I’m hurting. I’m not taking it personally but I am hurt. I have to think the Bobcats are way out on their hope to make the playoffs. All those away games coming up and 2 straight, heartbreaking losses, I have to start thinking, this might not be it. Last night was fun, I mean going to the game and the excitement of the crowd an the new people taking interest in my team. But then leaving after the loss and people smiling and the drummers in the Atrium, I just got all depressed.

As much as I’d like to be a good fan and enjoy the self loathing like Randy Quaid in Major League, I want wins. I want the playoffs and I want the national recognition. I’m a big picture guy and the Bobcats are a big part of the way I spend my time, between games and away games on tv, what I talk about with friends, this message board and this blog. I can’t invest that much time, effort and energy in a lost cause. But it’s not a lost cause, really. I mean what better way to spend a Friday night? Dwayne Wade, Jermaine O’Neal, Jermario Moon, Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers, all names I know and recognize and appreciate for their play, come to town to face my team, who is on the verge of the playoffs and coming off a win against the Lakers and a double overtime loss to the Boston Celtics. I love it, but then I read they’d be wearing green uniforms.

Come on man, I get it, we’re talking about recycling and all that stuff but why would you want to confuse fans (I get confused easily, don’t hate), and even players. I think at one point Diaw thought he saw someone but didn’t and threw it to an open spot on the floor. “Green” is such an overused, junk, buzzword at this point in our culture that people are rebelling again and still loading up their SUV’s with 3 tvs and peeling out at traffic lights. On top of that, the previous game the Bobcats lost to the Celtics who wear green all the time, so it was like salt in the wound.

Good start for the ‘Cats. The Heat couldn’t do anything with the ball and easy baskets were a way of life in the first quarter. I love when it’s like that because it means these guys are playing great defense and moving the ball and easy baskets are way more fun to watch than those ridiculous leaners and circus shots D Wade likes to throw up. Another point on D Wade: We get it, you like to make contact and the refs because of the ’06 Finals will give you the calls in droves but this jump up in the air and lean in garbage, in my book, is worse than a flop. It is not fun to watch terrible halfhearted attempts to get the ball in the basket, followed by 10 minutes of walking around with your hands on your hips like you’re the man and then you miss one and make one on your free throws. Once he started that mess, it was only that first mess that kept the game close.

When it was tied at halftime, I just felt a little depleted, plus it was $3 beer night up at “Rock the Rooftop” so there were all these dudes in the way of me getting a beer or going to the bath room and going to my seats. One guy actually said, “Yeah, I’ll get out of the way Mr. Look at Me I’ve got Seats.” Who comes to a game to put out the vibe and drink $3 12 oz Bud Light? I do but that’s not why I was there in the middle of a playoff push and yeah, I watch the game. I’m not asking for everyone to be a die hard fan but let’s see, why did you pay $25 for your ticket and $3 for those beers? To talk to the dumb broads that stand in a protective circle around the hottest chick? No, we’re in a playoff push, put down your collar and pay attention.

Anyway, the second half was punctuated by some drastic calls. I wouldn’t say they were all bad but Mek would. He was incredulous every time he got called for a foul. Even a couple on Gerald and Diaw he was going nuts. My thought is that this disrupts your flow of the game. Don’t roll over and take it when a ref is dominating the game but don’t make this face, every damn time:

(Thank you Charlotte Observer for getting that shot, because I saw it like 15 times and it started to get into my head) Visit : The Charlotte Observer’s Website for the complete slide-show

Adding insult to injury, Raja Bell popped his calf muscle. Larry said “I imagine it will be a while.” What I didn’t really understand was putting rookie and former D-Leaguer Cartier Martin out there for such a long stretch after losing Bell. I think between Cartier and fellow rookie, DJ Augustin, you have to go with Cartier to defend but we’re talking about guarding Dwayne Wade here. I kept saying to myself and the few people around me “Just stay in front of him Cartier” but it was kind of a lost cause. Rick Bonnell tells us that: Wade amassed 14 of his 27 points and seven of his 10 assists after Bell left the game.

Losing Raja certainly hurts because of his defensive skills and he can put up some points when Wallace, Ray and Okafor aren’t. I don’t think that’s the nail in the coffin, the nail in the coffin for the Bobcats was losing that game. All they needed were good stops in the fourth and more of those easy baskets but they simply weren’t there. There were some serious BS calls there at the end, including a loose ball foul against Wallace that put Daequan Cook on the line with 5 seconds left. There are your 2 points to go with the other 3 that they had, which had been a 6 point lead until Diaw made that unbelievable 3. There were moments when the roof was about to blow off the Time Warner Cable Arena, but that wasn’t one of them. Half the crowd left after Dwayne Wade hit his free throws. That’s why it was a heartbreaker, because people would rather beat the traffic than will this team to win with a 6 point deficit and under a minute to go. It could have been an issue but to me, it is frustrating to see as a fan, just all those lower level folks headed up the aisles away from the court.

I don’t know if I’d definitely say it’s over, but it felt like it going home last night. The guy I go to games with says to me “Dude, it’s over and I’m so pissed. All those people happy, walking out of a loss that cost us the playoffs.” My response was “How do you think Okafor and Wallace feel?”