Conspiracy!

by watdogg10 on May 27, 2009 9:36 AM MST

Alright Suns fans - get out your conspiracy hats. This season was supposed to be about Kobe vs. LeBron, MVP vs. MVP, former greatest player in the world vs. now greatest player in the world and until the Conference Finals started it appeared the two were on a collision course. Nike jumped on board with their MVPuppets, VitaminWater couldn't wait to bring out "The Great Debate" and everyone was giddy over the fact that we were going to find out in a winner-takes-all steel cage death match between Kobe and LeBron in the FInals. Now, with the Cavs down 3 - 1 and looking like they are not going beat Orlando and LA looking vulnerable against Denver, is it time for the L to intervene and make sure at least 1 if not both of THEIR teams makes it? Does Stern go with his man Bavetta and give Crawford power to eject any Nugget who smiles at him wrong? What do you guys think? Any chance that Stern allows the Nuggets to win a fairly called game tonight?

Poll

Suns fans love a good David Stern conspiracy...will David Stern do his best to ensure that the Lakers win tonight given the fact that CLE is down 3-1 in their series to prevent a ORL vs. DEN Finals?

Yes - WWE doesn't fix their matches as well as the NBA

155 votes

No - the L wants to see the best teams play regardless

69 votes

224 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 17 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Although I really think the league wants to see CLE vs LAL..

I think the refs have been favoring Melo more than Kobe. Did you see how quick Walton fouled out last game? And the Dahntay Jones trip on Kobe?

It’s almost as if the refs are trying to prove that they don’t favor Kobe. Honestly, the refs have been HORRIBLE all around. I blame it 1/2 on the refs and 1/2 on the commish. Way too many touch fouls.

And not that I’ve noticed it any more than I usually do but are they ever going to fix the traveling problem?? It’s getting pretty ridiculous.

by brian13 on May 27, 2009 11:47 AM MST reply actions

If LeBron doesn’t make it out alive, then Kobe won’t either. Therefore, they’re both “equal” and can still be “rivals”.

It’s not like the Nuggets need any help to beat the Lakers though.

Nuggets/Magic Finals.

by GekkouKitsune on May 27, 2009 11:56 AM MST reply actions

Why then

did the league reverse the T on Dwight Howard if Stern wants the Cavs in the finals? I a bit of reverse psych?

Blogging Suns Basketball

by Seth Pollack on May 27, 2009 12:12 PM MST reply actions

Can't remember that last time...

The two favorites from both conferences don’t end up going to the finals. Three 60+ win teams this year and perhaps none of them in the finals? Wild.

I don’t know though…I think LA is going to pull it out in 7. And as far as Cleveland/Orlando goes, I can’t count Cleveland out yet. Wasn’t PHX down 3-1 against the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs a couple of seasons ago?

Ironic as it is, this has to be my favorite playoffs I’ve seen in a long time…

by DaMax85 on May 27, 2009 12:14 PM MST reply actions

Twice in one season

Weren’t they down 3-1 to Clippers in that same postseason as well?

by turs12 on May 27, 2009 2:13 PM MST up reply actions

Also, I live in LA...

And all the Lakers fans out here all want to play Cleveland in the finals and NOT Orlando.

by DaMax85 on May 27, 2009 12:16 PM MST reply actions

conspiracy no... bias yes..

the blocking call on Pietrus last night…. I’m still shaking my head on that one…

"True glory consists of doing what deserves to be written, and writing what deserves to be read".

by Pliny the Elder on May 27, 2009 1:10 PM MST reply actions

subtle bias is the best form of conspiracy

Stern doesn’t “dictate” he simply “influences” — thereby creating the bias he wants, and, over time, the result he wants.

It’s like how Senator Palpatine rose to power and then assumed total control as the new Galactic Emperor.

Mmmmm ... Guinness

by JSun on May 28, 2009 12:40 PM MST up reply actions

The difference is intent..

and timing.

Games like last nights 4th quarter make me think hard about this: the bias to call fouls in favor of one team over another is equivalent to conspiracy, if it happens in the confines of a short time period.

You have to wonder about the disparity in foul calls that happened during yesterday’s game, and consider whether the natural bias that a home team possesses crossed the line. The Nuggets got boned, imho.

"True glory consists of doing what deserves to be written, and writing what deserves to be read".

by Pliny the Elder on May 28, 2009 3:39 PM MST up reply actions

Does the way the

teams play have an impact? The team that’s playing with more energy and getting the their spots sooner are going to get less fouls called against them. Teams that swipe at the ball and are slow to their spots are going to get more.

That’s still plays into this discussion. Right?

Blogging Suns Basketball

by Seth Pollack on May 28, 2009 3:55 PM MST up reply actions

Sure, but they're not independent of each other

one can drive the other..

teams that have fouls called on them tend to become less aggressive, as the game goes on, for fear of getting more fouls, and teams that get away with fouls tend themselves to become more aggressive.

Conversely, teams that play aggressively, may find themselves rewarded by the refs swallowing the whistle.

Shaq used to live off this tendency for refs not to call his ass bump, which would be classified as assault with a deadly weapon, in the real world. Patrick Ewing, only had a career because the refs refused to call his travelling…

"True glory consists of doing what deserves to be written, and writing what deserves to be read".

by Pliny the Elder on May 28, 2009 4:29 PM MST up reply actions

That's my point

the refs are part of the game…

Blogging Suns Basketball

by Seth Pollack on May 29, 2009 9:52 AM MST up reply actions

So, your point is just an observation?

With that observation, everyone agrees. However, the question is whether your truism is a good or a bad thing for the game. You aren’t taking the position that it is simply a neutral attribute, are you?

You cannot be saying that rewarding overly-aggressive behavoir with non-calls that results in a vicious cycle of an escalation of that behavoir is something to be ignored? You cannot be saying that poor calls making players less aggressive is something that should just be “dealt with” by the team with its best players being sidelined with fouls?

Mmmmm ... Guinness

by JSun on May 29, 2009 11:20 AM MST up reply actions

exactly..

it’s one thing to know ahead of time, before a game starts, that certain calls will be whistled, and others won’t.

But the one thing refs cannot be allowed to do is to be capricious with their calls.

The real issue most players complain about is consistency, where the same offense gets adjudicated differently depending on a number of factors, but stardom being the most prominent.

"True glory consists of doing what deserves to be written, and writing what deserves to be read".

by Pliny the Elder on May 29, 2009 11:34 AM MST up reply actions

Increase the foul limit

I am all for that. I don’t like how foul count is such a big part of the game but the fix is to allow 8 fouls before fouling out…

All you say is right regarding consistency and what not (although I like a bit more physical play) but the point is that complaining about it is like arguing with the weather.

I think some marginal improvement is possible but given the nature of basketball it’s just part of the game and I DON’T believe in a conspiracy that the calls are biased or intentional favor one team over another

Blogging Suns Basketball

by Seth Pollack on May 29, 2009 4:27 PM MST up reply actions

Lemming

Mmmmm ... Guinness

by JSun on May 30, 2009 9:28 AM MST up reply actions

I think Pliny has it correctly

The league conspiracy thing no. A bias when making decision yes. Teams and players treated differently in the same situations…. YES!. 4 different sets of rule books during a single game… Usually.

What I don’t like is the fact that the league covered up and swept under the rug what happened a few summers ago in 2007 with Donaghy. I have a hard time to believe that if he could pull it off that there are are not other referees breaking the law and tarnishing the NBA as well.

I think it comes down to admitting when you where wrong. And that is Sterns number one rule when it comes to “his” league. Don’t admit when you are wrong.

Otherwise why wouldn’t he take real steps publicly like every other sport to prove its legitimacy?

TO THE NBA - " Yeah, you have created a rift within me ; Now there have been ; several complications ; that have left me feeling nothing ; I might say, you were ; wrong to take it from me ; Left me feeling nothing " - Disturbed, "Numb"

by antiw0rm on May 27, 2009 3:29 PM MST reply actions