There can only be one. (Donaghy allegation version)

by Muff209 on Jun 13, 2008 5:23 PM PDT Comment 14 comments

(Insert haunting piano playing here)

There's been a lot of words used to describe this whole Donaghy revelation over the past couple days. A lot of people don't like to talk about it, but one of them is fear.

Fear that we've come this far since 2002, only to have all that baggage thrust upon us again. Fear that after 20+ years, the only person I've ever known to be responsible for protecting the integrity of the game, doesn't want my team to win. Fear that we never had a chance at the 2002 title because it wouldn't have been as profitable. That fear I've dealt with over time. I don't believe in the conspiracy. Because I know it's just the result of another fear.

Fear that my team will never win it all. Fear that our chance has passed us by. Fear that on top of all conspiracy theories we can throw out, that 2002 was never going to be our year. Fear that some evil ref wasn't responsible for the collapse of 2002, we are.

But me? I like the fear. It means that nobody's responsible for our destiny but us. Not a myriad of bad calls. Not a sinister edict from the commish to push the series to seven games. Not even the Mamba is responsible for our destiny. It's us. We had 53 minutes to get the job done at home. We couldn't do it. If we couldn't show up during the most important 5 minutes ever played at Arco Arena, then we didn't deserve that title.

One day I hope to be there when we do deserve it. Until that day when I get to shower my best friend with champagne as if we were in the locker room with the Kings, I embrace the fear. It may not mean we're close or ready, but at least I know by embracing it I've learned to take responsibility for my own actions. There can only be one. One day I hope it's us.

(This is a FanPost from a member of the Sactown Royalty community. The views expressed come from the member, and not Sactown Royalty staff.)

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Read More: tim donaghy, 2002, game 6, Sacramento Kings

Comments

i know im beating a dead horse,

but 27 free throws in the fourth quarter if sustained throughout the game would be 108 free throws, 108. Im not saying that there was a conspiracy(although i do believe there was one) but to say that it wasnt a “myriad of bad calls” that was to blame for our loss in that game is absurd. Jackson said the game 5 was decided by the refs in favor of the kings but that was only one miscall at the end of the game, Game 6 was different entirely, the refs began their intervention way too early, they dictated the entire fourth quarter. Fast breaks are impossible after missed or made free throws so we were slowed to half court sets but after the loss of vlade we had no low post presence and only half of our high post threat, in Webber and no one to cover Shaq. You can wax poetically all you want but the FACT is that the refs can and occasionally do affect the outcomes of games, Game 6 was one of the most obvious examples of this and its been well chronicled, nationwide. That is not me bitching or living in the past or in fear of the future. That is me, simply stating the truth of what happened, Bob Delaney and apparently Dick Bavetta(my grudge has always been with Delaney) stole that game from us.

"everything was beautiful and nothing hurt"

by richmond02 on Jun 14, 2008 2:15 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Well stated, Muff

And I’m with you. I would have a greater fear of my own life if I did not believe that I am the one responsible for where I am. We all get bad calls in life. It’s what we do from that point that helps define us.

When my dad passed (too young at 60) I lost my mentor, my golf partner, my fellow Giants fan, my biggest fan, my only hero, my best friend. That was a bad call that didn’t go my way. I’ve had my grief (still do sometimes, even 25 years later), and made my peace. All of the lessons and good times are cataloged in the rolodex of my mind, where they can be easily referenced.

So when I apply that same thought process to this situation, I come to the conclusion that this does little to change the fact that that team and time was the golden age of King’s basketball. We may not have won the championship, but we were recognized as the best and most entertaining product in the NBA. What a marvelous, magical team!

Yes, it would have been better if we had won the title, but game 6 was a bad call (a bunch of them!) that did not go our way. Yes, it would have been better had Webber not blown out his knee a year later, but that was a bad call that did not go our way. You know what? That doesn’t change what we had, unless we allow it to.

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Jun 14, 2008 8:05 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs

True regarding personal responsibility

but that doesn’t mean that you should sit back and allow others to take advantage of you.

Equating Webber’s knee to game 6 is like equating an earthquake to Enron. In response to an earthquake you accept it and do what you can to move on, help the victims, possibly make some changes to buildings, emergency response, etc. This is not the way to respond to Enron. In response to Enron you nail the F@ckers to the wall so it doesn’t happen again.

Section 214 is one lucky schmoe

by Kfan in Korea on Jun 14, 2008 2:46 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Yeah but...

the Enron case had this thing called evidence and credible witnesses.

Muff rules. http://vegaskings.blogspot.com

by Muff209 on Jun 15, 2008 2:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

At the very least

there is evidence that home teams get more foul calls, that “stars” get special treatment, that the final minutes of a game and the entire playoffs and finals are officiated differently than the early minutes of a game and the regular season. So even if you don’t believe in a conspiracy, there are identifiable problems that should’ve been addressed. Again, not even close to how one should respond to a knee injury.

Section 214 is one lucky schmoe

by Kfan in Korea on Jun 15, 2008 5:06 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Add to the list of common

refereeing practices that need to be changed: When a star is in foul trouble always give the foul to a reserve who is also in the area. Just call the foul on whoever committed the foul.

Also if you don’t believe in a conspiracy and thus don’t like the Enron analogy go with FEMA’s reaction to Katrina = Game 6 and an earthquake = Webber’s knee injury.

Section 214 is one lucky schmoe

by Kfan in Korea on Jun 15, 2008 7:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I 100% agree

with your first paragraph, but I swear I don’t understand your second.

I just don’t see how Webber’s knee injury equals the FEMA response (or lack thereof) to Katrina. Is it in the emotional devasation? Otherwise, I don’t get it. Blame it on my stupidity, sorry.

On the other hand, why is it that more than three years later FEMA (and the taxpayers) are STILL putting folks up in FEMA trailers and hotel rooms? I understand it if it’s still in La. but not if it’s in dispersment cities like Houston, Sacramento, and other non-affected dispersment cities. Disregard this last paragraph (if you haven’t already disregarded the entire post). Apologies again.

The scab is off, the wound bleeds again.
-lietothegirls

by KK on Jun 16, 2008 9:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Webber doesn't = FEMA. Game 6 = FEMA

My original post was in response to Section214 he was treating the game 6 officiating as the same thing as Webber’s knee injury: “Bad calls that didn’t go our way.

I then posted that Webber’s knee injury is more like an earthquake(not really anyone to blame) and game 6 more like Enron. Muff209 didn’t like that because the people behind Enron acted with malice, so I suggested Game 6 officiating = FEMA reaction. No malice, but unacceptable none the less.

Sorry for the confusion on a not really important point.

Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott

by Kfan in Korea on Jun 16, 2008 10:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

malice?

I didn’t like that analogy because there was actual proof that Enron did something wrong. All we have is one disgraced referee. Malice had nothing to do with it. Concrete evidence is everything. You know, beyond a reasonable doubt, court provable? That kind of stuff

Muff rules. http://vegaskings.blogspot.com

by Muff209 on Jun 17, 2008 6:45 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wrong Court

In the Court of Public Opinion™, one only needs speculation and conjecture.

Case Closed.

by smgmatt on Jun 17, 2008 7:05 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ok

sorry about that.

Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott

by Kfan in Korea on Jun 17, 2008 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for the clarification,

although a significant number of people would argue that FEMA’s response to Katrina is at least equal in malicious intent as was ENRON’s business model.

We don’t need to discuss either disaster further, I think I understand your point and nobody needs to beat another dead horse in this discussion.

Best wishes to you, as always. I enjoy your take on things, as you said, it was a minor point that wasn’t clear to a few.

My bad.

The scab is off, the wound bleeds again.
-lietothegirls

by KK on Jun 17, 2008 11:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think the "@" was meant to be a "u"

"everything was beautiful and nothing hurt"

by richmond02 on Jun 15, 2008 12:03 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Feds looking into it..

The LA District Attorney said that the State Staute of Limitations has expired but thinks ‘this should be looked into’ and has referred it to Federal Prosecutors.

eternal skeptical optimist

by lietothegirls on Jun 18, 2008 9:58 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs