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Yeah I get it, but suspended for the FULL SEASON???
I agree. That was an extreme punishment.
Yeah I get it, but suspended for the FULL SEASON???
It's incredible that the hands of time have no effect on my feelings about the situation.
The NBA was suffering from Jordan withdrawal in the mid-2000's. Detroit was simply a bigger market than Indianapolis and Ben Wallace was a more-marketable player than anyone on the Pacers, especially with Reggie being well past his prime. There was simply more media upside with him being in the Finals.
Even Shaq has voiced his frustrations with the league (also in 2004):
Shaq curses on TV (uncensored) - YouTube
It's the same reason why $tern installed this ridiculous best-of-seven first round format, and the same reason why the league suspended Jerry Stackhouse (another one of my boys) for a critical Finals game in 2006 for a hard foul - There was simply more marketing upside with Shaq (everyone and their mother's favorite name-recognition player at the time) and flash-and-dash Wade hoisting the trophy than there was for an erratic and temperamental Stackhouse or a soft European Dirk.
Ben Wallace more marketable for the NBA!? Really? That is what you are going with? Because the NBA so often markets defense!? Yes, the NBA punished the Pacers so they wouldn't lose their cash cow, Ben Wallace, who fans tuned in nation-wide to catch.
While I agree that RonRon was punished unfairly, Jordan withdrawal?!? Really?!? By the time the brawl happened, he had already retired (twice) and the league was doing just fine with stars like Shaq, Kobe, D-Wade and Vince Carter (to name a few).
The NBA expanded the playoffs to 7 games in each round for the exact same reason they increased the number of teams that could make the playoffs and the same reason the 1st round expanded from 3 games to 5 games and then to 7 games.................money. More teams in the playoffs and more playoff games played, means more money for the league.
$tern would have commit suicide over a Pacers/Spurs Final and you know it.
If the NBA was doing so great financially in the 2000's, why was MJ awarded two completely undeserving All-Star nods when he was with the Wizards?
And as a result, players today are complaining that there are too many games in a season.
True, they do complain, but that doesn't change the fact that the playoff format changes are money driven, not to favor certain teams over others.
If the NBA was doing so great financially in the 2000's, why was MJ awarded two completely undeserving All-Star nods when he was with the Wizards?
For the same reason that Kobe was voted in last year even though he only played 6 games and the why he will probably be voted in this year even though, so far, his play is not All-Star worthy. MJ was a superstar player and that's who the fans wanted to see. You know as well as I do that the All-Star game isn't about who the best players are at the time, it's about who the fans want to see.
$tern was spoiled during the Jordan Era of the 90's to the point that he thought revenues should be as such every year.
The league has reached worldwide popularity, has unprecedented t.v. deals in place and the freakin' Clippers of all teams just sold for $2 billion. I'd say the league has been doing just fine, post MJ. I despise Stern as a commissioner. However, his main goal as commissioner was to dramatically increase the leagues revenue and to that end, he was very successful.
And please, no one give me that BS that Artest was suspended for the integrity of the game. $tern never gave a fuck about the integrity of the game.
It's incredible that the hands of time have no effect on my feelings about the situation.
The NBA was suffering from Jordan withdrawal in the mid-2000's. Detroit was simply a bigger market than Indianapolis and Ben Wallace was a more-marketable player than anyone on the Pacers, especially with Reggie being well past his prime. There was simply more media upside with him being in the Finals.
Even Shaq has voiced his frustrations with the league (also in 2004):
Shaq curses on TV (uncensored) - YouTube
It's the same reason why $tern installed this ridiculous best-of-seven first round format, and the same reason why the league suspended Jerry Stackhouse (another one of my boys) for a critical Finals game in 2006 for a hard foul - There was simply more marketing upside with Shaq (everyone and their mother's favorite name-recognition player at the time) and flash-and-dash Wade hoisting the trophy than there was for an erratic and temperamental Stackhouse or a soft European Dirk.
Lol I remember watching that game live. It was a 9am Sunday morning game. Even though the Lakers won, Shaq was so pissed at the refs.
Meh, he was probably just pissed that he had to get up early.
So, you are trying to say Shaq is lazy? I never heard that one.
Make your blog already