That is what the Sports Rabbi and his son witnessed at the Nokia Areana on Thursday night. A bloodbath inflicted by Maccabi Tel Aviv’s former player and former coach Oded Katash and his charges from Hapoel Galil/Gilboa. It was only 2 days ago that I wrote the following in my blog:

“…there was a father and son who had been sitting in front of me rooting for Jerusalem to win. After the game the boy about 9 years old burst out into tears and became hysterical crying his eyes out because of another crushing defeat. I hate to say it but this has been the history of this franchise and they should have known better.

Yes I used to support my hometown team Jerusalem, but after a few years of frustration seeing that I was never going to win, specifically after a last second buzzer beater by Jamie Arnold from Maccabi Tel Aviv in the 2007 finals I switched allegiances. I said enough losses, enough poor play and execution, it was time for me to support a real team and moved mine and my son’s loyalty to Maccabi Tel Aviv. I couldn’t take it anymore and wanted to see the best players, games and competitions that Israel can offer and Maccabi was the ticket.

It was enough painful defeats, and enough tears as for years and years I supported the Montreal Expos Baseball Club, and year after year, my heart was broken. I vowed not to let my son have this same experience, and so far so good. Tel Aviv takes on Galil in the Final Thursday night and awaits to capture yet another domestic title. Only their former player and coach Oded Katash stands in their way.”

Could I have not been anymore prophetic. Here I am standing in disbelief as Hapoel puts the royal smackdown on the countries most famous, highest budgeted basketball team.

What a disgrace. I don’t want to take anything away from Galil and they deserve the victory. They wanted it more. They played like champions. They didn’t fold in crunch time. They did none of that.

But taking a quick look at Maccabi, in essence this game was a microcosm of their season. As The Sports Rabbi told his son on opening night for Maccabi’s Euroleague campaign, Wherever Alan Anderson will take them is where they will go this year. He is by far the most talented player on the club and they will live by Alan Anderson and die by Alan Anderson. And yes they died by Alan Anderson.

Anderson scored 9 points, but his play was so erratic and inconsistent in the 18 minutes, the only reason he was on the floor at the end of the game is because the referees had fouled out 4 (yes 4!) Maccabi players. Meanwhile Jeremy Pargo, Brian Randle and Dion Dowell, the Hapoel foreign players shined and deserved to bask in the moment of glory.

Maccabi went 8/27 on three pointers while Hapoel scored 12 of 19 for 63%! Hapoel out rebounded, out hustled and out played Maccabi and that is why they were able to loft the Championship plate proudly on this night.

As the third quarter began I said to my son, this is where the game will be won or lost , this quarter. Galil had come out like gang busters on Tuesday night Vs. Jerusalem and I was very wary this would happen again. The crowd is late coming back to their seats, there is a sense of complacency in the building and with Maccabi up at the break everything will be OK. Or so all the Maccabi fans and their players mistakenly thought. Galil blew Tel Aviv out of the water with a  21-9 period and grab the lead 63-59 going into the final frame.

It is sad fate that yet again I and now along with my son suffer a bitter defeat. All year we enjoyed the games, the competition, the guts and the glory, but when it came down to crunch time, against Partizan Belgrade in the Euroleague quarter finals and again tonight Vs. Hapoel Galil/Gilboa, Maccabi choked. Their overpaid foreigners, couldn’t get the job done. From Alan Anderson to Andrew Wiznewski to Chuck Eidson to D’or Fischer to David I am a naturalized Israeli Bluthenthal, (I will not criticize Deron Perkins who played his heart out until being shown the door with 5 fouls)…

YOU ALL CHOKED, YOU ARE PATHETIC, YOU DID NOT SHOW UP, YOU LET ANOTHER TEAM COME INTO YOUR HOUSE AND BEAT YOU, YOU LET THE OPPOSITION DICTATE PLAY AND BEAT YOU UP, YOU DIDN’T CARE TO WIN AND YOU PROVED IT! SHAME ON YOU! (I will not criticize Deron Perkins who was all over the court tonight)

And now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Thoughts from the Pulpit

1)      One positive for the evening was that my son and his friend got to meet and take a picture with the Sacramento Kings Roookie All Star player…Omri Casspi! That was quite a thrill to score a minute with Israel’s first NBA player.

2)      We also met Raanan Katz a former part owner of Maccabi Tel Aviv and current part owner of the Miami Heat. I should have asked him what the Heat’s plan is for the summer.

3)      Well we did have a good time this year seeing Maccabi and it did leave us with some good memories, actually a little more than just some, like the wins against Sienna, Real Madrid, Roma and a State Cup title, so all is not lost on the year. The problem is that Maccabi is expected win every year and that is what hurts the most, the losses. Well it will be an interesting summer to see who they will sign and who they will let go. Losses are good sometimes, it helps build character and the drive to win, we’ll get ‘em next year.

Good Shabbos and Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem.