YES!! The US Tennis Open has a clause that they get a partial refund on their rent if so many airplanes fly over. Andrea Aggassi may get distracted!!! Meanwhile, between them and the airport, some Met may be standing there while Randy Johnson throws a rock-hard ball 100 MPH by his head…now, who needs the concentration, and who’s the prima donnas?
BTW - try this - full-contact NBA action…blitz the foul shooter! everyone now has FT averages like Shaq!
Watch very little sports of any kind, now, but the last I gave up was NBA.
I recall a stat that showed a very high likelihood that the team leading after 1 quarter would win the game. And the odds increased each quarter. May somewhat counter the “last minute” argument.
Yeah, there’s no defense in the NBA. Right. Scoring’s a piece of cake.
I agree with Tzen. Because scoring occurs so often in basketball, freak events, bad calls, etc. tend to average out and statistics kicks in. Chance doesn’t affect the score as much as it does in a very low scoring game like soccer, and the final score in Bball is a pretty good reflection of the abilities displayed by the two teams in that game. In soccer on the other hand, one team can play circles around the other for the whole game, really dominate the play, but because defense is so much easier in soccer than offense they can still lose on one lucky goal by the lesser team. Now, soccer is inherently flawed.
My problem with basketball is the foul system. I’ve never had anyone who could explain in clear, unambiguous, language exactly what constitutes a foul in basketball:
If two guys go for the ball and one says “ouch” the other guy fouled him.
But what did he do?
“He fouled him”
Well, yes, but what exactly did he do that was a foul?
“Well, the guy said ‘ouch’, and tripped over his own feet, so the other guy obviously fouled him”
Um, yeah, obviously. But what action did the fouler take upon the foulee?
“He fouled him.”
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.
I agree with Tzen. Because scoring occurs so often in basketball, freak events, bad calls, etc. tend to average out and statistics kicks in. Chance doesn’t affect the score as much as it does in a very low scoring game like soccer, and the final score in Bball is a pretty good reflection of the abilities displayed by the two teams in that game. In soccer on the other hand, one team can play circles around the other for the whole game, really dominate the play, but because defense is so much easier in soccer than offense they can still lose on one lucky goal by the lesser team. Now, soccer is inherently flawed.
My problem with basketball is the foul system. I’ve never had anyone who could explain in clear, unambiguous, language exactly what constitutes a foul in basketball:
If two guys go for the ball and one says “ouch” the other guy fouled him.
But what did he do?
“He fouled him”
Well, yes, but what exactly did he do that was a foul?
“Well, the guy said ‘ouch’, and tripped over his own feet, so the other guy obviously fouled him”
Um, yeah, obviously. But what action did the fouler take upon the foulee?
“He fouled him.”
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.
To me a foul is a clothesline when the dribbler goes up to the basket.
One part of the game that is to me is nonsense is that this is the only game that encourages stalling tactics. The most infamous method is fouling deliberately in order to stop the clock. Then there is a certain player that no team can defend no matter what scheme they have against him. So, they resort to fondling him wherever he is–backcourt, out of bounds, in the locker room, wherever–in order to 1) get a quickie foul call and 2)force him to the free throw line.
Ebb and flow of the game!
While the final minutes often provide the excitement a true sports fan is interested in the caliber of play during the game. Sure execution lacks at times in NBA games but at other times you see some incredible displays of athleticism and execution. The NBA is no doubt a game of runs but that builds its own excitement.
As to free throw shooting how about just making them shoot 1 and 1’s. Earn the second free throw.
In backyard ball or street ball, frequently the only fouls called are when you draw blood or the guy has trouble getting up. Otherwise it’s all good.
Stalling is as old as sports. I was watching a game with the Braves and Rockies a few nights ago, and there was an infield conference which turned out to be a stalling tactis so the reliever could get more time to warm up.
Stalling occurs in more sports than basketball. Football has it, as do hockey and gasp my own beloved quizbowl. The methods of stalling aside, it’s not uncommon and perfectly legit.
Why should a player be penalized for the fact that his or her offensive game is better than the opposing players’ defensive game? If s/he gets fouled s/he deserves his shots. It’s free points, and statistically s/he’s got a better chance of making both free throws than of hitting a jumper or 3-pointer or what-have-you (if s/he hits his/her FTs well enough). Give the player the ball on the free throw line.
Isn’t there a recent new rule providing stiffer penalties for intentional fouls? Something like a free throw and the original team gets the ball back? Or is this just college ball?
Um . . . you’re thinking about a flagrant foul, I believe, which involves getting two shots and the ball back, IIRC.
The recent rule, which we saw put into effect with the Blzaers/Lakers series, is that if you foul a player with two minutes or less remaining in the game, and said player does not have the ball, the fouled team (coach, maybe) gets to pick someone to shoot the FTs.
Your problem unfortunately is that you’ve been watching professional basketball. Most NBA players don’t play much defense. The NBA after all has allowed the entertainment value to rule and good defense would spoil it and sell less tickets. Try watching well a coached High School game. College basketball was ruined by the thirty second shot clock, which was installed to increase offense. However a good defensive game is like watching a nohitter in baseball. It’s boring.
I’ll say! I’ve never heard of “Bassetball” but I’ll bet it takes an exceptional human to make the dog cooperate for any length of time. Isn’t that cruelty to animals?
