Dragons Get The Win, But The Referees Get The Gas Face

On the eve of Halloween the KL Dragons received a treat by winning their second straight game, after routing the Brunei Barracudas 87 – 48. The game ended by default with 7:55 remaining in the 4th quarter, when all but two Brunei players fouled out of the contest.

The KL Dragons’ Nakiea Miller recorded his second straight double-double. He scored 16 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. While Alex Hartman rained in shoots to the tune of 24 points to go along side his 7 rebounds. He led all scorers on the evening.

The Dragons’ efforts have moved them from the #5 position to the #4 spot in the ABA, after they started the season 0 – 3. A win against their next opponents, Satria Muda BritAma, would even their win to losses and place them back into the hunt for the play-offs.

While the game was a success for the Dragons, it was a disaster for the referees. I’m not exaggerating, when I say,

“it was the worst officiated basketball game I have ever seen in my life;
professional or amateur”.

There were blatant fouls committed by both teams that were ignored or just unnoticed. But there seemed to be no end to the tic-tac fouls being called as though there was a fire sale on them. Incidental contact that does not impede a player’s progress should be seen as ‘good hustle’; not a foul. On the other hand the refs should have been blowing their whistles in synchronized harmony when Hartman, a Dragons’ player, got wrapped to the groin area, and again when William, a Barracudas’ player, was slapped across the face.

Worst than the botched calls was the apparent fact that the refs had no idea as to what the rules are when a team is down to 5 eligible players, and then one of the players fouls out to leave them with just 4. In the case of this game the officials allowed the Barracudas' squad to dwindle to 2 players, before a halt was finally put to the ridicules episode. Maybe the ABA doesn’t have a rule concerning this situation. I’m not sure what sanctioned rules the league has adopted. But I do know how it would have been handled in the NBA and WNBA which is as follows:

In the NBA and WNBA, if a team is reduced to five players and one commits a sixth foul, that player must stay in the game; one additional free throw is awarded to the opposing team. Even if there are no free throws to be awarded because of an offensive foul, the one free throw will be added irrespective of offensive or defensive foul. A one-free throw penalty will also be awarded if said team has a player who must leave the game after being injured, and has no legal substitutes; the last player to foul out rejoins the game with the one free throw penalty. Thus, no team can be reduced to four players in those leagues.

The bottom line is that if particular ABA officials don’t know the rules of basketball and/or how to administer them, they have no business being on the court. Do your damn jobs refs!

Official Rules of the NBA CLICK & LEARN

First 1 In The Win Column

The KL Dragons put on a good performance while hosting the Singapore Slingers at home this Saturday afternoon, mainly because they won the contest. The team’s back was against the wall having already lost 3 straight games since the start of the 2010/2011 season.

In a previous post I suggested the Dragons would continue to suffer defeat, unless they found a way to challenge opponents inside the paint both offensively and defensively. This message must have been telepathically conveyed from me to the KL Dragons’ head coach, Goh Cheng Huat, because tonight’s win was a direct result of acquiring Alex Hartman & Nakiea Miller. Both Hartman and Miller were absent from the Dragons’ rooster prior to today’s contest, but now that they are on the team presumably for the remainder of the season, ooh what a difference they make.

Hartman is a versatile scorer that can hit from beyond the arc, or drive the ball straight to the rim. He is likely to be a double figure scorer in most games, and he will help the Dragons’ cause by throwing in some assists, steals and rebounds.

Miller is more of an opportunistic scorer that skirts and bangs his way to the basket. He sinks the eight-ball the hard way. But more importantly, Miller is an outstanding rebounder and shot blocker. When he wasn’t able to block the shots of the Slingers, he was forcing their penetrating dribblers to make poor interior passes, or alter their shot selections.

Hartman & Miller combined for 44 points out of a total of 81 points, which represents 54% of the offense in the Dragons’ first win this season. Individually, Hartman finished the game with 27 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Miller recorded a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds. In addition he also had 6 blocked shots and 2 steals.

Guganeswaran Batumalai came off the bench strong and dropped in 12 points, while the rest of the Dragons combined for 25 points.

All and all it was a good outing for the Dragons, who hope to burn it up again in their next contest against the Brunei Barracudas next Saturday, 30 October at the MABA Stadium, K. Lumpur (game time 4:00 P.M.)

The most important thing that this picture signifies is that the Texas Rangers are going to the 2010 World Series, and the self-glorified New York Yankees are not. Yes, I hate the Yankees; deal with it.

The Changing Status of the Black Athlete in the 20th Century United States

From Jesse Owens to Magic Johnson, Black Athletes have always been in the news, but their path to fame and fortune has never been easy. Only today are they beginning to gain their rightful place in sport's Hall of Fame. Despite this, problems still remain. In this article, John C. Walter, Ph.D. Professor of American Ethnic Studies and Director of the Blacks in Sports Project at the University of Washington in Seattle explains why.

Them There Eyes

All babies are special and unique. But Laren Galloway is a 1 in a million baby, because he was born with full Afro-American characteristics with the exception of his striking blue eyes. He is not the only Afro-American to be born with blue eyes; it’s just that when this recessive trait appears on someone of color it is usually accompanied by additional Anglo-Saxon characteristics as well.

Unaware to Baby Galloway, who is 18 months old, he received a full contract and a life insurance with Paramount Pictures at 12 months of age; you will see him in movies, commercials and magazines very soon!

I guess you can be born a star…

Tommie Smith is selling the gold medal he won at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, where his Black Power salute on the podium shocked the sports world.

Boxum Bombshell Pointed At Brett Favre

This is not the face that launched a thousand ships, instead it's Jenn Sterger, a former New York Jets reporter, whose allegations that Brett Favre texted her photos of his penis and left her voicemails asking her to meet him at his hotel have launched an NFL investigation into Favre’s possible actions of sexual harassment. If Sterger’s accusations are proven true, she will have essentially sacked the star veteran quarterback both on and off the field.

Details at Fox Sports

Keep It Real

I was reviewing some of the comments left by disenchanted KL Dragons fans on the Dragons’ facebook page. It seems a number of Malaysian basketball fans think that the recruitment of foreign players has not made a significant impact on helping the Dragons win games, and they may be right to a certain degree.

But let’s be honest, the KL Dragons are not in a position to recruit the United States’ and Europe’s best basketball players. It’s not likely that a player the caliber of Lebron James or Dirk Nowitzki would be attracted to playing in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) consisting of 6 teams with limited exposure and funds; of course not. The high profile players are in the United States’ National Basketball Association (NBA), or playing for teams in the European Basketball League (EBL).

The ABL represents a second chance for foreign players (journey men) who were left out of the premiere basketball leagues. So the KL Dragons will have to settle for what they can get, or start grooming their home grown players to perform better.

Manny Pacquiao vs Antonio Margarito

Manny Pacquiao is set to fight Antonio Margarito on November 13 at the Cowboys’ Stadium in Texas for the vacant WBC Light Middleweight Title. Pacquiao looks to covet a title in his 8th weight class, while Margarito is looking to redeem his reputation and sputtering boxing career coming off a loaded-gloves controversy and knockout loss to Shane Mosley.
Some boxing critics and fans believe that Margarito known as a relentless hard hitting bruiser will provide the test for Pacquiao that previous opponents were unable to. I might have been on that bandwagon too, if not for the following facts.

Pacquiao has been able to defy boxing logic. Mid way through his boxing career, the pint size thunder machine actually got stronger, faster and skillfully craftier. Most other boxers would have started to experience a decline in their performance.

Margarito dwarfs Pacquiao in size and height, which normally gives an adversary a definitive advantage; not so against Pacquiao. Pacquaio’s recent winning performances against Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey have established him as a well documented effective giant killer.

Margarito was humiliated after it was discovered he had plaster inside his gloves when he fought Sugar Shane Mosley. To add insult to injury, Mosley, a 4:1 underdog, still knocked Margarito out in spite of the fact that Margarito cheated. Since losing to Mosley, Margarito’s only win in 2 + years is an unimpressive victory in Mexico, while Pacquiao has done nothing but win during the same time period in spectacular fashion.

Prediction:

A win for Margarito, a former welterweight titlist, would instantly vault him back to the top of the division and shed his bruised reputation. This notion should provide Margarito with ample motivation to perform well. However, I don’t think that Margarito will be able to get it together enough to beat Pacquiao. Margarito will probably mark-up Pacquiao. But in the end Pacquiao’s speed and skills will cause Margarito to succumb by a technical knockout in the 10th or 11th round. Margarito’s stormy past and long layoff will prevent him from disrupting Pacman’s winning streak. The only fighter in the sport of boxing capable of defeating the pound-for-pound best boxer is Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Boxing News

CWG: Malaysia's Quest For Boxing Medals Suffer Knockout Punch
reported by Bernama.com


NEW DELHI, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- All seven Malaysian boxers failed to make any impact at the 19th Commonwealth Games (CWG), losing their bouts in early stages.

With the exit of three Malaysian boxers Saturday, Muhammad Fuad, Mohd Subri and Muhamad Ali, Malaysia's hopes for a medal went out of the boxing ring.


Left click the Bernama.com script above to continue the story.

Long Season Ahead

The Westports KL Dragons hosted their first home game in the 2010/2011 season yesterday afternoon at MABA Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, which resulted in a loss to the Satria Muda BritAma from Indonesia. The guest squad jumped off to a fast start and never relinquished their lead throughout the entire contest. The final score was 77 – 68. The Dragons find themselves at the bottom of the league standings (ranked #5 out of 6), now that they have lost their first 2 games of the season; one at home and the other away.

The issue that plagued the Dragons last season is the same one that will bite them in the ass again this year. The Dragons lack a true center that can dominate inside the paint. It’s a fact that is hurting them both offensively and defensively.

The Dragons are a team of undersized point guards and forwards that don’t have the size or strength to pound the ball in from the post position. Nor do they have the emergence of a consistent double-figure rebounder, which means less second shoot opportunities and low scoring. All of which spells trouble for the Dragons’ offense, especially if the backcourt can’t find the inside of the net from the perimeter.

Defensively, the Dragons are getting hammered down low. With no shoot blocker in the middle to alter shoots, Dragon opponents fearlessly go head first straight into the gut of the Dragons’ defense. This void was very apparent in yesterday’s contest. Indonesia’s big men bullied and dunked on the Dragons’ interior defense repeatedly throughout the game. Trying to stop the harassment caused 3 Dragon players to foul out of the game. One Dragon player frustrated with trying to defend Indonesia’s starting center fouled out before the first half had even ended.

While the continued woes in the frontcourt have the Dragons’ head coach Goh Cheng Huat pulling out his hair and suffering from stomach alcers and nightmares, on a more positive note, the strong backcourt play of Guganeswaran Batumalai and Rudy Lingganay provides some limited relief for Dragons’ hopefuls.

But all in all, it looks like Dragons’ fans are in for a long arduous season.