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Maple Leaf

I've heard that basketball is the world's second-most popular sport, but in my entire life I had never watched a game ... until this week.

 

For the first time, Toronto Raptors are in the NBA final and are doing well.  Everyone around here is talking about basketball, so I decided to watch a couple of games.  To be blunt, I don't see what all the excitement is about.

 

Team A goes down the court and takes a shot. Then Team B goes down the court and takes a shot. Then it's Team A's turn again, and so on and so on until the clock runs out. The team that misses the fewest shots wins the game, at least that's how it seems to me.

 

Obviously I've over-simplified the description, but what am I missing? 

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been here before
16 minutes ago, Maple Leaf said:

I've heard that basketball is the world's second-most popular sport, but in my entire life I had never watched a game ... until this week.

 

For the first time, Toronto Raptors are in the NBA final and are doing well.  Everyone around here is talking about basketball, so I decided to watch a couple of games.  To be blunt, I don't see what all the excitement is about.

 

Team A goes down the court and takes a shot. Then Team B goes down the court and takes a shot. Then it's Team A's turn again, and so on and so on until the clock runs out. The team that misses the fewest shots wins the game, at least that's how it seems to me.

 

Obviously I've over-simplified the description, but what am I missing? 

 

No you havent, that describes it 100%, its murder.

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Bridge of Djoum
9 minutes ago, Maple Leaf said:

I've heard that basketball is the world's second-most popular sport, but in my entire life I had never watched a game ... until this week.

 

For the first time, Toronto Raptors are in the NBA final and are doing well.  Everyone around here is talking about basketball, so I decided to watch a couple of games.  To be blunt, I don't see what all the excitement is about.

 

Team A goes down the court and takes a shot. Then Team B goes down the court and takes a shot. Then it's Team A's turn again, and so on and so on until the clock runs out. The team that misses the fewest shots wins the game, at least that's how it seems to me.

 

Obviously I've over-simplified the description, but what am I missing? 

I agree.

 

I've tried to get into it many times, have been given tickets numerous times for the NY teams, a friend managed to get court side seats at the Garden for us. Even then I was still bored. I've never enjoyed watching it.I love playing it, That's fun and a good workout. 

 

I find most of the American sports are like this. 

 

Baseball... Awful to watch on TV, a great experience to go to a ball park.

Hockey, (ice) Where's the puck and what are the rules??? Great fun to go to the arena, though. 

Basketball. Interminable shite, both at home and in person.

 

It's only ''football'' that I enjoy in it's entirety. Great fun to attend, tail-gaiting, lots of drinking, great spectacle. Fun in a bar, too, or at home. 

 

 

 

 

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I always enjoyed going to NBA games. The athleticism of the players is unbelievable considering their size. Always good entertainment. 

 

As a sporting spectacle, the end to end nature was also offputting to me. And I could never get my head round what did and didn’t constitute a foul. 

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Maple Leaf
2 minutes ago, Bridge of Djoum said:

Introduce slide tackling and I might try again.

 

I do like the shot clock rule.  Take a shot in 24 seconds or you lose the ball.  Something to consider for football, to reduce the aimless passing around in the mid field?  Not 24 seconds, though!

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Bridge of Djoum
1 minute ago, Maple Leaf said:

 

I do like the shot clock rule.  Take a shot in 24 seconds or you lose the ball.  Something to consider for football, to reduce the aimless passing around in the mid field?  Not 24 seconds, though!

That seems a sensible rule.

 

I was talking to a couple of baseball loving friends last night. I was somehow talking about cricket and how it managed to re-energize and appeal to the younger market with the 20/20 game and such, and I opined that perhaps baseball could do something similar. I argued that at 9 innings and the possibility of extra innings that the game is too long, (plus the fact there is 162 regular season games) and maybe cutting it to 7 innings and somehow speeding up the slow play the game is famous for.

 

Well... you'd have thunk I'd abused their mothers and slapped their kids around. They went on identical rants about purity and history and the likes, ''greatest game in the world'' ''America's pastime'' and such. 

IMO baseball would benefit hugely and appeal to younger people who want faster, instant entertainment. 

 

Edit. Just got a text from one of the guys from last night. He's still calling me names. :o

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Maple Leaf
4 minutes ago, Bridge of Djoum said:

That seems a sensible rule.

 

I was talking to a couple of baseball loving friends last night. I was somehow talking about cricket and how it managed to re-energize and appeal to the younger market with the 20/20 game and such, and I opined that perhaps baseball could do something similar. I argued that at 9 innings and the possibility of extra innings that the game is too long, (plus the fact there is 162 regular season games) and maybe cutting it to 7 innings and somehow speeding up the slow play the game is famous for.

 

Well... you'd have thunk I'd abused their mothers and slapped their kids around. They went on identical rants about purity and history and the likes, ''greatest game in the world'' ''America's pastime'' and such. 

IMO baseball would benefit hugely and appeal to younger people who want faster, instant entertainment. 

 

Edit. Just got a text from one of the guys from last night. He's still calling me names. :o

 

Baseball is so steeped in tradition that the leagues won't consider any rule changes other than minor tweaks.

 

But the game is almost unwatchable unless you have an interest in one of the teams. The time taken between pitches is crazy. 

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Don’t find it in the least entertaining, but I’m sure it’s a great game to play and physically massively demanding.

 

When I was growing up it was often bracketed with volleyball as the up and coming indoor court team sport here. Neither seems to have taken off massively, but basketball has a far higher profile. I think volleyball is a far superior sport in every respect. Unfortunately it suffers at beginner level because a certain skill threshold needs to be crossed before you can get any kind of game going. Basketball has the advantage there.

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At least they are allowed to run with the ball unlike Netball......catch.......pivot.

 

Basketball and all other American sports are shite. American Football being the most bearable.

 

They can't even get Ice Hockey right. Bandy is much better.

Edited by Notts1874
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Bridge of Djoum
6 minutes ago, Maple Leaf said:

 

Baseball is so steeped in tradition that the leagues won't consider any rule changes other than minor tweaks.

 

But the game is almost unwatchable unless you have an interest in one of the teams. The time taken between pitches is crazy. 

I like the history of Baseball, the Ken Burns documentaries were easily one of the most interesting things I've watched, and not just in a sporting context. So many characters and stories and scandals down the years. I thoroughly recommend watching. 

 

I'm just not sure how long it can survive on it's history. 

 

Anyway, thread is about basketball. Apologies. 

 

One thing I did enjoy was the ESPN 30 for 30 show on the rivalry between the Lakers and Celtics in the 80's. An utter hatred of each other. Maybe if Basketball had some more of this it'd be more interesting. 

Think it was called ''Best of Enemies''.

 

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The Internet

Was into it a few years back and still pay attention to results but yeah I can see why people don't get it, I rarely if ever watch games now. I don't think any other sport has as big a difference in entertainment between watching it on TV and actually being in the arena for a game. The difference is massive. I went to an NBA game for the first time last year and the time goes so quickly as there's always stuff happening and it's all really entertaining, plus seeing the athleticism/movement of the players in the flesh is amazing. Watching it on TV with all the breaks just drags so much.

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Bridge of Djoum
6 minutes ago, leginten said:

Don’t find it in the least entertaining, but I’m sure it’s a great game to play and physically massively demanding.

 

When I was growing up it was often bracketed with volleyball as the up and coming indoor court team sport here. Neither seems to have taken off massively, but basketball has a far higher profile. I think volleyball is a far superior sport in every respect. Unfortunately it suffers at beginner level because a certain skill threshold needs to be crossed before you can get any kind of game going. Basketball has the advantage there.

Good post.

 

I play a casual Basketball game with a few friends couple of times a month. Great fun and yep, a tough workout. Also it's relatively easy to play, and has no real costs, bar the ball. similar to ''soccer'' in that it can be played widely across social classes without great cost. Golf, Baseball, Football, Hockey all require fairly expensive equipment to be played at a decent, safe level. 

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Harry Potter
11 minutes ago, Notts1874 said:

At least they are allowed to run with the ball unlike Netball......catch.......pivot.

 

Basketball and all other American sports are shite. American Football being the most bearable.

 

They can't even get Ice Hockey right. Bandy is much better.

Best ice hockey players in the world Notts, certainly up there with the best, loved basketball at school, 

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1 minute ago, Harry Potter said:

Best ice hockey players in the world Notts, certainly up there with the best, loved basketball at school, 

Who? Americans? Could well be. Its still a shite sport compared to Bandy. 11 a side and played with a ball rather than puck.

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Harry Potter
2 minutes ago, Notts1874 said:

Who? Americans? Could well be. Its still a shite sport compared to Bandy. 11 a side and played with a ball rather than puck.

Maybe canada Notts, Bandy was 1st started in England in 1813, never heard of it till now lol.

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Bridge of Djoum
14 minutes ago, Notts1874 said:

At least they are allowed to run with the ball unlike Netball......catch.......pivot.

 

Basketball and all other American sports are shite. American Football being the most bearable.

 

They can't even get Ice Hockey right. Bandy is much better.

AF was my least fave American sport until I moved here. I began watching and understanding it more, mainly due to the fact I love a good bevvy in a great dive bar. Then my Texan/NY mates set up a Fantasy Football league, I honestly just joined to make up the numbers. But then my competitive nature kicked in after I finished 12 out of 12 in my 1st attempt. My last 5 finishes...8th/5th/4th/3rd/3rd. I love AF now, have the NFL network and Red Zone at home. Been to a few games, lost entire days to tailgaiting parties...

 

Cheerleaders...

 

Image result for cowboys cheerleaders

 

Hate the Cowboys, but ummmmm...

 

 

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Bridge of Djoum
7 minutes ago, Harry Potter said:

Best ice hockey players in the world Notts, certainly up there with the best, loved basketball at school, 

I think Canadians, Swedes and Russians can all claim to have the better players. 

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3 minutes ago, Harry Potter said:

Maybe canada Notts, Bandy was 1st started in England in 1813, never heard of it till now lol.

I lived in Norway when I was younger and they are mad for it. It was indeed. The Cambridgeshire Fens to be precise lol.

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Harry Potter
Just now, Notts1874 said:

I lived in Norway when I was younger and they are mad for it. It was indeed. The Cambridgeshire Fens to be precise lol.

Correct mate, i googled it ha ha. 

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1 minute ago, Harry Potter said:

Correct mate, i googled it ha ha. 

I tried to play it once. Lasted 2 minutes. Seems it helps if you can skate???

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8 minutes ago, Bridge of Djoum said:

AF was my least fave American sport until I moved here. I began watching and understanding it more, mainly due to the fact I love a good bevvy in a great dive bar. Then my Texan/NY mates set up a Fantasy Football league, I honestly just joined to make up the numbers. But then my competitive nature kicked in after I finished 12 out of 12 in my 1st attempt. My last 5 finishes...8th/5th/4th/3rd/3rd. I love AF now, have the NFL network and Red Zone at home. Been to a few games, lost entire days to tailgaiting parties...

 

Cheerleaders...

 

Image result for cowboys cheerleaders

 

Hate the Cowboys, but ummmmm...

 

 

Been to an American football game, Miami. They got beat and there was no atmosphere that wasn't engineered. Went to see the Yankees a few years ago....got really bored and drunk.

Maybe should try a basketball game but I doubt a sports hall in Derby will match The Garden ??

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Maple Leaf
1 hour ago, Notts1874 said:

Been to an American football game, Miami. They got beat and there was no atmosphere that wasn't engineered. Went to see the Yankees a few years ago....got really bored and drunk.

Maybe should try a basketball game but I doubt a sports hall in Derby will match The Garden ??

 

Start saving up now!

 

Game 5 of the NBA Championship is being played in Toronto on Monday.  The cheapest seat, if you can find one, is about $2,000.  There will be 20,000 fans inside, and another 5,000 - 6,000 watching on a large screen outside.

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been here before
1 hour ago, Maple Leaf said:

 

Start saving up now!

 

Game 5 of the NBA Championship is being played in Toronto on Monday.  The cheapest seat, if you can find one, is about $2,000.  There will be 20,000 fans inside, and another 5,000 - 6,000 watching on a large screen outside.

 

LPs?

 

Likely to be a public sale?

 

When does the TO open and will there be a queue?

 

Looking for a ticket, got a hard luck tale about how I couldnt really be arsed going to games for 3 years but fancy this. Anyone a spare ref no?

 

Cheers mate.

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Maple Leaf
17 minutes ago, been here before said:

 

LPs?

 

Likely to be a public sale?

 

When does the TO open and will there be a queue?

 

Looking for a ticket, got a hard luck tale about how I couldnt really be arsed going to games for 3 years but fancy this. Anyone a spare ref no?

 

Cheers mate.

 

Here's a link to buy tickets for Monday's Game 5.

https://www1.ticketmaster.ca/nba-finals-game-5-warriors-at-raptors-rd-4-hm-gm-c/event/10005675BF963387?dma_id=527

 

Lowest price I could see was over $3,000. Good luck.

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9 hours ago, Notts1874 said:

Been to an American football game, Miami. They got beat and there was no atmosphere that wasn't engineered. Went to see the Yankees a few years ago....got really bored and drunk.

Maybe should try a basketball game but I doubt a sports hall in Derby will match The Garden ??

 

I've been to a match at the Garden and it was pish compared to the old Meadowbank and watching the MIM.

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Watt-Zeefuik

I have a theory -- it's very hard to understand any sport until you play it a little bit. And then it makes a lot more sense.

 

It took me a long time to take to football (soccer) for that reason -- I played a lot as a young kid but that was American style and we had no idea what we were doing. Understanding exactly what was happening on the pitch and why it was important took forever.

 

I think it's also hard to start watching any sport from the "top down," as it were -- watching the best league or best players in the world compete, because none of what they're doing looks extraordinary until you watch how 99% of the players in the world play it. If you don't know what normal looks like, then a long throw out from center field in baseball or Andy Robertson's screamer or a Steph Curry off-balance, guarded, 25 foot shot doesn't look unusual.

 

Basketball is the unofficial shared religion of North Carolina where I grew up, and the only sport I love more than football. It's a game that I'll play until I can barely walk if there's a pick-up game going on, and I'm happy to watch two high school teams I've never heard of go at it for an hour.

 

The key thing about basketball is that shooting from any distance is actually quite hard and requires an immense amount of practice. Free throws, which are given after a foul and which count one point each, are uncontested shots from 15 feet, straight out. The very best free throw shooters ever made around 90% of them -- most good players make 70-75% of them, but some pros only make 55-60%. When not shooting from the free throw line, defense makes it considerably harder, such that 40% team shooting over the course of a game is often a good delineation of whether the offense or defense won out on that end.

 

Shooting near the goal is much easier, but it's also much easier to guard those shots because the area near the rim is so much smaller. Add to that that dribbling under control and at speed while being guarded is also rather hard to master, which makes point guards who can run the offense such a precious commodity.

 

Beyond that, the appeal is in the one-on-one offense/defense pairings that often turn into showdowns, and the structure of the game that produces a lot of back-and-forth and late game drama, and the penchant for dramatic athletic exhibitions and for offensive creativity. (Seriously, try to dunk on a 10 foot goal sometime to get a feel for how high they're jumping.)

 

Hard to go in cold to an NBA Finals game though and get the feel of it. Fantastic game, though.

 

(Cutting myself off -- I could write about basketball for a good couple of hours without stopping.)

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AlimOzturk

Great game to play but shite to watch. Can understand the skill level involved but think once players get so good it makes everything go so fast and unwatchable. 

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All American sports are shite.

 

Baseball is only Rounders.

Basketball is exactly what the OP said it was.

American Football is 70% standing about, 20% arguing over rules and 10% action. No wonder it takes 4 hours to play a 60 minute game.

Ice Hockey is nothing to do with sport or scoring and everything to do with punch-ups.

Nascar is just driving around in a circle until you explode.

Indycar is just a crap copy of F1, with technology from 25 years ago.

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4 hours ago, Ugly American said:

I have a theory -- it's very hard to understand any sport until you play it a little bit. And then it makes a lot more sense.

 

It took me a long time to take to football (soccer) for that reason -- I played a lot as a young kid but that was American style and we had no idea what we were doing. Understanding exactly what was happening on the pitch and why it was important took forever.

 

I think it's also hard to start watching any sport from the "top down," as it were -- watching the best league or best players in the world compete, because none of what they're doing looks extraordinary until you watch how 99% of the players in the world play it. If you don't know what normal looks like, then a long throw out from center field in baseball or Andy Robertson's screamer or a Steph Curry off-balance, guarded, 25 foot shot doesn't look unusual.

 

Basketball is the unofficial shared religion of North Carolina where I grew up, and the only sport I love more than football. It's a game that I'll play until I can barely walk if there's a pick-up game going on, and I'm happy to watch two high school teams I've never heard of go at it for an hour.

 

The key thing about basketball is that shooting from any distance is actually quite hard and requires an immense amount of practice. Free throws, which are given after a foul and which count one point each, are uncontested shots from 15 feet, straight out. The very best free throw shooters ever made around 90% of them -- most good players make 70-75% of them, but some pros only make 55-60%. When not shooting from the free throw line, defense makes it considerably harder, such that 40% team shooting over the course of a game is often a good delineation of whether the offense or defense won out on that end.

 

Shooting near the goal is much easier, but it's also much easier to guard those shots because the area near the rim is so much smaller. Add to that that dribbling under control and at speed while being guarded is also rather hard to master, which makes point guards who can run the offense such a precious commodity.

 

Beyond that, the appeal is in the one-on-one offense/defense pairings that often turn into showdowns, and the structure of the game that produces a lot of back-and-forth and late game drama, and the penchant for dramatic athletic exhibitions and for offensive creativity. (Seriously, try to dunk on a 10 foot goal sometime to get a feel for how high they're jumping.)

 

Hard to go in cold to an NBA Finals game though and get the feel of it. Fantastic game, though.

 

(Cutting myself off -- I could write about basketball for a good couple of hours without stopping.)

I think you’re theory is pretty weak. Lots of non-Americans will get into American Football never having played it, and through watching the NFL.

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Bridge of Djoum
5 hours ago, Ugly American said:

I have a theory -- it's very hard to understand any sport until you play it a little bit. And then it makes a lot more sense.

 

It took me a long time to take to football (soccer) for that reason -- I played a lot as a young kid but that was American style and we had no idea what we were doing. Understanding exactly what was happening on the pitch and why it was important took forever.

 

I think it's also hard to start watching any sport from the "top down," as it were -- watching the best league or best players in the world compete, because none of what they're doing looks extraordinary until you watch how 99% of the players in the world play it. If you don't know what normal looks like, then a long throw out from center field in baseball or Andy Robertson's screamer or a Steph Curry off-balance, guarded, 25 foot shot doesn't look unusual.

 

Basketball is the unofficial shared religion of North Carolina where I grew up, and the only sport I love more than football. It's a game that I'll play until I can barely walk if there's a pick-up game going on, and I'm happy to watch two high school teams I've never heard of go at it for an hour.

 

The key thing about basketball is that shooting from any distance is actually quite hard and requires an immense amount of practice. Free throws, which are given after a foul and which count one point each, are uncontested shots from 15 feet, straight out. The very best free throw shooters ever made around 90% of them -- most good players make 70-75% of them, but some pros only make 55-60%. When not shooting from the free throw line, defense makes it considerably harder, such that 40% team shooting over the course of a game is often a good delineation of whether the offense or defense won out on that end.

 

Shooting near the goal is much easier, but it's also much easier to guard those shots because the area near the rim is so much smaller. Add to that that dribbling under control and at speed while being guarded is also rather hard to master, which makes point guards who can run the offense such a precious commodity.

 

Beyond that, the appeal is in the one-on-one offense/defense pairings that often turn into showdowns, and the structure of the game that produces a lot of back-and-forth and late game drama, and the penchant for dramatic athletic exhibitions and for offensive creativity. (Seriously, try to dunk on a 10 foot goal sometime to get a feel for how high they're jumping.)

 

Hard to go in cold to an NBA Finals game though and get the feel of it. Fantastic game, though.

 

(Cutting myself off -- I could write about basketball for a good couple of hours without stopping.)

You did...

 

 

Seemed that long reading it, anyway. :pimp2:

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Bridge of Djoum
2 hours ago, Cade said:

All American sports are shite.

 

Baseball is only Rounders.

Basketball is exactly what the OP said it was.

American Football is 70% standing about, 20% arguing over rules and 10% action. No wonder it takes 4 hours to play a 60 minute game.

Ice Hockey is nothing to do with sport or scoring and everything to do with punch-ups.

Nascar is just driving around in a circle until you explode.

Indycar is just a crap copy of F1, with technology from 25 years ago.

Nope. That'd be TV. 

 

 

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All roads lead to Gorgie

I personally find the game boring to watch on TV. Maybe it is different when you are there and taking in the whole package of entertainment on offer though. That seems to be same with all sports from across the pond although the NFL is the only one I am really into. 

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Maple Leaf
9 hours ago, Ugly American said:

I have a theory -- it's very hard to understand any sport until you play it a little bit. And then it makes a lot more sense.

 

It took me a long time to take to football (soccer) for that reason -- I played a lot as a young kid but that was American style and we had no idea what we were doing. Understanding exactly what was happening on the pitch and why it was important took forever.

 

I think it's also hard to start watching any sport from the "top down," as it were -- watching the best league or best players in the world compete, because none of what they're doing looks extraordinary until you watch how 99% of the players in the world play it. If you don't know what normal looks like, then a long throw out from center field in baseball or Andy Robertson's screamer or a Steph Curry off-balance, guarded, 25 foot shot doesn't look unusual.

 

Basketball is the unofficial shared religion of North Carolina where I grew up, and the only sport I love more than football. It's a game that I'll play until I can barely walk if there's a pick-up game going on, and I'm happy to watch two high school teams I've never heard of go at it for an hour.

 

The key thing about basketball is that shooting from any distance is actually quite hard and requires an immense amount of practice. Free throws, which are given after a foul and which count one point each, are uncontested shots from 15 feet, straight out. The very best free throw shooters ever made around 90% of them -- most good players make 70-75% of them, but some pros only make 55-60%. When not shooting from the free throw line, defense makes it considerably harder, such that 40% team shooting over the course of a game is often a good delineation of whether the offense or defense won out on that end.

 

Shooting near the goal is much easier, but it's also much easier to guard those shots because the area near the rim is so much smaller. Add to that that dribbling under control and at speed while being guarded is also rather hard to master, which makes point guards who can run the offense such a precious commodity.

 

Beyond that, the appeal is in the one-on-one offense/defense pairings that often turn into showdowns, and the structure of the game that produces a lot of back-and-forth and late game drama, and the penchant for dramatic athletic exhibitions and for offensive creativity. (Seriously, try to dunk on a 10 foot goal sometime to get a feel for how high they're jumping.)

 

Hard to go in cold to an NBA Finals game though and get the feel of it. Fantastic game, though.

 

(Cutting myself off -- I could write about basketball for a good couple of hours without stopping.)

 

I've never played basketball, so your theory could be right.

 

While not enjoying the game as I watch it on TV, I can definitely admire the skill needed to play the game at a high level.  The ball is 1-1/2 times heavier than a football, so for a player to throw that ball, which is about 9 inches in diameter, through an 18-inch diameter hoop suspended 10 feet off the ground is no small achievement. Especially if the throw is done from 20-odd feet away to get three points.

 

There seems to be agreement that basketball is much better to watch when it's live, rather than on TV, so maybe I'd change my mind about the game if I actually went to see one.  But the prices for tickets in Toronto are unbelievable, so it ain't gonna happen.

 

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The Internet

Tickets for regular season games will be a lot more reasonable. Don't think you should take nba finals ticket prices as a benchmark :lol:

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ArcticJambo

I reckon the point guards in basketball are probably the best all-round athletes in the world.  Of course most of these playoff games you see (as a casual viewer) tend to be tighter cagier affairs but occasionally when you get two teams going at each other transitioning in the open court then you can really appreciate what phenomenal athletic/technical attributes they possess.

 

One day I'll drop a pile of money for a court-side seat to watch it up close.  ?

 

Anyway, Go Raps! :thumbsup:

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Maple Leaf
23 minutes ago, Mauricio Pinilla said:

Tickets for regular season games will be a lot more reasonable. Don't think you should take nba finals ticket prices as a benchmark :lol:

 

Regular season tickets are very high too, even for the nosebleed seats.

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The Gorgie

Not interested in basketball in the slightest but with the constant end to end stuff i get why people like. Lets be honest you aren't going to get the boring sitting behind the ball all game tactics like you see in football.

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5 hours ago, Mauricio Pinilla said:

Tickets for regular season games will be a lot more reasonable. Don't think you should take nba finals ticket prices as a benchmark :lol:

Indeed. I could imagine the resale value of a league title decider at Tynecastle would be pretty high if it ever happened, for example. From my experience at a generally decent team (the Rockets), regular season tickets easy to get and pretty reasonably priced in the cheaper sections. 

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21 hours ago, ArcticJambo said:

I reckon the point guards in basketball are probably the best all-round athletes in the world.  Of course most of these playoff games you see (as a casual viewer) tend to be tighter cagier affairs but occasionally when you get two teams going at each other transitioning in the open court then you can really appreciate what phenomenal athletic/technical attributes they possess.

 

One day I'll drop a pile of money for a court-side seat to watch it up close.  ?

 

Anyway, Go Raps! :thumbsup:

 

WE THE NORTH. :toasting:

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I hate Basketball, so feckin boring ,you score we score and so on and on.......I once asked my American friends why American football was called football ,surely it should be called American rugby or catch ball or something like that as they very rarely actually kick the feckin ball. Well it did not go down well at all.....??

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I really like Basketball.

 

Find it pretty difficult to keep track of NBA due to the time differences and how many damn games they play, but thoroughly enjoy the sport.

 

If you over simplify it, football is literally just 2 teams going back in forth and whoever misses the least shots wins.

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SpruceBringsteen

Going to be THAT GUY and point out that ice hockey is no more American than golf is English.

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In the minority but I really enjoy watching Basketball. Got right into it as a kid going on holiday to Toronto. Lost track with it completely over the last 10 years but since the Raptors have being doing well in the playoff’s I’ve been following and got right back into it.  

 

End to end stuff and even even if a team goes 10+ points up it doesn’t mean much as the other team can always go on a run of 18-0 like Golden State did the other night. 

 

More often than not, it comes right down to the end with one team needing to score to win/tie in the last few seconds. 

Edited by JamboMarc
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Seymour M Hersh
On 08/06/2019 at 13:22, Maple Leaf said:

I've heard that basketball is the world's second-most popular sport, but in my entire life I had never watched a game ... until this week.

 

For the first time, Toronto Raptors are in the NBA final and are doing well.  Everyone around here is talking about basketball, so I decided to watch a couple of games.  To be blunt, I don't see what all the excitement is about.

 

Team A goes down the court and takes a shot. Then Team B goes down the court and takes a shot. Then it's Team A's turn again, and so on and so on until the clock runs out. The team that misses the fewest shots wins the game, at least that's how it seems to me.

 

Obviously I've over-simplified the description, but what am I missing? 

 

Try watching collage basketball it's far more entertaining than the pro game.

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ArcticJambo
7 hours ago, Maple Leaf said:

 

WE THE NORTH. :toasting:

 

Hoping it's a fantastic night in the city, ML.  Working tomorrow, otherwise I'd be tempted to stay up for it.  May set the alarm though.

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Craig Gordons Gloves

Genuinely can’t get into basketball, when I first moved over here I was a sceptic about most American sports but now I enjoy going to occasional games, mainly because of the whole experience rather than just the game. Basketball though just doesn’t interest me, been to a couple of games at the Garden when I lived in nYC and a few Timberwolves games and can’t get into it. I enjoy going to baseball but mainly the minor league team in St Paul, it’s cheap, it’s fun and the game is actually incidental to the occasion. Bill Murray is a part owner and they really do focus on making it fun. The Twins may have a great stadium with lots of different food and they might be playing well right now but it’s not for me. I’ve managed to go to quite a few games around the country so I can tick the stadiums off and that’s been a good laugh. 

Hockey is a religion in Minnesota so I’ve only managed a few Wild games as tickets are tight, that’s the closest I’ve come to an atmosphere resembling a fitba match. Then there’s the Vikings, that’s good fun and it’s loud and all the stuff, just a good day out. Basketball, nope, college or NBA is just not for me.

Edited by Craig Gordons Gloves
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Watt-Zeefuik
On 09/06/2019 at 10:48, Maple Leaf said:

 

I've never played basketball, so your theory could be right.

 

While not enjoying the game as I watch it on TV, I can definitely admire the skill needed to play the game at a high level.  The ball is 1-1/2 times heavier than a football, so for a player to throw that ball, which is about 9 inches in diameter, through an 18-inch diameter hoop suspended 10 feet off the ground is no small achievement. Especially if the throw is done from 20-odd feet away to get three points.

 

There seems to be agreement that basketball is much better to watch when it's live, rather than on TV, so maybe I'd change my mind about the game if I actually went to see one.  But the prices for tickets in Toronto are unbelievable, so it ain't gonna happen.

 

 

If the NBA is the EPL of basketball, college basketball is the EFL or SPFL. Generally much cheaper prices and overall more fans -- 22 million total tickets sold for NBA games, 32 million for college basketball. The atmosphere at NBA games is often subdued and rather plastic, whereas at college basketball games the student sections often ensure raucous and often ridiculous crowd antics.

 

If you're tempted, you could do a lot worse than bumping around to the other side of the lake for some ACC games at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. The stadium is ridiculously huge but it means there's some cheap seats. And right now ACC basketball is the best in all of college hoops (as is often the case).

 

The NCAA leadership make Neil Doncaster and Stewart Regan look competent and honest, but the game is still incredible. Much more urgency and passion on a nightly basis than your average NBA game.

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J.T.F.Robertson
On Saturday, June 08, 2019 at 08:29, Bridge of Djoum said:

AF was my least fave American sport until I moved here. I began watching and understanding it more, mainly due to the fact I love a good bevvy in a great dive bar. Then my Texan/NY mates set up a Fantasy Football league, I honestly just joined to make up the numbers. But then my competitive nature kicked in after I finished 12 out of 12 in my 1st attempt. My last 5 finishes...8th/5th/4th/3rd/3rd. I love AF now, have the NFL network and Red Zone at home. Been to a few games, lost entire days to tailgaiting parties...

 

Cheerleaders...

 

Image result for cowboys cheerleaders

 

Hate the Cowboys, but ummmmm...

 

 

 

Steelers might be the only NFL team without cheerleaders, (not 100% sure on that) most likely down to the fact our on-field success gives us enough to cheer about. :whistling:

 

Or maybe Pittsburgh bursds are just not up to scratch. :(

 

Spoiler

Oh aye, can't be arsed with basketball, or baseball for that matter but do like to see the "tarrana" teams do well.

 

 

Edited by J.T.F.Robertson
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On 08/06/2019 at 08:22, Maple Leaf said:

I've heard that basketball is the world's second-most popular sport, but in my entire life I had never watched a game ... until this week.

 

For the first time, Toronto Raptors are in the NBA final and are doing well.  Everyone around here is talking about basketball, so I decided to watch a couple of games.  To be blunt, I don't see what all the excitement is about.

 

Team A goes down the court and takes a shot. Then Team B goes down the court and takes a shot. Then it's Team A's turn again, and so on and so on until the clock runs out. The team that misses the fewest shots wins the game, at least that's how it seems to me.

 

Obviously I've over-simplified the description, but what am I missing? 

 

Well, that was six days ago, and the Toronto Raptors have won the NBA Championship, the first non-American team to do so. I watched every minute of the last four games. NOW I get it.

 

It was very exciting, and I'm beginning to understand the nuances of the game. Maybe one day I'll figure out the rules.

 

Thousands of fans watching the game on a large outdoor screen outside the Raptors home stadium is a tradition, and the area is called Jurassic Park.  There were 76 Jurassic Parks across Canada last night, and at least one in the States. There was an estimated one million people celebrating in the streets of Toronto after the game.  It was quite the the thing, and even I got into the mood.

 

Doesn't compare to 1998 or 2012 though!!

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