USC Wuz Robbed!

No the problem is TNA gives away tickets for free to their TV shows (not that they could charge at Universal), so their only revenue is PPV, and with their horrible advertising, they would only get maybe a few million, if they're lucky, and divide that up with the highly paid workers all the way onto the bottom of the pool, you don't really draw much.

Fair enough. We'll see what happens. I hope you're wrong, but you're right, I can't get too defensive.

That's a large part of being a draw. Outside of a few certainties, I don't know if there are any proven draws currently active so I'd put Angle ahead of, for example, Orton. But on the flip side, Orton in WWE would be considered more of a draw than Angle in TNA would. I know it's not an accurate comparison, but with WWE drawing more, you'd have to credit their workers (even though its the name itself alone drawing) more than you could the Angles, Stings, Cages, etc of TNA who only draws the $ from PPV revenues, and I'd be willing to bet it's not that much.

Considering you made a post complaining about the Celtics, I assumed it would be them. If I'm wrong, my apologies, but I just hate when people act like the Bulls loss last night was the apocalypse for them. They still have as much a good chance as any team not named Cleveland, to make the conference finals, Detroit and Miami included.

Why do people put Angle in there? He's not a draw and he has never shown the ability to be one. I guess you guys are just putting him in for the name value.

Well on ATH, Mariotti, Armstrong and Blackistone picked the Bulls. On CBSSportsline, Tony Meija, who I don't like but is seen as the NBA guy on the site, picked the Bulls. But you're right. That's not the point. The Bulls might have screwed it up last night, but I'm not about to throw in the towel for those guys. They can beat anyone in the East except the Nets and maybe the Raptors. Just worry about the tank jobs your team has done, ok?

Underdogs? All the experts on the internet and on ESPN had picked the Bulls to beat the Heat. I know that they have a tough road, and they probably won't make it to the NBA finals, or even the conference finals, but I can certainly give them ONE round over the Heat.

I don't think Angle is a draw at all.

I don't have to repeat myself here, do I? The Bulls are more likelier to win that round than the Heat, Shaq/Wade or not.

They won't beat Detroit in a seven-game series. Nobody thinks they can. Except the Bulls, I hope. That's all that would matter.

White Sox fans rejoice... all of one, me!

What the hell? I think Bulls still got a good shot of making the NBA finals.

Like I've said, I rather face Miami than New Jersey, but goddamn, they need to play defense now and quick.

I will use Peter Boyle's line in an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, "Obviously you put more thought in this than I have." I have no answer for it other than the fanbase has clearly changed, but the amount of the total base remains virtually the same. I've talked to friends that watched in 2003 but stopped since, and other friends who didn't watch in 2003 but started now.

Cena brought in fans that wouldn't have been there if say HHH or HBK or etc were the champion. I've never seen so many women and children be interested in the product since the boom period. So it's not just the "loyal" fans watching.

Same here. Nitro has that look that tells you he's going to be a major player someday, even with the "bad" booking. Mercury never once gave me that impression. Plus while Mercury is more solid in the ring, Nitro has more flash in his repertoire.

You can do Angle vs Steiner (since it's already been used on PPV) and Sting vs Abyss and you'd still feature the "stars" without having to give away money (in relation to TNA anyways) matches for free. Simple as that.

Not at all. I'm saying it takes everything to fall in place. You need the offensive planners, the defensive planners, the players, the system, even the GMs. You can't really give most of the credit to one aspect. Take Phil's defensive planning away, and you have Golden State in that they will score a lot, but allow a lot of points as well. Take Jordan, Shaq, Kobe, etc away, and you still have middle of road teams despite the good coaching.

Because he bashed HBK, and you had to bring that up, when your own opinion isn't unbiased at all. That's why I pointed it out. Nothing against you though.

So what "bullshit" arguments does that leave us? You took away every correct argument there is to be made.

Dude, go back to the TNA folder and stay the hell there. God knows, judging by your posts there, that you are the definition of unbiased opinion. Does anyone else find the irony in the HBK mark saying that?

I don't like Tex either. And I won't credit any of the successes to him. You need a combination of factors to make a run like the Bulls and the Lakers did. Mainly the PLAYERS.

That's true Ripper, about Ben having a better cast in Detroit, but I think what the Bulls get from Ben Wallace that they didn't get from Tyson Chandler, is consistency in his defense. Even though I find him overrated a defender, Ben Wallace still rebounds enough baskets and the Bulls lacked that last year against the Heat in the playoffs. Also the Bulls' offense has seemed to get better, not because of Wallace, but because the other guys are shooting better and smarter. Nocioni will definitely be there in the playoffs and if they put him in, he shall resume his Walker killing.

Well I thought they would want to do something with Harry Smith then, but since he hasn't really come up yet, I guess they dropped the angle they had planned for then?

How does it become 8-on-5? The Bulls almost beat the eventual champions last year with a smaller squad. Even though I have always been a detractor of Ben Wallace coming to Chicago, the changes are undeniable. They are more equipped to handle Miami. The Nets has been their thorn in the side, outside that recent blowout a few weeks ago. Yeah give a 7 game series, I'll take my chances with Miami than New Jersey.