ESPN is the NBA's Whore!

Leave it to ESPN to tick me off on Christmas!

First they bring on the Basketball Idiot that is Bill Walton to preview the Pistons - Pacers matchup... and what does he talk about? How the Pacers' fans are notoriously the most obnoxious misbehaved fans in the entire league and today could be very ugly. Excuse me? He referenced a racial epithet that Allen Iverson claimed a fan yelled at him years ago. Note to Bill, when ESPN tried to make a big deal of this back then, numerous fans sitting behind the bench, a long time security guard, and a Sixers' manager said it never happened. Then Bill decides to rail on the arbitrator and the players' union for siding with O'Neal and shortening his suspension. Bill actually called that an embarrassment to the league and O'Neal and Jackson should be lucky they weren't suspended for the year and Artest should have been suspended for life. Note to Bill... Who made you God? Note to ESPN... We as viewers don't care what the Basketball Idiot says. Make him go away.

Then we get to hear an announcing team of Tom Tolbert and some mystery dude who didn't care much about the game, but sure wanted to make a big deal about the fans. First stating that its a good thing the Pacer Organization increased the number of security cause who knows what these Pacers' fans might do today. It's a good thing Indiana law prohibits the sale of alcohol on Christmas day or things might get really ugly. Then he continues to talk about how the vulgarities coming from the crowd are just uncalled for and how he hopes that the good thing that comes out of the players attacking the fans in Detroit is that Security will get rid of fans that insult players from the stands. Vulgarities are just uncalled for in sports and these Pacers' fans are notoriously the worst in all of sports.

But the best was when Tom Tolbert started talking about his perspective when it immediately happened. Mystery dude jumped in and interrupted him by changing the subject... interestingly Tom never brought it up again. Me thinks the producer was telling Tom to not bring that up.

So back to my initial Headline...

whore - A person considered as having compromised principles for personal gain.

I find it interesting that all of the ABC and ESPN broadcasters, Tom Tolbert included, the night of the Melee blamed the fans and totally understood why the Pacers players reacted the way they did. Then the next day everyone of them to a man, did a 180 degree reversal blaming the players and not the fans. Ya think the NBA contacted ABC/ESPN and told them that their TV arrangement would be in jeopardy if they didn't agree with the NBA? ESPN has sold out!

So when will Stern come down hard on the Pistons organization and the fans? I'm still waiting. Guess I shouldn't hold my breath since ESPN has revised history and it was all the Pacers' fault.