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