08-29-2020, 09:29 PM
I hear the incompetence-not-conspiracy opinions and understand where they’re coming from. But I don’t think anyone who (a) has played this sport competitively AND (b) has watched a bunch of NBA games that they didn’t care about can reasonably take that position.
Sure, I’m biased when I watch the Mavs. But not when I watch Magic/Bucks or pretty much anybody else. And yeah, the games aren’t truly fixed. But they are manipulated. Dramatically so on occasion. The big lead swings, for example, are often manufactured by shifts in whistle blowing during the game.
My favorite example comes from the mid 90s. Olajuwon, in his prime, steals a Jazz pass, takes 1 dribble, picks up the ball near half court, and 5-steps his way to an uncontested dunk. The whistle blows. Technical foul on Stockton for complaining.
I cheered for the Pacers then. Didn’t care much about this game but was rooting just a little for the Rockets because I liked the shape of Sam Cassell's head. I just laughed at the call.
Rarely is it that obvious. But sometimes it is. Michael Jordan had a ridiculously obvious move where he’d grab a defender's arm and yank on it (a) to help himself change directions and (b) to increase the defender's momentum in the wrong direction. Moves like that only work if you know the refs are extremely reluctant to blow the whistle on you. Which Michael knew. Cause they always were.
Reggie Miller's greatness, by the way, comes from blowing up the Knicks in the playoffs a few times despite having the refs working against his team. Don’t get me wrong. They gave him superstar breaks too. He almost never shot a 3 without traveling first. A little skip was part of his favorite move. And his miraculous 8 points in the last 8.9 seconds of that 1 game started with a blatant shoving of John Starks to the floor. But his team never got a fair shake in NY. And Reggie knew it. So he just said, to hell with it, I’ll do it all myself. And a couple of times he really did.
So yeah, OP. You are correct. It isn’t really a sport. It’s sportainment. Which is terribly depressing. Disgusting even. Like you said. But once in awhile, you get to see a performance so great that it overcomes even the most blatant of cheating. And somehow that’s enough to keep me coming back for more.
Sure, I’m biased when I watch the Mavs. But not when I watch Magic/Bucks or pretty much anybody else. And yeah, the games aren’t truly fixed. But they are manipulated. Dramatically so on occasion. The big lead swings, for example, are often manufactured by shifts in whistle blowing during the game.
My favorite example comes from the mid 90s. Olajuwon, in his prime, steals a Jazz pass, takes 1 dribble, picks up the ball near half court, and 5-steps his way to an uncontested dunk. The whistle blows. Technical foul on Stockton for complaining.
I cheered for the Pacers then. Didn’t care much about this game but was rooting just a little for the Rockets because I liked the shape of Sam Cassell's head. I just laughed at the call.
Rarely is it that obvious. But sometimes it is. Michael Jordan had a ridiculously obvious move where he’d grab a defender's arm and yank on it (a) to help himself change directions and (b) to increase the defender's momentum in the wrong direction. Moves like that only work if you know the refs are extremely reluctant to blow the whistle on you. Which Michael knew. Cause they always were.
Reggie Miller's greatness, by the way, comes from blowing up the Knicks in the playoffs a few times despite having the refs working against his team. Don’t get me wrong. They gave him superstar breaks too. He almost never shot a 3 without traveling first. A little skip was part of his favorite move. And his miraculous 8 points in the last 8.9 seconds of that 1 game started with a blatant shoving of John Starks to the floor. But his team never got a fair shake in NY. And Reggie knew it. So he just said, to hell with it, I’ll do it all myself. And a couple of times he really did.
So yeah, OP. You are correct. It isn’t really a sport. It’s sportainment. Which is terribly depressing. Disgusting even. Like you said. But once in awhile, you get to see a performance so great that it overcomes even the most blatant of cheating. And somehow that’s enough to keep me coming back for more.