Feel Dallas' pain
This is an interesting video from the Dallas Morning News of fans at the Dallas West End watching the end of Game 6 last night between the Mavericks and the Miami Heat, as well as comments from Mavs supporters leaving American Airlines Center after the Heat's series clinching victory 95-92. Quite a few of those briefly interviewed blamed the refs, for sure. Still, fascinating reaction stuff, from fans of all ages.
On another note, we can't recall anyone in David Stern's position being booed unmercifully like the NBA commissioner was last night as he gave the league's trophy to the Heat at midcourt for winning the series in six games, taking the clincher on Dallas' home court. What happened to the trophy presentation being held in the winning lockerroom, champagne being sprayed over everyone, players screaming and hollering and TV execs hoping no one dropped their towels on national TV? Giving a title trophy away at midcourt at the NCAA Tournament, on a neutral court, makes sense for CBS, and the NCAA has done that for decades. Giving the NBA trophy away to the visiting team -- who was the beneficiary of some strange officiating in earlier games in the series on their home court -- in front of the losing team's fans is just stupid. But Stern, in his efforts to "clean up" the NBA look of late with dress codes and excessive fines for what used to be just tpical-part-of-the-game hard fouls, has looked pretty stupid of late.
These playoffs, until they desintegrated into a streetball show for Dwyane Wade and the Heat over the last four games, with Dallas defenders being unable to even breathe on Wade without a foul being called, were the best we can recall watching in years, since early Jordan/Pippen championship years with the Bulls. The coverage in TNT, ESPN and ABC gave basketball fans more than a handful of new heroes to discover, such as Dallas' Dirk Nowitsky and Josh Howard, Cleveland's Lebron James, the resurgent post-Jordan Bulls, the usually woeful but finally surging L.A. Clippers with Elton Brand and a young cast. And these playoffs certainly proved to be the complete coming-out party for the Heat's Wade as one-time Superman Shaq played second-fiddle and seemed to enjoy it for the most part, unlike the way he and Kobe seemed to clash in their final days together with the Lakers. The playoffs also led to the inevitable, annual question: Why do they insist on playing 82 regular-season games?
So the Finals failed to go seven games and the season ended two days earlier than planned; it all starts back up again in October.
Comments
I think David Stern should hand in his resignation right now? Who is he kidding? I am neither a fan of the Mavericks or the Heat but to let Dwayne Wade away with the fouls, push offs, getting every call and then to come down to the last play of the game last night and I believe it was Jerry that took the last shot, watch the replay. Miami held onto his jersey as he tried to shoot the ball. The NBA had better come up with some challange calls like they do in the NFL or something to fix this broken machine. And questionable calls under 2 minutes should automatically be reviewed upstairs. No wonder I prefer college basketball, but then the treatment given to Duke is right up there with the injustice given to Miami over the course of this series. It's breaken down guys and you better start fixing it.
Posted by: Debbie | June 21, 2006 03:06 PM
Was that one girl about to walk smack dab into that streetlight or what??
It was interesting to note the big discrepancy in why Dallas lost between the "adults" and the kiddos.
Posted by: The Dude | June 21, 2006 03:53 PM
Who cares? What do people honestly expect from overpaid, pampered babies who play professional sports. Do they expect integrity? Give me a break. Enjoy the theatrics of pro sports for what it is and don't expect anything more than amazing physical talent from these folks.
Posted by: Anonymous | June 21, 2006 11:24 PM