The Cavaliers lost to the Bobcats 94-87 last night and the game was awful for an assortment of reasons.   I hope they learn from it tonight when they tip off against the Mavericks at the Q.  But I also hope the Cavaliers aren't the only people in learning mode tonight.  Here's hoping that Mark Cuban can learn a lesson in coolness, class, and controlled rage from his Cavalier counterpart, Dan Gilbert. 

Cuban has the habit of making his ire for officials known by screaming at them all game long - while rocking a Dirk Nowitzki football Mavericks jersey, from as close to the court as the NBA will allow him to be - but Dan Gilbert takes another approach.  When Gilbert feels the need to take a swipe at the officials, he just hops on the television broadcast, and rips the them both in general, and in the game he's watching specifically, for as long as he wants to.  All the while joking about the possible fines that may emerge from his commentary.  

Case in point, when Dan Gilbert joined the telecast of the Cavaliers-Pistons game on Wednesday, he offered up gems like this:

"Anybody who says that LeBron James is getting superstar calls in this league, strong no.  That's an absurdity, its the exact and total opposite, and everybody knows it in Cleveland."

And also calculated an in-game tally at one point of fines he had probably racked up by then; estimating the damage to be at about 250K.

Below is a full transcript of Gilbert's commentary on the officials:

Dan Gilbert: By the way, the most important thing, I never heard your guys thoughts on the new referees jerseys this year. Thumbs up or thumbs down?

Austin Carr: I never really paid attention.  Their calls get me so angry that I really don't pay attention to the jerseys.

Dan Gilbert: That's a fine. That's gonna cost you 50K right there Austin.  And notice I set you right up.

3:25 left in 3rd - after a Villanueva foul on Varejao:

DG: Here's what I'm surprised about, I thought normally he [Andy] has to get hit three times for it to be a foul, so it must be a mistake.  That's a fine.  That's 100K for me, we're down 150 right now.

2:07 left in 3rd - after a hand-check foul called on Boobie Gibson:

DG:  Here's the thing though for me, you know, its not even whether its a hand-check or not the thing's about about consistency.  That's the thing.  If you're gonna call it then call it every time, or don't call it, but not just when you want to call it.  It can't be subjective, kinda like, depends on the mood, depends on how long a rookies been playing, or how long the players been, what is that?  Can you imagine an umpire in baseball like, oh here's a rookie...rookie pitcher, lets make the strike zone half the size of the plate, they don't do that.  You have to call it consistently, that's the only issue I ever had.

Fred McLeod:  Oh that meters running. 

DG: 250K done.  I was just kidding...just kidding you guys.

7:24 left in 4th - after Mo passes up court to LeBron, foul called but not on the shot:

DG: So where was the foul called?  The foul was on the shot wasn't it?

AC: That's what I thought.

DG: I imagine that.  Maybe I missed it. 

AC: I'm not getting into it this time Dan, haha.

DG: I just wanted to know if I missed it.

4th quarter - after LeBron dunked on Austin Daye, wherein his headband was moved up his head:

DG: Anybody who says that LeBron James is getting superstar calls in this league, strong no.  That's an absurdity, its the exact and total opposite and everybody knows it in Cleveland. 

4:05 left in 4th quarter: Will Bynum called for hand-check on Daniel Gibson:

DG: That one is a hand check Austin.  I'm keeping tabs.  Now I got the pattern because its every other one.  Every other one's a hand-check.

1:24 left in 4th quarter - after LeBron got mugged four times on a shot attempt:

DG: Mike and them, they're about this close to getting a technical called too, and you can see it.  Not that you blame them though, right?

And you were about that close to getting fined too Dan...not that I blame you either.

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