Sorry if I haven't posted more about the finals on here. To be honest, I watched half of about two games. They were just so boring - and the reffing so in favor of the Spurs - that I just couldn't watch anymore.
If I were on the rules committee, the one thing I would try to push is that the referees actually follow the rules that are instituted. No travelling (that means big centers can't change pivot feet or shift from using the ball of their foot to the heel of their foot after picking up the ball), calling a foul a foul whether it is in pre-season, regular season or post-season and calling the games the same no matter who the foul is against.
The MLB had declining viewership for years and I think it was because the umpires decided to take the game over and become the stars. They manipulated the strike zone, threw out players for even asking why a certain call was made, etc. They've cleaned that up and MLB viewership is up over the past few years. One of the huge things that I think helped the umpires be consistent is the strike box that ESPN and others started showing that really showed whether a pitch was a ball or a strike. I wish similar technology could be used regarding fouls and traveling. Maybe that's not possible but something has to change.
As I've said before, the NBA says they want to open up the game. And then they get to the playoffs and basically throw away the rule book and let anything go. The Cavaliers averaged 81 points per game in the series. The Spurs averaged 85. That's not opening the game up. Analysts will call it a defensive matchup. What it really ends up being is the referees closing their eyes to the rules over the playoffs.
I know Spurs fans are going to come on here and say, "That's how the playoffs are played - man up and quit complaining." But I just can't accept a league that allows for rules changes once the playoffs start. You can't name me a major sport that does it and is actually successful with it. The only major sport that does it is the NBA and we've all heard what happens to their ratings. So it's obviously not me that thinks this. In fact, I would venture to say the only happy people about the rules changes during the playoffs are the Spurs fans. And that's because they got it both ways. The rules changed in their favor during most of the playoffs - except for the one time when it would have gone against them with the leaving the bench rule. Then the NBA decided to rule exactly as the rule was written.
Anyway, that's my rant on the playoffs, the Finals and why I didn't watch hardly any of them. Besides the Spurs fans (who I know will come on to gloat since their team is so boring they can't even celebrate the Finals win), what do you think about this finals?