Winning aside, Jackson 'a very normal guy'

ESPN ^ | 06/03/2004 | AP

[diamond6]

All right, all you Lakers' haters, here we go again! Anybody want to whine? Phil's 10th championship as a coach, 12th championship overall, and the Lakers' 15th championship as a franchise. How sweet it is!

[diamond6]

Bump

[diamond6]

Bump!

[bigghurtt]

deetroit in six.

but ya gotta love phil.

[diamond6]

That's right. He's not called the Zen Master for nothing! I say Lakers in six. I am impressed with the Pistons defense, but they're not long in the tooth in playoff, especially championship, experience.

[Polybius]

All right, all you Lakers' haters....

I'll be rooting for the Lakers this year so that Malone and Payton can get their rings.....Then I'll go back to hating the Lakers.

[diamond6]

That's okay. We'll welcome you on the bandwagon this year, anyway. You'll definitely be rooting for a winner.

[diamond6]

BUMP!

[Sir Gawain]

Yeah too bad Stockton didn't go to the Lakers as well.

[Diddle E. Squat]

In the Lakers last game referee Ed Rush called a 5th foul on Shaq with 8+ minutes to go. Rush then headed over to the scorer's table and asked, "How many fouls is that on Shaq?"

Shaq never was called for the 6th foul, the Lakers won, and the NBA was once again exposed as a sham on par with 'pro' wrestling. The games aren't fixed, but the refs are under orders to try and direct the outcome. Its a bogus, faux league.

[L.N. Smithee]

Why am I being pinged? Did I express my dislike of the Lakers in a thread two years ago? I know it hasn't been more recent because I haven't discussed NBA basketball at all this year except in the context of Kobe Bryant's trial.

Hmmmm...I don't remember any gloating Laker-licker pings last year. I wonder why not...

[L.N. Smithee]

In the Lakers last game referee Ed Rush called a 5th foul on Shaq with 8+ minutes to go. Rush then headed over to the scorer's table and asked, "How many fouls is that on Shaq?"

I have heard many conspiracy theories regarding the league's curious assignment of referees in pivotal playoff games, but nothing like that. I'd appreciate the source of that story.

The games aren't fixed, but the refs are under orders to try and direct the outcome. Its a bogus, faux league.

More damning than the shenanigans with the refs is the way that after Shaq-less LA got off to a slothlike start in 2003, NBA commish Stern suddenly made an announcement that the first round of the playoffs would be seven games instead of five.

[Jack Black]

Anybody want to whine?

First, they have to beat Detroit.

[Former Proud Canadian]

Source of the story? I heard an audio tape on the radio.

[diamond6]

And who shot JFK?

[dennisw]

I don't follow this jock sniffing crap anymore. Money and "attitude" ruined the NBA. Who cares?

[diamond6]

More damning than the shenanigans with the refs is the way that after Shaq-less LA got off to a slothlike start in 2003, NBA commish Stern suddenly made an announcement that the first round of the playoffs would be seven games instead of five. Slothlike start. You mean 18-3? I recall also that the Lakers dispatched Houston 4-1. I guess another game wasn't needed.

[diamond6]

If you didn't care, then why did you bother to respond.