This is so lame. I hope this adds fire to the wizards game tonight. Truely we are the underdogs who get no respect, but the good thing is the wizards always play well in this position.

Songaila is hardly the key to this series so the Wiz should just shut up about it and play.

As far as the call goes, this suspension is complete BS. Check the clip: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Bbcp40CEfzg.

Their arms got tangled and as far as I can tell, LeBron is as good an actor as he is a ball player. If Songalia really hit him in the face why didn't he come back and retaliated at the time? Forget the MVP - give him a Golden Globe.

The NBA fixes games for the stars while it's referees are on the mob's payroll. Let's get used to it.

if it's true that the NBA had already warned the Wizards about this, why did they wait until today to issue the suspension? Why wouldn't they have issued it Wednesday night or first thing Thursday morning?

And also, is this routine practice? Do single players get singled out as being untouchable?

This hurts the wizards rebounding, the last game we lost this series we got outrebounded by 20. There has always been a double standard in the NBA regarding their superstars its sad we had to see that hypocrisy play itself out before the big game tonight.

for real guys. this is a joke. it is a star's league though, we've always known that. i guess, growing up, as the boulez were never in the playoffs, i never really had a reason to be passionate about it. what can you do other than go out play your game.

going-going, back-back, to clevland-clevland

The league just announced that the Wizards players must wear heavily-padded boxing gloves for tonight's game.

Cleveland's players, on the other hand, shall be outfitted with spiked collars and barbed wristbands, as well as equipped with pepper spray, tasers, and ninja stars for self defense.

I intended to take the suggestion to call Stu Jackson at the league office and leave a clean and tactful message. I gave my full name. I was connected to two secretaries. The first simply transferred me without comment. The second asked my name, I gave my full name, which she asked me to repeat (and I did). She then asked what this was about, I told her it was about the suspension to Darius Songalia. I was connected to a voicemail box that gave me the following message:

"You have been forwarded to a voice mail box. The person at extension 7991 does not subscribe to this service."

And I was disconnected.

Bottom line: NBA doesn't give a damn about mine/your/our opinion and doesn't intend to listen.

great job Ms. Applebaum (who are you and where did you come from?). I will be calling the NBA Office today.

this is a complete travesty. Everything that everyone has said is complete truth. I hope that the Wizards will completely demolish the Cav's and to make a point. How does the league even find this fair. Brandon Haywood was correct in his interview, saying #23 is a cry baby. I for one think we should boycott the game tonight. I will be at the game but seriously, we as fan should just all go to the middle of the court and protest. Something needs to be done. Can we just get a fair chance? Obviously not! It just sickens me that not only our government rapes us, but now the NBA league. I bet if Lebron sprained his ankle while jumping and landed on one of his team mates, they will still access a foul on one of our players b/c he couldn't play this season anymore. I don't know....I'm just sick of all the BS!

"It just sickens me that not only our government rapes us, but now the NBA league."

But with the outfits we're wearing, you have to admit that we're just asking for it...

David Stern & Stu Jackson are only added fuel to conspiracy theories.

Pursuant and predicated on evidence, the NBA is using double standards.

What can we expect tonight from the officials?

"Wizards Just Do It"
Section 113, Row A, Seat 11

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3376972&categoryId=2459788&n8pe6c=2

A vid for ya'll of JA Adande's newfound "respect" for LBJ in this series. Way to go objective journalism. Anyone who doesn't believe James gets special treatment probably thinks we're still winning the war. It's blatant and it's disgusting. I hate to be that guy who places blame on the someone other than the players, but COME ON! It's a CONSPIRACY!!

"going-going, back-back, to clevland-clevland

Posted by: shravan | May 2, 2008 3:26 PM"

Awesome. and true.

This is a travesty. Anyone looking at the slo-mo (other than senile Marv Albert) can see that it was James trying to jerk his arm free of the tangle that caused Songaila's hand to hit him in the jaw. On the other hand, St. James' elbow to Blatche was clearly intentional. So, Songaila gets suspended and James gets nothing? This is the NBA at its most corrupt -- trying to keep St. James the tv draw alive in the playoffs. Their credibility is below zero at this point -- they are barely a notch above Wrassling in integrity of the sport. They certainly are WAY below every major sport.

I don't really care about the Wizards or Cavaliers, but it looks like the Wizards are getting jobbed from where I'm sitting (especially in light of James getting a retroactive technical on a play that, to me, was worse than Songaila's). I am a lifelong soccer fan, so I know diving and playacting when I see it. I've been seeing it from LeBron in every game this series, even though commentators are loathe to call him out. I thought Americans were supposed to hate this brand of cheating.

Amen!

Mr. Abe Pollin should call David Stern and express his feeling (and frustration) about the suspension, and ask the NBA didn't suspend James for his intentional elbow to Andray Blatche. The NBA may not care about our concerns, but if Pollin calls Stern may listen.

Last straw for me. I have no further interest in the NBA. A bad call by the refs made during the course of fast and furious play is one thing. But a league decision made with all of the replays available that is this bad is a different matter altogether. For me, the NBA has no integrity left. Sign me out. It's baseball season now,

At least the women are safe.

@ Jonathan

Thanks for the update. Has anyone else tried calling the NBA's powers that be?

I'm calling soon, but first I have to figure out which Jerky Boys routine to use.

This is absurd. There have been cheap shots back and forth throughout this series. Blatche needs to step it out or the Wizards will be golfing. Lebron could take a chair and hit someone over the head and wouldn't get suspended. Complete double standard. Stern should resign for someone who knows wtf he's doing.

*crickets*

WA WA WA- The Wizards are dirty and punks- they are an poor representative of this fine city- I'm ashamed of the way they conducted themselves and represented the city

Poor game plan wiz. LBJ should of had 2 free throws at the end of game5. I guess no one in DC saw that one.
NOW lets see.....hmmmm anyone see my clubs... maybe next year

Just like your Wizards it seems that LeBron got into your head also. Geez...a team and fans that whine about one player the entire series. He didn't need to beat you tonight (other than his triple double)...the rest of the team took care of that.

You Wizards fans are a bunch of crybabies. Songaila THREW himself into LeBron at the end of Game 5, NO CALL. Cavs come right back, and do the bidness IN YOUR HOUSE.

The Wizards are a garbage team that can only compete by playing dirty. And that's why they'll be watching LeBron DUNK ON FOOLS from their couches.

It's like Jaz-Z and Soulja Boy - no comparison. In fact, the comparison of the Wiz to Soulja Boy isn't even a good one - at least he's made it to the top for 15 minutes. The Wiz will never win anything - THEY HAVE NO HEART.

Did any of you whiny Wiz fans see Caron Butler throw an elbow into LeBron's face on two consecutive possessions tonight? Haywood likes to talk about how hard Jordan got fouled, but he never got hit in the face this many times. The District is full of punk thugs with no class, and this team is a mirror image of DC. You punks got served up proper by the King tonight. Bow down.

Lebron aggressively hit blatche on a drive during play-like Jameson did tonight. The difference is Songalia gave James an open handed smack after a play-and was appropriately suspended. Brenda likes to say that LeBron whines. But the ONLY whining I've hear in interviews and on the court is from the Wizards Fans, Players, Coaches, and Media- you are truly a classless bunch who don't have a true grasp on the fact that your players are not only thugs, but losing thugs

Hey matt - you are a moron. Enjoy minimum wage in Cleveland.

Go ahead talk about my Wizards, while you are talking, how many championships do the Cavaliers have. You might be in the next round of the playoffs, but hey atleast I don't have to wake up in Cleveland in the morning....lol

To jabez5150,
You're right, the Cavs have no championship, yet. So what does that say about your Wizards inability to beat them in three straight years. They have a different excuse every time. The only crying I hear is coming from Washington. By the way, I don't live in Cleveland, but I'm sure Cleveland is glad you're not waking up there anyway.

Why did all of you Cavs fans appear AFTER the game?

because our team WON, ryan. that's what the WINNERS get to do. they get to gloat at the crybabies who jawed through the whole series and lost anyway. hope the gizzards enjoyed the view of lebron's a.s.s. since that's all they saw of the cavs tonight. looking forward to beating your guys again next year, bye now.

Kevin you are from Cleveland I can smell that Cleveland stench on you. That's right your beloved Cavs beat the lowly Wizards after being forced into a game 6. Oh how powerful you are. Remember this it means nothing if you don't win it all. Good luck...

"because our team WON, ryan. that's what the TROLLS get to do"

fixed that for you, have a nice life.

Hey jabez5150,
I'm not from Cleveland, although I'm sure its a much happier place than Washington. Your idle talk means about as much as the trash your team spewed. Actually less. As for the stench, that was the smell of defeat that your team left you with. Thanks, I will have a great life.