Wade's flagrant 2 foul conveniently overlooked by the NBA, Media

Game 3 of Celtics versus Heat

Dwayne Wade commits a flagrant 2 foul (see video) against Rajon Rondo.

NBA's Flagrant 2 definition - If contact committed against a player, with or without the ball, is interpret-ed to be unnecessary and excessive, a flagrant foul.

How is it a flagrant foul? We must establish how the foul is unnecessary and excessive. After Wade gets the ball knocked away from him. 

Wade needlessly hinders Rondo's progress, by boxing him out and not going for the ball. Such a foul is considered unnecessary. Then he takes it to an excessive level by hooking and pulling him down to the ground with his right arm. As he was doing that, Wade also stuck back his left leg to give him power and leverage. That is excessive.

Were it not for Wade's unnecessary and excessive actions, Rondo would not have dislocated his left elbow. It's an injury that clearly limits Rondo's play going forward. Furthermore, the injury could have ended his season. The injury also could plague him throughout the rest of his career.

The NBA's blind eye towards Wade's flagrant 2 foul

If a call a flagrant 2 is called, then a player is automatically ejected and suspended and that player also is suspended for the next game. Wade should have been kicked out for the remainder of Game 3 and suspended for Game 4.

Even if the interficials (refs) do not call a flagrant 2, 'the league office' still reviews the play and can deem the foul a flagrant 2 and suspend the player for the next game.

Conveniently, the NBA did not do their job. Instead, Wade was predictably  allowed to play a Game 4 taht the Heat won in overtime. The game puts the Heat up in the series 3-1.

The NBA has sent a message (time and time again) that the rules will be applied differently for star players (and certain teams). This instance was not an exception to the rule. It is the unwritten rule.

The media's blind eye towards Wade's flagrant 2 foul

Where is the media outcry? There is none. The media has millions of dollars at stake. They stand to make millions more dollars if the Heat make it to the finals. 

You will not find articles, videos about the play being flagrant. Instead you can find articles about Lebron James characterizing the notion of the play being 'dirty' as 'retarded.' You get political correct condemnation from the media. Meanwhile, reality is completely ignored.

It is so ridiculous. It would be like someone reading this article and only condemning my use of the term 'blind eye' while completely disregarding Wade's Sacred Cow status.

And if they need more fodder, they could condemn the use of the term 'Sacred Cow.'

It's not about 'protecting the players'

We hear time and time again that it's about 'protecting the players.' Really? Rondo's career could have been ended on Wade's flagrant 2 foul. Yet, that fact is being overlooked. It's always going to be about protecting the NBA and the media's financial interests. That's what it's about. PERIOD.

Interficials 2 Celtics 1: Sickening! - Welcome to the WWB

Sickening! That is the best word I can think of to discuss the the 2010 NBA Finals. I should be considering the buzz words like rivalry, great or exciting. But none of that applies quite frankly. The NBA has inserted their company men and they have literally had an impact on almost every play of this series. Even in Game 2 (the one of three games that the Celtics won), the Lakers out shot the Celtics 38 to 19 from the free throw line before the intentional fouls at the end of the game (41-26 was the final tally).

Game 1 and Game 3 of the NBA Finals were the two worst officiated games I have seen since the 2002 Western Conference Finals Game 6 when the Lakers were going for a three-peat. And I know it is no coincidence that it is the Lakers receiving the benefit of  the calls. It is no coincidence that Joey Crawford (ref) was officiating in Game 1. It was no coincidence that Bennet Salvatore (ref) was on the floor in Game 3. It will not be a coincidence when we see Bob Delaney (ref) make an appearance or when we see Crawford come in to play again. 

This is not the National Basketball Association. This is World Wide Basketball. The only thing missing is microphones and the referees throwing in hoops at key times themselves. And Doc Rivers could stand to throw a chair now and then when those terrible calls are made. As it is, he has just smiled gratiously at the myriad of bad calls. To his credit, he understands the politics of it all. He is not going to give himself a coronary over this stuff.

Also it is no coincidence that referee crews are not announce in advance. After all, Stern needs to use his go to guys in the right situations. And it is no coincidence that the refs are paid per diem in the playoffs. After all, the refs that rig the games right should be rewarded.

The officials have called love tap fouls and and phantom calls for the entire series. I watched on one play, where Kobe Bryant ran into the lane, had an easy seven foot shot, but he wanted the and one or free throws in case he missed it. And knowing the ref's propensity to give his team calls, he faded back, shot the ball as he neared the ground and acted like he got hit and banked it in. And one!

The refs successfully pulled Ray Allen out of commission in Game 1. In Game 2 it was Garnett. Game 3 it was Pierce. I counted seven bad calls in a row at one point in Game 3 (and then I stopped counting!).

At one point in Game 1 when the Celtics were trying to make a comeback in a game that was already never a game thanks to the officials, the refs called two bogus call in a row and gave the Lakers four free throws instead of two misses.

I do not want to see Derrick Fisher slide in after Ray Allen has already jumped on a two on one break (with KG) and the refs call a charge and reward that type of bunk. I do not want to see charges on guys that run in and throw it out and a guy flops. Those after the fact charges have no place in basketball. We never dreamed of trying that crap in the eigtees. You would get laughed at for even trying it.

It is truly sad. The Celtics could be up three to zero in this series. But they are too busy playing five on eight that we will never know how it would have went down. I do believe that the Celtics have been the better team. That is clear. They are solid one through five at all times on the court. But while the Lakers have had improved efforts from the supporting cast (guys like Gasol and Bynum), it is clear that Kobe's one on one mentality would not trump the Celtics team play in a properly officiated series. 

But it is clear that the NBA is salivating to pimp Kobe's five rings. To this day, they love the fact that the flashy Dwayne Wade has a ring instead of the goofy German, Dirk Nowitzky. It's much better that the slick hair Riles got a ring instead of the goofy Mark Cuban. And I say this as a guy that rooted for the Heat that series. And yes Wade had one of the greatest championship series, but its hard to truly evaluate its value, knowing that the officials gave him so many bogus calls. 

Bogus calls put people in foul trouble, they alter how players get guarded, they alter momentum, they alter stat sheets. They alter results!

If this was not Celtics vs. Lakers I would have turned the television set off after the second bogus foul called on Ray Allen in Game 1. The officiating is flat out offensive. I cannot even call it officiating. Altering maybe? Interferring? In fact. I'm not going to call them officials anymore. They are but interficials. That's right. I'm making up a word to describe the despicable nature of the NBA interficiating (officiating). The Company Man moniker simply does not go far enough.

Congratulations on your two to one series lead Interficials.

Picture: Although many of the interficials are quite well known. The way they conduct their business is more reminiscient of the Smith clones in the Matrix.

2010 NBA Finals Prediction / Message to the NBA

Despite the Los Angeles Lakers victory in Game 1 last night (due in large part to the company man, Joey Crawford), Shots Heard picks the Boston Celtics to win this series. Also I believe that I forgot to post the predictions for the conference finals. But the two teams I would have picked (Celtics, Lakers) did win.

Also I'd like to note that I have been seeing the company men officiate key games in the playoffs. Game 1's, close-out games, pivotal games, etc. The NBA is non-transparent organization when it comes to the regulating of officials. Monetary bonuses are not disclosed. Also, officials get paid per diem during the playoffs. So when David Stern (NBA commissioner) get the results he wants, the NBA plugs referees back into other key games to do more of the same (as John Kerry and President George W Bush are fond of saying). Because of this pathetic reality, I would not even bother watching these finals if my Celts were not in it.

I did not bother to watch one minute of the 2009 Finals in which I knew a good team (Orlando Magic) could beat the Lakers. I knew it simply would not be allowed. Last night's Game 1 was painful to watch. They called ghost fouls on the Celtics at one end and then allowed the Lakers to body the Celtics up at the other end. I even watched one play where the ball hit out of bounds off of the Lakers right in front of the referee. But instead of giving the Celtics the ball out of bounds, he allowed the Lakers to go on a successful fast break. I watched at one point as the Celtics were making a comeback, that Kobe was bailed out on two consecutive plays. So instead of the Celtics getting transition plays, they watched Kobe take four free throws and keep the game in check.

The NBA has ruined the integrity of the game and no propoganda campaign to put the corruption onus on Tim Donaghy is going to change that. So my suggestion to the NBA, when it comes to this serial use of company men, GET THE FLOCK OF HERE!

Picture 1: Two peas in a pod: Tim Donaghy may be the convicted felon, but David Stern is every bit the criminal that he is.

Picture 2: Kobe Bryant is constantly buddying up to Joey Crawford. At one point during Game 1 of the Finals (2010) he literally covered his mouth and whispered a secret to him.

Picture 3: Once, Crawford gave Tim Duncan two technical fouls while he sat on the bench and was not even talking to Crawford. Yes, that is not made up. The NBA pretended to punish him by suspending him. But he was back on the job in time to fix some playoff games.

Picture 4: It was Crawford who allowed Derrick Fisher to foul Brent Barry during Game 4 of the Conference Finals against the Lakers. Instead of awarding Barry the three free throws and consequently the series tie, the Lakers took the commanding 3-1 series lead. Even worse officiating allowed the Lakers to not be down 2-0 in that series. In Game 2 of the series, with the Lakers down 20 and the Spurs having a 1-0 lead and the following two games in San Antonio, the Lakers were allowed to foul at will.

Picture 5: Lakers always smile when they are around Joey Crawford. Just ask Derrick Fisher.

Picture 6: I put it to you Gregg (Poppovich). Would you have this problem if you were coaching the Lakers?