This used to be called a charge taken by a gutsy veteran with a high basketball IQ; in this league of superstar calls, its a foul and free throws for the Star, never a foul on LeBron James. |
As Miami Heat sports writers everywhere describe the odd sight, the not-so-subtle message is transmitted throughout the slanted ESPN universe: "Beware of the dirty play of the Chicago Bulls."
C'mon.
Tom Haberstroh, as the Miami Heat beat writer for ESPN, you are either slipping that in there to gain your team an advantage, or you are so stupid that you let the Miami Heat coaching staff use you to gain an officiating advantage. Either way, you are a pathetic excuse for a "journalist".
Meanwhile, wasn't it LeBron James himself that tauted flopping as an effective strategy after stating that he has never flopped in his entire career? And wasn't it the same LeBron James that got called and fined a few nights later for flopping?
And what about this Dwayne Wade Cheap Shot Montage (starting at 9:39)?
LeBron and the Heat must sense the sun setting on their time at the top, by default. The Heat won't get an automatic road to the Finals.
Their Eastern Conference Finals foes from last season, the Indiana Pacers have gotten even bigger up front and deeper.
The superteams in Boston and Brooklyn have consolidated into a single Eastern superpower based in Brooklyn.
And the Miami Heat's greatest rival, the Chicago Bulls have their MVP back in Derrick Rose. They are the team that have put fear into the hearts of LeBiatch and his bunch since they split the season series last season and took two games off of them in the playoffs without their best and second best players.
And so what does a aging and declining champion resort to when they feel vulnerable?
They cry foul. They complain about officiating. They stack the deck if they can.
They accuse the other team of being too physical.
They CHeat.