Jason HeimThe NBA's Elephant in the Room: Not Just the Officiating
June 8th 2009 20:05
Category: No Category
Anyone who has watched these 2009 NBA Playoffs can only be certain of two things: the league is entering a renaissance with more young superstars than at any time in the last 25 years, and that game officiating is the worst its ever been. Ever.
The fallout of the 2007 Tim Donaghy betting scandal has left everyone- players, coaches, fans, and the media- in a state of confusion, fear, and anger over some blatantly inconsistent calls, especially in the postseason as officials try to crack down on elevated physicality and emotion. Everyone sees it, but as the issue repeatedly comes up, the Commissioner's Office continually looks the other way.
After investigations uncovered that Donaghy had fixed games--even ones he reffed--David Stern reiterated the strict rules governing referee conduct and the advancement of a call-evaluation system that tracks every call made during gameplay. The Commissioner assured the public that Donaghy was isolated and that game fixing characterized Donaghy solely.
Ever since, I've noticed a steady decrease in game officiating that leaves me wondering if I can trust the NBA. No procedural or evaluative changes have been made to the reffing system. Stern brushes the issue under the rug, citing statistics that point to reffing consistency and quality. The betting scandal is not my gripe, it only provided the necessary mistrust I need to subscribe to one of many conspiracy theories about the NBA's motives.
My favorite theory states that the NBA will do anything (well, almost) to get a Kobe-LeBron finals. Anybody see the series of puppet commercials? My goodness. Of course it didn't happen this year, but that doesn't mean the NBA wasn't pulling for it. The Cleveland Cavaliers were simply so inept in the Eastern Finals against Orlando that there was no way the NBA could covertly rig LeBron's passage to the NBA Finals. There is certainly enough video evidence pointing to some ridiculous superstar treatment toward LeBron (and Kobe for that matter) from the officials at crucial junctures late in games that can only be described as conspiratorial. The allure of having its two premier megastars go head-to-head for the Larry O'Brien Trophy is simply too ratings- and financially-lucrative for the NBA to pass up.
Surprise! Kobe's Lakers are there against rising star Dwight Howard's Orlando Magic. This is by no means chopped liver to the NBA, even though the Magic are clearly not equally competitive with the Lakers. Just because LeBron James didn't go all the way to the ultimate matchup with Kobe Bryant does not mean I trust the NBA enough to not favor its superstars unfairly on and off the court.
And why should I trust the league? Its given me plenty of reason not to.
The fallout of the 2007 Tim Donaghy betting scandal has left everyone- players, coaches, fans, and the media- in a state of confusion, fear, and anger over some blatantly inconsistent calls, especially in the postseason as officials try to crack down on elevated physicality and emotion. Everyone sees it, but as the issue repeatedly comes up, the Commissioner's Office continually looks the other way.
After investigations uncovered that Donaghy had fixed games--even ones he reffed--David Stern reiterated the strict rules governing referee conduct and the advancement of a call-evaluation system that tracks every call made during gameplay. The Commissioner assured the public that Donaghy was isolated and that game fixing characterized Donaghy solely.
Ever since, I've noticed a steady decrease in game officiating that leaves me wondering if I can trust the NBA. No procedural or evaluative changes have been made to the reffing system. Stern brushes the issue under the rug, citing statistics that point to reffing consistency and quality. The betting scandal is not my gripe, it only provided the necessary mistrust I need to subscribe to one of many conspiracy theories about the NBA's motives.
My favorite theory states that the NBA will do anything (well, almost) to get a Kobe-LeBron finals. Anybody see the series of puppet commercials? My goodness. Of course it didn't happen this year, but that doesn't mean the NBA wasn't pulling for it. The Cleveland Cavaliers were simply so inept in the Eastern Finals against Orlando that there was no way the NBA could covertly rig LeBron's passage to the NBA Finals. There is certainly enough video evidence pointing to some ridiculous superstar treatment toward LeBron (and Kobe for that matter) from the officials at crucial junctures late in games that can only be described as conspiratorial. The allure of having its two premier megastars go head-to-head for the Larry O'Brien Trophy is simply too ratings- and financially-lucrative for the NBA to pass up.
Surprise! Kobe's Lakers are there against rising star Dwight Howard's Orlando Magic. This is by no means chopped liver to the NBA, even though the Magic are clearly not equally competitive with the Lakers. Just because LeBron James didn't go all the way to the ultimate matchup with Kobe Bryant does not mean I trust the NBA enough to not favor its superstars unfairly on and off the court.
And why should I trust the league? Its given me plenty of reason not to.
| 22 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
Subscribe to this blog
Go to Craig Hill's home page by clicking here
