It's Official- NBA Officials Stink!

by CELTSFANATIC on Dec 31, 2008 2:21 PM EST Comment 19 comments

I have been trying to hold off on writing this entry for some time now because I know being a referee in any sport is difficult but from what I have seen this year in the NBA is downright criminal. I am not just talking about Celtics games; I have the NBA package and have watched many games that make me shake my head in disbelief some nights.

Here are just a few thoughts and examples of why the NBA officiating is a downright joke:

Dick Bovetta- Time to hang it up. He is arguably one of the best officials of all time although as of late (mainly because of age) he is completely lost. He made a call earlier this year on Eddie House that I still can't believe. A member of the opposing team took a 15 foot jump shot uncontested and as he lifted his arm to shoot the ball he whacked himself in the face and fell down. As this was happening Eddie House flew by him in the air trying to alter the shot. He didn't come within 3 feet of the guy but Bovetta proceeded to call a foul on House- Replay showed it wasn't even close. This is just one example Bovetta's lack of being able to keep up. It's not just him even though he has missed many easy calls this year.

Two weeks ago Big Baby stepped in to take a charge on someone and Leon was right behind him. Big Baby took a hit from the opposing player with no call on the initial contact. As Baby took the hit he then ran into Leon who was behind him and the official called a foul on Leon. Even Leon showed some negative excitement on that call. Once again, it left me shaking my head.

I know I could sit here and break down every bad call this season but it just seems like some of these calls are easy to make but these guys just are not making them. How about the hand check rule being eliminated? This is a dumb rule, you can't even breathe on a guy who has the ball above the top of the key without getting called on it. Yet, I see guys going to the hole who get crushed with no call. Hand checking should be incidental contact as long as it does not affect the play.

Another bad quality is when officials see a foul under the hoop and wait to see if the shot goes in to determine whether they will call it. So if a guy gets fouled and the ball goes in they don't blow the whistle yet if the shot is missed then you get a late whistle. It’s either a foul or NOT a foul. To me, this is a joke. If they use discretion on making that call then they should be able to make the same discretion as a hand check.

Make-up calls- These drive me nuts! When an official makes a bad call and they knew they blew it. 9 out of 10 times within the next 15 seconds the team that was on the wrong side of the bad call gets a quick foul called in their favor. It's just flat out wrong and that needs to be addressed.

Balls going out of bounds- I have seen at least 30 out of bounds calls this year that were wrong. I still do not know how this happens this much but it does.

This next one I have been trying to figure out for years! It happens when an official at half court makes a call on someone that is in the paint under the hoop when the other 2 officials who are RIGHT THERE don't make the call. It's absolutely ridiculous (now I sound like Tommy) that those calls happen. I am not saying they are always wrong but most of the time they are.

I have also seen officials make calls prematurely when someone goes to hole and the official thinks they will get fouled and blow the whistle only to see that there was no foul. (Lebron James gets these called for him freauently)

And what about last night with six men on the floor? Do I need to say anymore?

Look, I know I could do this all day but I know in my heart of hearts that I speak for more people than myself on this issue. The NBA needs to do some soul searching and start to fine some of these officials and hold them accountable for some of the garbage I have seen this year. I have been watching the NBA for 30 years and this is the worst I have seen it. Out of the 3 major professional sports the NBA has the worst officiating. I do not have the answer to this but maybe they should let a little more go as far as contact. Last night in Portland at one point the play was being stopped every 5 seconds to call a questionable foul. Like I said, I don’t have the answers but the NBA isn't cutting me any checks either so hopefully they can figure this out. I love the NBA but it really and truly affects the fiber of the game.

The NBA has an exciting product right now but the officiating is really bad and if the NBA wants to take their product to the next level then there has to be more flow to the game. Happy New Year to everyone!!!!!

Be respectful and keep it clean. Thanks.

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Its not just the NBA

Every official in every sport sucks majorly. I think this is the biggest advangtage to playing at home because if an official makes a bad call in philly, boston, or at raiders games they wont make it to the parking lot.

by WestCoast Celtics Fan on Dec 31, 2008 2:41 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Basketball is inherintly more difficult to officiate than most other major sports. There are just a TON more judgement calls to be made. Watching 10 guys and the ball in real time speed is just very very difficult.

No excuses, because they should be better than they are at the NBA level and I hate the way they referee, just want to point out that it is very hard.

Personally, my biggest beef is that not everyone plays by the same set of rules. Shaq has always been allowed to drive his shoulder right through people’s chest. Most everyone else gets called for it. Bowen is allowed to hand check like crazy, because he’s the defensive stopper. Others get called for tic tac fouls. Garnett is allowed to thrown forearm shievers all game long that others get called for. LeBron is allowed to take 3 steps everytime he’s going to the hoop. Etc, etc, etc. I just want them to forget WHO they are looking at and call WHAT they see – the same for everyone.

The other complaint is the lack of visibility into the aftermath. The NFL grades it’s officiating crews each week, and then publicly releases statements acknowledging calls that were made wrong. It would be nice of the NBA made similar releases about mismanaged calls. They could also at the same time address calls that people in the media or fan base THINK were made wrong, and explain why they were right. And not just “it was the right call”, but go into the detail of the rulebook and WHY it was the right call.

Oh, and a foul in the middle of the 2nd quarter should be a fould with 1 second left in the game, and vice versa. I can’t stand it when refs either allow everything to go in the closing minutes, or else start calling everything that they hadn’t been calling all game.

Rule #1 of nitpicking is to get it right.

by douglast on Dec 31, 2008 3:27 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

agree

You are 100% right. It is the hardest because of the judgement calls but it just seems the officiating this year has been substantially worse than past years. You are also right about certain guys getting away with stuff that other people wouldn’t. Lebron James has a COMPETELY different set of rules than anyone in the leauge. You can’t even go near this guy once he starts his drive to the hoop.

Believe me when I tell you I would never want their job. I know it’s extremely hard to do what they do but at the end of the day the NBA has to see that they are really bad and has to step in and do something.

by CELTSFANATIC on Dec 31, 2008 3:41 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

You are forgetting the mind-boggling travel call on Rondo against Golden State. Apparently when your two steps are not going straight, it must be a travel.

by kozlodoev on Dec 31, 2008 7:24 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

theres a deeper problem boys

Honestly, officiating is borderline in every sport because the nature of the calls are subjective. But I truly believe NBA officials are the worst. Announcers, fans, and all types of citizens who know the game acknowledge that “star treatment” exists even when there’s no such rule that gives the league’s elite protection from fouls. That’s just one example of how obscure the “rules” of the game have gotten. People accept that makeup calls exist, that when a player disses another for no good reason that the “double T” will be called, even when it’s seemingly a bailout for avoiding a situation where one party TRULY is at fault and the other TRULY is not. We aren’t trying to standardize a bunch of kindergartners here. We’re working with NBA players – grown adults who make millions – who should hold themselves accountable no matter how skilled or famous – and not expect anything “back” from any official or league representative.

It looks to me like the erosion of rules is a result of politics being present between the league and its players. The league has gone out of its way to change the game from a more slow paced, defensive game to an up tempo, hand checking era where players are scoring more and playing with less feist and firepower. This has therefore created a league of pansies in my opinion. And I have Stern to blame for that, for turning the league into a machine more than a sport. We use “bail-outs” like the double T when there’s a hint of confrontation about to stir up. And even KG – in my opinion – for his childish but unharmful team appreciation, is the center of the league’s controversy. There’s no doubt in my mind the the NBA has an agenda against him. The 1 game suspension against him was an indicator of that, IMO. And they’ll continue to look to neuter him in order to make the league appear more “content” and “getting along” on the surface while Stern racks in money globalizing the game. Crooks, they are,

TPD 4 3333333

by TradeProposalDude on Dec 31, 2008 9:33 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I am driven to insanity by the continuations.

We see it mostly with Kobe in the west. The ref blows the whistle when he gets breathed on, Kobe takes a couple of steps, and lays it in, “Score the bucket amd a foul!” It happens a few times every game. That could equal 9 points. Then you lose by 5. Crazy.

My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.

by OCBlazerFan1 on Jan 1, 2009 11:16 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

agreed on that

continuations are so bad some time, it’s ridiculous. what is supposed to be “in the act of shooting” has now become “as long as he’s heading in the direction of the basket”. and it’s kind of odd that they would do this, because FT shooting slows games down and is ineherintly boring to watch, which is not fan-friendly.

for a recent example, look at the Boston-Portland game from the other night. Ray Allen left and was shoved out of bounds by Oden. Oden was called for the clear foul (no doubt there), and also got a T for it (looked a bit iffy). But for some reason Allen was awarded free throws. In no way was he in the act of shooting, and it wasn’t even debatable. He was dribbling and trying to get around Oden on the baseline.

Probably the worst example I’ve ever seen happened last month in a Portland-New Orleans game. The game was winding down with the Hornets ahead by 3 or 4 points and with the ball. Portland clearly had to foul to prevent the clock from running out. Chris Paul was dribbling the ball AT HALFCOURT. A Portland player fouled him, at which point he threw up a half court shot and was awarded 3 free throws because he was in the act of shooting. It didn’t ultimately affect the game’s outcome, but it was completely absurb.

Rule #1 of nitpicking is to get it right.

by douglast on Jan 1, 2009 11:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That Paul play

had me yelling at the T.V. For some players it is a chuck it up when you hear the whistle and you’ll get some throws.

My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.

by OCBlazerFan1 on Jan 2, 2009 12:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It is no wonder Lebron and Kobe score so many points. The refs make it pretty easy for them. Those two are good enough without giving them an advantage like the refs do.

by NoraG1 on Jan 1, 2009 1:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Agree.

I remember a radio host that said he talked to the refs in the 90’s about the non traveling calls on Karl Malone, and Tim Duncan. The ref said that those guys were too good to call those calls. Really? If they are so good, why don’t they have to play by the rules too? Dwane Wade gets away with a lot, and gets awarded WAY too many freebies as well.

My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.

by OCBlazerFan1 on Jan 2, 2009 12:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

the nba's fixed

they dont want the celtics to win because itll get more tv views. would u rather watch your team go against an incredible boston team or a struggling one? same thing in LA they wanna hype up the rivalry incase they meet in the finals again which david stern im sure will make sure of. what goods such an intense rivalry if boston dominates every game?

by RsEaVeY95 on Jan 1, 2009 5:49 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Sheed used to say "The NBA is as fixed as pro wrestling".

My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.

by OCBlazerFan1 on Jan 1, 2009 7:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

When I started watching

…back in the day, the questionable calls were far and few. Seems like that is not the case anymore. It sucks, doesn’t it? We teach our children not to cheat because if you win by cheating, there’s really no honour in it. I’d like, NO, I WOULD LOVE, to get back to the concept “We’re winning by being the best”… Not too much to ask, is it, Mr. Stern?

by Amager Celtic Fan on Jan 2, 2009 3:09 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

What is most ridiculous

is that most real fans, honest commentators and journalists, and most players/coaches know this is the case. But the league continues to do nothing about it, and that smug little liar David Stern repeatedly comes out and refuses to acknowledge there is a problem at all.

It’s the secret everyone knows and it is destroying the league’s credibility. This has gotten worse and worse over the past decade. It’s time to make a change in the league’s leadership.

Big brother no longer needs to watch, because the world is convinced he is.

by Schupac on Jan 2, 2009 12:40 PM EST reply actions 0 recs