The Hawks finally got a bit of love from TNT with Marv Albert and Steve Kerr calling game four of its series against the Chicago Bulls at the Highlight Factory. I am not certain why the Hawks were not getting some of the higher broadcast teams, especially when you consider the Bulls can trot out the MVP, the coach of the year and the best record in the Eastern Conference. I guess the higher-ups at TNT and ESPN wanted to highlight the Miami-Boston series but it was nice that the Bulls and Hawks got top billing in terms of timeslot and broadcast crew last Sunday night.
The next morning, ESPN, the AJC, CNNSI and a host of other sports websites were running with the story of the NBA official that admitted that a foul should have been called after an inadvertent whistle was sounded late in game four of the Bulls/Hawks series. Why would the official say something like that? Why would he GO BACK and say, “oh yeah, that should have been a foul. I blew that.” What good does that do? All it does is give all of the “pundits” on Around the Horn, Pardon the Interruption, TNT, and ESPN plenty of “well if the Hawks didn’t get that call, Atlanta doesn’t win.” Once a call like that is over with, it is over with. Let it go. No need to go back and later admit mistakes. What is the point? Did I feel better after the SEC officials went back in 2009 and said, “Oh yeah, that AJ Green catch wasn’t excessive celebration. Our bad.” Why? Because it doesn’t matter. You cannot make that call up.
In game five in Chicago, the Hawks once again received the Albert/Kerr crew and it was refreshing to hear at various points when Derrick Rose was running AT Hawks players while driving down the lane and the officials bailed the MVP out for Kerr to say, “Wow, that really wasn’t a foul.” In regards to several calls that went in favor of the league MVP, Kerr was honest and open about the calls needing to go the other way. The NBA Commissioner David Stern will surely call Kerr into his office and remind him that the league protects the superstars and if a call needs to go against a team in order for the MVP to advance, then that is how it needs to be. What is funny is that EVERYONE from Bill Simmons of ESPN to writers on CNNSI to even local sports talk co-hosts acknowledge the poor officiating and how it was “surely let a few whistles go to the favorite” if the underdog gets a game or two, but it still happens anyway. Is that the NBA just saying, “OK so you know we do it, it isn’t a secret anymore. We’ll just do it anyways and make no apologies?” Is that what it is?
Khloe Kardashian worried that her reality television show with Lamar Odom will be blamed for the Lakers being swept out of the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks? Seriously? Ben Maller apparently talked to the reality television “star” and she said she was worried that her E! show would be blamed should the Lakers lose, which they a few days later. What? You ACTUALLY think that your reality television show, which wrapped up filming months ago, really affected a back-up enough to cost the Lakers the series? Are you mental? You are married to a back-up on the team. He plays 18 minutes a game. I don’t think the show, which wrapped up filming MONTHS ago is really to blame for Pau Gasol’s disappearing act. I don’t think your show is to blame for Dirk turning into Jimmy Chitwood or Jason Terry becoming Larry Bird in game four. Sorry Khloe but a reality show featuring a back-up professional basketball player and his wife, the sister of someone who became “famous” due to a sex tape and a large butt, is really going to sway a series. Way to think way too much of yourself though.
A Georgia athlete got plenty of airtime last Saturday and celebrities all across the country were picking the athlete to finish as a champion. That athlete: Mucho Macho Man, the soon-to-be three-year-old horse that finished third in the 137th Kentucky Derby. Mucho Macho Man was quite a favorite, perhaps because of his name, but at one point during NBC’s coverage, celebs picked a winner and folks from Carson Daily (celebrity term used loosely) to Kenny Smith to the Village People all picked the Georgia horse. It was announced earlier this week that Mucho Macho Man will in deed run in the Preakness Stakes.
Finally, folks tuning in to Thursday night football on the NFL Network will get to hear an adopted son calling the games in Brad Nessler. The ESPN Saturday Night Primetime college football voice will step up to the NFL level and team with Mike Mayock to call games for the NFL Network. Bob Papa, Matt Millen and Joe Theismann called games last season while Millen and Theismann have been making ears bleed for much longer. Nessler called Georgia Tech basketball games from 1980-1985 and Falcons games from 1982-1988 before moving to ABC/ESPN to call college football and basketball. After calling ACC football and basketball for Jefferson-Pilot, Nessler has been working Saturday nights for ESPN during college football season as well as SEC Super Tuesday games during basketball season. He has forayed into the pro game before, calling a pair of Monday Night Football games in a double-header season opener. Mayock has become the new go-to voice for NFL draft coverage and it will be interesting hearing him on a full-time analyst basis in regards to players currently IN the NFL, out on the field playing. Having never heard this duo together, I will already say that they will be 1000% better than the Papa/Millen/Theismann team. Kudos Nessy and I hope to go to a bar at some point to get the NFL Network to hear your call.
Can You Believe He Said That
Tonight I did a good job of not settling [for jump shots]. When I am able to do that it helps us out, especially when they double team off me.”
That was Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith after game four, a Hawks win where he finished with 23 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists and two blocks. Hey Josh, you can do that ANY TIME YOU WANT TO, not settling for jump shots. DON’T SETTLE.
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