So today is Monday, June 21, 2010. If you follow the NBA or the Los Angeles Lakers then you know today is “Parade Day” where the team and its fans enjoy a celebration of their latest championship run in the heart of Downtown L.A.

Seems great right? Not really, especially since I’m not a Lakers fan and consider myself a member of the sports fan elite. That makes me a sort of endangered species, a fan within the city who doesn’t swear blind allegiance to the popular team and shower them with exaggerated praise.

Since the Lakers won their 16th title last Thursday against the Boston Celtics, the only team they still trail in prestige and banners (Boston has an NBA record 17, including nine won against the Lakers), I’ve had to endure an endless amount of television coverage and Homer-ism.

Every single local channel has run special segments on the team, Laker history, etc. Look, even though I wasn’t rooting for them, I know they won and people were bound to be happy. But as a person who regularly criticizes the Lakers and their supporters as the lowest class of fans, they’ve sure proven me right.

From the severely ill-informed proclamations that Kobe Bryant is now greater than Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan (how about no), the feigned ignorance about benefiting from preferential officiating and the morons destroying their own streets and cars in uh, celebration, most Lakers fans qualify as a village full of idiots.

If that wasn’t bad enough, today was like the culmination of it all. I woke up to wall to wall coverage of the Laker Parade, stock full of Kobe and his fake smiles to chumps like Sasha Vujacic thinking they actually deserve to be called NBA champs.

Sasha Vujacic getting a 2nd ring gives douchebags across the world more hope.

I’ve been dealing with simmering bitterness ever since I saw the way the fourth quarter of game 7 was turning into the same old home cooking for the Lakers (they had a 37-17 free throw advantage for the game, 21-6 in the critical 4th and 200 to 149 for the series) they’ve enjoyed on every successful championship quest.

It doesn’t matter that Boston was by far the more aggressive team for the series (they consistently drove more and shot more total field goals despite taking 20 less 3-pointers than Los Angeles) or that the referees completely changed the tempo of the otherwise greatly officiated game in the fourth.

Just like it doesn’t matter that Kobe Bryant had yet another sub par NBA Finals performance (6/24 stink bomb in his biggest career game at home and 40 percent shooting for the series), because after all, (sarcasm) he’s the greatest ever! (/sarcasm).

The only positive I’ve taken from it all was the fact that after today, I won’t have to deal with too much more ignorant nonsense. Because most Lakers fans are casual followers in the same mold as those of the New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys, they’ll forget the NBA exists in about half an hour and find pretty butterflies to chase in amazement.

- Will.

The Sports Snob will be published once a week here on YouBeenBlinded.com. Will R. is a journalist/writer who covers sports, news and music for several websites. His music work can be found on www.WestCoastRydaz.com

Referees in the NBA seem destined to forever be a hot topic, especially among the fans of whichever team loses, so today I’m tackling the officiating so far in the NBA Finals.

The Tim Donaghy scandal and the recent parade of knee-jerk “the refs made sure we didn’t win” reaction losing teams and their fans employ have almost irrevocably blurred the line between legitimate gripes with officiating and just plain old whining.

There’s a big difference between the two and it’s no surprise that most of the improper criticizing of officials comes from bandwagon fans. The problem has become even more glaring with this year’s Finals, a hotly contested, physical battle between two teams that genuinely dislike each other.

Whether you highlight Kobe’s angry physical antics when losing (does anyone hysterically throw their arms up more during games?) or the venom exchanged between the two fanbases during the historic rivalry, enraged fans have been looking for the easiest excuse when their team loses.

You know, other than “the other team just played better.”

Kobe is among the leaders in complaining to referees.

Blaming the refs has fit that mold perfectly, although it’s a big joke coming from Lakers fans. I have very little doubt that crooked or impartial refs, gambling and the almighty dollar in general are possibly influencing how games are called in some form. If you honestly believe a money-making organization as big as the NBA is 100 percent clean then you’re a fool. But to listen to fans of the very franchise that has arguably benefited most (and in the most egregious ways) from questionable calls since the Shaq era in Los Angeles until now complain is absolutely ridiculous.

The officiating during the infamous 2002 Western Finals between LA and the Sacramento Kings was a downright travesty. The epic game 7 collapse by the 2000 Portland Trailblazers has also been redefined to exclude a sizeable free throw disparity (37-16) and awful calls. Derek Fisher has gotten more flops called his way than anyone since Vlade Divac. And I won’t even talk about how Shaq used to get away with camping in the lane and offensive fouls during the three-peat. It’s no coincidence that despite playing the same way since then he’s lost the benefit of his Lakers pass and gotten more whistles.

That brings us to this year. The Boston Celtics currently hold a 3-2 advantage in this year’s finals and are one win away from their NBA record 18th championship banner.

Every single game Boston has won was followed by Lakers fans complaining that the refs “screwed” them and favored Boston. Aside from the first two games, which were universally bashed as foul-fests created by whistle-happy refs, the last three games have been called pretty evenly. Both teams had some bad calls go against them, but it’s been mostly neutral. If there appeared to be any type of advantage at all, it’s actually for the Lakers.

This is why the anti-ref rants of LA fans seem even more hollow and hypocritical.

Of the five games played so far, the Lakers have shot 22 more total free throws (144-122) and have twice shot 10 or more in a game than Boston. So to suggest that the referees are giving the Celtics an advantage at the line is just a lie.

Well then they call more fouls on LA right? No.

Let’s look at the numbers; 127 total fouls called against Boston, 121 against Los Angeles. Combine that with the fact that the Lakers drive to the basket considerably less than Boston (LA has shot 18 more 3-pointers so far despite having six fewer total attempts) and at least 10 late-game intentional fouls LA has committed and you see just how many breaks they’ve really gotten.

Scientific diagram depicting the logic behind Lakers fans complaining about officiating.

The bottom line for the last two games has been that Boston has just wanted it more and played harder as a team, something LA has failed to do. The refs have done a decent job of not being the focus of each game and “let the players play.”

So quit the whining Lakers fans, because complaining about NBA officiating while supporting a franchise with such a checkered history on the issue just looks pathetic. Nobody believes your empty cries, especially not when guys like Mike Bibby, Jameer Nelson, Dikembe Mutombo, and countless others look back at all the uncalled elbows and phantom fouls.

LA is the major market team with the top-selling star and all the Hollywood glitz, so I won’t be surprised if this series goes seven games or if they once again benefit from some home cooking to get a ring. This is entertainment and deep pockets and all that shine go a long way.

Just don’t be too shocked if every so often someone without all that glamour exposes your carefree entitlement and punches you in your mouth and takes what you want.

Do like your hero Kobe says and man up or get out.

- Will.

The Sports Snob will be published once a week here on YouBeenBlinded.com. Will R. is a journalist/writer who covers sports, news and music for several websites. His music work can be found on www.WestCoastRydaz.com

Welcome to The Sports Snob, a column that gives commentary on the sports world with an elitist slant that can only come from ravenously watching it your whole life. Be warned, this isn’t a place for fair-weather or ignorant sports followers, unless they want to convert over to the real fan side.

For the introductory post I want to talk about Los Angeles Lakers fans or as many of them deserved to be called – homers, frontrunners, bandwagoners, groupies, etc.

Before any legitimate Lakers followers get all upset, relax. If you’re not a groupie this isn’t directed at you.

This is aimed as the illogical, vastly uninformed group of part-time fans who incessantly inject themselves into basketball talk during the playoffs proclaiming nonsense like “OMG we won a game, we’re the best ever!” in between rushing to buy “trendy” car flags.

I’ve also got my bulls-eye set on the comical cult of Kobe Bryant members that think he’s better than Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan. It’s hard to tell whether they actually support the organization itself or if they think Kobe came down from the heavens and created the Lakers in 1996.

As a lifelong NBA fan that religiously follows the season from the pre-season until the final buzzer of the championship, I hate reading and hearing these people. It’s a disgusting stew of vomit-inducing hyperbole mixed with an utter lack of knowledge about historical context.

For instance, take the tired storyline asking if Kobe is the greatest Laker or even worst, greatest player ever. The subject has elicited responses from legends like Jerry West to hacks like Rick Reilly.

Look, Kobe is definitely one of the top 10 NBA players ever and he’s top five in Lakers history. But people need to relax with all this nonsense about him being the best Laker when his resume still doesn’t stack up to Magic and has glaring, undeniable blemishes. With a franchise as historic as the Lakers, it’s about a lot more than just titles.

Kobe and the Lakers blew a double-digit homecourt lead in the NBA Finals, leading to his 2nd straight Finals loss.(Getty Images/ESPN.com)

Kobe revisionists are going to hate this, but oh well. In the prime of his career Kobe not only failed to carry teams to titles but openly displayed a selfishness and ego that cost him and his team playoffs wins and rings.

Like the 2004 season where he denied Phil Jackson, Shaquille O’Neal, Karl Malone and Gary Payton some hardware after he got tired of being Robin to Shaq’s Batman and flushed their title hopes away with his 38 percent shooting and 23 shots per game. After that series Phil Jackson famously called Kobe “uncoachable” and Shaq was traded.

That led to missing the playoffs with a losing record and then losing two straight series, including a historical choke against the Phoenix Suns where he blew a 3-1 series lead and gave up in the crucial game seven.

When did you ever see Jordan or Magic just flat out quit? In Kobe’s world it’s all about him, and if it doesn’t serve his interests he’ll cut and run, teammates or fans be damned.

Kobe lost a 3-1 lead and was eliminated against the Phoenix Suns in 2006. He infamously took only 3 shots in the 2nd half of the crucial game 7 loss.(Getty Images/YouBeenBlinded Illustration)

Then there was yet another first round exit leading to Mr.Laker demanding a trade, publicly berating Andrew Bynum and team management. If it weren’t for Chris Wallace and Jerry West giving away Pau Gasol, Kobe’s true colors would still be showing.

And as much as his fans try to use statistics as an argument, even those don’t match up to the sheer greatness of the two M.J’s.

Magic Johnson won five NBA championships, three regular season MVPs, an Olympic gold medal, NCAA title and three NBA Finals MVP trophies, including one his rookie year.

Jordan collected six NBA championships, five regular season MVPs, an Olympic gold medal, NCAA title, six NBA Finals MVP trophies, 10 scoring titles, has the highest career scoring average, rookie of the year and defensive player of the year.

Kobe has four championships, one regular season and one Finals MVP, an Olympic gold medal and two scoring titles.

Kobe apologists love to pretend all of the above never occurred, but it did.

It also amazes me when I see these fans badmouth Magic every time he criticizes the team. The fact that random nobodies sitting at home think they have more of a right to speak on the Lakers than Magic freaking Johnson says a lot about how dumb they really are.

Can this team win a championship? Obviously yes, and they probably will. But there’s more to a franchise as storied as the Lakers than simply just stacking rings. There’s the honor, legacies and stories of how those rings were won. The rings alone are nothing without the battles fought to earn them, and nobody knows that better than a guy like Magic.

Kobe recently said he “wasn’t a fan of Jordan.” Really? We don’t believe you, you need more people. Word to Jay-Z.(Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images)

There used to be a time when only Kobe believed the nonsense he crafts about him being a great teammate and leader, about being a victim in the rape case and about being anywhere near Jordan when it comes to a winning pedigree or accomplishments. These days, thanks to moronic fans, he had the audacity to get on ABC during halftime of the Finals and say he wasn’t really a Jordan fan.

Coming from a guy who clearly idolized Jordan and has desperately mimicked him, it was incredibly unbelievable. The sad part is his fans actually tried to rationalize it as true.

It’s no shock though, because they are Laker fans. The same people who get excited about free $1 tacos during the NBA Finals or actually say stuff like this on Twitter after a pedestrian dunk from Kobe in game one;

“Omfggggg did y’all see that alleeey ooop kobe officailly gots my respect best player in the nba.” (Actual tweet)

There’s a reason why 98 percent of the people who say he’s the best are Lakers fans from this generation. Some of them might even be reading this and agree with that tweet or laugh at all this extra stuff about how rings are won. In their minds the only thing that counts is the number of rings and whether they win this year.

All I can say is, I’m not surprised.

It just helps prove why I’m a better sports fan than them.

- Will.

The Sports Snob will be published once a week here on YouBeenBlinded.com. Will R. is a journalist/writer who covers sports, news and music for several websites. His music work can be found on www.WestCoastRydaz.com

World Cup Betting Odds

Ron Artest and Paul Pierce wasted no time getting to know each other in the 2010 NBA Finals. The Celtics and Lakers were a David Ortiz home run trot into the first quarter of Game 1 when Artest and Pierce locked up while boxing out. Ron and the Lakers were sending the early message that they weren’t going to be pushed around like LA was in 2008.

Game 3 of the NBA Finals was an important game. If the Lakers had won they would’ve held a back breaking 3-0 lead. The Magic needed the game to stay alive and to give themselves some hope moving forward. The game was also incredibly important to Johnathan Weaver of Las Vegas, who tied up his girlfriend’s one and two year old sons in order to watch Game 3 at a bar.

Fox5Vegas.com lays out Weaver’s stupidity:

He was arrested at the Augusta Apartments Tuesday night after police and firefighters found the children tied up in a garage with cloth stuffed in their mouths and rope tied around their necks.

Weaver told police he went to a nearby PT’s Pub that let him watch the NBA Finals inside, despite the fact that he is younger than 21-years-old. He later returned home to find police waiting for him.

Las Vegas police only charged Weaver with kidnapping, child abuse and attempted murder, so felonious stupidity must not be on the books anymore in Nevada. Whatever time Weaver serves in jail should be accompanied by 30 swift kicks in the ass daily.

Police: Child Abuse Suspect Didn’t Want To Miss Game [Fox5Vegas.com]

Los Angeles has long been known as the city with the enticing bright lights of Hollywood and its star-studded population, so it’s only natural that we’d be famous for loving winners. This brings us to what’s going on in the City of Angels right now with the LA Lakers holding a commanding 2-0 series lead in this year’s NBA Finals – citywide euphoria and anticipation for another championship parade with streets full of happy Purple and Gold fans.

When it comes to winning traditions, few franchises in sports as a whole – let alone the NBA – have one as longstanding and proud as the Lakers. Their hated rival Boston Celtics are the only team with more titles (17 to LA’s current 14), but the Lakers have the most Finals appearances with 30 and most playoff wins. Given that reputation, there’s not only an expectation of championships, but an almost cocky belief that title 15 is a done deal. Get in your car and drive any part of LA County from the Valley to Long Beach and you’re guaranteed to find hundreds of car flags, jerseys, hats, crazed fans and more, all gearing up for a new banner at the Staples Center.

Trust me when I say this contagious Laker-mania isn’t only affecting common fans. Celebrity fans like Jack Nicholson and Snoop Dogg are just a few of the notable names who root for Kobe and company, and the huge block party has already gotten started. That’s what’s great about Los Angeles, there’s no shortage of places to celebrate, and Snoop’s locale of choice was the Playboy mansion. The Doggfather hit Hef’s spot to perform his catalog of classics and I’m willing to bet that everyone singing along is more than just a little bit happier thanks to the prospects of a new parade in Southern Cali.

Even out of town ballers who’ve already fallen victim to the Lakers this year are in town partying it up, as Houston Rockets forward Ron Artest made clear in a few new videos that hit the net. You know Tinsletown is the new basketball hotspot when even the guy who got up in Kobe’s face and told him he’d “f*&k him up” a few weeks ago is ready to join in on the fun.

Another thing about sports pride in LA (for the Lakers and Dodgers) is that it unites the whole city in ways that most wouldn’t imagine. Everyone from the rich types out in the hills to the diehard fans in all the different neighborhoods can be seen representing for their city and team together. Be honest, what other time would you expect to see a Beverly Hills doctor dancing and screaming alongside a rapper?

Speaking of rappers, this year’s playoff run has inspired quite a few Laker fans with mic skills to show their love and affiliation to the team. Rising signed artists like Watts rapper Jay Rock (Warner Bros Records) and Spider Loc (G Unit) have recorded new anthems praising the team. (Jay Rock Lakers Song | Spider Loc Lakers Song) Others like Carson’s Roccett (Young Jeezy’s CTE West) have filmed themselves enjoying games on YouTube. Internet sensation Twitter has also regularly had keywords like “Kobe, Lakers, Go Lakers!” and more featured as popular trending topics on the site, with thousands of people across the web tweeting about the team every day.

The fanfare has even reached other states, as evidenced by the recent “Kobe Bryant” song by one of today’s most popular rappers and Louisiana native Lil Wayne. The musical ode to Kobe and his skills has garnered hundreds of thousands of combined views since its release last week and has been an instant favorite on LA radio. However, anthems and parade dreams alone don’t bring home titles, as seen by last year, which had a great anthem, but resulted in a humiliating loss against Boston.

And of course this is all happening with the Lakers only halfway toward their goal, and it isn’t completely unprecedented to fathom a Miami basketball team coming back from a 2-0 Finals deficit (Dwyane Wade against the 2006 Mavs ring a bell?), but the people of Los Angeles feel that this team is destined to bring another winner to the city of the stars. If that ends up being the case, get ready for a celebration worthy of LA’s reputation.

- Will.

There are always two things you can count on following a sports championship. A parade and a riot. Boston held its riot after 4-2 series victory over the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA championship. If this is how Boston acts after the Celtics win the title it’s a good thing the New England Patriots didn’t go 19-0. Clouds of smoke would still be covering the city.

Boston Celtics, rioting, video, youtube, utube

The Hulk and some guy in yellow face paint decided to rep Boston and LA “There Can Only Be One” style. The best 6th man or 15th man, whatever you wanna call it has to go to the Celtics fans. All you have to do is look at the difference between game two in Boston and game four in Los Angeles. When the Lakers tried to make a historic comeback in game two, the Boston crowd never gave up. They seemed nervous but they had faith. The second half of game four in Los Angeles turned into a wake.

NBA Finals, There Can Only Be One, Lakers Fan, Celtics Fan, commercial, video, youtube, utube

The Boston Celtics came back from a 24 point deficit to win game four of the NBA finals and take a 3-1 series lead over the Los Angeles Lakers. I don’t wanna say the finals are over, but kids in third world countries are wearing Los Angeles Lakers 2008 NBA Champions t-shirts today.

Kobe Bryant showed up for his post game interview looking like he was trying to summon the mental powers that they had in Scanners. Judging by the look on Kobe’s face, Sasha Vujacic would be wise not to open the door if the Mamba’s knocking. Kobe was asked how the team will bounce back from the kick in the balls loss and shared his remedy for one of the greatest choke jobs ever.

KB: Whine about it tonight. A lot of wine, lotta beer. A coupla shots.. Maybe like 20 of ‘em.. Digest it.. Get back to work tomorrow. Nothing you can do.

I knew Kobe likes to shoot a lot but damn.. 20 shots of liquor? He does that and he won’t be around for game five.

Another interesting part of KB24′s post game interview came when Los Angeles sports talk radio host Vic “The Brick” Jacobs was handed the microphone. If you’re unfamiliar with Vic you can check him out here.

VtBJ: Kobe, Vic the Brick, AM570 KLAC..

KB: I know I’m gonna get a positive question outta you.. Something optimistic.. It’s not like I’m the only optimist in this whole room..

VtBJ: 48 minutes left man. 48 minutes. Every game is unique and singular in its own way. You know that…. Third quarter though, opportunity to go for the jugular, up 18 at the half, what prevented it? Prevented the squad from really going to the next level emotionally and going for the kill?

KB: Nothing we just wet the bed. A nice big one too. One of the ones you can’t put a towel over. It’s terrible. There’s nothing you can do about it. They played great in the third quarter, we played like crap. They got back in the game and pulled out a great win, now it’s time to move on to the next one. Period.

I don’t know what Kobe meant by “One of the ones you can’t put a towel over“, but if you got some pissy sheets, TAKE THEM OFF THE BED KOBE. Laying on the wet spot sucks, lying in urine is dumb.

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA Finals, postgame interview

Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers has reportedly bought a penthouse at Palms Place in Las Vegas making him neighbors with Jessica Simpson, Paul Stanley, and Linda Hogan. Palms Place (on the right in the photo) is the latest addition to George Maloof’s Palms casino, and boasts three styles of residence a 50,000-square-foot pool, a co-ed Turkish bath treatment, and a Sunset Tan studio.

The 520-foot tower features 442 600-square-foot studio units, 136 1,200-square-foot one-bedroom suites and 21 penthouse units that range from 2,000 to 7,000 square feet.

The price of the units rises with height. The studio apartments started at $450,000, increasing by about $7,000 per floor to $650,000. The one-bedroom units ranged from $700,000 to $1.2 million while the penthouses – on the top four floors of the tower – are priced to as much as $5 million.

I don’t know when Doc Rivers decided to pick-up a new condo, but I see where he’s going with this. Forget that he’ll obviously be renting the place for the majority of the season.. If the Celtics with the title, Doc will be in Vegas partying his ass off. If Boston loses to the Lakers, Doc will be in Sin City drowning his sorrows.

Doc Rivers purchases penthouse at Palms Place. Courtesy of the Las Vegas Review-Journal

Doc Rivers, Boston Celtics, Las Vegas, penthouse, Palms Place