Re: Just a thought -

[Douglas342@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 12/12/2002 4:48:58 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
dforant1@nycap.rr.com writes:

> No contact? You must be kidding. Pierce went up head first and came down
> head first. He was definitely body bumped. Please explain this phenomena?
> 

     Well, I have never pretended to know how to ref the game, but I watched 
the play too and am not sure that I saw a foul.  Two guys come together in 
motion, one falls down.  Sure he was bumped, but not every bump is a foul.  
The fact that PP went down hard and was hurt was, as another poster said, 
just the way things happen sometimes.  Are we saying that if someone falls 
wrong and gets hurt, it's a foul?  But if he staggers and doesn't fall, it 
isn't a foul?  If a star falls hard, it's a foul, but if it's a rookie, it 
isn't?  I imagine that the tape of that play will find its way onto the tape 
that each team of refs gets each week.  Veterans of this list will remember 
the fine article on refs that Josh posted a few years back and remember that 
the league distributes a tape of controversial plays each week for review and 
discussion by the refs.
     So I can give the refs a pass on that one, I guess, but certainly NOT on 
the "hard foul" against Baker.  A foul?  Maybe, but when behemoths collide, 
s**t happens.  That was no hard foul UNLESS the NBA has now added "hard foul" 
as a new and separate transgression, different from a "flagrant foul."  Maybe 
I ought to say that what Baker did wasn't a flagrant foul.
    But hey!  I predicted 43 wins this year instead of 49, but the team is 
exactly on pace with last year.  I'm surprised, but not complaining.  And 
this team has been awfully lucky with injuries.  The NBA has evolved to a 
"two stars and 12 other guys" league, and if one of your stars gets hurt, 
it's trouble.  Ask the Lakers.  As long as PP and AW are OK, we have a shot.