Hornets Hype

Like every other sports pundit in the world, it seems, the TNT crew was talking last week about the Summer of 2010 (say it twenty-ten and hear Bryan Adams). Barkley, speaking his mind, as always, called out LeBron. He said he was disrespecting his teammates by even entertaining talk about his free agency two years away. He wondered aloud what his current teammates must be thinking. Barkley reiterated this stance last Wednesday on the radio, saying:

“If I was LeBron James, I would shut the hell up. I’m a big LeBron fan. He’s a stud. You gotta give him his props. I’m getting so annoyed he’s talking about what he’s going to do in two years. I think it’s disrespectful to the game. I think it’s disrespectful to the Cavaliers.

LeBron, clearly, could care less. Instead of saying anything about his teammates or the next two years he is under contract, instead responded: “[Barkley]’s stupid. That’s all I’ve got to say about that.” Wow. Inspiring. But who knows, maybe Bill Simmons is right, when he posited his pet conspiracy theory:

Team LeBron is making everyone think they have a chance at LeBron in 2010 so multiple teams clear cap space and weaken themselves competitively in the short-term (like Detroit did) … which inadvertently gives Bron a better chance to win a title over these next two years!

Maybe. Who knows? But that’s the point, no one knows. It is the future. Why aren’t we focused on the great basketball being played now? The moves that might be made now? In the same vein, why hasn’t Stern stepped in? Is he just so happy that people are constantly talking NBA that he doesn’t even care about the game itself? Is he that invested in global marketing and bottom line concerns that he doesn’t even care about the game? Is that crazy or is that possible? One thing’s for sure, it’s something the media just can’t let go of.

Case in point, today’s NBA Home Page on ESPN is “The Cap Deals,” focusing on the contracts of Bibby, Odom, and Kidd. I get that financial realities are things GMs are concerned with; and because that’s real, the media has a legitimate concern with it. And at least these are all contracts that expires this year. But it doesn’t take long for the article to get to 2010. Sure, this is just one day, but now a days, it’s hard to go to an NBA web page and not find a reference to the summer of 2010. It’s lame.

Thus, I propose the Barkley Corollary: if LeBron should shut the hell up about 2010, so should everyone else. Only the GMs know their long term strategies, and they don’t like to talk about those things. Ask Jeff Bower. The man never gives a straight answer on personnel moves. Nor should he. So the rest of us, who can supply absolutely no facts, should shut the hell up about it.

The present is full of good basketball. That’s what I’ll concern myself with.

Just the other day, I was talking to Ron over at 247 about the battle many souces on the internet have for legitimacy. Other than those established, time-proven, reliable sites, there is a wide perception that internet souces could be just as false as true. Luckily, as basketball bloggers, we have a general indicia of reliability, supported by the basic premise of our existence. That is, for example, why would a Hornets blogger take the time to blog about the Hornets and spout a bunch of lies? It wouldn’t make much sense. But that said, I think a lot of it has to do with content. If TT6 says the Hornets are in Berlin, you can verify that from official team sources. If I say D-West had 18 rebounds, go to NBA.com and double-check my stats. I’ll vouch for anything on this site, but we always welcome corrections when we’re wrong.

The flip side of this is reader/viewer/listener responsibility. I can tell you this much, I’m always skeptical of souces, but some are more inherently reliable than others. For example, Rohan over at athehive has a lot more to lose by saying something blatantly false, like the Spurs are owned by the KKK than some anonymous poster on his site. As an owner of a blog, if you lie, people will stop reading your site (or you may be a target of a defamation website). If you’re an anonymous poster, you have no stake. A grey area in this spectrum of reliability is that which is based on opinion and not “news,” such as blogs, TV talk shows, talk radio, and generally any souce of information that is not an established “news” source. Another issue is that the government does not generally have the ability to restrict untrue statements, but the public, I believe, has a responsibility to do so.

Where does this all come from? Well in the era, where we have downright lies in the public arena, this impacts the reliability of the internet at large. Take for example the blatantly false “Maureen Dowd” article which has circulated in emails accusing Barack Obama of being primarily financed by foreign investors (totally false), or internet postings of the Sarah Palin interview with Katie Couric that makes Palin look like a total moron, which are actually transcripts of SNL’s satire of this event. I raise these two examples, because as prominent as the presidential election is, there are people out there who believe the lies, who believe that something they get in an email from a friend or on a random website must be true: not because they’re dumb, just because it’s the only story they have, and they either have a predisposition to believe what they read or are unwilling to verify its authenticity.

Again, you may be asking yourself, why is this in a basketball blog? Because at the end of last week, two jackass talk radio hosts alleged that Magic Johnson had faked having AIDS. This is precisely the type of story that you will hear a year from now as if it were true. All because two guys, either totally ignorant, or so desperate for ratings, would say something so stupid. It’s unacceptable. Magic says they shouldn’t be fired, but he lashed out at them for trivializing both his own tribulations and the amount of work he’s put into helping others with the same disease. Fair enough. But it also highlights the onus that is on all of us to turn those stations off. To delete the stupid emails we get in our inboxes that are totally fake. And to turn off the news stations when you hear the [insert political party here] pundit trying to tell you that [insert politician's name here] had the greatest debate performance ever, or the best campaign, etc., and it’s obvious that the person isn’t even a source of news anymore, but just an advertising mouthpiece for that campaign. Spin is just that, a centrifuge of chosen presentation wrapped around the truth and shiny. Are you looking at the truth, or the shiny parts?

TT6 recently noticed a highly misogynist string of comments over at a popular website the other day, discussing the WNBA, and was compelled to speak out. The power of information is great, and its influence can be insidious. That’s why it’s always on the reader/viewer/listener, to recognize that they’re being given a filtered story, related through a focused lens, and spun however the relator wants to relate that story. Take it for what it is. Here, at this site, we don’t try and hide what we do. We’re about Hyping the Hornets. But we also try to do that in a truthful manner. And if we ever put something in an unfair light, we expect to be called on it.

Now back to your regularly scheduled Hornets blog.

Great article on ESPN today about allegations that the league fixed Playoff series. Conspiracy theorists globally are feeling vindicated. Personally, I remember Jeff Van Gundy making allegations three years ago that he was told about league plans to fuck the Rockets and Yao Ming. He was fined $100,000 and then mysteriously retracted his allegations. The story disappeared. Until Tim Donaghy corroborated it this week. And then JVG reiterated his claims tonight on national TV, though stopping short of saying he would endorse Donaghy’s claims beyond that particular series. Of course, reading his body language, he was chomping at the bit to say more. Conversely, when ABC showed David Stern’s response, his body language was clearly uncomfortable with the lie he was uttering through forced smiles. That’s just my read. But the truth was in his eyes. You just have to look for it.

Another impugned series by Donaghy? Kings-Lakers 2002. Another oft-complained about series. And surprise, surprise, there were also allegations of favoring star players. Gee, really? In the NBA? What? By the way, someone found our site the other day using the search term “NBA referee steals game.” Yeah. Probably a Laker fan. While I make no excuse for the lameness of some Laker fans, the refereeing was definitely wicked questionable in Game 2. But, expect it to be lopsided the other way in L.A. to ensure a 2-2 split. Because as Donaghy makes clear, and anyone otherwise enlightened can see, the NBA cares more about a long series to ensure TV revenues and happy sponsors than who wins. Of course, that’s assuming both teams have superstars and big markets.

Right. But people will say Donaghy’s a rogue. He’s just trying to save himself. Right. His accusations are so implausible. Bullshit. They’re what most fans think most of the time but have no proof thereof. Which, of course, is the hallmark of a good conspiracy. So such logic says the Finals will start in Game 5. By then the refs, and Stern, won’t care who wins. They will have made their money.

I’m trying to move on, really. I’ve been posting on other blogs. I’ve been trying to stay upbeat. I still have the fleur-de-bee desktop picture on my work computer. But being that guy who believes in conspiracies, I started thinking about the teams not named the Magic or Hornets and wondered why David Stern might favor those match-ups….

It could be a Spurs-Pistons, whereby these new Motown kids finally assert their championship pedigree as more than a fluke, or the Spurs solidify their status as a dynasty. Or maybe Kobe does what Shaq couldn’t, namely, beat the Pistons, and makes his own legend; or on the flip side, the Pistons prove they are true champions, beating the Lakers again. Of course, Celtics and anyone is a win for Stern. Beantown’s glory restored by the Boston Three Party; a group of revered veterans get their shots. If they play the Spurs, either the Boston team returns to glory, or the Spurs prove that they are one of the best teams ever. If the Lakers, well, what more can you say, it’s Lakers-Celtics. Stern’s dream come true.

But none of these scenarios include the Hornets and their Hive–which had begun to feel like a second home. And this still feels wrong. So I make a decision to stand by my gut reaction. I decide to refuse to acquiesce to David Stern’s vision of NBA harmony. Sorry, not everyone accepts his Cancer Man-like manipulation. I choose to exercise my freedom not to watch his pre-fab games.

Maybe I’m wrong. But, yes, I still believe he has the power and the will to control games. No, it’s not something that shows up in box scores. It’s not about comparing free throws. It’s about momentum. It’s about psychology. It’s about subtlety. Ask Tim Donaghy. It’s about knowing when what calls will change something without anyone being able to prove anything. Because that’s what makes it a good conspiracy.

But I won’t bite. No more NBA for me. I’m on strike. I won’t just eat whatever bread crumbs are led for me to follow. It’s an NBA Hunger Strike. And this revolution will not be televised. But it will be blogged. Check it out. Or not. That’s your right.

that the Spurs are a better team. I’m sorry. There’s nothing anyone can say. I know at this end of the season moment is where you’re supposed to be gracious. Where you’re supposed to wax poetic about how great of a season it was. That’s not going to happen here. Check back tomorrow for ticktock’s post if you want that.

All game, we and the people around us were screaming about the calls. But we thought, a real champion overcomes bad calls. We thought, the Hornets couldn’t make a shot. They were outrebounded. They were outdone from the 3 point and free throw lines. But that said, the Hornets kept fighting and refused to surrender. That being the case, the Hornets were still within 4 points with 3 minutes left in the game. The Spurs made every fucking shot they could and they were still only up by 4. Then a touch foul. Take two free throws. People in the stands go nuts. And suddenly, when you’re that close, you realize that with all the calls that went against you and you’re still there, that suddenly, not just “all” those bad calls made a difference, but any one or two might have changed the game. Suddenly, you’re thinking of the 2nd quarter when you had a 1 point lead, and then a timeout, a missed shot, and a touch foul turned it around.

The refs can’t throw a blowout, but they can change a close game. Take for example this switch. CP goes to the basket and lays it in. Traveling call. Seriously? (Anyone see the 3-4 steps Lebron took at the end of his Game 7 and still got the and 1? Yeah. ) Then the Spurs march down and score. So it’s not just a 2 point switch, it’s 4. Add to that the 187 steps Ginobli takes at the other end of the floor, moving from one side of the paint to the other somehow, which brought the entire back bowl out of their seats–a violation that was NOT called–and the subsequent basket and 1 and it’s a free 3 points. Crazy. You have Mo Pete slapped on a three miss, D-West and Tyson and CP driving and no and 1s, while Parker, Duncan, and Ginobli get them time and time again. Now I have to listen to the idiots on NBAtv say Robert Horry has the experience, and the young Hornets don’t, after the cheap fucking shot he took the other night. After all the pulls and pushes and grabs that Bowen got away with, he’s savvy. Fuck, a few calls go different and they’re all saying the Spurs are too old and we’re the next dynasty.

Fuck the Spurs. I’m sorry. I know already how most of the Hornets blogosphere will react to this, let alone the rest of the country. But I don’t care. It’s my blog. I was there. And this is my opinion. My take. Two games in a row were decided by refs, when the Hornets were up 3-2. You say the Hornets lost it, but when they couldn’t get a call on their OWN HOME FLOOR, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me. It’s easy for the Spurs to be gracious. They’re moving on. But after watching the Celtics get fucked by the refs, and bailed out by Paul Pierce, and the Hornets get fucked tonight, it’s obvious that the calls ordained for the first 20-some games of the conference semifinals were on the reverse in these game 7s. The NBA has a long history of conspiracy theories and there’s a reason for it. People are saying Lebron is king, so they want him to win. People are saying the Spurs “aren’t a dynasty” because they’ve never won consecutive championships. Fuck, well, then, just give them one more.

I don’t care. You can’t tell me otherwise. The Hornets were the better team. Were they beat? Yes. Were they beat by a better team? No.

All 14 of the players (and those of you who were on the team and are now elsewhere), the coaches, trainers, and assistants, I salute you. You guys are the best team this city has ever seen. Mr. Shinn, the Hornets organization, you’ve been amazing. As far as the Spurs go, you’ve won 4 championships. Congratulations. But this series, you stole it. No one can convince me otherwise. I hate you.

Hello. I am the perfect ref. I am the canonical proportion of he/she who controls/ manages the NBA games. It is also my job to deliver on the expectations of David Stern and other league officials. Moreover, I am paid to protect certain players and teams.

For example, when the upstart New Orleans Hornets come out at halftime playing stifling defense and making shots, and pulling within 5 of the stalwart Spurs at the 10:07 mark, I feel the need to call an offensive, if ridiculous, foul on Chris Paul, who incidentally, was taking over an NBA game without being named Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, or Tim Duncan. So, over the next 1:23 of game time, I make sure to call another foul on Chris, and three on David West, who although not playing his best game, has started the third quarter hot and might take over the game. Just for good measure, I’ll call a technical foul on West too. Incidentally, I’ll ignore the fact that Bruce Bowen, a renowned flopper, who switched to Paul after halftime, keeps hitting the floor suddenly and I keep rewarding him with fouls.

So, since on the first of those fouls, Chris made the shot, the Hornets would have been within 2 or 3 points, I feel good that the Hornets are now pushed to 7, which isn’t a huge swing, but those pesky Hornets keep trying to defend. But the longer this goes, the more upset and angry they are and now they’re playing scared, and the lead blossoms to 11. Fortunately, when you have two evenly matched teams, a 10 point swing really IS the game.

[EDIT: Fuck the refs, fuck the Spurs. Steal your home games any way you want. Bring it Monday, bitches. We'll see who the better team is. Believe that.]