NBA officials: corrupt or just plain bad?

[BradyManny]

The officiating continues to amaze me in how awful it is. I'm tired of hearing how hard basketball is to ref. It's not. It's ref'd perfectly fine in high school and in college - it's only the NBA.

I see a few options of what is wrong w the NBA officials:

a) They're just plain bad. Perfectly reasonable answer to what we've seen. They just don't know how to ref the game well. They are ego-maniacs who want to impose their will on the game.
b) They're biased towards certain teams/players/stars or have home-away biases. Again, reasonable enough.
c) They're downright corrupt, and, perhaps in conjuction with directives from the Commish, ref these games to create situations that help ensure the league 1) gets as long a series as the competition will allow 2) achieve the victor it would like.

I never would've said C a few years back, I considered myself too big a basketball fan. But the reffing has only gotten worse and worse. It's almost as if the Donaghy thing has made these refs even more stubborn, even more egotistical, biased, angry, bitter, manipulative and controlling figures.

The officiating has played a huge part in EVERY playoff game I've watched this year. And that's just wrong.

 

[bigcountry75]

The officiating continues to amaze me in how awful it is. I'm tired of hearing how hard basketball is to ref. It's not. It's ref'd perfectly fine in high school and in college - it's only the NBA.

I see a few options of what is wrong w the NBA officials:

a) They're just plain bad. Perfectly reasonable answer to what we've seen. They just don't know how to ref the game well. They are ego-maniacs who want to impose their will on the game.
b) They're biased towards certain teams/players/stars or have home-away biases. Again, reasonable enough.
c) They're downright corrupt, and, perhaps in conjuction with directives from the Commish, ref these games to create situations that help ensure the league 1) gets as long a series as the competition will allow 2) achieve the victor it would like.

I never would've said C a few years back, I considered myself too big a basketball fan. But the reffing has only gotten worse and worse. It's almost as if the Donaghy thing has made these refs even more stubborn, even more egotistical, biased, angry, bitter, manipulative and controlling figures.

The officiating has played a huge part in EVERY playoff game I've watched this year. And that's just wrong.

I would take it further than just the NBA....I agree that the NBA is one of the easiest to fix and see the direct impact of the refs.....

In football you had Hochuli I believe that blew that call in the Denver/San Diego game and the refs just seem to feel like they have to throw a flag on almost every play......

In Baseball you had Joyce miss the Perfect game call, Joe West wants to be a diva on the cover of every magazine promoting his CD and talking about the games being too long.....

In Basketball the officiating has just been down right terrible....I wanted to think they were just plain bad but it seems like they are set on making the series go the way they want to....

After the Donaghy thing it just seems to obvious on how these series are being played out....It's not just getting one team in foul trouble but they focus on the superstars and it changes that teams whole gameplan.....If they come out calling everything on the Lakers in game 4 then we know it is totally fixed and I would love to call David Stern and ask what the outcome will be so I can bet on it.....

It is just sad for the athletes as they work too damn hard to not be given a fair shot at a ring that some may never have another shot at.....

 

[BradyManny]

After the Donaghy thing it just seems to obvious on how these series are being played out....It's not just getting one team in foul trouble but they focus on the superstars and it changes that teams whole gameplan.....If they come out calling everything on the Lakers in game 4 then we know it is totally fixed and I would love to call David Stern and ask what the outcome will be so I can bet on it.....

It is just sad for the athletes as they work too damn hard to not be given a fair shot at a ring that some may never have another shot at.....

It is sad that people can openly question these things nowadays and there is some validity to it.

I don't trust Stern at all anymore. To me, the Donaghy thing killed him. The notion that he was a rogue official when all evidence suggests others were involved is just sketchy. Take Scott Foster, Donaghy and he would talk 3 times a day anytime either was reffing, and Donaghy was using the phone he used primarily for betting purposes. And Stern says that they are just "close friends".

The credibility is gone. When your reputation and integrity is questioned - it usually illicit a response. IE, if the entire viewing base look at guys like **** Bavetta, Joe Crawford, Salvatore, etc. and think "these guys want to be the stars, they want to impose their will on the game" - one would think that would push Stern to remove these guys. If your credibility is being killed b/c of these refs, why keep them? The answer is, you'd only keep them if they were doing the job the way you wanted them to.

Which tells me, Stern is OK with the superstar-biased, over-ref'd NBA we live in.

 

[Kontradiction]

It is sad that people can openly question these things nowadays and there is some validity to it.

I don't trust Stern at all anymore. To me, the Donaghy thing killed him. The notion that he was a rogue official when all evidence suggests others were involved is just sketchy. Take Scott Foster, Donaghy and he would talk 3 times a day anytime either was reffing, and Donaghy was using the phone he used primarily for betting purposes. And Stern says that they are just "close friends".

The credibility is gone. When your reputation and integrity is questioned - it usually illicit a response. IE, if the entire viewing base look at guys like **** Bavetta, Joe Crawford, Salvatore, etc. and think "these guys want to be the stars, they want to impose their will on the game" - one would think that would push Stern to remove these guys. If your credibility is being killed b/c of these refs, why keep them? The answer is, you'd only keep them if they were doing the job the way you wanted them to.

Which tells me, Stern is OK with the superstar-biased, over-ref'd NBA we live in.

Of course he is. Dollars are the bottom line to David Stern. A seven game series brings in the most revenue.

 

[ausbacker]

Of course he is. Dollars are the bottom line to David Stern. A seven game series brings in the most revenue.

National sporting bodies and organizations are businesses. Nothing more or nothing less. Everything revolves around money. Desirable outcomes are engineered to maximize revenue.

I'm not normally a person who questions referees on a regular basis as I accept they have incredibly difficult duties to perform. I take my hat off to them as they put themselves in the line of fire and deal with irate supporters all the time.

Watching the Celtics come back last night and watching the referees kill any momentum or chance of victory the Celtics had with phantom calls last night embedded in my mind that the Lakers winning game three was a desirable outcome for the NBA. Just you all watch the Celtics get phantom calls and go on to win four and five unless the Lakers do something special.

Sport like the world revolves around money. Money makes people fallible.

 

[Boston Boxer]

Of course he is. Dollars are the bottom line to David Stern. A seven game series brings in the most revenue.

Stern has been crooked ever since he made sure Patrick Ewing was the NY pick...ever since then, i new the NBA was fixed

 

[Disco Volante]

If the NBA was fixed, how were the San Antonio Spurs able to become a dynasty?

 

[JMarr]

If the NBA was fixed, how were the San Antonio Spurs able to become a dynasty?

[Not saying MLB is fixed] but same reason you don't see the Yankees/Red Sox vs. the Mets/Dodgers in the WS every year. If the system worked perfectly with totally predictable outcomes, no one would watch.

 

[Kontradiction]

If the NBA was fixed, how were the San Antonio Spurs able to become a dynasty?

[Not saying MLB is fixed] but same reason you don't see the Yankees/Red Sox vs. the Mets/Dodgers in the WS every year. If the system worked perfectly with totally predictable outcomes, no one would watch.

Come on, JMarr. There's no master plan behind it. The better team still has to win (unless you're prepared to tell me that the Celtics weren't better in 2008). What the NBA wants is the longest series possible to maximize revenue dollars. It's the reason the calls seemingly go to one team on one given night (Celts in Game 2) and another team (Lakers in Game 3) on another given night. This isn't to say that it's impossible for the team who aren't getting all the calls to win, but it makes it extremely hard. Tim Donaghy has been on record of saying the same thing. Everytime the Celts would pull to within one or two the other night, there was some shady foul that was called (Gasol OBVIOUSLY flopping). I can guarantee you that this won't happen to the Celtics again tonight.

Obviously, it wasn't all the refs, though. The Celtics still had to do more to help themselves (like Paul Pierce and Ray Allen actually showing up to play, for instance).

 

[Kontradiction]

Rivers comments...

Doc Rivers of Boston Celtics complains about refereeing, sends videotape to league office - ESPN

Rivers also commented on the general state of officiating in the NBA and how it differs from when he was a player. Although it did not appear as though he had said anything egregious enough to merit a fine from the league office, commissioner David Stern will have the final say on that matter -- and Stern has shown less tolerance than in past years for coaches working the refs in between games.

Rivers also continued to sound incredulous that Lakers coach Phil Jackson had complained about the foul calls against Kobe Bryant in Game 2 (Jackson called them "unusual fouls") when Bryant racked up five personals, noting that foul trouble had impacted his own team much more than it had the Lakers.

"I think he [Phil Jackson] is good, I think we're all pretty good at it," Rivers said. "But listen, if Phil Jackson says something the day before and it happens, I hope that has nothing to do with the officials."

 

[SVN]

Rivers comments...

Doc Rivers of Boston Celtics complains about refereeing, sends videotape to league office - ESPN

not really rivers style to complain as much as phil does so seems like its getting to him...

 

[PaPZ187]

Last nights game was pretty good in terms of officiating compared to the previous games.

The first 3 games or so were horrible, especially the first game, there was no flow to it, just foul after foul and TONS of FLOPPING!

The one thing I will give the officials credit for is being aware of Kendrick Perkins being one technical away from a 1 game suspension and not just throwing a "double technical" at him for any tic tack BS.

Other than that, the officiating has been pretty atrocious.

 

[PaPZ187]

not really rivers style to complain as much as phil does so seems like its getting to him...

Yeah I think Doc is just sick and tired of Phils whining and the officiating in the series and feels the need to speak up for his team so they can get some of the same calls as the Lakers have gotten.

 

[Pessimistic Pete]

Um, one of the NBA refs is in federal prison.

I think that speaks for itself.

 

[larryo]

I haven't seen anything on this board about it or heard anyone talking about it but has anyone(puts on tin foil hat) noticed how they haven't shown a lot of the fouls on replay? They showed a few very bad calls....the Rondo foul on a Kobe? 3 where he may have knicked his elbow, the call on Pierce on a Fisher? 3 and the Wallace block that was called a foul.....that Van Gundy just had to say it was just good defense. After some fouls the last 2 games I've been waiting for them to show it but it never comes. You think the NBA has influenced the broadcast somehow to the point where the foul is watched in the tv box and a decision is made there?(tin foil hat off)

Go Celts!

 

[Ryan]

I'm not a basketball fan nor do I care very much about the Celtics, but I watched the game last night with a couple of other people that know nothing about the NBA. When you aren't a frequent viewer, it's extremely obvious to see how bad the officiating is. Last night, they called nothing for 3.5 quarters until the Lakers needed it most late in the game. And that's what killed the Celtics. It's plain as day. I can't believe people watch this crap on a consistent basis.

 

[BradyManny]

It's truly sad. Basketball has been such a big part of my life. And now I watch the NBA, and what it comes down to is who can work the refs better. People don't want to admit it. But it's true.

If the Celtics had flopped more, they would've won the game last nite. Sure, they would have also won had Ray Allen buried a couple 3's, or KG not been worthless on the boards. But the truth is, they played well enough to win, and had they flopped a couple more times like the Lakers do - they would have won the game, in spite of Ray & KG's problems.

 

[JMarr]

I'm not a basketball fan nor do I care very much about the Celtics, but I watched the game last night with a couple of other people that know nothing about the NBA. When you aren't a frequent viewer, it's extremely obvious to see how bad the officiating is. Last night, they called nothing for 3.5 quarters until the Lakers needed it most late in the game. And that's what killed the Celtics. It's plain as day. I can't believe people watch this crap on a consistent basis.

+1. I loved the way they were letting them play, until it got to crunch time. Before that, I noticed a lot of jaw-droppingly obvious fouls on the Celtics that weren't called.