RE: Bird vs Russell

[afn15554@afn.org (Ed Ag)]

>His foot wasn't _close_ to the line, he'd already _landed_inside_ the line
>when he shot the ball. Anyone but Johnny Most should've been able to see
>that not only it wasn't a 3-pointer, it was a walk. That the refs gave it
>to him was a disgrace, IMO. I feel really uncomfortable complaining about
>"Jordan rules" ('though I still do it) when I recall that moment.
>I remember Drexler being gracious about it after the "defeat", as he
>clearly knew, as did anyone with a drop of objectivity, that the refs had
>taken pity on Bird. I thought it was an insult to Larry, just as it
>_should_ have been an insult to Jordan to count his last shot in the '98
>Finals after he cleared out Russell.

Actually, I have that game on tape, and I have replayed that shot on slow
motion and stop action many many times.  It is a very clumsy, off balance
shot by Bird -- but the shot WAS a 3 pointer and it was NOT a travel!  It
was a correct call to allow it!  Ed