The Anchor’s Desk: Brutal Fouls, Confusing Whistles, and High Ratings in Just Another NBA Postseason
Explain this to me: After hitting a game-winner, Boston’s Glen Davis grazes a 12-year-old fan courtside, and ends up apologizing to the kid’s over-sensitive father. You have GOT to be kidding. Those very fans spent that last two weeks cheering as punches are thrown, blood flies, and bodies crash to the floor. And you’re upset because your kid was bumped?
The players get more than bumped. They get hammered…worse and worse as this glorious month of May rolls on. When the coaches say it’s gonna be a real fight, that’s no longer just an expression.
It seems like every game has an over/under of six total teeth lost, eight stitches, one ejection, and three flagrants. And like a wreck on the side of the road, you have to look.
“I’m sure people are just loving it,†Rockets forward Luis Scola told the Houston Chronicle. “When I win I love it, too.â€
Broadcasting and Cable Magazine reports that Game 7 of the Boston-Chicago series was watched by 6.9 million total viewers on TNT, making it the most-watched round one game in cable television history. Overall, TNT earned a 2.3 rating for 24 first round games, a 10% increase from last year. The network earned an increase of 11% in households from year-to-year (2.6 million compared to 2.3 million) and a 14% increase in total viewers (3.4 million compared to 2.9 million).
Turns out when you mix great basketball with MMA, you’ve got some good ratings.
These are arguably the best athletes on the planet, and like Russell Crowe in Gladiator, they are out for blood. Over the course of a series, it gets worse and worse as the players keep paying each other back. Guys drive to the basket and brace for impact. Not a game goes by where you don’t see a jaw-dropping, atom-smashing foul.
Boston’s Rajon Rondo punching Brad Miller in the face in Round One. L.A.’s Derek Fisher decking Scola in Round Two (see slow motion replay below). Shane Battier getting bloodied. Dwight Howard elbowing Philly’s Samuel Dalembert in the face. Rondo being a jerk every time he plays defense.
If I were Kirk Hinrich, I’d want to kick his a** too.
Just watch the videos below to see some some of the flagrance:
“When you get to the crucial stage of the season — the playoffs — everything gets more intense,†said Scola. “That’s why you’ve been fighting for a whole year. It all comes down to a couple of games, and you have to play as hard as you can.â€
Hard = Violent.
While the death-match atmosphere and high stakes are good for ratings, it is a nightmare for officials. If play is tougher in the postseason, are there a different set of rules? Do you let more things go? How does Dallas’ Antoine Wright’s attempted foul on Denver’s Carmelo Anhtony in Game 3 NOT get called? And how to differentiate between a flagrant-1 and flagrant-2?
Believe it or not, this year’s playoffs may be tame compared to last year’s playoffs, or a typical regular season in the 80’s. Nowadays, new rules encourage more scoring and less contact, but somehow it all goes out the window once the Best-of-Sevens start. To win, you need some beasts down low to give out (and take) the punishment, good FT shooting, and some strong-willed leaders to rise above the insanity. Do all that, and you may come out alive…assuming you don’t end up in a body bag first.
Scott Reister is a featured contributor to Midwest Sports Fans. He is a Sports Anchor for the NBC affiliate in the Tri-Cities and Spokane, WA. To learn more about Scott, visit the Scott Reister bio page on Midwest Sports Fans or check out the Scott Reister bio page on Midwest Sports Fans or check out the Scott Reister bio page on Midwest Sports Fans or check out the Scott Reister bio page on Midwest Sports Fans or check out the Local Sports page on KNDU.com.
To contact Scott: sreister@hotmail.com
Tags: dwight howard, Kirk Hinrich, NBA Playoffs, Rajon Rondo, scott reister
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The flagrant fouls and technical fouls have been pretty ridiculous this offseason. I know they are all afraid of Artest attacking someone on the court or off or Scola and Odom going at it causing a 5 on 5 brawl that spurs Van Gundy to leave the announcers desk to grab Odom by the ankles, but the automatic ejections and suspensions are taking the fun out of the playoffs. The playoffs are fun but not if these automatic rules are changing the outcomes of games and series’. Why can’t Stu Jackson (what he gets paid for) just review each play and make an objective judgement call instead of looking at a list of rules and slapping suspensions across every heated situation??
Reply
JRod Reply:
May 14th, 2009 at 9:38 am
@KVB, it’s amazing how the NBA just cannot get away from ref controversies. Simmons and Malcolm Gladwell talk about it in their email exchange on ESPN.com. When you look at some of the playoff assignments, and refs’ histories with teams, it’s almost mind-boggling.
Did Stu Jackson coach at Ohio State or Wisconsin?
Reply
KVB Reply:
May 14th, 2009 at 9:56 am
@JRod, He coached at Wisconsin for two years. I started to read part 1 today. Bill Simmons’ podcast with Jeff Van Gundy touches on this subject as well and I agree with all they have to say.
Reply
JRod Reply:
May 14th, 2009 at 10:49 am
@KVB,