My gut feeling

by Marek on Apr 30, 2009 8:55 AM PDT

I have gut feeling, that game six, between Blazers and Rocket, is going to be resolved by NBA officials. NBA will not allow for LA Lakers to wait additional few days on outcome of the series. It’s current life of the NBA, under direction of the commissioner.
That is why, rating of the NBA going down, year by year and many people loosing interest in one time the most challenging sport event, like is NBA play-off
Plus Portland give Lakers a lot of fit, this could also complicate set finals between Cleveland and the Los Angeles.

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Sure

That is why the Spurs have won so many titles. They are in a huge market and play a very high tempo, visually pleasing brand of basketball.

Is my sarcasm font working properly?

I'm a little confused by your tactics

by oderiferous emanations 74 on Apr 30, 2009 8:59 AM PDT reply actions

San Antonio's actually pretty big

and when the other TX teams are out, they become TX’s team. TX is big.

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by hobobob on Apr 30, 2009 9:09 AM PDT up reply actions

Media Market sizes

Portland is 25 and San Antonio is 28.

Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game

by iDea on Apr 30, 2009 9:20 AM PDT up reply actions

Blah, by the numbers

How big is TX as an aggregate? Those people will revert to watching those games more than say, a guy in Houston would revert to watching Portland play. If we think small, yes, SA is small. If we gray the lines, SA can become a large market.

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by hobobob on Apr 30, 2009 10:28 AM PDT up reply actions

I would like to respectfully disagree with you. I think the NBA would prefer having the extra revenue from a game 7, as opposed to giving the Lakers more time to prepare, because I don’t think the NBA is worried about the Lakers losing to either Portland or Houston, whereas a game 7 on a Saturday night would get good ratings, despite the relative obscurity of the two teams among casual fans.

by inroywetrust on Apr 30, 2009 9:03 AM PDT reply actions

To expand on that, I don’t think the league will “fix” the game for the Blazers, but I believe that if we lose, it will be a result of Houston playing better than the Blazers or getting a couple of lucky bounces, and not an officiating edge

by inroywetrust on Apr 30, 2009 9:04 AM PDT up reply actions

The officiating could certainly cause the game to be won or lost

But, looking at it from a conspiracy theory standpoint, the Game 7 seems more likely. Ass you said more revenue, teams more tired and etc.

We’ve seen officiating swing a few games this series. Probably the last three. I’m not sure why that would stop. Whether it’s part of a conspiracy or not? Who knows? There’s as much suggesting it is as there is suggesting it’s not. I guess it just comes down to what you’re prefer to believe. I would add that it’s less likely to be a conspiracy than an indirect influence on officiating. That’s IF there’s something there.

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by hobobob on Apr 30, 2009 9:15 AM PDT up reply actions

might want to take your "gut" in for a tuneup and an oil change

and maybe replace it with your “brain.”

The only good things happening on Wall Street are the dogs that piss on it daily.

by vavoom on Apr 30, 2009 9:08 AM PDT reply actions

Seriously?

Couldn’t bring him along with some insightful comments about why the NBA isn’t rigged? Something to show him how we do things here?

Funny quip, and I laughed, but it’s not going to change his mind/gut. You just look like some person that won’t consider what he’s saying.

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by hobobob on Apr 30, 2009 9:16 AM PDT up reply actions

dave

by twggyy on Apr 30, 2009 9:18 AM PDT up reply actions

How about this for adding to the commment instead of ragging on a poster.

The last public guy who used his “gut” to make decisions had a tortuous track record. Let us all learn from his mistakes and use some external facts to help corraborate our gut decisions.

As for my gut, I see the Blazers hagning in the first half , flirt with danger in the 3rd quarter by giving up an 8 pt lead then go on a firestorm of shooting in the 4th qauter to put Houston away winning by 4.

I hope that my gut is wrong and we come out with an effort comparable to what Houston gave us in Game one. I’d be happy to see us blow them out by 25 (at halftime).

by NWfan on Apr 30, 2009 9:54 AM PDT up reply actions

Very niiice.

I don’t mind Vavoom’s comment. But when you’re new, it’s just tough to deal with. Maybe baptism by fire? Your comment certainly comes off a little better.

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by hobobob on Apr 30, 2009 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions

Im not supposed to flame you

so I will just point out that I respectfully disagree with you.

As Dave noted in the main page, Dwight Howard has been suspended for Game 6. This is a controversy waiting to happen, except well, the superstar all american future hall of famer overall one level from holiness DHow is the one that’s been suspended, not his opponents best defense.

I get where you are going in that you are voicing your fear that perhaps the calls will be soo wacky that it will cost us the game. Everyone feels that way, in a sense I believe it to be natural. What the team must do is rise above all that … UPRISE… and learn to shake the haters off , put there head down and get with it.

In practice, how can the blazers avoid to let the ref’s ruin their attitude? Well they can start by moving their feet on defense. In my opinion it all starts there. Move around quickly and efficiently as a unit of the D end and the flow of the game is maintained while the refs wont call a stupid foul (unless Oden is in , in this case we have no choice but to accept he’ll get dumb touch fouls off the ball on Yao) .

Dont freak, we have a resonable chance to win this game. I dont think we will, but the oppurtunity is there..

enjoy the game and welcome to bedge, we <3 u

Sophia

Though patience be a tired mare, yet she will plod. - William Shakespeare

Roses are red
violets in bloom
Sophia’s in love
with Nicholas Batum
-Bow4Meow

by BlazerFan1 on Apr 30, 2009 9:22 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Yeah, if someone has a big enough lead

the refs cant do anything.

by twggyy on Apr 30, 2009 9:27 AM PDT up reply actions

Nice work in resisting your temptation and coming up with a solid post

That’s the sort of post that makes me love coming here.

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by hobobob on Apr 30, 2009 10:32 AM PDT up reply actions

Mr. Stern is one step ahead of you

DHow’s suspension guarantees that game 7!

Just sayin…. ;)

by levelhed on Apr 30, 2009 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions

NBA Ratings?

I thought the NBA is getting more popular. If I believe the NBA is totally rigged then there is no point in watching. I just can’t accept that. In the long run it would hurt the NBA more than it would help. There is no way that in all this time not one person would come forward with actual knowledge that the NBA is rigged.
          I think it’s just very hard to officiate. I think that will improve as time goes on.
          I also think that big market teams are, with exceptions, going to have an edge. Sure there is a salary cap, but if you have more money, because you are in a big market, you can pay more to get that one great player if you need to. Also some players are going to want to play in a big market more than a small one, so they will gravitate there.
         I think there needs to be some evidence, it would be a huge deal if NBA is fixed.

by twggyy on Apr 30, 2009 9:25 AM PDT reply actions

I'm Almost There

“If I believe the NBA is totally rigged then there is no point in watching. "

Some of the crap that Lebron James gets called in his favor is disgusting to me. I’m almost at the point of no longer being a fan of the game I’ve respected for 25 years. If Stern wants to better the image of the NBA, then there needs to be more transparency.

We need to see them pick the draft order, not just see them pull out the envelopes.

We need an outside investigation into the referees, not just an internal query that clears the NBA of any wrongdoing.

We need instant replay and coach challenges for a sport that can happen too fast.

We will get none of it.

by anim8r on Apr 30, 2009 11:21 AM PDT up reply actions

They have instant replays for almost all calls that are objective (buzzer beaters, 2-pointers vs. 3-pointers, hopefully shot clock will be added), but not for ones that are subjective (foul/non-foul)

by inroywetrust on Apr 30, 2009 12:17 PM PDT up reply actions

It's obviously not a complete illusion

or so many people wouldn’t be saying the same thing. I’m not on the “Blame the Refs” band wagon and i don’t think the officiating has cost us a game in this series and as a player i understand its something you cant worry about because its out of your control but I watch a lot of NBA and the officiating is terrible and painfully inconsistent. I know its seen as a whiner move to blame the ref’s but a lot of the time teams have a legitimate argument. It just seems like too many people are ignoring the reffing problem instead of doing something about it. Maybe us fans need to figure out a way to make a change, i don’t exactly know what we could do but i think it needs to be addressed somehow

- Neil

by Blazin'aTrail on Apr 30, 2009 9:34 AM PDT reply actions

I think keep whining is, unfortunately, the only option

the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

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by hobobob on Apr 30, 2009 10:34 AM PDT up reply actions

which by the way doesn't mean we have to be right, just loud

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by hobobob on Apr 30, 2009 10:35 AM PDT up reply actions

How do you explain the Knicks...

For the last 2 decades

by Roadblazer on Apr 30, 2009 9:47 AM PDT reply actions

Jimmy Dolan and Isiah Thomas would ruin any evil masterplan :)

by Norsktroll on Apr 30, 2009 10:22 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Ever Since The First Draft Lottery Conspiracy

A couple of things happened.

Michael Jordan
Isiah Thomas
Jimmy Dolan
Alan Houston’s knees gave out

by anim8r on Apr 30, 2009 11:24 AM PDT up reply actions

Ratings and $$$

I think that if you are going to subscribe to this conspiracy theory, you have to answer the question:
Does the NBA make more money if Houston goes to Round 2? It’s always about the money.
I don’t think it would matter much in the United States, people will watch the Laker series because of Kobe, not because of Houston OR Portland.
But I don’t know how the China TV contract situation works out for the NBA. Is it a fixed amount, or does the NBA make more money for each game or series that Yao plays?
The NBA is really hurting for money, let’s not forget that.

All that said, I still think the Blazers will win in 7!!!!

by unblindloyalty on Apr 30, 2009 10:33 AM PDT reply actions

Can someone verify if these quotes are accurate?

Sorry to re-post, but I’m dying to know if this exchange actually took place. . .

According to bedge contributor LaoTzu:

David Stern, sensitive to the Chinese position, read a short announcement. “It is about time that Yao, that giant talent from this unbelievably huge and growth oriented market, has made it out of the first round.” When reminded that Houston had to win another game, Stern said, “Well, let’s call that a formality.”

“You are sure the Rockets make Round 2?”

“Yes, you can quote me in your native tongue that it will be a Kobe versus Yao showdown in Round 2.”

“But sir, is that not a discredit to the proud Trail Blazers franchise of Bill Walton?”

Signing off with a little wave and a crooked smile, Stern said, “Believe me, by now they’re used to it.”

by SabasFan on Apr 30, 2009 11:35 AM PDT reply actions

that's not real

Some guy on the wheels at work show said that the NBA does not make more money if houston goes on or not because everything is pre-paid. The advertising already sold. I agree that the way to solve this is more transparency in reffing. The draft lottery, i never heard anyone complain about that before. It seems random to me.

by twggyy on Apr 30, 2009 3:32 PM PDT up reply actions