Amazing Stat, Rondo and PP shoot zero FT's in game 1, Wade + Lebron 2 fouls

[garz]

I go on IRC. I go on RealGM. Over the years, I've seen fanbases of opposing teams complain about the refs in whatever which way they do the way you just did when the calls favor us a little more, be it a regular season game, or a playoff game, ESPECIALLY Laker fans in the NBA Finals games when we played them. It's one rotating circle of complaining about the refs.

Celtsfan84 was right on point on that. People look at tonight and then say "THIS game proves the NBA Is rigged, and I don't think I'll watch the NBA anymore because of this". I see one topic on the very top of this forum asking if the NBA is rigged, and another one asking if we're tired of the NBA. The thing is, they neglect the fact that many fans of opposing teams have said the same thing, saying the refs were in the C's pockets, saying the C's "let them play", changed momentum, you name it. And then other people say "man stop whining, your team just sucked tonight, the refs weren't the reason you lost".

I can't read your mind, but when I saw you say "I'm only talking about LAST NIGHT", you suggested to me that you knew this, and probably would be hurting yourself by going there with Celtsfan84.

The techs were horrid. Apart from those, I'm not sure I can really disagree with what Celtsfan84 said.

This is the bottom line. Once you start talking about "David Stern classics", you better be prepared to admit that maybe the Celtics may have gotten help from of those once upon a time. You can't have it both ways. Asking if our 17 titles are rigged if you imply David Stern has done this before is a fair question. If you're not willing to answer it, then admit it. Choosing to snidely insult instead won't save you.

I agree with you, except I don't think the insults came out because people can't accept this argument (that if you believe there is favoritism you have to admit Boston may have been given special treatment in the past). That's not where this started in my opinion. It started because of a certain attitude and compulsion to try and control other people and their opinions.

There's a difference between talking about the subject and aggressively pushing people and trying to assert control. I wouldn't have even posted in this thread if I didn't see that.

If you want to write, "If you aren't emotionally stable enough to watch the NBA or don't want to watch it, then don't watch it", or "Blaming the refs is for losers", etc, etc, then expect it to degenerate because that is combative. Just go back and look at who said that (in the first page of this thread mind you).

In response to that first quote (a cheap and baseless insult directed at a whole group of people) I would say, if you don't like the sentiment in this thread and can't keep your cool trying to argue against it, then don't read it and don't involve yourself.

[Chelm]

Boston/Lakers in the Finals, in general, brings the best ratings the NBA can get.  If there's collusion within the NBA, we'll be seeing this match-up again soon.  I think that's the biggest problem with these accusations against Boston.

My local bartender (a pseudo-Celtics bar) in Brooklyn said he put $20 on a Lakers/Celtics final before round 1 began.  50:1 odds.  I was jealous I didn't hear about it before.

[ACF]

Not mentioning personal fouls, that argument has been batted back and forth and could go either way.

 But the techs were ridiculous and called one sided.  I was so incensed when the ref stood there and watched LeBron taunt KG and laugh at him and didn't call a technical on him.  That SHOULD have been a technical.  Taunting is now and has been a reason for giving a T.  LeBron was clearly taunting but no call.   They were so quick to call T's on every little thing for the Celtics.  I saw Joel Anthony have a more emphatic reaction to a foul, going right at the ref, than Ray had when they called the T on him and they didn't call a tech on Anthony.  

Doris Burke was on the radio this morning and said she was completely dumbfounded over the tech they called on Doc.  She was sitting right down from him and said he wasn't riding the ref and he didn't say anything that could have merited a T.  She agreed with Doc that it was one of the worst she has seen.  

 There's no way you can say that there was any kind of consistency in the way they called those technicals.  

I agree with this too.  The technicals were bad.  But they happened in the 1st Quarter, our best quarter was the 2nd Quarter.  We were badly outplayed in the 3rd and 4th.  The timing doesn't jive to say it broke our momentum.  Our flow was at its best in the 2nd Quarter, immediately after the bad technicals.

What I said about the technicals and the inconsistent refs had nothing to do with the outcome of the game.  The Celtics lost the game because of their poor play, pure and simple.  I would be saying the same thing if the Celtics had won the game.   My thoughts on the officiating has to do with the integrity of the game I love and my enjoyment of watching it.  

The inconsistent and incompetent refs are taking away from the integrity of the game.  They are taking away from my enjoyment of watching the game.  The Celtics would have lost either way because they just didn't have it last night.  But fans deserve a quality product what I watched last night was not a quality product because of the officiating.  

Post of the day! TP.

[Celtics4ever]

I fully expected to get hosed by the refs this series.  They always go overboard protecting LeBron.

[SHAQATTACK]

yep.... the ol MJ thing.... refs ...we are supposed to LEAVE him alone ...MJ is entertaining the fans .....can't foul him out

WHEN IN DOUBT ....give the CALL to the STARS ....so HEAT have TWO meaga popular stars...they get away with MURDER ....The refs KNOW THIS and they've been told NOT to FOUL those guys out or it ruins the ratings.

Its so obvious  ,  a blind man can tell the calls go one way , infavor of the star ...most times.

It is IMPOSSIBLE for them to play that hard and NOT make as many fouls as a good player vet like KG or PP .... I don't care what anybody says ...they are being pampered by the refs.

If WADE or LBJ foul out or get too close the game is over for them ....they are the team , they are the GOLDEN HAIRED money makers for the NBA ... all teens rejoice..

[18isGREATERthan72]

I've only read the first page and a half of this thread, but I'm going to say it anyway...

People always want to point to the total foul calls, and make a statement like "we had 20 fouls, and 20 attempts, they had 20 fouls, and 20 attempts, obviously the referees were fair!"

This is such a bad argument, it is almost comical.  People need to stop looking at the total calls made, and need to actually WATCH the game.

It's not about if the referees made the same amount of foul calls.  It's about if team A ACTUALLY commits 60 fouls in a game, and is only called for 20, and if Team B ACTUALLY commits 40 fouls in a game, and is called for 20 also.  THAT isn't fair, and if you think it is, then that is pretty hilarious.

Also, playing against the Heat (or any Star laden team for that matter) sets up a situation where you can potentially have more fouls called against you than ACTUAL fouls committed, just because of the nature of officiating in the NBA where Stars get the benefit of the whistle.

I am not pointing out anyone in particular with this post, nor am I saying it was the referees fault that we lost, because we did miss plenty of FT's that we did get, which is on us.  What I am merely pointing out is that people have seemed to accept crappy officiating as the norm, explaining it off as "that's the way it is," as opposed to being outraged by the lack of integrity, or accountability for officials.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

I understand stars get the calls, that's just how it is... BUT it seems that when it's the Cheat, the refs don't see the stars on the other team... it's as if Wadena and Brinda are the only stars out there! I mean, Brinda NEVER fouling out of a game? How in the world? He is good but NO ONE is that good! I'm not saying the refs makes a team win or lose a game often (one call can and has cost a team a game), but I am saying, who knows how it affects a team... if they have to change their entire way of playing because they are afraid to be called for bogus fouls (or fouls only called in the regular season), you never know what could have happened had those bogus calls not been made! You can't say (some of you have so I guess you can), stars get the calls and then say people are crazy when they say the cheat are getting the calls... I mean, they do have 2 of the biggest stars in basketball, of course they are going to get a lot of calls... but that doesn't make them so big that none of the stars on the other teams don't deserve the same calls! I mean, Stern has to say no star calls and penalize through the refs wallets if they don't call the game equally no matter who the player is! Yes, Celtic players have benefited from "star calls" but I would not mind if they didn't... make the game as equal as possible! I thought this was the playoffs, LET THEM PLAY!

The most bogus foul I can remember ever seeing was Mia/NYK game this playoffs... 2 members of NYK trapped Brinda and he started to lose the ball (NEVER BEING TOUCHED) and started flailing while falling to the ground... I mean, I have seen bogus calls but even without replay everyone and their mother could see he wasn't touched! These types of calls makes a lot of people distruEdited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline.l of the NBA, I don't blame them!

Even with clear favoritism (even at times for Celtics) I still enjoy the game... I just wish it was called more equally no matter who the players are!

[Leon0]

Great idea!

[mctyson]

Here is my one and only complaint (outside of the ridiculous technicals) about officiating:

I have no problem with calls being missed.  A lot of people on the board were upset about Lebron not getting called for hitting Rondo in the head on that blocked shot.  Lebron did hit him, but  it was not a direct blow, and he cleanly blocked the shot.  That was a good defensive play by Lebron, I have no problem with that not being called a foul.  

Likewise, a lot of Pierce's drives ended up with him swarmed by 2 or 3 defenders, where there was contact but there was also a clean rejection of his shot attempt.  Again, I have no problem with that not being called a foul.  Good defense; even if one of the defenders hit him the others did not.

The problem I have is with the touch foul nonsense.  Pietrus was called for two horrendous fouls:  the first was when he slid in front of Joel Anthony, did nothing more than graze him, and was called for a 2-shot blocking foul, the second was of course the insane late whistle on Lebron's desperation fadeaway shot.  Anthony and Lebron are both over 6'8" and 270 pounds.  They cannot be allowed to barrel over people on their way to the basket, and then when someone plays excellent face up defense against them, get foul calls if their elbows or shirts are grazed.

The reason this is a problem is it forces you to evaluate all of the other non-calls you otherwise would be OK living with.  It is the inconsistency of the officiating, not the play they let go, that drives me crazy.  

[myteamisbetterthanyours]

If you think the NBA is scripted and no longer want to watch the games, feel free. Nobody is forcing you.

If you think officiating was the reason the Celtics lost, then good for you.  You're wrong, but good for you.

Did you know that we shot over twice as many free throws in Game 5 against a younger and more athletic 76ers team?  Did you know that their blogs complained about that game being scripted and fixed to favor the team with more star power?  Did you know there are 28 NBA teams other than the Celtics and HEAT?

hey buddy, the refs absolutely sucked last night. they were terrible.

they were probably the 4th biggest reason we lost, behind missed FTs, easy layups and the Heat supporting cast playing well.

I can accept this post here.  The refs weren't great but they were at most the 4th most prominent reasons for the loss. Let's fix the top 3.  Blaming the refs is for losers.  Notice that Belichick never blames the refs, even after the Denver playoff game years back.

I dont understand how you think we shouldnt be able to blame the refs, when there's been so much controversy surrounding them since the Donaghy incident.. I think you're being a little naive here..

"Oh everyone likes to blame refs.. blah blah blah.. its not their fault.. blah blah blah.. you guys are conspiracy theorists.. blah blah blah.. you have no proof.. blah blah blah.."

But when its been publicly documented that refs have been rigging games in the past for gambling purposes, we the people have a right to think something is up when we see so many bogus calls being made.  Are you even watching the same games? And its not just against the Celtics.. if you watched any Heat games this playoffs you would be aware.. They are being favorited.   

[Celtics4ever]

We lost that game with our play but the refs were one sided.