Gone are the halcyon days of our youth – when the NBA of the early to middle 1990s was securely the best game in town. Was it the legions of committed superstars? The best-ever center and best-ever shooting guard dominating titles throughout the decade? How about the coverage – NBC’s “Game of the Week,” and solid Turner sports coverage. Was that it? Was it our resolute (now expired?) fandom of the Portland TrailBlazers?
Whatever the reason, things have totally changed. We don’t check in much with the NBA anymore, barely able to feign interest in the Conference Finals, even though they feature four of the greatest franchises in the history of the league.
Maybe, however, it’s none of the above. Maybe, it’s the stupidity within the coverage. For instance:
We’re way late on this, but on Tuesday the Lakers eked out a win at San Antonio over the rival Spurs. As you may have heard, a glaring no-call helped seal the win for the Lakers. It’s never particularly satisfying when a referee’s whistle chirps at the end of a game – especially not for the losers, nor the onlookers. However, in this case Derek Fisher impeded Brent Barry‘s progress, and a 2-shot foul should have been called. Sure, it sucks – it’s basketball’s worst play, the awkward collision around the 3-point line. But you can’t pick and choose when not to call the contact. It’s a foul. It’s too bad. They play OT.
Of course, that didn’t happen. Yet as the game closed and wall-to-wall coverage opened, all TNT commentators (Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and the atrocious Reggie Miller) loudly defended the no-call, criticizing Brent Barry for not heaving a wild shot up, or at least flopping into a foul call. This seemed like only noncommittal game analysis, until almost all ESPN talking heads (Tim Legler, Mike Wilbon) picked up the party line the next day. The CW was that Barry was impeded, but needed to “sell” the foul in order to solicit the call.
Excuse me, but, uh…
What the hell?
These boneheaded, wishy-washy rationalizations came straight from commentators who routinely excoriate players like Manu Ginobili or Robert Horry or others whose manufactured foul calls are supposedly plaguing the league. This on the heels of the NBA’s announcement that flopping will now be reviewed and/or fined next season.
So – stay with me, former players – flopping and “selling” fouls is apparently such a problem it’s not only a seasonlong criticism of the league, but now the NBA is actually seeking to remedy the dilemma. However, in the penultimate game of the Conference Finals, a whistle is swallowed – correctly, sings the misguided chorus, because Brent Barry failed to flail, fly, flop onto his back or flaunt a desperation three.
Makes perfect freaking sense. Bravo, talking heads. Bra-vo.
