I Like Good Officiating And I Cannot Lie
May 25, 2009 by Ryan Pravato
Filed under Basketball
The officials have utterly stunk during these playoffs.
Most of these NBA official’s 09 playoff performances make Ed Hochuli’s mistake ridden 08 season seem minute and even run of the mill.
And Ed made a ton of bad calls this past NFL season. Just ask the San Diego Chargers.
So can the NBA refs settle on what is considered a flagrant foul and what is not?
There needs to be some consistency, right now it’s totally up in the air. Might as well flip a coin.
And could the refs be a little less quick to call technical fouls?

Look at Joey Crawford wrong and he'll give you a technical (Image:Newscom)
It’s the playoffs, intensity has swelled and player’s are extra emotional, the refs should give them a bit more leeway.
Having called out the refs, though very nicely I might add, I’m pleasantly surprised at the level of physicality and talent displayed during most of the playoff series this postseason and I must say the officiating has for the most part been EQUALLY pathetic on both sides, never overtly favoring one team over another. Basically, each team is getting duped the same amount, or so it appears. And I think that’s a very fair statement, especially considering the Orlando Magic are now up 2-1 on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
David Stern is probably frantically making plans to change all that right now.
Well, it might not even matter what Stern does if Cavs players not named Lebron do not step up and make more shots.
The Real Drama of Boxing vs. the Fake Drama of the WWE and the NBA
May 18, 2008 by Michael Sedor
Filed under MMA-UFC

I recently updated my b5 profile with the intention of explaining how www.jabandgrapple.com could cover both the scripted fun of pro wrestling entertainment and the unexpected life-threating tension of professional boxing. My answer wasn’t that they both take place in rings and involve some sort of combat.
No, my explanation was that they are bookends of the sporting world with everything else existing in between their emotional bounds. Friday night was evidence of this evocative breadth. WWE’s SmackDown and ESPN’s Friday Night Fights were broadcast simultaneously and my Motorola DVR only allowed me to watch one at a time while taping both. I was forced to delve into both without distraction.

























