Waaaaah

The Blob has always been partial to the word "whinging." It's like "whining," only more British-sounding. It also springs readily to mind at the moment, one day after the Rockets and Warriors brought us, live from the Oracle, some top-shelf WNBA playoff action.

WNBA, as in "Whinging National Basketball Association."

What was supposed to be Game 1 of the series everyone's been waiting for, see, devolved into an outright whinge-fest, two great basketball teams opting not to concentrate on playing basketball but on working the game officials like Jack McCoy working a courtroom in "Law & Order." Appeals were filed at almost every bump, nudge or flail. Motions to suppress were similarly pressed.

Much of this is because the Rockets and Warriors are notoriously adept at A) drawing fouls via positioning and Oscar-worthy acting, and B) theatrically claiming innocence/guilt whenever the occasion demands. And so it will come as no real surprise that there were four technical fouls and an ejection charged in Game 1, which became a referendum on the officiating instead of the stellar basketball that played out between all the whinging.

Look. No one's saying officiating in the NBA is without stain or above reproach. But neither is it the exercise in criminality all the carrying on by the Rockets and Warriors seemed to suggest. No NBA player ever thinks he commits a foul, but yesterday was ridiculous. And so it is in the interests of basketball, and the reputation of the Rockets and Warriors for playing it at a very high level, that the Blob offers one piece of hearfelt advice:

Shut up and play.

Please, gentlemen. For the good of the game, and to ensure our continued viewing of it.