NBA Finals Fixed,
June 1, 2001 5:09 AM Subscribe
Welcome to the NBA, Ray.
posted by dfowler at 6:27 AM on June 1, 2001
posted by whuppy at 6:28 AM on June 1, 2001
posted by vanderwal at 6:52 AM on June 1, 2001
posted by srw12 at 7:03 AM on June 1, 2001
posted by FPN at 7:12 AM on June 1, 2001
The problem with the NBA is that it has no star, and attempts to paint Iverson in hero colors will invariably fall short.
posted by legibility at 7:13 AM on June 1, 2001
posted by greenbaygirl at 7:24 AM on June 1, 2001
Chumps.
posted by fleener at 7:29 AM on June 1, 2001
posted by jhiggy at 7:30 AM on June 1, 2001
Whlie it is true that Jordan has benefited from some lenient calls, so too did stars on opposing teams - indeed, can you honestly say that Jordan got more of a break than Magic did back in 91? As any basketball fan will recall, the Bulls weren't supposed to win that series.
And moreover, is seems to me that the "underdog" often recieves the benefit of any possible game fixing. Back in 96, the Bulls were up on 3 games to none over Seattle. Somehow the Sonics came back and won the next two.
Six games will always be worth more money than four.
Which, now that I think about it, might explain the Bulls dramatic come from behind win of the series in 91. Perhaps there really are cigarette smoking men that are secretly running the show. . .
posted by aladfar at 7:30 AM on June 1, 2001
posted by srw12 at 7:36 AM on June 1, 2001
As an avid WNBA fan, I know that for NBC, it's about ratings and butts on couches. One only need look at their WNBA broadcast schedule to figure that out. Of the nine games NBC will broadcast this year, four feature the Houston Comets (the four-time league champions), with the New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury and Los Angeles Sparks making up the rest of the matches. Teams with better players but in smaller markets, don't get the national recognition that a mid-afternoon game on NBC would bring, yet the WNBA wonders why national interest in the league is flagging.
posted by likorish at 8:04 AM on June 1, 2001
posted by fusinski at 8:14 AM on June 1, 2001
In high-school or even junior-high athletics you will see this taking place as well. If someone plays with assurance, dominance, and is extremely competitive, plus has the full support of the fans and his teammates, it makes it much more difficult for the referee to call him on minor fouls that could go either way.
Also, people like Magic of Jordan who have put so much of their effort into every day of the game will naturally benefit more from it, as referees are human and admire and respect their effort. I don't think anyone with a straight face can say that not calling fouls on Jordan had any real impact on his career. The truth is that by playing the game straight and hard for years, he earned the benefit of the doubt. It would be a shame if sports were completely devoid of humanity and were officiated by robots. Unless of course the robots were XFL-style sex-bots. Then I might be persuaded.
posted by FPN at 8:33 AM on June 1, 2001
Chumps.
Oh my God! The scales have fallen from my eyes, fleener! One question, however: can you name for me a non-money-driven industry? Just, you know, so I can figure out where to shop and derive entertainment from now on. Hopefully, you can point me to a B.C.-style clamshell-driven industry. Also, thanks for the political tip. I must remember to stop voting.
posted by Skot at 8:35 AM on June 1, 2001
posted by Wulfgar! at 8:37 AM on June 1, 2001
"Metafilter Blows Door Open on NBA Conspiracy"
posted by howa2396 at 8:42 AM on June 1, 2001
posted by holgate at 8:58 AM on June 1, 2001
Besides which, whether or not the commentators are openly holding the officials to reasonable standards would seem to be irrelevant. They hold no sway with the sport's commissioner.
posted by brantstrand at 12:08 PM on June 1, 2001
posted by crustbuster at 12:08 PM on June 1, 2001
The only "sport" where I could see commentators holding their tongue much is golf, where there's a ton of rules on what they can criticize.
True, superstar players get preferential treatment by the refs (see Aikman, Troy) but that kind of goes with the territory. To throw that into a conspiracy goes a little too far.
the WNBA wonders why national interest in the league is flagging
Nobody watches the WNBA because it is boring and sub-par basketball (its almost like the XFL)
posted by owillis at 12:20 PM on June 1, 2001
posted by whoshotwho at 1:10 PM on June 1, 2001
And Oliver that was a mean thing to say about WNBA. Those girls can ball. Have you ever watched Chemique Holdsclaw? I have been following her since she was at Tennessee and she is balling out of control. They aren't as testosterone filled as NBA players and they tend to be more team spirited instead of all trying to be the stand out superstar.
The WNBA rules just as much as NBA. Too bad we don't get to see all the good games.
And whomever commented about Duke bite your tongue. They are a stellar team. Everyone knows that any college basketball tournament worth its salt has to take a trip down tobacco road.
Signed,
NBALOVERDUKELOVER4LYFE
posted by summer1971 at 1:18 PM on June 1, 2001
posted by owillis at 1:37 PM on June 1, 2001
Lets go sixers. Lets go.
posted by mmm at 2:03 PM on June 1, 2001
I'm not a big fan of conspiracies but I think someone in the next ten years will prove that NBC and the NBA has manipulated the outcome of basketball games in the playoffs to get better ratings numbers.
After all, some head of NBC said on record that the network prefers to have teams from the coast win, it works out better for them financially and people will do almost anything to fatten their wallets.
posted by drezdn at 2:11 PM on June 1, 2001
posted by gimli at 2:12 PM on June 1, 2001
And for whoshotwho....
Iverson brings the league lots of money. They are not about to bite the hand that feeds them. They may not like what he does off the court but on the court he is GREEN and that's the bottom line.
posted by summer1971 at 3:36 PM on June 1, 2001
posted by whoshotwho at 4:37 PM on June 1, 2001
summer1971:
And Oliver that was a mean thing to say about WNBA. Those girls can ball. Have you ever watched Chemique Holdsclaw? I have been following her since she was at Tennessee and she is balling out of control.
Truly an intriguing choice of words- but I guess it proves your point, since at least off- the- court many of these NBA players set the gold standard for out-of-control balling... ;)
The closest to a conspiracy that could be done would be the selection of refs with different styles and levels of agressive play allowed (sort of the point Gimli made). Depending on the home team and the style of teams, the NBA head honchos could select for each game or for each series refs that call it to give a little advantage. Ultimately, the game's on the court but a couple more fouls a game can make the difference between winning and losing...
posted by hincandenza at 5:30 PM on June 1, 2001
Maybe LA and Philly will play each other for the crown because they worked hard all season, got lucky from time-to-time, and gelled at the right time.
posted by Bag Man at 12:54 AM on June 2, 2001
posted by gyc at 2:21 AM on June 2, 2001
Yes. Lesser players get less respect from refs than established stars... and, the home team tends to get preferential treatment too... this is not new. It is because the refs are human. But that is a far cry from the claim that the network actively uses its influence to sway the outcome of games to what is most profitable for them. Not only would NBC have legal troubles on their hands if they did so, but they would also alienate their audience and damage the sport of basketball in ways that would be financially devastating to them... and never worth the risk.
posted by karlcleveland at 1:23 PM on June 2, 2001
Yes, I hate the Cowboys. :)
posted by owillis at 3:00 PM on June 2, 2001
signed-
Innocent bystander
posted by summer1971 at 7:40 AM on June 3, 2001
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I think it's definately possible that it might be fixed. The NBA was at the top of it's game when Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan took the Bulls for 2 three-peats back in the '90s.
Commissioner Stern and the NBA are looking for the next Jordan. The Toronto Raptors' Vince Carter is an exceptional player, as is Allen Iverson, the League's MVP. They're best bet though is with Kobe Bryant, who actually played with Jordan in one of the All Star Games.
If it's truly fixed, the NBA may feel that a big duel between Iverson and Bryant may be what the audience wants. The Lakers are up for a repeat, and haven't lost a single game since the playoffs started. Iverson, regardless of the various injuries he's sustained, has managed to help bring his team this far. Philly hasn't seen a win in ages. They're definately thirsty for one now, imo.
That's not to discount George Karl and the Bucks. Karl was pretty successful with the Seattle Supersonics way back when, and he's doing great with the Bucks now.
posted by Cavatica at 5:56 AM on June 1, 2001