The Babcock Report: Game 4

I really feel that tonight the Celtics are going to break the back of the Lakers. It should be clear to everyone in the entire world that the Celtics are a better team. The fact that the Celtics are 8 point underdogs is shocking, unless you believe conspiracy theorists about the referees favoring certain teams to extend playoff series to 6 and 7 games so that the Networks and the League can rake in exorbitant amounts of money. (Sidenote: If I had not lost $600 dollars on the Clemson-Georgia Tech football game last September 29th then I would probably bet on this game...that was of course approximately 1/2 of my net worth at the time and let me tell you, there is no better way to make an arbitrary saturday afternoon the most intense 3 hours of your life than to put that much of your money on a football game and then watch a kicker miss 5 field goals. Alas, I have quit gambling...for now)

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I'm not sure where I stand on all of this. I like to believe that at the end of the day the players on the court control who wins and loses. A wise man once told me (actually I don't remember who told me, but lets go with 'wise man' because it works in this instance) that a well officiated game is one in which you cannot even remember the officials being there. Sadly, this has not been the case throughout the 2008 NBA playoffs. No one, be they Lakers fans or Celtics fans wants to look back at this series when all is said and done and feel like their team either won or lost as the result of officiating.

Kobe and Donaghy discussing a three team parlay

I cannot help but feel nervous that this may be the case. I can tell you right now that if this series goes back to Boston and the Celtics win because of a bias in officiating (whether this is perceived or worse yet, real) then I will be fucking pissed. If this is the case, Celtics fans will spend an entire offseason (and probably longer) watching Douchebags X, Y, and Z on ESPN touch upon the tainted nature of their accomplishments. Lakers fans should beware too, although as a Boston sports fan I am genetically programmed to believe that everyone is out to hate us in particular (yes, I am particularly sensitive to these types of accusations because I am a Patriots fan).

Arbitrary Eddie Van Halen Picture...sick.

Also, I cannot help but react negatively to David Stern's responses to questions about the integrity of officials in the NBA. Stern has arrogantly dismissed any and all accusations of wrongdoing by the League and its officials, repeatedly citing that the man (Tim Donaghy) making them is a felon. I hope that David Stern is smarter than that. As a fan of the NBA I would like to feel as though Stern is giving these allegations serious thought and a thorough investigation. It all seems too much as though something is being swept under the rug here. Is it so far fetched to believe that more than one NBA official may have ties to gambling and organized crime? Considering that there are 3 officials working any given game, doesn't it make sense that in order to effectively change the outcome of a game you would need more than one official involved? I just hope that Stern realizes that not all felons are liars...in fact, the testimony of felons has probably been instrumental in convicting millions of criminals in our country. Lets not forget that the unveiling of the steroid scandal in Major League Baseball was helped along by uneqivocal dirtbag Jose Canseco. David Stern should be careful, and less arrogant, or he might end up being the next Rafael Palmeiro.

Now I am getting worked up. I'm just frustrated that the officiating is even an issue in this series in particular and the playoffs in general. We should all be focused on what a greasy piece of eurotrash Sasha Vujacic is, or that Kobe "ooh skeet skeet god damn" Bryant is selfish and aloof, or the fact that I really, really hate Pau Gasol. Any of these things would make for better discussion. But I digress. Tonight the Celtics will break the Lakers collective will to live and take one more step towards a 17th NBA championship.