Poor Mavs

We lost.

Miami Heat	95
Dallas Mavericks	92

I still believe we had the better team. I still think we should of won. And, yes, I'm feeling sore and I'm on the losing side, so I guess that makes me a sore loser. Being that I have now admitted that, I just want to say that that was the absolute worst ref'd game of basketball I have ever seen. You can kind of deal with that in the regular season a little bit, but there is no way that team of referees should have been allowed anywhere near the floor for a Finals contest. Furthermore, their calls were so one sided that it makes one wonder if rigging an NBA game really is possible or not. Sure, Mark Cuban says it is not, but I certainly saw dozens of obvious fouls committed by Miami players that were not called. The announcers were even pointing them out!! To add to that, anytime a Heat player went to shoot, he was automatically fouled. (Even if the Maverick's player who "fouled" him clearly did not touch him at all) A couple of times...I can accept that. But, this was for the course of the whole game!!! Not only that, but this had been a trend of the last couple of games. This had even been a trend throughout the playoffs for the Mavs so far. Are the Miami Heat now the NBA champions? Yes. Do they deserve it? No one will ever really know. That's the bottom line. Their championship, in my opinion, is now somewhat illegitimate. It's too bad. Dwayne Wade actually was really good.

Maybe some Dallas fan should start a "NoRefs.com" in the same pattern as the Buffalo Sabres fan's "NoGoal.com" after the Buffalo Sabers vs. Dallas Stars Stanley Cup Finals in '99. The only controversy there was a matter of opinion as to whether or not the series winning goal may or may not have been kicked in. The refs ruled it was deflected, and their fans ruled otherwise. A single bad call compared to dozens of them. How can fans get so uptight about one bad call in the NHL, a league who's sport easily moves five times as fast as basketball, and yet their is zero accountability for the referees involved? (for the record, at the half, Miama had taken 15 free throws. Dallas had taken 2. Those numbers just shouldn't be that lopsided in the NBA Finals)

Ok, I've vented enough. I'm really just pissed off at the Mavs for blowing it when they came into that series as clearly the better team. Sometimes though, skill does not count, and the game is left to luck and the calls of the referees involved. (*Deep breaths, Kelly...deep breaths*)

63 tonight....consisted of going over to Grant's house to watch the game. It was apparently a last minute decision. After it was made, it was realized that a couple of people weren't too happy with it. Poor John kept blaming himself for it. Personally, I think it is very Christian to fellowship in such a manner. So, we didn't sing or learn together tonight. But we did fellowship. I thought it was good.

Most interesting factoid of the night: Marquis Daniels has the entire "verse" (according to Stuart Scott of ESPN) of Psalm 91 tattoed on his chest.

So, to finish off this blog entry:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

- Psalm 91