NBA 2010-11
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@CanHas - you've got it right - these are skilled, professional athletes, where even marginally effective players are multi-millionaires, where the truly gifted play a game virtually unheard of just 15-20 years ago.
I can still remember the first time I saw Julius Erving play and marvelled how I'd never see anyone like him again. The difference was I simply had not seen enough basketball to comprehend what was out there, seemingly flying to the rim, over and over again.
The possibility of rigging a game is always there, but I choose, after 40 years of watching the game (and about ten playing it), to believe in other possibilities. The Heat are a team of gifted individuals, whereas the Mavericks are a gifted team. Hence the result and the anticipation of more to see as the years go by.
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There is nothing easy about basketball. It's soccer, with your hands instead of your feet, with a lot less free ball traveling. Yes, you get more timeouts and breaks in bball, but it's also easier to score, which makes you work just as hard, if not harder on both sides of the ball (offense vs. defense).
IMO, I find it hard to believe there's any true behind-the-scenes rigging in basketball; if anything, maybe some unethical side bets, but even that is kind of unbelievable. Look at your Joe Crawford's and Bob Delaney's. These dudes love the game, and have been officiating for years. Last thing they'd want is to be disgraced themselves, or bring disgrace to the good game.
And if players were taking bribes or throwing games, you can bet all 444 other players in the NBA would want to beat your ass, including yoru teammates. There'd be no hiding it from that kind of shit.
- I should say, "the athleticism is like soccer with your hands"********
- I should say, "the athleticism is like soccer with your hands"
- CanHasQBN0
Kinda unrelated, but these are the 400 of the best basketball players in the country. I mean think about it. Just about every male in America has tried to play basketball. Every of us knows exactly how good or bad we are at it because it's such an accessible sport (unlike other sports such as Hockey or Tennis).
To put it simply, every American male has made an attempt to make it to the NBA on one level or another. So to have that sort of competition out there, and then you get to be a part of that very small select group of 400... it's insanely elite. I couldn't imagine what it's like to be down there, on the court, wearing one of those jerseys.
- you could be a hockey star getting paid the same as an NBA star, but the road to that level was much harder forCanHasQBN
- the basketball player.CanHasQBN
- were you upset when you realised you wouldn't be an NBA star?eficks
- who said i'm not one?CanHasQBN
- FYI, nhl players dont get paid the same as nba players.CygnusZero4
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@dm - I would suspect that any rigging/betting schemes would be more based on less visible/direct bits of subterfuge - point shaving being the most obvious, well documented example. Say, LeBron not playing up to snuff, keeping the spread within x-range... sure, possible. But, you are right - that shit always gets exposed, eventually someone is going to figure it out and the exposure begins. The best source of this information will always be Las Vegas the books that are kept there - they'd know long before anyone else does.
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People who gamble don't really have much influence on the leagues or teams, the people who are influencing the game are the people who have the most amount of money actually invested in it. Betting is change compared to sponsors and owners and executives. These are the people who want to see certain teams win the championships at opportune times.
- yes, each sponsor and owner of every team wants to win it all.eficks
- sure but they also don't mind losing sometimes to help the league or other influential people********
- so they lose money themselves?eficks
- no everyone wins********
- can i get the number of your crack supplier?eficks
- who's losing money? this is the NBA we're talking right. its big money even when they lose. they like the attention the entire league gets********
- entire league gets.********
- +1 eficks********
- Heat lost this year and yet they probably made more money as a franchise then when the won the championship with Shaq********
- i cant get into any sort of belief that david stern, or any owner/coach would collaborate for ratings.********
- meanwhile Dallas is famous, everyone knows who Drik is. He wasn't that famous before this. Everyone knows who lebron is.********
- even if he loses... he will win next year********
- hmmm... if I follow your logic, a Lakers, Heat finals would have been far more profitable...********
- someone at the league office needs to work harder at that... =)********
- so the league fixed games and made butler injure himself half way through the season?********
- all so that people would know who dirk, chandler, terry, kidd, stevenson, haywood, cardinal, marion and brewer are?********
- and they would get sponsorships?********
- and that would bring more money to the league?********
- not really because LA has had their day, everyone is bored with them. The Celtics made their finals more interesting.********
- Dallas was given this one because of the last time they lost. The Heat still have plenty of time to win championships.********
- here you go bro: http://www.wired.com…********
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@Dod - I think you are forgetting a few things - the money made legally, conspiracy theory or not, is all taxable, traceable, paper trails will exist somewhere. Illegally made money, via gambling, is not taxable, traceable and few, if any, paper trails exist. The exposure can happen, but usually because someone is scared for their life or pissed off.
You want better theory to riff on? Look at the Pittsburgh Pirates. They spend little, languish at the bottom of the standings and are very, very profitable, courtesy of revenue sharing. All perfectly legal, but far from, for the want of a better term, fair.
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^
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Last thing I'll say. Classy move by Cuban giving Carter the trophy. I was so tired I didn't even notice that until I just watched a replay vid. Good stuff.
- CanHasQBN0
^^^ Doesn't the governor of that god-awful city have anything better to do than blame a basketball player for the failure of his city???
- You have no knowledge of Ohio sports history I see.********
- You have no knowledge of Ohio sports history I see.
- OSFA0
Cuban tipped LIV staff $20K according to this...
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- pinkfloyd0
I can't stand players who are always flopping like Cardinal in the Mavs. Just play the game.
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- BonSeff0
any dallas heads gonna be out for the parade thurs? i live downtown & will be out n about.
- utopian0
- I was wondering about that the other day when I saw the new commercials.********
- I was wondering about that the other day when I saw the new commercials.
- BusterBoy0
Hey, did you hear they are celebrating Lebron day in Dallas today? Everyone is knocking off work 12 minutes early.
