| 13 March 2010
What transpired tonight in Miami was a traveshamockery. The Bulls sent out a lineup of Jannero Pargo, Kirk Hinrich, Taj Gibson, James Johnson, and Brad Miller. It wasn't going to take much to beat this Bulls team. But the Bulls stuck with the Heat for a good portion of the game and kept it RELATIVELY (meaning...not a blow out) close for most of the game. I partially chalk this up to Dwyane Wade not really trying at all, since he knew he didn't really have to tonight. But anyway, the recap is unnecessary. There's no point in recapping how a professional team beat a team you might see at your local YMCA. This is now the 10th game in a row the Bulls have given up 100 points, and haven't given up less since all the way back on February 20th. Horrible. Astounding. I know.
But what I can show you is the incredible league bias against the Chicago Bulls.
Before you watch this first video, keep something in mind. You are watching the clip of the Heat broadcasters calling the game. There is yet to be footage put up of the Bulls call of this incident. I watched the Stacey King and Neil Funk react to this incident. Let me just say that it was the exact opposite of what you hear in this video. These commentators are defending the refs because their team is benefitting. And that's to be expected. And the same can be said about Stacey and Neil. But if you actually think this was a flagrant foul...well then...let my argument speak for itself and you'll see why I'm right and not just biased.
Tonight's incident aka EXHIBIT 1:
Last year, Game 5, Bulls-Celtics Series...Rondo's Non-Flagrant, EXHIBIT 2:
I honestly can't wait to put up Stacey and Neil's call on that so-called Wade flagrant. It's just night and day between the Miami and Chicago announcers. I will put it up as soon as I can find it so that you can watch them side by side. Above the shoulders my a**. I would also love to hear Barkley and Kevin McHale's take on this foul, because I'm fairly certain they would want the refs to stop calling WNBA fouls. You're going to sit here and tell me that what happened to Brad Miller wasn't a flagrant (the league even reviewed it after and said it wasn't), but Brad Miller's SEMI-HARD foul on Dwyane Wade was? If that's the case, Kirk Hinrich and Brad Miller had every right to be upset. Kirk obviously shouldn't have taken it as far as he did, but are we seriously calling fouls such as this flagrants now? Hinrich just snapped. He couldn't take it. It was years upon years of ref bias against him and the bias against the Bulls in general just piling up and finally busting out. He made a little contact with the refs, and that's bad for business. He'll likely be suspended...don't know for how long yet.
Our next game is Tuesday against the Grizzlies. Don't know who'll be healthy by then, but let's just assume all the injured players are going to need at least one more day off. That means the Bulls will be sending out a lineup of Jannero Pargo, Flip Murray, James Johnson, Taj Gibson, and Brad Miller, and that's assuming Taj doesn't have to miss a game as he's day-to-day as well. It will inevitably be 8 losses in a row and the Bulls will essentially be eliminated from the playoffs because there's no coming back from hitting rock bottom this late in the season.
Here's Brad Miller's thoughts on what happened tonight. Clearly, he's not pleased, and rightfully so. It's bad enough the Bulls have to compete with a severely depleted lineup against nothing but playoff teams this point forward, but now they also have to compete against the refs? Is this rock bottom yet?
