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\u2019s loyalty to Maccabi Tel Aviv. I couldn\u2019t take it anymore and wanted to see the best players, games and competitions that Israel can offer and Maccabi was the ticket.<\/em><\/p>\n 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.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n What a disgrace. I don\u2019t want to take anything away from Galil and they deserve the victory. They wanted it more. They played like champions. They didn\u2019t fold in crunch time. They did none of that.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u00a0players mistakenly thought. Galil blew Tel Aviv out of the\u00a0water with a \u00a021-9 period and grab the lead 63-59 going into the final frame.<\/p>\n 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\u2019t get the job done. From Alan Anderson to Andrew Wiznewski to Chuck Eidson to D\u2019or 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)\u2026<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/thesportsrabbi.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/05\/oc1.jpg?w=73\")
<\/a><\/p>\n