How Bout Dem Wizards!!! (NBA)

[JPaul]

Firstly, just so we are clear, I find basketball tedious and wholly American. The whole idea of inventing a game that is ideal for TV and for people who must see a score every minute or so is bizarre to me. If it's all highlights then it has no highlights.

Secondly, the argument is really over the definition of what a contact sport is. Football is designed as such and the players are often in physical contact with each other. Probably most of the time defender touch-tight to attacker etc.

Basketball on the other hand has occasional contact, due to the fact that you have several really large men in a relatively small area. This is accepted as part of the game, as is deliberately conceding a foul. Otherwise known as cheating where I come from.

I would venture that football is a contact sport, basketball is a sport with some contact.

Thirdly, to define a game by it's rules is much more reasonable than to define it by "common sense".

Lastly, the NBA is the richest league in the world with all of the best players, however one does not have to watch the NBA to watch basketball. No more than one has to watch any specific league to watch association football.

[Busyman]

Firstly, just so we are clear, I find basketball tedious and wholly American. The whole idea of inventing a game that is ideal for TV and for people who must see a score every minute or so is bizarre to me. If it's all highlights then it has no highlights.

Secondly, the argument is really over the definition of what a contact sport is. Football is designed as such and the players are often in physical contact with each other. Probably most of the time defender touch-tight to attacker etc.

Basketball on the other hand has occasional contact, due to the fact that you have several really large men in a relatively small area. This is accepted as part of the game, as is deliberately conceding a foul. Otherwise known as cheating where I come from.

I would venture that football is a contact sport, basketball is a sport with some contact.

Thirdly, to define a game by it's rules is much more reasonable than to define it by "common sense".

Lastly, the NBA is the richest league in the world with all of the best players, however one does not have to watch the NBA to watch basketball. No more than one has to watch any specific league to watch association football.

Good post. However, in regards to basketball everywhere, deliberately fouling isn't cheating.

I guess watching and/or playing the game leads to my common sense thingie.

Weirdly enough, everyone here has seen a basketball game so my thought is that the common sense should kinda kick in. We aren't robots.

In the rules as well it states that refs have ultimate control over what is called.

many of the rules are written in general terms while the need for the rule may have been created by specific play situations. This practice eliminates the necessity for many additional rules and provides the officials the latitude and authority to adapt application of the rules to fit conditions of play in any particular game.

Regarding opinions of the sport, it's seems to be the fastest growing sport in the world. Watching soccer in contrast is tedious with very little highlights.

If I miss a soccer match (I have watched occasionally) I really could watch Sportcenter for 10 seconds and get the jist of what happened. Watching a game tie at 1 is tedious.

Watching a game where the Bulls mount amazing come back only to have..........



Is hardly tedious.

To each his own.

[manker]

In essence, a ref deems what is intentional or not.

Huzzah

So if he decides intentional, it's a foul and therefore against the rules - apart from the exception. If he decides unintentional, no foul and therefore within the rules.

See. I knew we'd get there.

===

Nice one, JP.

[Busyman]

Huzzah

So if he decides intentional, it's a foul and therefore against the rules - apart from the exception. If he decides unintentional, no foul and therefore within the rules.

See. I knew we'd get there.

===

Nice one, JP.

When you break rules is that cheating?

[JPaul]

Deliberately (if that is what you meant) breaking the rules is, in my opinion cheating.

The fact that it is accepted and part of the game changes this fact not one jot.

I don't subscribe to the whole "professional foul" thing. Deliberately breaking the rules, to seek an advantage is cheating.

This goes for any sport or game. Perhaps it's just because I have the Olympian spirit, rather than the "win at all costs" mentality.

[manker]

Depends.

If I mis-time a tackle in a genuine attempt to get the ball, that's not cheating. If I handle the ball on the line to prevent the ball crossing, then it's cheating.

Breaking the rules on purpose is cheating and worthy of derision, breaking the rules thro' lack of guile is not.

Anyway, why?

[manker]

hi2u, JP. It appears that we decided to post almost the same thing at more or less the same time. How fortunate that neither of us are devoid of the Olympian spirit.

We should engage in simultaneous back-slapage.

[JPaul]

How fortunate that neither of us are deviod of the Olympian spirit.

It is sad indeed that "win at all costs" has for many people replaced it.

[Snee]

Busy, I really think you could do with some of that dreaded book-learning you have such issues with.

Not only do you have problems with the definition of what a contact sport is, but you don't seem to understand the concept of rules either. It can't possibly be a rule that you should break the rules. Rules are meant to be followed, period. If teams in the NBA have made it a habit of determining the outcome of a game through un-sportsmanlike behavior/breaking the rules then that's up to them, it doesn't mean that it's acceptable according to the rules.

This is shaping up to be the silliest argument I've ever had online

[Busyman]

Deliberately (if that is what you meant) breaking the rules is, in my opinion cheating.

The fact that it is accepted and part of the game changes this fact not one jot.

I don't subscribe to the whole "professional foul" thing. Deliberately breaking the rules, to seek an advantage is cheating.

This goes for any sport or game. Perhaps it's just because I have the Olympian spirit, rather than the "win at all costs" mentality.

Well in basketball it isn't. Opinion doesn't change that fact.

It has nothing to do with win at all costs. This is why players must learn to shoot fouls shots. They aren't called free throws for nothin'.

The mere fact that you don't understand this explains the contact/non-contact doohicky.

I've never heard the term "professional foul" before.