Is it me or shouldn't the NBA be a lot more popular?

[AlexB]

Or alternatively, any sport where scoring on gaining possession of the ball is the norm rather than the exception is inherently devoid of excitement and tension.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Mr. Sparkle

I think the NBA's biggest problem with the playoffs isn't that they're scripted, it's that the officiating is usually terrible at crucial points of the game, easily lending itself to that kind of talk.

Good point. The officiating in the NBA is atrocious. It's one area that Stern has completely failed in. There are half a dozen guys that are just horrible. When I hear their name announced before the game I cringe.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

The NHL does a pretty good job on an every-other day schedule, as does the MLB (if not back-to-back, with a day off to travel).

MLB is pretty rigid- they just stagger their series so there is always a game on. The NHL is a little more nebulous. The NBA is easily the worst

SI

[RainMaker]

I actually wouldn't mind seeing the playoffs go back to a 5-game first round.

[OldGiants]

Bill Cosby sums up my thoughts about the current NBA. I heard this going to work yesterday morning. He says it much funnier than I could, but there is real truth to his points (which begin about 50 seconds in)

Mike and Mike talk with Bill Cosby | Odeo: Search, Discover and Share Digital Media from Millions of Audio and Video Clips

[whomario]

Originally Posted by OldGiants

Bill Cosby sums up my thoughts about the current NBA. I heard this going to work yesterday morning. He says it much funnier than I could, but there is real truth to his points (which begin about 50 seconds in)

Mike and Mike talk with Bill Cosby | Odeo: Search, Discover and Share Digital Media from Millions of Audio and Video Clips

Seriously, i get that the game has changed, but then again : the game has changed ! Stop living in the past, not everything was great in the past. In Fact, do a search from topics from back then via those "internet" archive things (name ? Damn, i deleted mines on a PC change ...) from like the early 90s, there was just as much criticism of certain things and also players that are put on a pedestal in retrospective ...
Or go to a library and check out old sports sections in the big papers from the 70s and 80s.

towards the end of the nba piece at like 2,15 he says he loves watching the NBA today btw .

There´s things that ware worse today, but there are also lots of things that are better.

[sterlingice]

Yeah- in that segment, sure Cosby kindof sounds like "get off my lawn" for a minute or two but the rest of the time, he's extolling the virtues of today's game and the athleticism and how he loves watching the 76ers. It's not a whole thing about how bad the NBA is. I could do without Mike & Mike and just listen to Cosby talk all day but he's my favorite entertainer of all time so that might be a little unfair.

SI

[OldGiants]

The rules are still written the same way. They haven't changed.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by OldGiants

The rules are still written the same way. They haven't changed.

They've changed a lot. Hand checking, zone defenses, to defensive 3 seconds. The game has dramatically changed over the last 15 years.

[whomario]

Originally Posted by OldGiants

The rules are still written the same way. They haven't changed.

Originally Posted by Dr. James Naismith

1) The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.
2) The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands.
3) A player cannot run with the ball, as he must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, with allowance to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at a good speed.
4) The ball must be held in or between the hands; the arms or the body must not be used for holding it.
5) No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping or striking in any way the person of an opponent shall be allowed. The first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul, the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made, or if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game, no substitute allowed.
6) A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violation of rules three and four and such described in rule five.
7) If either side makes consecutive fouls it shall count a goal for the opponents.
8) A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do not touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edge and the opponent moves the basket it shall count as a goal.
9) When the ball goes out of bounds it shall be thrown into the field and played by the first person touching it. In case of a dispute the umpire shall throw it into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five seconds and if he holds it longer it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on them.
10) The umpire shall be the judge of men, and shall note the fouls, and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have power to disqualify men according to rule five.
11) The referee shall be the judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in-bounds, and to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made and keep account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.
12) The time shall be two fifteen-minute halves, with a five-minute rest between them.
13) The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winner. In case of a draw the game may, by agreement of the captains, be continued until another goal is made.

sorry, had to

and yeah, even since the 90s there´s been drastic changes. Also in written form (handchecking is a different issues, basically it´s actually an re-inforcement of a rule that wasn´t paid attention to for years. It was never allowed, it was just never getting whistles)