Lebron goes yet another game without a foul called against him

[Atlantaholic]

EXACTLY! That's the crazy thing: Those two teams are heads and shoulders better than anybody left in the playoffs (well, maybe the Nuggets and the Rockets if they continue to play Kobe like the Bad Boys-era Pistons played Jordan), but the NBA is so scared of losing out on a Lakers-Cavs/Kobe-LeBron Finals matchup that they're seriously going to stack the deck against the rest of the NBA. It's honestly as if this year's playoffs may end up being one big advertisement for the matchup in the Finals. Hell, Vitamin Water is running Kobe vs. LeBron commercials that we will no doubt see a million times when the Finals comes up.

Basically, it's bogus that the NBA is doing this. It's bad that we as fans have come to expect officials to give superstars a little bit of leniency; it's even worse when we as fans know that the officiating WILL be slanted towards the team with the superstar.

It's not only officiating, but the telecasts, the commentating the analysis... It is all totally slanted towards the team with the star. I mean last game, every two minutes they would be talking about Lebron. Lebron's shoes, Lebron's highschool locker, Lebron's Mama, Lebron's celebrations, Lebron's thoughts and fears, Lebron's jock strap... Ok I get it, Lebron is awesome, would it kill them to mention anyone elses name... We are watching a freaking playoff game and I feel like I am watching E true Hollywood story: The fellatio of Lebron.

In truth, it is as much the public's fault as the leagues fault. If there were more actual basketball fans who rooted for teams, and less bandwagon fans that rooted for stars, than the league would adjust their marketing strategy to better fulfill our consumer needs. As it stands the league merely gives us what we, the public, want... and unfortunately what we want is to know how Lebron's feet smell like after a game.

[rugbyprop3]

It's not only officiating, but the telecasts, the commentating the analysis... It is all totally slanted towards the team with the star. I mean last game, every two minutes they would be talking about Lebron. Lebron's shoes, Lebron's highschool locker, Lebron's Mama, Lebron's celebrations, Lebron's thoughts and fears, Lebron's jock strap... Ok I get it, Lebron is awesome, would it kill them to mention anyone elses name... We are watching a freaking playoff game and I feel like I am watching E true Hollywood story: The fellatio of Lebron.

In truth, it is as much the public's fault as the leagues fault. If there were more actual basketball fans who rooted for teams, and less bandwagon fans that rooted for stars, than the league would adjust their marketing strategy to better fulfill our consumer needs. As it stands the league merely gives us what we, the public, want... and unfortunately what we want is to know how Lebron's feet smell like after a game.

well look at ESPN all they talk about is the yankees/redsox when it comes to baseball. about bandwagoninig, my favorite are the ones that have different fav. college teams depending on the sport. or teams spread all over the map with none from there home state

[Frenzy]

The And1 where he made the spin move at the end of the quarter was ridiculous. He literally wasn't touched.

that was also a travel

[rugbyprop3]

that was also a travel

crab dribble get it right, haha

[AHF]

well look at ESPN all they talk about is the yankees/redsox when it comes to baseball. about bandwagoninig, my favorite are the ones that have different fav. college teams depending on the sport. or teams spread all over the map with none from there home state

I also hate the ESPN fixation on Yankees/Redsox; on Duke basketball; and on all the other bandwagoning done in the press. It is annoying.

My least favorite part about the NBA is the differential treatment of players by officials. There should be no "rookie" calls or "superstar" calls. Just call the game. If Varejao does something he should get the same call as Chris Bosh when Bosh does the same thing. If LeBron bumps someone when going for a steal, make the same call as when Mario West does it. If a Celtic (cough...Rajon Rondo...cough) hammers someone make the same call as if that player was a Phoenix Sun or Miami Heat player (and I say that while acknowledging that I am a Rondo fan). Just call the game.

The star system has been around forever and I don't blame Cleveland fans for justifying it to themselves when they are the beneficiaries after watching Jordan and others get it over them in the past. But it stunk when Jordan got gimme calls and it stinks when LeBron, Wade, Kobe, etc. get them today.

As for Cle/Atl, I would guess 5% of our fan base thinks we are better than Cleveland and probably 1% thinks we are better even with Horford and Marvin injured. IMO, we could compete several games during the series if healthy but CLE is clearly better at this point in time and just outclasses the group we saw on the floor in Game 1.

[rugbyprop3]

I also hate the ESPN fixation on Yankees/Redsox; on Duke basketball; and on all the other bandwagoning done in the press. It is annoying.

My least favorite part about the NBA is the differential treatment of players by officials. There should be no "rookie" calls or "superstar" calls. Just call the game. If Varejao does something he should get the same call as Chris Bosh when Bosh does the same thing. If LeBron bumps someone when going for a steal, make the same call as when Mario West does it. If a Celtic (cough...Rajon Rondo...cough) hammers someone make the same call as if that player was a Phoenix Sun or Miami Heat player (and I say that while acknowledging that I am a Rondo fan). Just call the game.

The star system has been around forever and I don't blame Cleveland fans for justifying it to themselves when they are the beneficiaries after watching Jordan and others get it over them in the past. But it stunk when Jordan got gimme calls and it stinks when LeBron, Wade, Kobe, etc. get them today.

As for Cle/Atl, I would guess 5% of our fan base thinks we are better than Cleveland and probably 1% thinks we are better even with Horford and Marvin injured. IMO, we could compete several games during the series if healthy but CLE is clearly better at this point in time and just outclasses the group we saw on the floor in Game 1.

like I have openly stated though, the hawks goal was to get out of the first round, the cavs goal is to win it all. I say give the hawks another year or 2 and they will be major contenders

[Atlantaholic]

like I have openly stated though, the hawks goal was to get out of the first round, the cavs goal is to win it all. I say give the hawks another year or 2 and they will be major contenders

It depends... The right moves have to be made and we may need another all star if Joe Johnson is as fragile as he has shown the last two years.

All I see right now is Deja Vu of the mid ninties when the Hawks would have average/good teams that got to the second round just to get annihilated by the Bulls.

Good thing we spend the next ten years after that rebuilding to get to the point where we can now be good enough to get to the second round and get annihilated by the Cleveland Lebron's for the next few years.

:sad:

[rugbyprop3]

It depends... The right moves have to be made and we may need another all star if Joe Johnson is as fragile as he has shown the last two years.

All I see right now is Deja Vu of the mid ninties when the Hawks would have average/good teams that got to the second round just to get annihilated by the Bulls.

Good thing we spend the next ten years after that rebuilding to get to the point where we can now be good enough to get to the second round and get annihilated by the Cleveland Lebron's for the next few years.

:sad:

dont worry we spent 10 years getting annihilated by the Chicago Jordan's so i know how you feel

[FrankWhite]

It's not only officiating, but the telecasts, the commentating the analysis... It is all totally slanted towards the team with the star. I mean last game, every two minutes they would be talking about Lebron. Lebron's shoes, Lebron's highschool locker, Lebron's Mama, Lebron's celebrations, Lebron's thoughts and fears, Lebron's jock strap... Ok I get it, Lebron is awesome, would it kill them to mention anyone elses name... We are watching a freaking playoff game and I feel like I am watching E true Hollywood story: The fellatio of Lebron.

Speaking of this, I love how the TNT guys keep mentioning Kobe "suffering" from a sore throat during game 1. Really? A sore throat is now a serious injury?

[bronnt]

It depends... The right moves have to be made and we may need another all star if Joe Johnson is as fragile as he has shown the last two years.

All I see right now is Deja Vu of the mid ninties when the Hawks would have average/good teams that got to the second round just to get annihilated by the Bulls.

Good thing we spend the next ten years after that rebuilding to get to the point where we can now be good enough to get to the second round and get annihilated by the Cleveland Lebron's for the next few years.

:sad:

At this point, I'd take the success of those 90's teams. At that point we had a respected franchise that made the playoffs 8 years running, even if they couldn't break through. They seriously just needed to upgrade at SF and find a key bench sparkplug and they might have made some real noise. We weren't the toast of the NBA, but we were far from a laughingstock.

Right now we're still feeling the repercussions, as a fanbase, for our 8 year drought. Too many times you still hear guys say "Oh, it's still the Hawks," and the arena isn't filling up even though we're finally putting together a solid team.

And just a thought-forgive this little tangent-if you want to rag on BK's draft record, just look at how solid the 1999 draft was and what we got with 4 first round picks...not to mention the Steve Smith for Jim Jackson/Isiah Rider trade.

[Joker]

At this point, I'd take the success of those 90's teams. At that point we had a respected franchise that made the playoffs 8 years running, even if they couldn't break through. They seriously just needed to upgrade at SF and find a key bench sparkplug and they might have made some real noise. We weren't the toast of the NBA, but we were far from a laughingstock.

Right now we're still feeling the repercussions, as a fanbase, for our 8 year drought. Too many times you still hear guys say "Oh, it's still the Hawks," and the arena isn't filling up even though we're finally putting together a solid team.

And just a thought-forgive this little tangent-if you want to rag on BK's draft record, just look at how solid the 1999 draft was and what we got with 4 first round picks...not to mention the Steve Smith for Jim Jackson/Isiah Rider trade.

We were abunch of vets with Deke being our star. You can't win in this league without a superstar. Detroit did it but all their starters were all star level and they were vets.

[dlpin]

My problem isn't that there are superstar calls. Every sport has them.

My problem is that in the last 10 years it has gone beyond anything we ever had before.

Before, a player would have to earn the preferential treatment. The Pistons would foul Jordan hard when he was young and get away with it. Bird was punched in the face by Doctor J while Moses Malone held him and neither were suspended, as Bird was still a young player and had not earned the superstar treatment.

But then in the 90s the NBA realized that a superstar (Jordan) sold more tickets and merchandise than even the big market teams (lakers, boston, NY). Ratings for even Bulls Jazz were about double to any lakers-celtics final. So they decided they were gonna promote the hell out of anyone with promise to make them the next Jordan.

So Kobe gets away with everything from the first season on because they think he is the next jordan, and then Lebron gets away with everything because they think he is the next jordan, and so on. All this from their very first season, and to a degree much greater than before.

And not only that, but there is also the "official" superstar treatment, with all the ridiculous rule changes that make it impossible for big men to effectively defend the rim. Now if a perimeter player beats their man, the center/PF has to step away from the rim because of the ever growing no-charge area and the inevitable and 1 if they try to defend it.

[saiff]

I think the calls are getting out of hand. The inequity in the penalties is absurd. How is the Kobe elbow different from the Dwight Howard one. Simple answer: Kobe is more of a star. Poor Rafer Alston, lack of star power so he is going to lose a game. Was his head slap worse than a Kobe elbow to the neck or Fisher's wind up elbow to the face.

Doug Collins called Fisher tough for the cheapshot, I doubt he says that if Josh Smith does the same thing.

See what I wrote. http://saifbet.blogspot.com/2009/05/its-al...ght-howard.html

SF

My problem isn't that there are superstar calls. Every sport has them.

My problem is that in the last 10 years it has gone beyond anything we ever had before.

Before, a player would have to earn the preferential treatment. The Pistons would foul Jordan hard when he was young and get away with it. Bird was punched in the face by Doctor J while Moses Malone held him and neither were suspended, as Bird was still a young player and had not earned the superstar treatment.

But then in the 90s the NBA realized that a superstar (Jordan) sold more tickets and merchandise than even the big market teams (lakers, boston, NY). Ratings for even Bulls Jazz were about double to any lakers-celtics final. So they decided they were gonna promote the hell out of anyone with promise to make them the next Jordan.

So Kobe gets away with everything from the first season on because they think he is the next jordan, and then Lebron gets away with everything because they think he is the next jordan, and so on. All this from their very first season, and to a degree much greater than before.

And not only that, but there is also the "official" superstar treatment, with all the ridiculous rule changes that make it impossible for big men to effectively defend the rim. Now if a perimeter player beats their man, the center/PF has to step away from the rim because of the ever growing no-charge area and the inevitable and 1 if they try to defend it.

[AHF]

Nice article saiff.

[Atlantaholic]

We were abunch of vets with Deke being our star. You can't win in this league without a superstar. Detroit did it but all their starters were all star level and they were vets.

We were as good or better than that Detroit team, they just had the fortune of coming together when they did

[LOL_Hawks]

So, I think I've counted at least 2 or 3 fouls in the first quarter alone by LeBron.

[AtLaS]

The non-charge on LeBron on Smith is probably the worst call I've seen this playoffs..

[DrReality]

The officiating has taken the competition out of the game. Does not want to make me watch it.

[Guest]

The non-charge on LeBron on Smith is probably the worst call I've seen this playoffs..

So I want to think that these horrible calls on Smoove have snowballed for our team and thats why we are losing. I want to think that, but we have been outmanned, outhustled, and outplayed.

[dlpin]

How many clear fouls can you count?