Neilson Ratings in for Game 1 and 2 . . . Yes, the NBA is Fixed

[Who Needs 8]

The NBA has to have money from TV. And there are 6 Million more people watching Deal No Deal than the Game one and two. So how do they fix this? Fix Three and Four and make a Series out of this.

Neilson Ratings for the Week of June 5, 2006:

1 - DEAL OR NO DEAL-MON - 11.2 Rating - 18.243 Million Viewers

2 - CSI - 8.4 Rating - 12.444 Million Viewers

3 - CSI: MIAMI - 8.3 Rating - 11.917 Million Viewers

4 - NBA FINALS ON ABC-GM 2(S) - 8.0 Rating - 12.410 Million Viewers

5 - WITHOUT A TRACE - 7.9 Rating - 11.367 Million Viewers

6 - NBA FINALS ON ABC-GM 1(S) - 7.8 Rating - 11.514 Million Viewers

7 - APPRENTICE 5 - 7.2 Rating - 11.248 Million Viewers

That's PATHEDIC!!! I've never watched "Without a Trace" Ever. I don't know who's in it, or when it comes on. But it's more popular than the Finals? That's not good for Buisness.





What's funny is that the same thing happened last year.

http://www.sportscolumn.com/story/2005/6/22/123718/456

The NBA and the man that run it are proud of what they've become and how they've been built. In most regards, rightfully so. However the NBA is at a crossroads in its life and must tread lightly around its fanbase domestically - in order not to fall completely apart.
This article will not explain how to do so but let's applaud the players union and the owners for coming to a nice agreement on the latest CBA.

Now the real story. The NBA is facing a crisis of very large proportions. What is the crisis? Not a single person outside of San Antonio who isn't a fan of the Detroit Pistons cares about the NBA FINALS. This excerpt from John Consoli of mediaweek.com tells you the whole story:

"Household ratings for Game Two of the NBA Finals on ABC on Sunday night in which the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Detroit Pistons, were down 36 percent from last year's Game Two, reaching only a 6.9.

The household ratings' average for the first two games of the finals on ABC are averaging a 7.0, down 32 percent from last year, when the Pistons played the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals. If these ratings hold up at this level, it will be the second lowest rated NBA Finals in history. Through the first two games, ratings in the key 18-49 demo are down 34 percent to a 6.0 from a 9.1 last year."

Wow! Staggering numbers. So what does David Stern do? Well...um...[this is where those of you who think the world is a perfectly run utopia can tune out]...You gone? Ok...for the rest of you...David Stern has ensured that the NBA Finals goes 7 Games. Why? Because even depressed numbers for the NBA Finals kill the average numbers of shows in the same time slot.

I mean even with a poor matchup between Detroit and San Antonio taking place - the NBA Finals still pulls ABC the #8 and #12 slot in this past week's ratings for game 1 and 2.

NOTE: Who in the world watches Two and a half men? More people than the NBA Finals apparently.

So this leads to how David Stern has been able to manipulate what looked like a SPURS easy series to a 7 game series in which...Yes the Spurs win...

So how does David Stern Accomplish this?

NBA Officials/Refs

I watched the most boring and agonizing first half of NBA basketball I have ever watched last night. (Game 6)

All I saw was Rasheed Wallace crying like a two year old, Chauncey Billups whining, Larry Brown crying, assistant coaches yelling, Tim Duncan being a baby and Brent Barry being a sissy.

It wasn't basketball. This wasn't Magic to Kareem. This wasn't Michael Jordan over Clyde Drexler. This wasn't even Shaquille and Kobe. (Thought I'd never say that) This was a bunch of babies yelling at REFS. Between these moments were some wild three pointers and rebounds.

So why was game 6 like this? The REFS are coached by David Stern and the NBA. Believe it. No they don't meet in a dark room and Stern goes "Ok. San Antonio needs to win. Make sure Billups fouls out." - What happens is the NBA puts pressure on the refs to call the games a certain way focussing on the team that they want to lose.

It's obvious and it can be seen over and over if you look closely.

Stern relies on TV revenue like a baby relies on milk and with ratings down like they are he needed a GAME 7. With the help of those that he controls...

He got it.

Do you believe now?


<h1>STOP FEEDING THE PIG!!!</h1>

[mustang_marc]

Do you believe now?


<h1>STOP FEEDING THE PIG!!!</h1>
Then stop watching the games and posting about the NBA. I thought you were done like 2 series ago?

[Who Needs 8]

Then stop watching the games and posting about the NBA. I thought you were done like 2 series ago?

Eh, I came to the realization that it's Dallas . . . and I'm a Homer. Besides, I have to take notes.

But Basketball is still a Fraud of a sport.

[The Big Matt]

good god, this gets old quick

[Hurley]

Eh. A bit far fetched, but not impossible. I hope Dallas can pull it together for game 5. Even Stern can't make Dallas shoot as bad as they did last night.

[bcoop]

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!


Better go get your aluminum foil hat, you fucking retard.

[Who Needs 8]

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!


Better go get your aluminum foil hat, you fucking retard.


Your feeble mind can't even comprehend any of this information, so move along on your short bus.

[bcoop]

Your feeble mind can't even comprehend any of this information, so move along on your short bus.



You are an Aggie, and I'm the feeble minded one? Nice logic there, Einstein.

[momo stallion]

neilson ratings suck fucking dick. the sampling range is COMPLETE garbage.

[mikecobra95]

Damn you guys...... Mavs up 2 games no complaining and all is well in the douchebag land that is Mavs fans.

Dirk chokes, Heat get better play from their stars and tie the series. Now it is all "fixed" since the Mavs are losing.

Shut the fuck up already, they lost 2 games, big fucking deal.

[bcoop]

Damn you guys...... Mavs up 2 games no complaining and all is well in the douchebag land that is Mavs fans.

Dirk chokes, Heat get better play from their stars and tie the series. Now it is all "fixed" since the Mavs are losing.

Shut the fuck up already, they lost 2 games, big fucking deal.


Don't lump this cocksucker Maston in with the rest of the Mavs fans. We can't help that he's a fucking moron.

[Who Needs 8]

Don't lump this cocksucker Maston in with the rest of the Mavs fans. We can't help that he's a fucking moron.


Is that the "special" section with the handicaps?

[ClockwrkOrangeS4]

Your feeble mind can't even comprehend any of this information, so move along on your short bus.

so is the whole NBA fixed, or just the playoffs?

[ZYouL8R]

Damn you guys...... Mavs up 2 games no complaining and all is well in the douchebag land that is Mavs fans.

Dirk chokes, Heat get better play from their stars and tie the series. Now it is all "fixed" since the Mavs are losing.

Shut the fuck up already, they lost 2 games, big fucking deal.

That's because the Mavs were scripted to win the 1st 2 games!

It's official, Mavs fans are the biggest blowhard idiots on this planet. If they win, it's because they're a better team. If they lose, it's a conspiracy. I'm almost hoping they win now so this conspiracy shit will end, but then again, I love seeing people like Who Needs 8 cry. Waaaaaaaaa!

[ZYouL8R]

so is the whole NBA fixed, or just the playoffs?

Just the games the Mavs lose.

[bcoop]

Just the games the Mavs lose.


Because Maston the sports God says so!

[Who Needs 8]

so is the whole NBA fixed, or just the playoffs?


The Playoffs, and apparently it's a reoccurring theme.

http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2001/2001/0531/1208098.html

June 1, 2001

Bucks think Sixers are getting all the calls
Associated Press

MILWAUKEE -- Stopping just short of alleging an outright anti-Bucks conspiracy, Ray Allen said Thursday that the NBA would prefer to see the Philadelphia 76ers face the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals.

"I think there's no question about that. The league, as a marketing machine, the bottom line is about making money," Allen said. "It behooves everybody for the league to make more money, and the league knows that Philadelphia is going to make more money with L.A. than we would with L.A."

Coming off a crushing one-point Game 5 loss in which two flagrant fouls and a technical foul cost the Bucks dearly, Milwaukee now faces a must-win situation in Game 6 Friday night.

The best-of-seven series is tied 3-3, with the winner of Sunday's finale in Philadelphia moving on to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals beginning next Wednesday.

The Bucks have complained about the officiating since Game 4, when they felt Glenn Robinson was fouled on a crucial possession late in the fourth quarter that turned into a breakaway layup for the 76ers.

In Game 5, Sam Cassell's technical foul and flagrant fouls on Robinson and Tim Thomas resulted in a five-point possession and two four-point possessions for Philadelphia, and the Bucks admitted that those three mistakes cost them the game.

“ It behooves everybody for the league to make more money, and the league knows that Philadelphia is going to make more money with L.A. than we would with L.A. ”
— Ray Allen

But aside from what they felt was the questionable nature of those calls, the Bucks also had a problem with several other whistles -- touch fouls on Cassell and Ervin Johnson early in the game and a moving screen call on Jason Caffey late in the fourth quarter.

Cassell's complaining began in the first quarter when he pump-faked Allen Iverson off his feet and Iverson whacked him hard on the arm. No foul was called, even though the play happened directly in front of referee Ronnie Nunn.

"Nine times out of 10 when you have a referee you know there's no biases," Allen said. "But in the back of everybody's minds it's like Philadelphia and the MVP needs to play in the finals.

"I used to always think the series were fixed when I was in high school, then when I got to the NBA I said there's no way they could be fixed. But even last year against Indiana in Game 5 (of Milwaukee's first-round series) it seemed like everything went against us," Allen said.

The NBA assigns its veteran referees to work playoff games based upon merit. Different teams have complained throughout the years that superstars receive preferential treatment from the officials, and the Bucks are merely the latest upstarts to learn that playoff games at the end of May are often called differently than regular-season games.

Complaining about specific calls is one thing; alleging a conspiracy is another. And though nobody on the Bucks came right out and said it, all the questions about a conspiracy theory found a welcoming audience.

Allen said members of his family had told him that they were sitting across from NBA commissioner David Stern on Sunday and noticed him stand up to watch a replay after it appeared Allen got away with committing a foul against Iverson that wasn't called.

"He jumped up real mad like he was cheering for Philly," Allen said.

Bucks coach George Karl said conspiracy theories were "summer talk," although he claimed three other NBA coaches had called him after Game 5 to raise that very issue.

"Sam Cassell said that Kevin Garnett and Rod Strickland had called him, so it's out there," Karl said.

The NBA has always laughed off the charge, but conspiracy theorists often point to Game 7 of the 1993 Western Conference finals in making their case -- saying Phoenix got an inordinate number of calls against Seattle because the league wanted to see a Suns-Chicago Bulls final.

"Here was the scenario: A Barkley-Jordan final, and Barkley did a commercial for NBC three weeks before the finals -- and he told me about it. And then they shoot 67 free throws in the final game," said Karl, who coached the SuperSonics in that game.

There were 100 foul shots taken in that game, 64 by the Suns. Seattle was called for 38 personal fouls and had three players disqualified; Phoenix was whistled for 27 fouls and had no one foul out.

"So there's a little paranoia there, but tomorrow night that means nothing," Karl said. "The board room is behind closed doors in New York City, so no one's ever going to know.

NBA spokesman Brian McIntyre said the league had no comment on the Bucks' remarks. Supervisor of officials Ed Rush did not return a phone call to his Phoenix office.

In the history of the NBA playoffs, teams that have taken a 3-2 lead in Game 5 have gone on to win the series 83 percent of the time.

One of the exceptions was this year's Bucks, who dropped three straight games to the Charlotte Hornets in the second round before coming back and winning Games 6 and 7.

The Bucks continue to defiantly insist they are the better team, and they believe they will win Games 6 and 7 if they continue to hold Iverson in check.

Iverson has shot just 33-for-120 (27 percent) from the field during the series as the Bucks have hugely overplayed him to his right, forcing Iverson to go to his left.

"In the Toronto series everybody said you had to double-team him, but have you seen him go left and score?" Allen asked. "That's all he wants to do is go right, and if he goes left he's going to jump back to the right.

"So he can't score going to his left unless he passes the ball, but if he goes right he's the biggest scoring threat in the world."

Only Game 6 will tell if that strategy will continue to work -- and whether people will continue to believe that an anti-Bucks conspiracy exists.

"I'm not alleging a conspiracy, I'm not getting caught up in anything that I think the league has going on or what they might want," Allen said. "I'm just saying if we control what we can control, we'll be in L.A. playing the Lakers.

"If we play like we're capable of playing and not let the referees have a hand in the outcome of the game, then we'll have nothing to worry about."

[ClockwrkOrangeS4]

so you're telling that the NBA doesn't care about the regular season, and the best team wins (usually), but during the playoffs the NBA actually gets involved and changes the outcome of the games?

That's like saying WWE is real on every Monday night but Wrestlemania is fixed. If they are 'fixing' games, they are either doing it the entire year, or they're not doing it at all.

The Playoffs, and apparently it's a reoccurring theme.

http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2001/2001/0531/1208098.html

June 1, 2001

blah blah blah

[Michaelb303]

It's because all the old people just sit at home and watch shows they like. They don't like sports anymore. talk to them they will tell you.

[Who Needs 8]

It's official, Mavs fans are the biggest blowhard idiots on this planet. If they win, it's because they're a better team. If they lose, it's a conspiracy. I'm almost hoping they win now so this conspiracy shit will end, but then again, I love seeing people like Who Needs 8 cry. Waaaaaaaaa!


Funny, this was written by a San Antonio Radio guy:

http://www.woai.com/spurs/story.aspx?content_id=C1B6FF6F-00FB-4A25-8974-6CA0B66D6B14

By Steve Czaban
The Ticket 760AM
Weekdays 7-9pm


A caller asked me what I would do as commissioner of the NBA to somehow reverse or at least minimize the rampant “NBA is fixed” talk that comes from… well… people like me.

Good question, and I am not sure there is an easy answer. Basically, I said that David Stern’s bed has been made by well over two decades of subtle decisions on how to administer their sport in regard to star players and big markets. Now they have to lie in it. Sad too, if you are him, that your sport is the ONLY major professional sport in America that has this stigma. But they’ve earned it, so what can I say.

I guess the NBA’s real problem is that it has wildly inconsistent standards of game administration (aka: refereeing). More so than any other sport. Imagine if in the NFL, Ray Lewis could clothesline a TE before the ball was thrown at home, but get flagged on the road? What if Curt Schilling’s strike zone was four inches wider at Fenway than on the road?

That’s what the NBA has when Shaq can knock guys down at Staples like bowling pins, but on the road he often gets in foul trouble.

Here’s one more example of the NBA’s credibility problem that just won’t go away. In the fourth quarter of game 5, the Lakers are rallying and down just 6 points with 2:46 to play. Perhaps sensing that the Lakers would actually win this series and turn Monday (a holiday) into a “dark” day on the NBA TV docket, what happens next? Shaq gets a three second call for a much needed breathing room turnover for Minnesota. Shaq didn’t have a SINGLE 3-second call all series until that point. So you get my drift. Why then, why there, and why are there no observable standards to how NBA refs call games.

David Stern, call your office.

[Who Needs 8]

so you're telling that the NBA doesn't care about the regular season, and the best team wins (usually), but during the playoffs the NBA actually gets involved and changes the outcome of the games?

That's like saying WWE is real on every Monday night but Wrestlemania is fixed. If they are 'fixing' games, they are either doing it the entire year, or they're not doing it at all.


If I ever thought that Basketball were a real sport, I'd watch more during the regular season, but I get tired head doing that.

The reason why they do this in the Playoffs is because the NBA gets put on the National Stage. The best of seven series creates drama, which makes people tune in to see what happens next (exactly how TNT markets it)

[The Big Matt]

you mean like the NFL with their playoff structure? Oh no, every week multiple games, until the one SUPERBOWL is finished. Oh wait, or is it Hockey, with their playoff structure?? No, no Baseball, and the whole Pennant chase, and World Series mumbo jumbo...

Oh wait or the Olympics, yeah, that big old money grubbing group of pigs...

YAWN

[ClockwrkOrangeS4]

I've recently heard that Mark Cuban was on the grassy knoll

[Who Needs 8]

you mean like the NFL with their playoff structure? Oh no, every week multiple games, until the one SUPERBOWL is finished. Oh wait, or is it Hockey, with their playoff structure?? No, no Baseball, and the whole Pennant chase, and World Series mumbo jumbo...

Oh wait or the Olympics, yeah, that big old money grubbing group of pigs...

YAWN

Don't forget the NCAA Football National Championship :rolleyes:

[The Big Matt]

Actually David Stern is from the future, he has come back in oder to change events that lead to our demise... He's here to save us you assholes!!!

[Who Needs 8]

Actually David Stern is from the future, he has come back in oder to change events that lead to our demise... He's here to save us you assholes!!!


So that's who John Titor is. :rolleyes:

[ZYouL8R]

Funny, this was written by a San Antonio Radio guy:

http://www.woai.com/spurs/story.aspx?content_id=C1B6FF6F-00FB-4A25-8974-6CA0B66D6B14

By Steve Czaban
The Ticket 760AM
Weekdays 7-9pm


A caller asked me what I would do as commissioner of the NBA to somehow reverse or at least minimize the rampant “NBA is fixed” talk that comes from… well… people like me.

Good question, and I am not sure there is an easy answer. Basically, I said that David Stern’s bed has been made by well over two decades of subtle decisions on how to administer their sport in regard to star players and big markets. Now they have to lie in it. Sad too, if you are him, that your sport is the ONLY major professional sport in America that has this stigma. But they’ve earned it, so what can I say.

I guess the NBA’s real problem is that it has wildly inconsistent standards of game administration (aka: refereeing). More so than any other sport. Imagine if in the NFL, Ray Lewis could clothesline a TE before the ball was thrown at home, but get flagged on the road? What if Curt Schilling’s strike zone was four inches wider at Fenway than on the road?

That’s what the NBA has when Shaq can knock guys down at Staples like bowling pins, but on the road he often gets in foul trouble.

Here’s one more example of the NBA’s credibility problem that just won’t go away. In the fourth quarter of game 5, the Lakers are rallying and down just 6 points with 2:46 to play. Perhaps sensing that the Lakers would actually win this series and turn Monday (a holiday) into a “dark” day on the NBA TV docket, what happens next? Shaq gets a three second call for a much needed breathing room turnover for Minnesota. Shaq didn’t have a SINGLE 3-second call all series until that point. So you get my drift. Why then, why there, and why are there no observable standards to how NBA refs call games.

David Stern, call your office.

If it was written by an SA writer, it must be true! :rolleyes:

I don't give a shit who writes it, it's rediculous and a poor excuse for a team losing. Since you guys were bitching about calls all during the playoff run, yet you've made it this far, is it fair to say Avery is going against the script and will be "accidently" killed during next year's season?

[spankustang]

I'm sure all of those shows are RERUNS also!!!

The NBA has sucked for the last 7-8 years IMO

[Who Needs 8]

CSI: Miami still beat the Finals last week.

http://www.nielsenmedia.com/nc/portal/site/Public/menuitem.43afce2fac27e890311ba0a347a062a0/?show=%2FFilters%2FPublic%2Ftop_tv_ratings%2Fbroad cast_tv&vgnextoid=9e4df9669fa14010VgnVCM100000880a260aRCRD&selOneIndex=1


Game 7 guaranteed