HeyBrad,
Honestly, I apologize, it was an attempt at some humor. Obviously a failed attempt. I figured the
would give that away, but I guess not.
Also. . . I'm not implying the Lakers win every game because of the refs. Hell, they'd likely have a championship or two regardless. Kobe is one of the great players in the league right now, especially when the game is on the line.
That's whats so damned frustrating about all of this. They DON'T NEED THE CALLS!!!! I mean, if they'd lost the game last night without all of the officiating crap that happened at the end, would anyone really have a problem believing they could blow the T-Wolves out the next three games and end the series? Hell, I wouldn't.
So why does this sham continue? Why not officiate the game fairly and let the Lakers show us that? Why put the league on the same plane as the WWF by making those ridiculous calls, some of which the refs at my rec league wouldn't blow?
I'm not at the far end of the spectrum in thinking the Lakers would be a 20-62 team if they didn't get the calls. (I do think the Kings win last year and I do think Shaq would be forced to change his game, but that doesn't mean the Lakers don't have a title or two or that Shaq doesn't have the pure talent to do that. . . in fact I find it sad he doesn't have to) Yes, those people are out there. There are also people out there who feel that there were only a couple of questionable calls missed last night and that "Laker Mode" doesn't exist in big games.
From our past discussions, you haven't been one of those fans. If you honestly thought last night there were only a couple of missed calls and that the game was officiated even close to fairly, I don't see how I can take anything you say in a discussion seriously. No, that isn't meant to be condescending, it's meant to say that ***I*** believe anyone who watched that game last night saw an amazing case of one sided officiating down the stretch. I can't fathom how anyone could make a case to the contrary.
TroyF