A New Dallas Conspiracy Theory

To be honest with you, I haven't paid any attention whatsoever to the hockey or basketball finals. After all, who would have thought that the hockey championship would go to a team in the heart of NASCAR country.

In basketball, the final game will be in Dallas, and the folks associated with the Mavs, from the top down, are screaming "We Wuz Robbed!":

''We Wuz Robbed!'' has long been the handiest excuse of teams that cannot find a decent reason for their collapse that doesn't involve the ignominy of a mirror. The convenience of alleging bad calls, or even willfully biased officiating (you'll recall the Seattle Seahawks conducted a remarkable seminar in early February), also is the blame-dodge of choice among teams that cannot bear to properly credit the opponent.

And so there it was for all to see past midnight Sunday in Miami's downtown bayfront arena: the sourest, saddest, sorriest display by a losing team that you'd ever wish to witness.

Not the loss itself; that was rather valiant. The reaction to it.

There was Cuban, whose billions can buy just about anything but a mortal slump by D-Wade, careening onto the court in a blue Jerry Stackhouse jersey after the final buzzer, screaming profanely at referee Joe DeRosa.

Cuban then turned to Stern and other NBA officials who were seated at the scorer's table and was overheard to shout venomously in the jubilant din, ``[Bleep] you! [Bleep] you! Your league is rigged!''

Should make for an entertaining game 6. I might have to watch. It just goes to show you that you can have all kinds of money, but you can't buy heart.

UPDATE: Cuban was fined $250,000 by the league for "several acts of misconduct".