The refs will decide game six!

[wsupkid]

I think we all know that first and formost the NBA is about money! I like David Stern as a comish. I believed that 99% of the time he makes a what is good for basketball decision. I know Stern as all of America ( minus those in SA ) was rooting for a SUNS victory. What is good for Basketball is that we not let the Refs., Stern or anybody but the players decide the outcome of this series. this is why I believe that the Refs will do their part to see that the series goes to a game seven.
This makes me sad that I am wishing that this happens because I want to see a pure series but, that was messed with by the STUPID suspensions.
In game seven ALL players will return. I think this is one of the only times that I believe that the refs should and will allow the SUNS to be victorious.

 

[Arctic]

I agree. I think we see game 7 easily. The Spurs fans will cry about the refs, and Stern will get his ratings for game 7.

 

[Covert Rain]

I said it before but I think Stern is praying for a series win for the Suns. Stern is under more fire this year between changing the ball and this fiasco then he has been since he became commish. Stern has never been univerally blasted more by the media and fans. Stern's only out at this point is if the Suns win the series. Any other outcome and Stern will be blamed for years to come.

I don't think this will have any real impact on the game though. I am not a "the NBA is FIXED" person. The only way that the refs lean towards the Suns (in San Atonio no less) is if one of the refs is a closet Suns fan.

 

[Nash Attack]

The NBA is fixed

 

[az1965]

That moron Stern doesn't care a bit about what everyone else think. He wouldn't have behaved the way he did on Dan Patrick's show if he ever cared.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

That moron Stern doesn't care a bit about what everyone else think. He wouldn't have behaved the way he did on Dan Patrick's show if he ever cared.

agree. i've never heard such an arrogant, unprofessional response from a commissioner of any sport in my entire life. made me sad to be a fellow attorney, a fellow jew, and a fellow human being. i'm still tasting bile from stern's flippant coments.

 

[TheHopToad]

I said it before but I think Stern is praying for a series win for the Suns. Stern is under more fire this year between changing the ball and this fiasco then he has been since he became commish. Stern has never been univerally blasted more by the media and fans. Stern's only out at this point is if the Suns win the series. Any other outcome and Stern will be blamed for years to come.

I don't think Stern really cares one way or another. If he did, he would have used the realistic and practical "out" that he had in determining the suspensions. He could have kept Amare and Boris in the game with any number of justifications and nobody would have said a thing, except "Good Call". But that wold have been a sign of weakness to him and it's all about him.

David Stern has been around forever, and knows he has all the power in the league. He could care less about ratings or money or popularity for the league at this point, because he has already created his fortune with it. He will end up getting his chunk of the change when he walks away no matter what happens with the Suns this year. Sooner or later, it will be someone else's mess to clean up.

 

[haverford]

agree. i've never heard such an arrogant, unprofessional response from a commissioner of any sport in my entire life. made me sad to be a fellow attorney, a fellow jew, and a fellow human being. i'm still tasting bile from stern's flippant coments.

Me too, Ouchie--on all points (although I worry about the insistence of you and cheesebeef pointing to his Jewishness--mostly because anti-semites would have a field day with Stern's essential Jewish/New York-ness). Stern will pay for his error--it was not in his self-interest or in the interest of the league. In some way, he will suffer the consequences.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Stern's job will be in jeapardy if the Suns don't win. It doesn't look that dire at the moment, but the idea will gain steam.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Stern's job will be in jeapardy if the Suns don't win. It doesn't look that dire at the moment, but the idea will gain steam.

no it won't. People will always remember it, but they won't be passionate about it once our series is over, just like everyone shut up about Game 6 Kings-Lakers once that series was over, Raiders-Pats and the tuck rule, etc., etc.

The only thing sports related that will EVER go down in infamy is and will ALWAYS be the 72 Olympics because it was national and at the peak of the Cold War.

We're just Suns fans and thus we care MUCH MORE baout this than anyone else and will really be the only people effected by what happened here. If the guy got through the Kings-Lakers Game 6, Patrick Ewing going to the Knicks and the Brawl in Auburn Hills, he'll get through this. People will say we were screwed but we'd just be in line with a long host of teams screwed mentioned above.

 

[JCSunsfan]

BTW. I think the refs will decide game 6 too. The SA crowd will be crazy, and Duncan and the bunch will whine away, and it will work, just like it has all series, and SA will win.

Anyone who thinks differently is just fooling themselves.

Sorry, I haven't said much about this and I won't write more. I've just seen this too many times over the years. Last nights game was Elindholms worst case scenario playing out. A 20 point loss would have been better than losing so closely.

I sincerely hope I am wrong, but if we didn't win on the emotion of last night, we are certainly not going to win in San Antonio.

Its not like we're playing the Lakers.

 

[azirish]

I think the Suns chances will depend entirely on whether the refs call phantom fouls on Amare. If he plays a lot, the Spurs could really have their hands full.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I think the Suns chances will depend entirely on whether the refs call phantom fouls on Amare. If he plays a lot, the Spurs could really have their hands full.

In fact. I wouldn't mind at all of Amare sat out the entire first quarter to avoid getting those fouls. We could play exactly like we played in game 5 for the 1st quarter, sparing Amare from potential foul trouble, and we can run our offense through him in the 2nd half.

 

[Covert Rain]

I don't think Stern really cares one way or another. If he did, he would have used the realistic and practical "out" that he had in determining the suspensions. He could have kept Amare and Boris in the game with any number of justifications and nobody would have said a thing, except "Good Call". But that wold have been a sign of weakness to him and it's all about him.

David Stern has been around forever, and knows he has all the power in the league. He could care less about ratings or money or popularity for the league at this point, because he has already created his fortune with it. He will end up getting his chunk of the change when he walks away no matter what happens with the Suns this year. Sooner or later, it will be someone else's mess to clean up.

I don't think he cared at the time of the ruling. However, I don't think he ever thought he would come under fire like this either. He never has been before for like this. I think Stern thought he was a Teflon Don. He was mistaken. The NBA needs the Suns to win this series.

In fact. I wouldn't mind at all of Amare sat out the entire first quarter to avoid getting those fouls. We could play exactly like we played in game 5 for the 1st quarter, sparing Amare from potential foul trouble, and we can run our offense through him in the 2nd half.

Woah Nelly! Let's not get carried away their my friend. We can't afford for the Spurs to get a cushion in the 1st quarter. I don't mind giving Amare some more "rest" minutes but he NEEDS to play the 1st quarter. That 1st quarter to me isn't the normal performance you can expect from that group.

 

[NDSunsfan]

Sorry, I haven't said much about this and I won't write more. I've just seen this too many times over the years. Last nights game was Elindholms worst case scenario playing out. A 20 point loss would have been better than losing so closely.

I sincerely hope I am wrong, but if we didn't win on the emotion of last night, we are certainly not going to win in San Antonio.

Its not like we're playing the Lakers.

Well put. I agree, completely, and my views the NBA and being a fan have waxed and waned so much in the last 4 days that I can't remember if I'm supposed to be excited for tonight's game or not.....

Might not be the best place to link this, but there's a really good read with Paul Shirley and Neal Pollack (whoever he is?) that was linked from TrueHoop. I've read a few entries and said, 'yeah, i feel the same way....' for frustrated/excited/nervous/angry Suns fans, it's a good read.....

http://www.slate.com/id/2166305/entry/2166306/

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Woah Nelly! Let's not get carried away their my friend. We can't afford for the Spurs to get a cushion in the 1st quarter. I don't mind giving Amare some more "rest" minutes but he NEEDS to play the 1st quarter. That 1st quarter to me isn't the normal performance you can expect from that group.

We didn't give the Spurs a "cushion" by playing the way that we played the in the 1st 3 quarters of the last game.

 

[Taco]

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If you see Bennett Salvatore

The game's in the bag for you Suns

 

[dreamcastrocks]

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If you see Bennett Salvatore

The game's in the bag for you Suns

Every Spurs fan says that.

 

[Taco]

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If you see Bennett Salvatore

The game's in the bag for you Suns

What Ref do you not want to see Suns Fans

 

[SO91]

Javie

 

[msdundee]

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If you see Bennett Salvatore

The game's in the bag for you Suns

That's an odd thing to say since Salvatore's sudden loss of sight and hearing nearly did us in last year. He worked the game last night so they won't put him on this one.

I wouldn't mind Steve Javie at all, he did a good job in Game 4. This is a huge game following a storm of controversy so it wouldn't be surprising to see Bavetta, but then I called that once before and my prediction was wrong. Looking at the way things have gone over the last 2-3 days, they'll probably decide it's Violet's turn.

 

[F-Dog]

Stern's job will be in jeapardy if the Suns don't win. It doesn't look that dire at the moment, but the idea will gain steam.

You might be right, but I don't think Stern will make his decisions with that in mind. If anything, he'll break things the Spurs' way out of stubbornness.

Dick Bavetta and Violet Palmer tonight? If so, you'll know which team the commish is rooting for.

 

[Covert Rain]

We didn't give the Spurs a "cushion" by playing the way that we played the in the 1st 3 quarters of the last game.

Yeah but that assuming we can play like that again. I think we played lights out and above our ability. I wouldn't bank on being able to do that again without Amare.

 

[nashman]

We did not play lights out we started out really shooting poorly, and over shot fairly poorly the whole game. If we make just a few of the open shots we missed that game was a blowout. We played solid D and just good enough offense to let them hang around all night and it burned us in the end. Our offense should not be scoring under 100 points period EVER! Barbosa and Bell were NO SHOWS for that game or we would have easily won!