04/20/24
June 16, 2006
Stackhouse Suspended for Game 5: Not surprised. The NBA has been cracking down on everything this postseason...from Reggie Evan's "shot" at Chris Kamen to this. Dallas is hit with another blow as it tries to take Game 5 and a 3-2 series lead back to Dallas.
posted by chemwizBsquared to basketball at 05:47 PM - 30 comments
What Stack did wasn't right, but I can't fault him all that much. Shaq uses his huge frame to bulldoze his way into any position he wants on the floor and the refs do nothing to stop it. He always looks like he's playing center. It's just that sometimes it looks like he's playing for the Dolphins. Guys get pretty frustrated playing against him. Add in the fact that you practically have to hit him with a baseball bat to even get his attention and it's easy to see why you'd better foul him HARD or not even bother. Still, maybe Stack was a little too blatant about that one. Tough to ignore.
posted by ctal1999 at 08:17 PM on June 16, 2006
I see nothing wrong with the suspension, I can't really see that he tried for the ball. Looked like a tackle.
posted by sgtcookzane at 08:25 PM on June 16, 2006
Go watch the video on ESPN.Com, Sgt. He nearly hit the ball with his left hand when first making contact with Shaq.
posted by rcade at 09:17 PM on June 16, 2006
I can't really see that he tried for the ball Horseshit. Watch the replay here. Not only did Stack actually go for the ball, he got a piece of it. I'm not saying it wasn't a hard foul or a dirty play, but to say it was simply a tackle is disingenuous. Can anyone else recall a NBA finals supsension that occured even though the suspended player wasn't tossed from the game? I ask this sincerely. On preview: What rcade said.
posted by Ufez Jones at 09:22 PM on June 16, 2006
Looked like Wade hurt Shaq more than Stack did. He damn near pushed O'Neal right through the first row of the crowd, headfirst. I hereby respectfully request that the "Hack a Shaq" defense be renamed the "Stack a Shaq." Thank you.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 09:29 PM on June 16, 2006
Hey, I agree that the suspension was unwarranted, but there is no doubt to Stack's intentions. I looked at the replay as suggested above, and if you look at the slow motion IN SLOW MOTION you will see that Stack led with his forearm to the shoulders and head, and then the left arm extended at a feigned attempt to block the shot. Having said that, this is the playoffs, and messages are sent. NO EASY LAYUP BASKETS !!!
posted by joecab at 09:49 PM on June 16, 2006
Your an idiot Ufez he put a shoulder in shaq before he even got close to the ball. looked like a rugby highlight
posted by sgtcookzane at 09:53 PM on June 16, 2006
Well, that's settled.
posted by yerfatma at 10:14 PM on June 16, 2006
WHAT? A SpoFi subject where there's disagreement? Oh No!
posted by ctal1999 at 10:19 PM on June 16, 2006
Your an idiot Ufez No argument there, lack of grammar notwithstanding. he put a shoulder in shaq before he even got close to the ball He flew in a bit, sure. I'm not even saying the suspension is unwarranted. I'm just saying it wasn't a tackle. I mean, it's not like he went all Bruce "All Defensive Team" Bowen on him. 
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:22 PM on June 16, 2006
Hey are we forgetting about the hit Stackhouse took from Shaq. I know the NBA's prodical son the selfproclaimed "Superman" wasn't called for a flaggrant but it was pretty gruesome. The league saying they want far play, yeah!! thats why they suspended Stackhouse even though he wasn't booted from the game or fined. No suspend the guy and give the Miami Heat another advanantage. I beleive the NBA has it's favorites and the Dallas Mavericks are one of them. No big time celebs in the crowd in Dallas with Mavs shirts on. No glamour there to show the NBA off. Are sports fans really impressed by the celebs in the crowd. And what is with the NBA not listening to appeals most other professional sports have appeals.
posted by redwing14fan at 10:26 PM on June 16, 2006
Your an idiot Ufez Personal insults aren't welcomed here sgtcookzane. Thanks for refraining.
posted by justgary at 10:27 PM on June 16, 2006
Bullshit suspension. He wasn't kicked out of the game, and they were allowing a lot of hard fouls.
posted by kirkaracha at 10:39 PM on June 16, 2006
No glamour there to show the NBA off. Are sports fans really impressed by the celebs in the crowd. Oh, believe me you, there's glitterati in Dallas, they are just locals and prefer to sit in the box seats of the AAC and do $12 shots of Patron and ignore the game. It just doesn't sell ads. And what is with the NBA not listening to appeals most other professional sports have appeals. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I know, only the MLB, whose union is tighter than Rumsfeld's anus, has an appeals process. Bullshit suspension. I kinda agree (but try really, really hard to not come off as a homer here, fwiw), but given JET's suspension for the ball-punch on Finley, and the end result, I'm still holding the faith for the Mav Proud. Quisey has a chance to finally establish himself this post-season. If he continues like he has in (calendar) 06, there's going to be a wagontrain driving him out of town, and I may or may not be the conductor.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:48 PM on June 16, 2006
I aggree with you kirkaracha. Wasn't it Riley who said ther is no such thing as an accidental elbow. Something superman Shaq and his boys are doing quite a a lot of and getting away with
posted by redwing14fan at 10:50 PM on June 16, 2006
The NHL and Nascar both have an appeals process! In the NFL they have instant replay, not that they should have that in the NBA but still there is an appellit. In the NHL Shaq's hit on stack would have definately drew action from the league because it drew blood. I know this the NBA but to me Shaq's hit was just as bad as Stacks
posted by redwing14fan at 10:57 PM on June 16, 2006
Well Ufez as you can tell I'm not a "homer" and I think the suspension stinks it takes the ball out of the hands of the players during the regualar season it's more understandable but the finals just let the players play. I realize you can't let them play out of control playground basketball but the league better take a hard look at how the Heat are playing.
posted by redwing14fan at 11:08 PM on June 16, 2006
I gotta agree...the finals get physical. Let these guys play. If it didn't warrant an ejection during gameplay, why is it so different now. It's like the NFL being able to do replays after the game to change the score. And Shaq...if they try to "easy foul" him, he doesn't even know they're there. If they foul him a little hard, it's a game suspension. COME ON!!
posted by FilaDog at 01:58 AM on June 17, 2006
It's like the NFL being able to do replays after the game to change the score. Absolutely not! The NFL reviews certain plays such as helmet to helmet and hand out fines, even when there isn't a flag on the play. Game speed is much different than watching the replay over and over again. I agree let them play. But if you don't suspend Stack for this how far do you let it go in the finals?
posted by sgtcookzane at 07:12 AM on June 17, 2006
Being a Spurs fan first and a Pistons fan longer, it is tough to get too terribly excited about this series, but I see Dallas as getting the enthusiasm drained from them by the "calls" that are made and the "calls" that are not made. For example, Miami, as did the Suns and the Spurs, get three steps off the dribble and Dallas doesen't even get two. In game three, the coach of the day showed up the coach of the year in the last five minutes, but the game was taken from the Mavericks when Udonis "blind-sided" Dirk to steal the ball for the difference in the game, a "call" that was not made. Furthermore, we are all smart enough to know that the TV network "prefers" to sell advertising for as many games as possible, and Dallas appeared to be too superior for more than four nights of prime time. Thus, game four! Dallas looked like a severely demoralized team playing out the minutes. I have heard a comment or two refer to Shaq's elbows and forearms as "that's basketball," as if to link to the NASCAR comment "that's racin'." No, this is television sports. And television knows that sports ain't sports without television. Mark Cuban has learned that and he sits quietly and counts his money. The players do the same. At least, this is how I see it.
posted by Bud Lang at 07:12 AM on June 17, 2006
I'm going to hold on to the hope that anger over this suspension will shake the Mavs out of their funk. Stackhouse has been coming up big in this series, but he's a bench player on a team with a much deeper bench than the Heat. This should be a surmountable obstacle. I do agree with Avery Johnson, though. If Shaq committed the same foul, there's no way in hell he gets a suspension.
posted by rcade at 07:54 AM on June 17, 2006
I agree rcade...Dallas's bench has been stepping up for them all year long. Besides, everyone forgets that it was Daniels, NOT Howard, who was a starter on that Mavs 2004 team when the two players (Howard and Daniels) were rookies (Daniels averaged about 12-14 points a game to boot on a team with Dirk AND Nash AND Finley in his prime). Daniels has talent guys, and I think that in Game 5 he's going to play a key role in determining the outcome of the series.
posted by chemwizBsquared at 08:16 AM on June 17, 2006
Am new around here, so bear with me. Been observing the posts and decided to weigh in. I agree with Bud Lang that the bottom line is money. Remember the old adage "Whatever's good for boxing...." Same applies here. Hate to be skeptical, but there's too much dough to be had to let the series play out without making sure they've been able to squeeze out every last drop of revenue.
posted by hoosiermama at 10:25 AM on June 17, 2006
Hate to be skeptical ... I wish people would spend less time throwing out the general observation that money corrupts and more focusing on actual evidence of corruption. People have been saying for years the NBA makes decisions to juice ratings. If that's true, though, where's a single example of a former NBA official admitting this? They could write a tell-all book about it and make a lot of money.
posted by rcade at 10:43 AM on June 17, 2006
Stackhouse was aiming for Shaq's head, and his arm only gets close to the ball after it deflects off of Shaq. Too dirty of a foul to me. As to being suspended even though he wasn't kicked out of the game...that's not a valid argument. The league looked at in on video, the ref's don't do that for fouls like that during the game. It was the shot from above the makes it clearer to me. Anyway, the NBA always seems to make these series drag out. The ref's swallowed their whistles in game 3. This baby will go seven games regardless. Too much money at stake!
posted by dviking at 12:19 PM on June 17, 2006
They could write a tell-all book about it and make a lot of money. And even more enemies. But your point is taken. There is no hard evidence and I doubt even if there was that any official would be forthcoming. Witness the MLB steroid debacle. No way the powers that be didn't know what was going on in the clubhouse. But I digress.... Stack is Stack, but Shaq is Shaq. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Shaq's cheap shot that drew blood from Jerry in Game 3 didn't result in a suspension. And there have been numerous other cheap shots in this series that haven't produced a similar reaction. Why this one? The arbitrary nature of the decision is what has me concerned there is something more sinister going on. Personally, I think they should just let them play - it's the finals. But if your going to start calling it tight - and you don't want conspiracy theorists like me looking for magic bullets - do so at both ends of the court. And make sure that includes suspension for EVERY cheap shot.
posted by hoosiermama at 12:29 PM on June 17, 2006
I think the onus is completely on Stack. He's gotta know that if he takes out Shaq in the open court there will be consequences. Sure, it's unfair and probably special superstar treatment but taking a run at a guy on a fast break will always get more attention than the numerous forearms and 'bows Shaq throws underneath. If you're gonna play dirty, play Stockton or Malone dirty. Those guys would beat up their opponents and still get calls to go their way. Man I hated them.
posted by enfranchised at 11:46 PM on June 17, 2006
Stockton=2 parts Charles Barkley+1 parts Dennis Rodman+1 parts Allen Iverson (flopping)/stir/then pour into Steve Nash.
posted by Bishop at 07:15 AM on June 18, 2006
Malone=2 parts Dennis Rodman + 1 part Charles Oakley + 1 part Charles Barkley/mix/boil/pour into Amare Stodamire
posted by chemwizBsquared at 11:22 AM on June 18, 2006
Over the top over reaction. Why not just hand the trophy to the Heat now and save time. Imagine the fine Cuban gets from talking about this one.