Practice! We are who we thought they were! Playoffs?!? I want winners! You play to win the game!
These are lines captured in brief moments in time that have come to live in sports infamy. Like quotes from your favorite movies or lyrics from a famous song, all it takes is one emotional press conference and a coach on a whim to have a phrase etched into our vernacular forever.
Well, move over, because we just got another one, baby.
Thank you, Coach Fizdale.
In less than three minutes, a steaming mad, rookie coach entered himself into the soundbite hall of fame and we have NBA officiating to thank.
For six quarters, David Fizdale’s Memphis Grizzlies were out-scored, out-played and out-hustled by the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs. Then came a run. By the end of Game Two, it looked like the Grizz might make a series out of it after all. Then came the whistles or according to Coach Fizdale, the lack thereof.
After a highly-contested game, the Spurs scooted off the court with another victory in what many felt was an unevenly officiated game, Fizdale included.
I’m going to let coach Fizdale speak for himself but first, so that you don’t miss a thing, one of my favorite elements of the rant-shortened press conference you’re about to witness, and there are many, is that you can hear Fizdale from the very beginning breathing through his nose as if he were a bull in a china shop about to charge through a bunch of sports reporters, all of them knowing the right question would set the charge. You also have to love the shout out to having “a glass of wine on the plane” before making any(more) rash decisions.
Sports fans, in case you missed it (and even if you haven’t, it’s worth watching again), I proudly present your top sports rant of 2017. I would like to officially welcome “They’re not gonna rook us” and “Take that for data” into our sports vernacular.
Without further ado, Memphis Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale.
So let me get this straight , David Fizdale in his first go around coaching in the NBA Playoffs, wasn’t aware that the officiating in the league becomes even mediocre ? LOL,LOL,LOL !!!!! WTF !!!!
Oh he knows it, Al, or if he didn’t, he sure as hell knows it now.
Let’s see how it affects Game Three.
He’s gotta a legitimate gripe. However, the Commish didn’t like the bash on officials. They fined him 30k and his team chipped in to pay it for him. That’s love.
Well it was a victory for the Grizzlies in game three but once again as usual there were inconsistencies with regard to the officiating in the game. Can’t be good for the Celtics to be down 0-2 against the Bulls . That series is now over and likely the case also in the series between the Rockets and Thunder.
The way is now clear in the East for the Cavaliers (3-0) to stroll all the way through to the conference finals and for their second consecutive appearance in the NBA Finals.
Your thoughts on Jeter and Jeb Bush partnering to make a bid for the Miami Marlins ? Too bad they (Bush and Derek Jeter) weren’t willing to gauge the interests of Stuart Sternberg and his partners in selling the Tampa Bay Rays.
Tophatal ……..
Seeing the TAKE THAT FOR DATA t-shirts last night cracked me up.
On another note related to one of our recent conversations…
It was great to see Vince Carter still doing it last night.
And Gasol vs Gasol? Alfred E. Newman, eat your heart out.
Bets…
It showed the other night. That was the easiest money I’ve ever made.
After the rant, I actually thought the Grizz would be laying a few points in Game Three.
They were dogs. I jumped all over it.
With Rondo now out indefinitely, Al, I’m not too sure that series is over. It will be if the C’s can’t win Game Three though.
The Cavs turning it up right now shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.
Might that be it for Paul George in Indy?
And how about the look on Larry Bird’s face during that collapse? George might not be the only one gone. I can’t see how Nate McMillan survives this.
I wanna see if the Grizz can keep up that momentum in Game Four, Bleed.
Nice damn game by Conley too.
Conley SHOULD have a nice game every game for that ridiculous salary of his. Highest paid player in the L is a middle of the road western conference PG….Just hit free agency at the right time. Timing is everything.
Exactly, Bleed.
I’m not gonna hate on Conley for landing that deal. As you said, right place, right time. While he might be the highest paid player in the league, his contract certainly isn’t the least egregious compared to what some are getting paid for far less contributions.
That being said, I’m just saying those nice things about Conley so he’ll spot me a loan.
One Philly sports talk station liked this so much (compared to our blasé NBA puppet-stringed coach) they mashed his rant up with Tone Loc’s singing. The two have similar sounding pipes indeed. I don’t know whether or not it was premeditated but I loved it nonetheless. Saying what a lot of fans were thinking. Maybe since we got the annual post-season “league wants the top teams to advance” thing out in the open this early it might shame some NBA refs to try to do the right thing by all teams – and all players – at all times.
Burnsy…
I wanna hear that Tone Loc thing.
Do you have a link?
Gotta call it like you see it. Good for Fiz. I’m a Spurs fan but love his passion and how about the Gasoll’s? Wealth of riches playing here in the USA
So, Moose…
Which Gasol is better?
Tough one, huh?
I’ll have to think on that one….maybe call it a draw?
Hmmm, Moose, thanks for the idea.
I may have to look into this further.
I believe the Tone Loc “side-by-side” I heard was done on 97.5 The Fanatic between 10 am-2 pm during the Midday Mayes-Ellis show the day after the presser. However, if you google “Tone Loc Fizdale” now there are a few mash-up videos of his rant set to “Funky Cold Medina.” Apparently other folks had the same idea!