a stolen victory

Yes, the zebras in fact stole that game from Dallas yesterday. There is no argument I have heard or seen that can make that not true. That last shot, by Wade, should not have been called a foul... Absolutely 100%... that was a no call... Did Nowitzki contact Wade?... sure... But, you could probably call that on just about every drive in every NBA game... there is always a bit of contact... And, with 3 seconds left in OT, of the NBA Finals, there is no way that call should have been made. No Way. Why not call Wade for the obvious push off right before the shot? It was there... why didn't they call that? Because you don't call push offs with 3 seconds left... and YOU DON'T CALL STUPID, NON FOULS WITH 3 SECONDS LEFT... SENDING WADE TO THE LINE TO WIN THE GAME.

Below there is a picture of Wade right before he puts up the shot. What you see is 3 completely wide open Heat players. What does that mean? Wade, basically going 1 on 4... pushing off... out of control... puts up a stupid shot. The refs just bailed him out. I hate the fact that the analysts point out Dirk's hand slightly brushing Wades back... or whatever it did... Look, if you know basketball... you know that is a "no-call" situation... Especially, after Wade pushes off... which is another "no-call" situation. Wade was out of control... had wide open teammates... and still put up a shot... A combination that refs would never reward... unless you are Dwyane "the future" Wade... which is just crap... The announcers for ABC have been doing this all playoffs... Whatever the refs call, they find any way possible to justify it...
Dirk is getting flak, for not having a typical Dirk game. Well, he doesn't totally deserve it. He still shot a decent percentage, he just didn't get to the line. He still hit what should have been the winning basket... and he made a great pass before that... He missed a free throw, but, had the refs not made one of the worst calls in NBA Finals history, he would have hit the winning shot... and took his team back to Dallas with a 3-2 advantage. Not to mention... You have to give Dirk a little credit for freeing up his teammates. Dirk is being smothered, and it is creating great opportunities for Terry/Howard.

With all that said... There is the Stackhouse suspension as well... David Stern, I used to like you... but I have a feeling you are going to ruin the NBA... at least from the perspective of a true basketball fan... not a "hype whore"...

Strung Out

Yesterday, I went to get my tennis racquet re-strung. I have an early appointment, Friday, to put the "hurt" down on an old college nemesis (a long haired midget who stands no chance).

I enter the sports store, and am told I need to get strings and then bring them to the counter... so I do. I looked through them for about 10 minutes until finally realizing I had no idea what I was doing... and just chose something in the mid-price range. Wilson syn-gut... which is synthetic gut... because that is what they used to make tennis strings out of... Human intestine...

I get to the counter and the young lady asked what tension I wanted my racquet strung at. For the non-tennis players out there (not that anyone reads this), racquets are indeed strung at different tensions, depending on the player's style of game and swing speed - and what not... Either way, I couldn't remember if I usually had a low or high tension... and so I asked if anyone could help. Nobody could, but I was told there was a book somewhere that could help.

Another lady came and said, "We have a book, but I don't think any of us could read it..." An obvious ploy not to do her job... unless, perhaps, the entire workforce was indeed illiterate...

I said, "Well, can I take a look, maybe I can read it." She says OK and heads towards the back of the store and I followed... I know the stores have stringers that come in, and I had already had to give them my phone number, so I asked if maybe the stringer could just give me a call. A reasonable suggestion, me thinks. Her reply???

"You know, we're not a tennis store."

Hmmmm??? JUST WHAT IN THE EFF IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN????

They are a sports store. They sell tennis balls. Tennis shoes. Tennis racquets. Tennis wrist bands. Tennis grips. Tennis Strings. And, they EFFING string tennis racquets... So why shouldn't I expect to have the simplest of stringing questions answered? I just don't understand the logic behind that statement. Seriously.

Luckily, I keep my cool... and explain that having the strings at the wrong tension will affect my ability to hit they way I want, and so I offer a solution. I wrote down a little description of what I wanted, and was on my way.

As I was leaving the store I asked the girl who rang me up when I could expect the stringing to be done.

She says... "Well, the stringer will be here tomorrow (Thursday)... so it should be done by... Sunday."

WHAT!!! The stringer is in on Thursday... so the racquet should be done by... Sunday? That is four days. Which I could understand, if the stringer wasn't coming in on Thursday. Is logic just not acceptable anymore... Like, well the stringer is on on Thursday... so it should be done by Friday... Doesn't that make sense... or am I just a dreamer...

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

game 3 done and i still hate "toine"

Well, with the Larry O'brien in their hands, the Dallas Mavericks collectively choked. Nobody could hit a shot at the end... especially Dirk Dirkster. Not only could he not buy a bucket, but on the last shot of the game, he was the inbounder... The inbounder??? I thought for sure we'd see him roll out for a last second fade-away 3 pointer. Instead, there was an ally-oop attempt. Which, due to the fact the game ended with out a shot attempt on that play, was a bad call. I know. I know. They were trying to catch the Heat off guard... Well, they didn't.

The Heat win comes despite the amazing effort of Antoine Walker to completely sabotage his team. I don't care what anyone says, that chump is horrible. Countless times he put up just stupid shots. He took 17 ... made 6... and ended the game with 12 points. That is unbelievably inefficient. 2 turnovers and 1 assist... again bad bad bad bad bad...

Dirk??? Um, yeah... you were pretty clutch last night... well except for completely disappearing while the Miami Heat came back to steal the game. This is your team, and all they needed was a bucket or two from you in the last 2 minutes (actually 1 free throw)... and you couldn't provide it... For all the credit you get, you must take much of the blame. Well, it should be noted that Stack might have well not even laced them up last night... someone who, along with Dirk, gets a lot of credit for their success and so deserves a lot of blame as well. With that said I believe Dirk does put the blame on himself... and I expect him to rebound in the next game, and perhaps put his team one win away from the wearing the crown of champions.

Hey, have to bring this up because Stoney and Wojo are discussing it as I write... Dwane Wade's "injuries" are getting out of hand... The only time that knee injury affected him, was when he didn't have to do anything... Then he was limping and grimacing all over the place... But, on that final play he nearly jumped out of the gym to block the ally oop... how badly hurt was his knee if he was still able to do that??? It wasn't... It is just bull crap. I play with people like this in pick up games... Guys who bang knees and go down like they are shot... Roll around on the ground for 2 minutes... then they get up and are fine... Hey either you are so hurt you can't play... or you can play... I hate this little girl stuff... If you watched Wade, he was completely and utterly not bothered by the knee when he would drive... and put down incredible dunks... then all of the sudden he's limping on the way back down the court??? Absolute crap. I was really getting annoyed by all of that yesterday, and I'm happy I'm not the only one who felt that way... Not to say that Wade's heroics weren't spectacular... They just weren't more spectacular because of his "injury"... End of story...

Oh, while we are on the subject of stupid "hype"... What about the "credit cards" or whatever the hell it was that Pat Riley was blubbering about in the pre game... "15 strong"... Everyone gets this card, and they know they are in it together... blah blah blah... Seriously... where is the genius of this guy... Antoine Walker nearly cost Miami the game yesterday with an abundance of horrible, yet typical, bad shots and other bad plays. A guy Riley brought in... Luckily, Dwane Wade took over in the fourth... and Miami wins... What did Riley have to do with that??? Some stupid card??? That is his genius?... Does that crap really work at the professional level...??? Stupid little league gimicks... Did Miami go out for ice cream after the game??? Jesus... Seriously... When Riley was talking about it, you could tell he took it more seriously than a heart attack... I couldn't believe it... Even my girlfriend thought it was retarded...

And on top of that... Did anyone catch the "Dwane Wade recieved an email from a friend, and blah blah blah blah blah.... gotta pull your troops together... i love you so hard.... blah blah blah... and that friend was............ Lebron James...." AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who Cares????? Who frikkin Cares...????????? I swear to god, I muted the game for about 15 minutes after that lovely, but completely unecessary tid bit of info... For the love of god... This is sports... can we please get back to that a little. It already takes 13 hours to play a 48 minute long game.... just stop with all this little side drama crap...

Ah well, at least the game was close at the end. I want Dallas to win, but I would not have been happy with a sweep...

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

predicationlissity

Well, I have to believe that Miami is going to pull it together tonight and win this game. I'm not totally sure what I am basing that off of though. Perhaps just the law of officiating (one of Newton's finest)?... I figure they do not go down 3-0... But with my increasing dislike for this Heat team... I will say that I hope they do lose. Although that would also most certainly mean not much NBA basketball left, and that would be disappointing.

Now, after 2 undisciplined games by Walker, I believe Riley should be able to keep him under control for this one. Although it may be too late. I know that Walker had a decent stat line in game 2, but in my humble opinion, he was absolutely horrible. Especially in the first half (when it really mattered). He scored a little in the second half, but the game had already spun out of control in favor of Dallas at that point. I hate Antoine Walker. I think he is selfish and horrible. He is able to score at times, but his overall basketball knowledge is turr-ubble. At times he is completely and utterly out of control. In game 2 there was one play in particular that nearly made me laugh. He had the ball at the top of the key... drove in... did this out of control 360... and threw up a ridiculous left handed layup/hookshot hybrid that bounced off the backboard no where near the rim. Classic Antoine Walker. If Miami loses this series... I'm pretty sure Shaq will attack and eat Antoine Walker (you heard it here first)...

The Miami Heat need to come up with something to stop Dirk. Game 3 is really his time to shine. Going to Miami... Dallas may find themselves in a bit of a comfortable state of mind up 2-0. Dirk, however, is the one player for Dallas who can't have that attitude. He needs to take this game over if need be. He had 26 points last game, but that is merely his average.

To solidify his rep, he needs a 35+ game... and when better to do it than game 3. His place in "current legendry" is already written... regardless of game 3... but, what would the experts say if he blows up for 40 tonight, and quite possibly puts an end to Shaq's career???... and begins the new revolution???... The Dirkonian Center. I must say, I have always liked Shaq.... I think he is funny... and "classic Shaq" was an amazing animal to watch... But a 7 footer who shoots the trey, drives, and pretty much does anything else you can imagine... makes for a very entertaining basketball game...

Well, I hope whoever wins, this game is close. The first two, especially game 2, were not the classic "decided at the last minute" games I had hoped for.

Final Thought: Miami is only 2 losses away from having Riley's off season moves blow up in his face... Which, as someone who thought they would, would really like to see it happen. I mean... who doesn't like to be right... ya know??? Plus, have I mentioned I hate Antoine Walker?

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

analysisesiss (sailor's disease i think)

Hey, for the true sports geeks out there... You really need to check out the "daily playoff dime" (or whatever they call it over there at ESPN.com) for today. There is a great video analysis done by one of ABCs producers or something. Either way, it is pretty interesting, and worth a look... Again, if you are a sports geek. The average fan might find it useless. The daily dime changes every day... so look now, not later.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime

game 1 done

First, the fact that Dirk Nowitzki played a horrible offensive game should worry the heat. That should happen only once more at most. Well, assuming Dirk is worthy of his new-found playoff rep.

Second... If Jason Terry has 2 games left, like this first, I really like Dallas' chances. I saw, maybe read somewhere that Dallas is 6-0 (I think, but it is something like that for sure) in the playoffs when Terry goes for 20+...

Third, Antoine Walker shot 19 shots. Shaq shot 11. They both scored 17 points. There is absolutely no way Miami will even win 2 games if that trend is not squashed right now. If Walker doesn't settle down... Riley might have a world's record 343 heart attacks at one time.

Fourth, I absolutely... utterly... 100%... hate the coverage ABC/ESPN has done through out the playoffs. I hate the marketing scheme that has become the NBA. The announcers justify every decision the refs make for either team. They constantly explain the simplest of rules. I believe the foul shot lane violation has been explained 1,000,000 times now. I hate that. I really wish the TNT crew was doing the Finals, because they are retarded better, and not Stern suck asses.

Fifth, did I mention Antoine Walker took 8 more shots than Shaq???

Dwyane Wade put up 28, but on 25 shots. That is nowhere near as effective as he has been all playoffs long. 10 shots from Wade/Walker should have been Shaq's... They absolutely have no other chance to win... unless Shaq takes 20 shots... Some might bring up his free throw shooting, and it was horrible... but he still put up 17 points on 11 shots... That is extremely efficient. Walker/Wade combined for 34 points on 35 shots... Not effective... Not to mention that if Shaq is getting the ball, and making shots, he becomes very active on the other end.

Did I mentioned 'Toine' took 8 more shots than Shaq??? I did??? Sorry, I just love that... What a jack ass.

Anybody catch the pre-game interview of Bill Russell? You have one of the all time greats, and what do they ask him about? What his role in ending the Shaq/Kobe feud was... well, I can answer that... nothing... Because YOU ARE STILL FRIGGIN' BRINGING IT UP ON NATIONAL TELEVISION.... I HATE YOU ABC... 2 years ago this was old news... and now, Kobe out of the playoffs I believe 4 months ago (something like that)... is still being brought up... WHY???? Jesus, I hate ABC.

19th, how ridiculous was it to watch Stack being patched up to shoot those free throws after being elbowed in the nose. Dallas had to burn at least 1 time out, maybe 2, in order to get enough band-aids on to shoot the free throws, and then take him out... What if that happened with 1 minute left in the game? Does Dallas have to use the rest of its timeouts, because Shaq 'accidentaly' crushed his nose? (OK, it wasn't exactly a Malone/Alonzo elbow, but it didn't seem like a complete accident either) My point is only that if blood is drawn, then maybe there should be some type of emergency rule to stop the game long enough to stop the blood... Because if it is late in a close game, Dallas is confronted with the choice of burning precious time-outs, or giving the free-throws to someone else... and then Stack can't come back in the game... That is a flaw.

Well, overall, a great game 1. I believe this series will live up to its hype.

Warning to Dallas: Look out for the games where Miami gets a little help from the zebras. Because there were a couple of no calls on Wade I noticed (they were correct as no calls) that I believe will be fouls in Miami. A couple of times, while driving to the basket, Wade forced contact... with no call... and missed the shot. I don't imagine the series being called that way for its entirety.

Riles a genius? I must admit that I am a bit young to have watched (and comprehended) Riley's past coaching triumphs. Although, he is hailed as a great coach, and with the success he has had, I refuse to argue it. One thing I find odd is that whenever analysts talk about him, it is always about his motivation skills. Yesterday, I want to say it was Marc Jackson, was talking about how he will show the team videos of great players... Also, there is constant talk about some stupid mystery prize, or some crap, for the players... This is Riley's geniusity??? Avery Johnson is running different defenses. Getting Dirk (and the team) to play a defensive minded game. Taking Dallas to a level they have never seen. But, Riley... he is a great storyteller and motivator.... Can someone please point out something he has done that is tangible? I agree that the team seems to be a bit more cohesive, but it was only not cohesive... because he blew it up, and brought in a couple of brats (Walker and GP)... Now, in game 1... with a chance to steal a game in Dallas... Walker takes 8 more shots (have I mentioned that) than Shaq, and missed 12 of 19... and Miami loses... Maybe Riley should tell the story of how selfish brats don't get PT... and especially don't get very expensive rings at the end of the season... Yeah, that is a good one...

Add On: Ok I had to add this on... I'm listening to Rome, and his take on Shaq not getting the ball enough... is basically "what do you expect, you were shooting horrible from the free throw line"... So, I guess he's suggesting that Dallas will go to hack-a-shaq... Well, first as I already pointed out... Shaq had 17 points on 11 shots... Very effective, regardless of free throw misses. Second, can someone please tell me a series that Shaq's team has lost, because "hak-a-shaq" worked??? Please, Rome... let me know which series that was... where Shaq lost a series at the free throw line...

Finals Time...

Well, the Pistons won't be playing in this year's NBA Finals... Which sucks, but listening to Joe Dumars on Stoney and Wojo yesterday did make me feel a little better. He said he was "dissapointed" that Delfino had not played more this year. Which I really like to hear. I am a big fan of Delfino. Have been since seeing him in pre-season action last season. I just think the guy can play... and needs to. Enough about the Pistons though.

These Finals are going to be great. My early prediction was that Miami/Detroit would win, but I'm not so sure anymore. I have been a Dirk fan for a while. You have to love a 7 footer with 2 guard skillzzz. But, he has taken his game farther than most (including me) expected. He has reached a new level of "goodness"... A level very few reach. He is unstoppable. I believe he will be the best player on the court through this series, and that is always a good thing to have in your corner. Shaq may have similar numbers when all is said and done, but Dirk is much more active and capable of game changing intangibles... Chasing rebounds and loose balls etc. My early prediction of Miami winning was based on how easily Miami beat the Pistons. As a Piston die hard, I believed that a team so good to beat the Pistons can't possibly lose a series... But, on reflection the Pistons just weren't as good as the regular season indicated... and so I have to give Dallas the credit they deserve.

This series should be a classic, and if it isn't... Nobody will have guessed that.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com