Originally Posted by
Eddy Munny
So post a clip of Russell Westbrook missing shots on purpose, just to keep the total at 200. If it's as obvious as you say it is, we should all have no problem seeing things from your point of view. Just present a wee bit of evidence, other than "something unusual happened, therefore league-wide conspiracy." I mean, I can post countless clips of WWE punches that are pulled, or flying elbows that don't connect. Just saying Westbrook missed some shots down the stretch proves nothing. He's always been a streaky scorer. I highly doubt he was bungling uncontested layups or jacking up airballs from the floor. These two teams are very good defensive squads... not mind boggling that they could buckle down and pitch a shutout for three minutes.
Am I an oddsmaker? No, I just prefer common sense to wild flights of fancy. I get tired of seeing these same old, tired threads pop up every time a game plays close to the spread/total. It takes a special kind of dummy to actually believe that players are laying down on a regular basis as a part of some script which determines outcomes of games, and ultimately, the season.
If you want to talk about how officials can influence games unethically, by uneven calls favoring a particular team or total, that's one thing... I won't necessarily object to that. But what I find downright stupid, is this assertion that Russell Westbrook (or any other player) is busting his ass for 45 minutes, but then agrees to go all "Washington Generals" the final three minutes, just so some shady Vegas syndicate can collect on the total.
What you're telling me is that (insert name of NBA player) works his ass of since childhood... blood, sweat, and tears.. days/nights spent refining his skills in the driveway and at the playground... finally making high school varsity, attending basketball camps in the summer, traveling with amateur leagues, getting letters from college, drawing interest from scouts... then the day arrives at long last... the day he's been building towards his entire life... He hears his name called at the NBA draft. It's a dream come true. But, oh, wait... he gets bad news... he's no longer an athlete, but an actor, no different than some Hollywood production. He is now asked to missed shots he knows he can make, or foul some guy he knows he can guard... just because the script calls for it.
You're out of your fvcking mind if you believe that. Do you really believe that these players with massive egos are willing to discard their own personal legacy because Billy Bob has a big bet on the under? Why do you see so much emotion on the court if the players already know the outcome? You can't convince me that they're all highly skilled dramatic actors. The unbridled emotion I see from players in the heat of the moment is authentic. You can't fake something like that, unless you're Robert DeNiro.
But I'm willing to let you present your case if you insist on this nonsense conspiracy of yours. Show me the footage of Westbrook intentionally missing shots. Let's have a look. Hell, post the entire final three minutes of the game if you're so certain it's the smoking gun.