The boring NBA

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Do you remember a time when the NBA playoffs were fun? Now it seems that unless your particular team is in action, the playoffs appear almost as tedious as the regular season. It seems like everyone is already looking forward to football season.

Get Wild Bill's entire story by going to the RX home page at www.therx.com

Also, read Fezzik's article regarding 'listed' pitchers by going to the home page.

Charlie
 

Another Day, Another Dollar
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Good article Bill.

NBA is pathetic and I think any logical poll would prove this. There is no repair. There is no control.

The biggest problem and easiest presumption as to how it got here IMO...

What did the good ol' boys top out at for an annual salary again? Back in the 80's when the game was fun.

I am almost ashamed of watching to much of the Pacer games this playoffs.
 

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Its not the huge salaries. Its David Stern and his image is everything promotion of the game. The refs are horrible. Some of these calls they make you think the fix is in. They rarely call traveling. When a player picks up his dribble and then hops and pivots its traveling. When you go to the hole and get hit its a foul. The refs rarely call that too. Its boring to watch.
 

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I think the refs make calls or do not make calls many, many times to assure an outcome ATS. JMO of course as stated a few times here.
 

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Plain and simple many guys can't shoot.... If you watched a Nba game say in the 80's most guys were money shooting open J's... Reggie Miller is just too old... He never would miss so many wide open threes. Hell Patrick Ewing would easily hit 15ft jumpers... so would Hakeem..
lolBIG.gif
NBA!!!
Also with so many teams in the NBa the league is watered down.. Also guys coming out too early... Lebron is just a freak...
 
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General..

You are saying then that the referees are knowledgable about the spread in each game, and that at the end of games if the spread is close, its a ingredient as to the way the game is officiated in the closing moments..

Thats a interesting observation..If that is true then there is a conspiracy by the officials and the league..

Anything is possible..I doubt very strongly that this practice exists..

JMO..
 

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the NBA might be boring, but anything has to be more rewarding than watching terry francona make managing descions
 

Another Day, Another Dollar
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SBT,

There is no doubt in my mind, starting with Crawford. I have no proof, but we have seen alot of funny stuff in the NBA. I do not think each ref could be in on this.

A whistle here and a whistle there makes a world of difference to many.
 

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i should have gotten in to the NHL. fish and winky talk about it like its so great. you guys must be having a blast. im not happy man. this sox team was so over hyped i just want football to get here. really. sometimes girls and money doesnt put a smile on your face. i feel real let down man. the nba sucks and francona is ruining the sox. i feel like i should have followed the lighting more since i used to live there.
 
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General..

Historically..Factually..If you have the guy with the stripes in your corner..no better edge..

I think in a game where offense..defense is a constant..like basketball..It is less evident if someones on someones payroll..FB more under the scope..Instant replay puts the officiating on a different level in that sport..

You mention Crawford..heres a gentlemen whose family history is all about rules of sport..If he was ever scrutinized for...lets say..favoritism for one team over another..OH BOY..the ramifications could be endless..

Its a great topic..Its an underlying issue..What if.....

Funny stuff in the NBA..

I will tell you what was funny..I saw a guy catch the ball..Hold it for what I thought had to be at least 1/2 a second..Take 1/2 a step with the ball..then throw it in the basket with .04..left in the game..

I am not sayin, I am just sayin..
 

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watch espn classic from the 70's if you want to see the last time
the refs fully enforced travelling/palming violations in the
nba.If this rule continues to erode,i predict you will see
lebron run the full length of the court without dribbling
the ball within a couple of years.

they also should get rid of the 3 point shot which not only
ruins continuity on offense,but allows teams to easily prevent
fastbreaks whilst firing away at the basket.perhaps we will
see the return of the silky smooth mid range shooter--where
are you Bob Mcadoo!!!

Hey moderators give me my old posting name back "Maria Sharapova

soon to be tennis top ten.

Ciao
 

Another Day, Another Dollar
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> If this rule continues to erode,i predict you will see
lebron run the full length of the court without dribbling
the ball within a couple of years.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

lol.gif



Tag change also?
 

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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by RobFunk:
i should have gotten in to the NHL. fish and winky talk about it like its so great. you guys must be having a blast. im not happy man. this sox team was so over hyped i just want football to get here. really. sometimes girls and money doesnt put a smile on your face. i feel real let down man. the nba sucks and francona is ruining the sox. i feel like i should have followed the lighting more since i used to live there.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Give me Grady Little back!!
icon_mad.gif
 

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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Maria Sharapova:
watch espn classic from the 70's if you want to see the last time
the refs fully enforced travelling/palming violations in the
nba.If this rule continues to erode,i predict you will see
lebron run the full length of the court without dribbling
the ball within a couple of years.

they also should get rid of the 3 point shot which not only
ruins continuity on offense,but allows teams to easily prevent
fastbreaks whilst firing away at the basket.perhaps we will
see the return of the silky smooth mid range shooter--where
are you Bob Mcadoo!!!

Hey moderators give me my old posting name back "Maria Sharapova

soon to be tennis top ten.

Ciao<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Actually, long rebounds on 3-pointers usually CREATE fast-break opportunities.

But you're right about LeBron. The refs gave him 3 steps as a rookie. What happens when LeBron becomes a seasoned vet?
 

Hard work never killed anyone, but why chance it?
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http://www.quotemeonit.com/knightb.html

Robert Montgomery Knight, "The most susceptible guy in any gambling scheme is an official, without any question. I mean, if we only knew the truth about games that were controlled by officials having gambling interests, I think it would be amazing."
 

Another Day, Another Dollar
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by vegassportspics:
http://www.quotemeonit.com/knightb.html

Robert Montgomery Knight, "The most susceptible guy in any gambling scheme is an official, without any question. I mean, if we only knew the truth about games that were controlled by officials having gambling interests, I think it would be amazing."<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

And the crowd goes silent as the legend tells it like it is.
marsububu.gif
 

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By the time Magic Johnson could call himself a 10-year NBA veteran, he was on his way to establishing the roots of what is now a $700 million business empire that today includes restaurant and coffee franchises, movie theatres, fitness centers, bank partnerships and real estate holdings.

And while the five-time world champion, do-everything, Hall of Fame guard says he's enthralled by what many pundits called the best rookie matchup since the very mention of Johnson inevitably included Larry Bird in 1979, the businessman in him is intrigued with the investing potential of the league's new up-and-comers, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.

"They have to not only be ball players, but they have to run companies," Johnson said in an interview with ESPN that also included Bird, James and Anthony. "Nobody has ever made as much as LeBron coming out, and Carmelo is right behind him. Larry and I can sit here and say that they probably made more money in their first couple of years combined than we probably made our first five years combined."

The comparison is staggering. Not only have league revenues soared, contributing to the rise in salaries, but the success of Michael Jordan as a marketing vehicle helped to boost the off-the-court earnings of James and Anthony, both of whom have lucrative Nike contracts.

In Johnson and Bird's first 10 seasons in the league, they never had a salary higher than what the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Denver Nuggets paid James and Anthony this year -- $4 million and $3.2 million, respectively.

James also pulled in a cool $30 million in endorsement deals and signing bonuses from Nike, Coca-Cola, Upper Deck and Bubblicious in his rookie season. Anthony, the runner-up the James as NBA Rookie of the Year, cashed in on about $5 million in endorsement deals with Nike, Radio Shack and PLB Sports, which makes his signature candy bar.

Neither Johnson nor Bird made $30 million in endorsements over the course of their first decade in the league, and Bird's most famous commercial didn't debut until after he retired -- McDonald's "The Nothin' But Net" spot with Michael Jordan, which first aired during Super Bowl XXVII in January 1993.

Both the 19-year-old James and the 20-year-old Anthony are hoping to follow in Johnson's footsteps.

Johnson, who has a 5 percent ownership stake in the Lakers, currently controls two T.G.I. Friday's restaurants and on Monday announced that he was acquiring 30 Burger King franchises in four states. Through a special arrangement with Seattle SuperSonics owner and Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz, Johnson is the coffee company's only franchisee and currently operates 68 stores under his business umbrella. He has five 12-screen Loews movie theatres, with another on the way, and his name is on five 24-Hour Fitness facilities and 15 home loan centers at Washington Mutual banks throughout the country. Johnson's company, through a partnership with Los Angeles-based investment firm Canyon Capital Realty Advisors, also has purchased millions of square feet in eight urban areas across the country.

Real estate will likely be the first major investment for both James and Anthony. James is expected to make land purchases in downtown Cleveland and is interested in building houses in Akron, where he grew up and currently lives, according to his agent, Aaron Goodwin. "We've sifted through opportunities and we are soon going to start up businesses similar to the way Magic has done it," Goodwin said.

Anthony is deep in the process of identifying partners for real estate opportunities in Denver and in areas near his hometown in Baltimore. The Nuggets forward is interested in building subsidized housing, where the lower rent is balanced by the tax breaks and the contribution to the community is tangible, said Bill Duffy, Anthony's agent.

Food franchises could be next for the two.

Goodwin is in the process of negotiating with quick-service food companies who are vying to name James as an endorser. According to a source familiar with negotiations, a final agreement could include the franchise rights to a number of restaurants over the life of the contract. Goodwin would not comment on the potential of such a deal.

James and Anthony know that Johnson didn't make it to the top of the business world without help and both plan to surround themselves with experts when exploring each of their opportunities.

"Even though we say we our own boss, there are still people out there that we can get advice from, that we need to listen to," Anthony said. "To help us to maintain how successful we are for our own career."

Said Johnson: "We had to develop to become companies. I run my companies now, but I had to develop that over some time where they could come out as rookies, and have their own companies. Larry and I had to get our car dealerships and hotels."

Said Bird: "I always said that Magic wanted to be the billionaire. I just want a couple hundred million."

Bird has not spent as much time delving in the business world as his adversary. Since retiring as a player in 1992, he worked in the Celtics' front office for five years before taking the job as head coach of the Indiana Pacers. Bird retired after a three-year run that ended with the Pacers in the NBA Finals, but he returned in 2003 to become the team's president of basketball operations.

Bird is part of a group that is bidding to build a riverboat casino in his home town of French Lick, Ind. The proposed project would include a 50,000-square-foot casino and a museum commemorating his career. A winner in the three-bid race, which includes Donald Trump, is expected to be announced in July.

Early in his career, Bird was involved in the only sports video game endorsement deal in sports history that was worth more than $1 million to an athlete. Unfortunately for Bird, he wasn't on the receiving end.

In 1983, an upstart video game company, Electronic Arts, produced the game Dr. J vs. Larry Bird. As part of the deal, both Julius Erving and Bird received $20,000 for the use of their name and image and 2½ percent of the profits from the sales of the game, which sold more than 500,000 copies.

But after Erving flew to the offices, did a photo shoot and helped with the design of the game, Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins thought he owed a little bit more to Dr. J, who was the league's reigning MVP. The offer was the opportunity to buy 20,000 shares of the company at $1 per share. Erving took Hawkins up on his offer and the rest is history. The company's stock soared, splitting several times, and Erving's $20,000 investment soon became $1 million. "I still have the majority of the shares, so it turned out to be a pretty good deal," Erving said.

Twenty years later, even LeBron and Carmelo, who admit to playing hours of video games per day, will be hard-pressed to ink a video game endorsement deal that is that lucrative.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1818614
 

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