NBA fixing: biggest American sports story in recent memory?

[ThaSaltCracka]

Yeah this won't be a big deal until it involves a player or coach that everyone hates. So it probably won't blow up.

[Dids]

Grunching thread for a few thoughts:

This is big because reffing in the NBA has been called into question pretty heavily in the past. Nobody saw Hedake Smith coming. Everybody saw inconsistencies in the NBA and perhaps were far too forgiving in their judgements. When David Stern is fining Mark Cuban millions of dollars for criticizing refs that end up being crooked, that's big.

If somebody can get away with this, why is the NBA tolerating such poor quality of reffing? Did Stern look into why bad calls were being made? This has potential to reflect very badly on Stern.

Also, my love of drama and dislike for Stern/NBA refs really hopes this blows up. It'll just be a somewhat awesome story to watch.

[tuq]

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Tuq, you are way to calm about this whole thing.

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LOL, no man I'm just saving my angst for all of my RL friends, misery loves company and nobody wants/needs to hear me bitch on here. The town is pretty pissed though.

As for the Spurs/Suns game three, check out this article with a legendary handicapper. Here all this time we've been moaning about him rigging the game for the Spurs, whereas this guy - who clearly knows his stuff - said he is 100% sure Donaghy was controlling the over/under, not the line. More fouls, more free throws, etc. Don't have that box score handy but they went over by around nine points so I wouldn't be surprised if there were a lot of trips to the line that night.

[tuq]

OK, I went back through that series, that game actually did have the highest number of FTA of the six games. Here are the teams' combined trips:

Game 1 - 60
Game 2 - 35
Game 3 - 63
Game 4 - 43
Game 5 - 45
Game 6 - 54

[tuq]

Sorry to keep spamming this thread but in the article I linked here is an interesting tidbit:

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In the NFL, there's a task force that on Monday reviews every critical call that came anywhere near the point spread.

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[MikeyPatriot]

Has Mark Cuban said anything yet?

[kidcolin]

http://www.blogmaverick.com/2007/07/...y-as-catalyst/

[tuq]

I'm curious to see how the league handles what players and owners can and can't say. I mean I could see how someone like Amare, who was limited to 20 or so minutes in that one game because of fouls is tempted to go apeshit in the press, or Sarver, who may feel like his team got screwed yet again in the same series, and how could the league actually fine them if they did? Yet somehow they'll be good minions and follow the party line (well, not to mention that it's generally a bad idea to bad mouth their own league anyway...).

[Dids]

Because I'm bored.

My attempts at ranking this throwing in a few more big stories. I feel like this list is still incomplete...

NBA gambling (if it's anything more than just one dude)
OJ Simpson
Magic Johnson with AIDS
Pete Rose gambling
Bonds/Sosa/McGwire/Canseco "steroid era"
NBA gambling (if it's just one dude)
CCNY Point Shaving
Tyson rape case
Nancy Kerrigan
BC Point Shaving
Jordan to baseball
Tyson ear biting
Duke lacrosse rape case
Vick dog fighting
Kobe rape case
Ben Johnson doping
ASU Point Shaving
Team USA baskeball turning into a joke

[Triumph36]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm curious to see how the league handles what players and owners can and can't say. I mean I could see how someone like Amare, who was limited to 20 or so minutes in that one game because of fouls is tempted to go apeshit in the press, or Sarver, who may feel like his team got screwed yet again in the same series, and how could the league actually fine them if they did? Yet somehow they'll be good minions and follow the party line (well, not to mention that it's generally a bad idea to bad mouth their own league anyway...).

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tuq,

how does getting amare stoudemaire into foul trouble aid an over/under? perhaps i am an nba fish, but wouldn't they be better served if he were left in the game?