We all get upset when there are bad calls that go against our boys. But everyone assigns different levels of blame. Some say, "We shouldn't have let it be that close. If we put ourselves in the position, through subpar play, of depending on a call to go our way at the end, we probably don't deserve to win."
Here's why that doesn't hold water.
BOTH teams play their hearts out, both teams commit stupid turnovers, miss easy shots, make incredible defensive plays, hit timely threes, misjudge rebounds, etc. That's what the game is about. Those are the reasons we watch. The idea is, at the end, the sum of those 48 minutes of effort will favor one team or another. It usually isn't a blowout, and especially when you have two excellent teams it is likely to be close and up for grabs right down to the final couple of minutes.
Down the stretch, again, BOTH teams will make crucial plays and crucial mistakes. One play can be the difference between defeat and victory.
Now, when the refs blow a blatant call like they did tonight, here's what happens: Our team DID make that one crucial play down the stretch. According to the rules of the contest, the sum of our 48 minutes of effort just edged out our opponents'. But for whatever reason, it was not counted as such, so we find our team in the position of having to go above and beyond simple victory to actually claim a win. That is much easier said than done when you're talking about two groups of elite athletes who have practiced for years to hone their skills to the highest level.
Sure, we get frustrated when our guys miss clutch free throws or give up a late rebound. But guess what, the other team is making mistakes, too. Why do you feel we should pay for our mistakes with a loss while the opponent is rewarded for their mistakes with a victory?
So please, let's have no more of this "It shouldn't have come down to the end" nonsense. We'll never see a perfect game, we should stop expecting it.
I swear, I'd sticky this if I could. Maybe I'll just link to it in my sig.
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Here's why that doesn't hold water.
BOTH teams play their hearts out, both teams commit stupid turnovers, miss easy shots, make incredible defensive plays, hit timely threes, misjudge rebounds, etc. That's what the game is about. Those are the reasons we watch. The idea is, at the end, the sum of those 48 minutes of effort will favor one team or another. It usually isn't a blowout, and especially when you have two excellent teams it is likely to be close and up for grabs right down to the final couple of minutes.
Down the stretch, again, BOTH teams will make crucial plays and crucial mistakes. One play can be the difference between defeat and victory.
Now, when the refs blow a blatant call like they did tonight, here's what happens: Our team DID make that one crucial play down the stretch. According to the rules of the contest, the sum of our 48 minutes of effort just edged out our opponents'. But for whatever reason, it was not counted as such, so we find our team in the position of having to go above and beyond simple victory to actually claim a win. That is much easier said than done when you're talking about two groups of elite athletes who have practiced for years to hone their skills to the highest level.
Sure, we get frustrated when our guys miss clutch free throws or give up a late rebound. But guess what, the other team is making mistakes, too. Why do you feel we should pay for our mistakes with a loss while the opponent is rewarded for their mistakes with a victory?
So please, let's have no more of this "It shouldn't have come down to the end" nonsense. We'll never see a perfect game, we should stop expecting it.
I swear, I'd sticky this if I could. Maybe I'll just link to it in my sig.
~~
