newper wrote:
I was thinking about this again tonight for some reason, but what are some of the sports events that you feel someone was just plain wronged -- they were penalized for some reason, and even after appeals, were denied that they were in the right.
For me, I was just thinking of Gregg Popovich in 2012... it is a road trip and he wants to give his starters rest, so Duncan, Parker, Ginoblii, and Danny Green get the night off. Now, from what I know about coaching in the NBA (which is not that much), you can start or rest whoever you want and make substitutions however you want, subject to the rules of the game. That's kind of what defines a coach as far as game play goes. Well, apparently I am wrong, because Stern hits the Spurs with a $250,000 fine for a "disservice to the league and the fans." Such fucking bullshit. Stern is not a coach, Stern did not set up any rules with the league regarding resting players before hand... he was just pissed that this happened to be a national game and the stars were not playing. It is not a commissioner's call to say how a team should be managed.
I am so pissed about this to this day that my face turns red everytime I think about it. It is someone in power, abusing their privledge, and there's no accountability for it. Kangaroo court in action in the NBA. I think I get more upset that other people aren't upset about it. The only semi-persuasive argument I have heard against my opinion is that fans that bought tickets were expecting to see Duncan, Parker, etc. but they don't play if they get injured, so if you are buying the tickets 3 or 4 months ahead, that argument holds no water. Maybe I would buy it from people buying the day before, but I don't think 2012 Miami Heat/San Antonio Spurs tickets were just hanging around.
Arggg I should not have posted this because now I am angry and I need to calm down before bed.
Well, I think the fine was excessive, especially without clarifying the expectations, but this is something the league needs to make "coach-proof". There's no reason to rest all of those guys at once. It's a slap in the face of the fans. I understand that in a guy like Popp's world, winning is everything and that's the way it should be if we want to have the kind of integrity in our games that make them meaningful, but there's a bigger picture there too. These games are entertainment. And if you lose sight of that in pursuit of wins, soon enough you won't have a game at all.
I was having this discussion about baseball the other day. Advanced analytics have really made the game less entertaining. The idea that a pitcher's job is to "miss bats" has created the five inning starter. That's why I don't feel sorry when some lesser pitcher blows the K king's game in the eighth or ninth. If he had learned how to pitch instead of just trying to blow everyone away, he might be around to finish his own game. But the analytics are at work on the hitter's side too. Every guy going up to take, take, take pitches. It may be a winning strategy, but it sure as hell ain't entertaining. If I want to see people walk I'll go to Lincolnwood Town Center at 9:00 in the morning.
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