OK, Just One More

OK, call me a liar. And no more promises - I'm going to get all the mileage I can out of this one.

Here, Michele Catalano of A Big Victory delivers a great commentary on Game 6, over at Pajamas Media. Excerpt:

While Donaghy’s revelation may bring some relief to Kings fans who now have some backing for their fixed game theory, it also has renewed the anger they felt in 2002. This wasn’t just some game in the middle of the season; it was a game that meant the world to the Kings and their fans, a realized dream of a trip to the NBA finals and a chance at basketball glory.

Kings fan Reggie Boon recalls what he felt as he watched the game unfold. “It was like the NBA was telling all the smaller markets to go to hell, that all the NBA wanted to see was dollar signs and Sacramento just didn’t have enough.”

For the Kings, this is their job, their profession. Imagine if you were up for a promotion at work and the day you walk into your boss’s office with the anticipation of being handed the promotion, you find out that some guy who did half the work you did, who is clearly not as capable as you, was handed the job. Why? Because he’s better looking. Or wears nicer ties. Looks better for the company. I’m sure that’s the same sense of frustration the Kings felt that night.

Any sports fan (though perhaps not a 2002 Lakers fan) can sympathize with the angry Kings fans. Imagine being that close to celebrating a victory only to have the rug pulled out from under you - not by lousy playing or even bad bounces, but by the people who run the game and the sport. The chance to win or lose is not even in the hands of the players, nothing they can do will change the outcome of the game. It’s frustrating, to say the least.