen a team in any sport at any level get the preferential treatment from the refs that the Cavs consistently get, and have gotten since LeCrabDribble entered the league. It's disgusting. Yet many of you are perfectly fine with it. That makes sense...

No, the NBA doesn't "fix" games per se, because that would imply that the players and coaches were involved in a pre-determined outcome. That doesn't happen, as I truly believe all coaches and players give it their all.

Refs can't singlehandedly determine the outcome of a game. No matter how bad they are, it's POSSIBLE that the team on the wrong end of that bias can play so well that they still win. That's what Orlando had to do last night, and that's what Boston did against the Cavs in '08. As I said in the first post of this thread, it's pathetic that the Cavs still can't win given the officiating bias in their favor.

[liam]

If the Magic lost that last game by a point, the tech on Howard that was reascended, would the game now be tied? Oh wait the Magic would have won that game in regulation!

[LarBrd33]

If the Magic lost that last game by a point, the tech on Howard that was reascended, would the game now be tied? Oh wait the Magic would have won that game in regulation!

The NBA wouldn't have been rescinded in that situation, because of the controversy it would have caused.  It's the same reason Rondo didn't get a flagrant handed to him after smacking Brad Miller.  If they gave him a flagrant after the fact, the Bulls would have technically won the game.

[dlpin]

As I said before, I don't believe in outright fixing of the NBA, and honestly I am surprised people here believe it is. I say this because after the past two seasons, a lot of people in other towns are convinced that the fix is in to help the celtics, actually, something most people here would dismiss.


What I do think is happening is that since the early nineties the league has been trying to open up the game (remember those early nineties teams and their incredibly slow pace?). And you can see this at all levels:

- rules officially changed to allow more penetration, such as the hand check rule and the increase in the no charge area.

- rules unofficially changed to do the same. The truehoop blog had a piece on how the league is instructing its refs to call traveling differently from what is in the rules.

- Finally, I do believe that there is an effort to give the benefit of the doubt in 50-50 situations to the more exciting play. People get away with more with blocks, dunks, etc than before.

Considering that Lebron's game depends so much on his ability to beat his man off the dribble and get in the paint, he benefits more from this than other players who might settle for jumpers more often.