Miami Heat's playoff advancement is unfortuante

The Boston Celtics could have won all five of their series games against the Heat. They consistently did not execute at key moments though. The better team lost. Nonetheless, the better team did not do what they were supposed to do and they deserved to lose (on a certain level at least).

However, it is still unfortunate that the Heat advanced to the next round of the playoffs. Now basketball fans have to endure another round or two of watching the NBA put them on the free throw line any time somebody looks at them wrong.

In the interest of disclosure, Shots Heard has always been a pro-Celtics website. But our annoyance is not based on sour grapes regarding the Celtics loss. Our annoyance is based on the league manufacturing points for the Heat and taking away from the game.

Constantly throughout the Celtics Heat series, Dwy-ane Wayne (learn how to spell Dwayne) and Lebron James would drive into the lane, lunge into a defender that was standing or jumping straight up; and the refs would call the defensive fouls. Sadly, we all knew that that would be the case going into this series. The NBA's dirty tricks are well known.

The only thing, more annoying then the fact that the interficials played this shell game of pretend fouls; was watching Wade and James become enraged when the fallacious calls weren't called. At one point James jumped into the chest of Big Baby Davis and put up a shot that KG blocked (all ball). LBJ and Wade both threw their hands up like babies despite the fact that  the only possible realistic call would be an offensive foul.

Up 87-81 in Game 5, Wade drove into the lane, wildly charged into Nenad Krstic, who was standing straight up and then he threw a shot up that rolled off the rim and into a Celtic player's hands. The ref whistled Krstic for the foul. The call gave the Heat a break, two points and returned momentum to their side.

Krstic could only laugh and demonstrate that he was standing still with his hands straight up.But it's not really a laughing matter. It was not merely a missed call. It was an intentionally bad call that we have seen time and time again from Stern's company men.

We talk about the bs calls. We know they aren't a figment of our imagination. Yet under the Stern regime, the pattern ensues. That is because the pattern is not considered a problem.

It is notable that the corrupt Game 5 rigging came on the heals of Wade committing a flagrant 2 foul that dislocated star Celtics point guard, Rajon Rondo left elbow and effectively took him out of the series. Rondo had 6 points and 3 assists in Game 5. Those numbers are well below his averages. Those numbers are well below what is expected from a player known to elevate his game and constantly post triple doubles in the playoffs.

Adding insult to injury, the NBA did not bother to enforce their own rules and kick Wade out of Game 3 and suspend him for Game 4. It could have easily been the Celtics up 3-1 going into that game. The Celtics could have easily taken that rebound on the Wade miss and gone down and put the dagger into the Heat. And even had they choked, they would have likely won Game 6 at Bean Town.

The Eastern Conference Finals features arguably the three best players in the game; Wade, James and (Derrick) Rose. But the writers at Shots Heard does not plan on watching that high profile WWE Basketball match-up that is slated to go seven games (if Stern gets his way).

Let the peons that Stern is catering to, (especially) enjoy that series. It's not a series for fair minded fans though. Of course, what series is these days?

For those of you that do watch the series, enjoy watching Rose, Wade, James go to the free throw line every time someone breathes on them wrong. Enjoy watching Wade and James barrel into people and get put on the free throw line.


We at Shots Heard, were watching to see if the Celtics could rise above the fray that is Stern and his minions. It is a rooting interest that keeps fans watching sometimes. But Stern has taken away the default rooting interest; the purity of the game. Once a fan's team is eliminated, that fan has no need to 'witness' the ensuing bs.


We won't lie though. This is what the public wants. They want the Bulls and Heat. We are not so silly as to think that the ratings are not the bottom line in Stern's world. The NBA is but a microcosm of the world's corruption. We only speak to those with an embedded sense of pride; you know, the real minority.

Another year, another paper championship for college football

The college football paper championship will be held this week. The featured teams are undefeated Texas and undefeated Alabama. But two deserving undefeated 'mid majors', number four TCU and sixth ranked Boise State will be playing in the proverbial 'F-Off Bowl.' Actually it is called the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Congratulations on sponsoring the corrupt college football ' Bowl Championship Series' Tostitos.

ESPN will spend the entire college football season talking about what top ten team could sneak into the championship game. But if a 'mid major' like Boise State or TCU make a run, they just run into the BCS bouncer at the door and are left outside the club, looking in at the windows of the party, the 'Citi BCS (paper) National Championship.' Congratulations to Citi for sponsoring blatant corruption as well.

From day one, the BCS never passed the sniff test. It was obvious that it was not fully inclusive and that it was a money system designed to prop up 'big conferences' and relegate 'mid majors' to obscurity. Furthermore, the millions of dollars going to outside controlling interests when a championship system could have been elementary and essentially free was more than upsetting to all fans and just about all of the participants.

Last season, Alabama was an SEC Championship Game away from a 'National Championship Game.' They lost and then lost to one of those pesky 'party crashers,' the undefeated Utah. Why was Alabama potentially worthy of a play-in for a championship and Utah relegated to no chance? Corruption, pure and simple.

This year we have two more 'mid majors' that held their own, Boise State and Texas Christian University which is located in Fort Worth, Texas. Boise and Fort Worth have larger populations than than some of the cities that host the 'major conference' teams. The 'mid majors' want to be a part of the championship system.

In 2009, the Mountain West begrudgingly renewed their participation in the BCS, or else they would have had valuable money withheld from them. But these teams are not scared of a little competish. They are not waiting for the next 1984, the year that undefeated 'mid major,' BYU won the National Championship when all other teams did not go undefeated. The 2006 Boise States, 2008 Utahs, 2009 Boise States, 2009 TCUs of the world are ready to put all their chips in.

This season TCU crushed their top 25 competition, beating BYU by 31 and Utah by 27. Boise State put on similar clinics against weaker competition. Shots Heard is not saying those teams would have won the championships and is not saying they would not have won championships. But they deserve a chance.

Shots Heard does not support corrupt systems. So once again this year, we will not watch one play of the paper championship. Nor will Shots Heard glorify the result in any way. We will only cast the due shame upon it.

Picture: The BCS paper championship is not even for the dogs.

Score one for The Evil Empire: BCS TKO's MWC / A summation of 2008 BCS Corruption

Contrary to popular opinion, The Evil Empire is not the New York Yankees. Rather it is the College Football Bowl Championship Series. Why? Simply put, so-call conference commissioners are ravaging any playoff hopes in the pursuit of money and power. It is a power play of such epidemic proportions that undoubtedly many dissertations have been written on this very subject.

The BCS is undeniably inept and corrupt. Remember last season when it became painfully obvious to the tartiest of dolts that there needed to be a playoff system in college football? Though it was clear to all honest and reasonable persons at its outset in 1997.

This week, the Mountain West Conference reluctantly signed onto the agreement, knowing that if they did not do so they would lose their potential consolation at-large bid and funds to help their football programs continue to evolve.

They did so, knowing that it would continue to be the same system that relegated a team like the 2008 Utah Utes (13-0) to the ranking of number two and snub them from a championship game that they so rightfully deserved.

We all remember how haywire the system was:

• USC was practically anointed to go to the championship game. They faced an uphill battle after losing at Corvalis to a good Oregon State football team that ended up being ranked #18. No amount of blowout victories could quite give USC redemption. Though, one could argue that cosmic justice was served as Pete Carroll, the USC head coach suddenly became an outspoken critic of the BCS. In USC's recent golden years of going undefeated a weaker conference, yet going unquestioned to the championship game, Carroll was unwilling to admit to the flaws that were grossly inherent in the system.
• Then how about Texas. They beat then #1 ranked Oklahoma at home, 45-35. Despite the belief of most pundits that Oklahoma would have easily won by ten or more on their home field, the BCS had no problem proclaiming Texas to be in the national championship game if they held serve.
• Alas then Texas Tech Red Raiders came onto the scene, beating the Texas Longhorns 39-33. Suddenly, they were championship contenders. And oddly enough, that loss not only propelled the Red Raiders, but it pushed the Longhorns behind the Oklahoma Sooners in the BCS rankings. What? As the great Gob Bluthe would say, "C'MON!
• Then when Texas Tech failed to punch their championship ticket, losing 65-21 at Oklahoma, all of the sudden the trio of Big Twelve teams that round robbin beat each other (Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech) were no longer in the championship picture. Instead we were looking at undefeated Alabama vs Florida. Undefeated Utah had beat Michigan at The Big House, beat #12 TCU and even if and when they beat #14 BYU it would not matter. Nobody was crying bloody rape about it, though we certainly saw that another Boise State type football team would not get the chance to leave it all on the field, with all due respect to the greatest game in college football history (as I am referring to rankings, not heart).
• And why was Utah, a viable championship contender completely denied any realistic shot at being in the championship game? If you said it is because there is no playoff system in place or you chose that the corrupt BCS that favors "big conference teams" then you'd be correct. In this case Utah's credentials were overlooked. They had to wait and see if the heavens aligned and one loss teams, USC, Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and possibly even Penn State would all lose their second games. Preposterous.

• Florida would be the chosen one (literally chosen) after a win over then undefeated Alabama.. This despite Florida losing to unranked and unhallowed Ole Miss. Though to be fair to Ole Miss; they were a good Oregon State type football team that probably deserved to finish in the top 25 as they went 9-4, only losing by a combined 19 points in there four losses. But alas, the media's obsession with Tim Tebow and their desire for his 'pledge' to come full circle in a Disney type, high selling story clearly gave the Florida the edge over the undefeated Utah, and other one loss contenders like USC, Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama. And without getting into mind numbing details, the schedule strengths and wins were generally of a comparable nature.
  
• The third estate's marginalizes any "small conference team" that comes along, thus propping up the corruption that is inherent in the sytem, to paraphrase Monty Python. Face it, a BYU, Utah, Boise State, Fresno State or whoever can be the best team or one of the best teams. But it is basically like a top Nascar race car starting in the 50th position in a 20 lap race.
• In the end, Oklahoma got the nod as the other one loss team to take on Florida in the national championship
  

In the end, Oklahoma got the nod as the other one loss team to be in the national championship. And what happened to Alabama, who would have went to the championship and would have denied Florida a championship game by simply winning their conference match-up? They would lose their BCS game to none other than the undefeated Utah.

Utah, the team which according to the BCS merited no consideration to be in the national championship game beat Alabama, who would have been assured a championship game with an undefeated season. It was as if they saw the opportunity to punch a corrupt system in the face and they took it!

Although, other fans like myself simply did not dignify a paper trophy championship, with some due respect to Florida and Oklahoma. I did not tune into a single down of that sham of a championship. Many Mountain West administrators likely did not either.

But sadly, those same indignant administrators caved by signing into the BCS through 2013. Or perhaps they took what they viewed as the best option on the table for their conference. After all, without the possibility of an at-large bid into one of BCS non-championship games, the schools would suffer financially and practically.

They could have taken the higher road and been a martyr, but perhaps that was not prudent (for them personally, besides the teams they represent). Instead the Mountain West had their eight team playoff idea shot down by ten other conferences and Notre Dame. This happened amidst, Senate hearings into whether the BCS broke anti-trust laws. But in these crazy times when ABC owns ESPN, General Electric owns NBC, the government has big stakes in AIG and GMC and many sports are natural (supposedly regulated) monopolies, why would we expect anything to come of those hearings?

Fans, you have to tune out if you want to see change. Money is the only language the "big conferences" know.
Picture 1: BCS corruption drawing
Picture 2: Utah fans celebrate their 13-0 2008 season
Picture 3: 'Bribery'