Some bad calls should bring disciplinary action

[GSH]

First - this isn't a thread about conspiracies against the Spurs, or even about officiating causing the Spurs to lose a game. It's about a specific, and I think unforgivably bad call that occurred in late in the Memphis game. Bad calls happen all the time, against every team. But there was something about this one that was disturbing enough to be worth special mention:

With about 4 minutes left in the game, and the Spurs up by 1 point, George Hill passed the ball to Tony Parker, who was standing at the sideline. Parker started to make a move toward the basket, when the ref blew his whistle and indicated that Tony had stepped out of bounds. It was a costly turnover, at a critical point in the game.

Looking at the replay, it appeared that Tony's right toe was in bounds, and his right heel was up in the air, above the side line. (Similar to Sean on the Memorial Day Miracle play.) He was incredibly close, but probably didn't step out of bounds. But that's not what makes it such a bad call.

When Tony took the pass, the ref was looking out to the middle of the floor. There is absolutely zero doubt, looking at the replay, that he was not looking in the area of the sideline or Tony's foot. Then, as Tony brings his foot forward, the ref very obviously turns his head and looks in that direction. All he could see by then was Parker's foot, now well inside the line, moving forward. And it was at that point that he blew his whistle. In other words - even if Tony's foot had touched the line, the ref couldn't have seen it, because he wasn't looking.

So what did he base his call on? The BEST case is that he decided that Tony's foot was so close to the line, and moving forward, so it MUST have been out of bounds before that. But even if that is true, it still means that he called something that he knew he didn't see.

I can understand a ref blowing a call, or missing a call. What I can't excuse is a ref FABRICATING a call. That brings up a lot of unfortunate speculation about bias, and it's something that just shouldn't happen. The league claims that they review the officiating after every game, and critique each ref. That one play is almost bad enough to be unforgivable. It should definitely keep him out of post-season action.

It's impossible to say how the game would have played out of the ref hadn't made that call. But the game had been very physical, and both teams were at playoff intensity. Most officials tend to back off and "let them play" in the late stages of that kind of game, rather than take a chance of deciding the contest with their whistles. And that makes this particular call even more disturbing. Why would a ref whistle a turnover, in crunch time, on something that he didn't see, and knew he didn't see? If the intensity and crowd noise of that game was too much for him to handle, then he definitely isn't ready for the playoffs.

A side note - how in the hell did the refs allow that LeBron James shot against Cleveland? Even with the benefit of instant replay, they can still screw the pooch when they want to. (There's an entire officiating crew that should be banned from post-season action.) People can try to claim that referee bias doesn't exist, but that's bullshit. If it had been nearly any other player in the league, that shot would have been waved off. But they found a way to talk themselves into counting it for LeBron. Conspiracy, no. Bias, yes. I guess it is good to be the King.

[TE]

I saw that call against Parker... One of the worst officiating judgments I have witnessed in all sports this year (Football, baseball, NCAA & NBA basketball thus far).

[Rick18]

Don't forget the non-call in the Portland game the other day where Wes Matthews had pretty much his whole foot clearly out of bounds with the ref looking right at it yet somehow there was no call made.

[Fireball]

we also had the timeout call / jump ball situation last game and the jump ball against Memphis when Z-Bo pushed Dice away to get the ball ... it did not go well with the refs the last four games for sure

[eric365]

The video should be allowed on any kind of action in the last 5 minutes of a game (foul, TO, charge etc...). We have already ton of timeout during crunch time, it's not 10 more second that will change everything

Another thing that seems stupid is everytime they check the video to see if it's 2 or 3 free throw but can't do anything when they see in the video that it was not foul.

Anytime the ref see he was wrong, he should be allowed to change the call

[spurspokesman]

Those chumps will make it up to us in the playoffs.

[temujin]

I could also make the case of 3 charge calls in the Portland game, all going against the home teams. The only break was the Blair's dunk.
3-1.
An unlikely event.

However, conspiracy theories are BS.
It just takes a lot of time to make a conspiracy, lots of people involved, lots of phone calls, lots of talking, too complex and ineffectual, in the end.
Dangerous, even.

Having said that, the NBA is not a sport, it's a business, a billions dollars business and a business that needs to be managed.
Refs know that, know what they need to do and act accordingly.
Those that don't, they are simply counterselected.
Tha's a much better way to steer things.

That's how I would run the NBA.

[temujin]

By the way, that is precisely why Joey Crawford has been around for 30 years.

[Obstructed_View]

They've been directed to put the Lakers in the top spot before the playoffs start. Ekpe Udoh was given a bonus check by the NBA.

[lazerelmo]

Don't forget the non-call in the Portland game the other day where Wes Matthews had pretty much his whole foot clearly out of bounds with the ref looking right at it yet somehow there was no call made.

No excuse for that one.

The NBA needs a John McEnroe to give the refs so much grief about the out of bounds line that they are forced to install a laser detector on each line.

[lazerelmo]

Ekpe Udoh was given a bonus check by the NBA.


Sick'em Bears.

[clambake]

what did you guys think about the refs when the mavs played the heat?

[5in10]

Don't forget the non-call in the Portland game the other day where Wes Matthews had pretty much his whole foot clearly out of bounds with the ref looking right at it yet somehow there was no call made.

This was the worst non call of the whole game, it was such bs.

[John Basedow]

It's always the ref's fault.

[jmanu20]

I was at Monday's game, and that missed out of bounds call was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to bad calls. Another bad one was where Novak clearly had set position, the Portland player runs into him, BLOCK on Novak. Yet at least two other times during that game, when the Spurs had the ball and ran into Portland players who were still moving their feet, it was a charge. Zarba had to have been given some special instructions beforehand.

John Basedow---according to PJ it IS always the refs' fault when the Lakers are on the losing end, haha.

[ohmwrecker]

It's always the ref's fault.

What's up, DD? You been working out?

[John Basedow]

John Basedow---according to PJ it IS always the refs' fault when the Lakers are on the losing end, haha.

Phil just trolling the refs he's supposed to troll

[Obstructed_View]

what did you guys think about the refs when the mavs played the heat?

Wade got the calls Dirk got when he played aggressively two rounds earlier.

[John Basedow]

What's up, DD? You been working out?

Sometimes, but tbh the abs are as chiseled as they're gonna get.

[clambake]

Wade got the calls Dirk got when he played aggressively two rounds earlier.

ok. in the end, refs calls are legitimate.

[elbamba]

what did you guys think about the refs when the mavs played the heat?

As much as I hate Dallas there is no doubt they got screwed by the refs that series. Just like the Kings in 2002 playing the Lakers.

[John Basedow]

As much as I hate Dallas there is no doubt they got screwed by the refs that series. Just like the Kings in 2002 playing the Lakers.

and the Suns in 2007

http://www.mkrob.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/tim-donaghy.jpg

[mexpurs21]

As much as I hate Dallas there is no doubt they got screwed by the refs that series. Just like the Kings in 2002 playing the Lakers.

And the Spurs in game 7 of the 2006 series vs the Mavs, remember the last minutes of regulation? :nope

[Budkin]

what did you guys think about the refs when the mavs played the heat?

Terrible calls, but I thought it was payback for all the bullshit calls the Mavs got during the Spurs series. Couldn't breathe on Dirk without it being a foul, and you couldn't breathe on Wade during the Finals.

To sum it up... the refs in this league are a fucking joke.

[NRHector]

why are we surprised? is just another tactic or option of Stern, we all know that he just trying to slow down the Spurs so the Lakers can catch up and have them in a better position . You have to be so naived not to think that Stern doesn't tell the refs when to blow the whistle.

[Obstructed_View]

ok. in the end, refs calls are legitimate.

Yeah, tell that to Mavs fans who bring up the finals whenever the discussion comes up, which is about out of bounds calls, not foul calls. Either a guy is standing out of bounds or he isn't, and either the ref sees it or he doesn't.

[John Basedow]

why are we surprised? is just another tactic or option of Stern, we all know that he just trying to slow down the Spurs so the Lakers can catch up and have them in a better position . You have to be so naived not to think that Stern doesn't tell the refs when to blow the whistle.

I guess you're a huge wrestling fan too

[NRHector]

I guess you're a huge wrestling fan too well you can say that since the NBA starting to look like that

[John Basedow]

well you can say that since the NBA starting to look like that

It started looking like that before the Spurs won their championships, so.........................

[Mugen]

what did you guys think about the refs when the mavs played the heat?

I was fine with those calls because they weren't against the Spurs, tbh.

[lefty]

LOL at that useless officiating review show on NBA TV

[tlongII]

As much as I hate Dallas there is no doubt they got screwed by the refs that series. Just like the Kings in 2002 playing the Lakers.

And the Blazers playing the Lakers in 2000.

[temujin]

what did you guys think about the refs when the mavs played the heat?

I thought, and still think, that having a Cuban's team win a title would not be a good advertisement for the business.

[lefty]

And the Blazers playing the Lakers in 2000.
TBH, Blazers choked big time

[temujin]

and the Suns in 2007

http://www.mkrob.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/tim-donaghy.jpg

Absolutely.

Why would you think a small market team could win several times?

Pop knows stuff, I guarantee you that.

That's why I like him.

[tlongII]

TBH, Blazers choked big time

Not without some help.

[John Basedow]

And the Blazers playing the Lakers in 2000.


TBH, Blazers choked big time

Even lefty gets it.

The Blazers choked. They had a 15 point lead in the 4th quarter. Did the refs make them miss 13 consecutive shots? :cry

[John Basedow]

Blazer fans were all diagnosed with PTSD after that game. As you can see, tlong still suffers greatly :lol

[John Basedow]

Absolutely.

Why would you think a small market team could win several times?

Pop knows stuff, I guarantee you that.

That's why I like him.

2007 Game 3 was rigged by Donaghy. It's a fact. This wasn't for ratings or Stern's cronies, cause Phoenix and SA are comparable anticlimactic media draws. Donaghy was in bigtime debt to the mob and had to fix some games to pay the bills. Accept the gift and move on.

[lefty]

Even lefty gets it.

The Blazers choked. They had a 15 point lead in the 4th quarter. Did the refs make them miss 13 consecutive shots? :cry
Yep

Even John Basedow gets it

[John Basedow]

Yep

Even John Basedow gets it

congrats on the quick edit :tu

[lefty]

congrats on the quick edit :tu
Thanks!!!!!

[dbestpro]

I think the problem may lie within the game itself. Even in college the refs could not get it right even when they could go to the replay.

The only solution is to to deregulate and allow the game to be more physical and defensive. If there are limted rules to break then it narrows the focus of the officials on what they can call.

[NRHector]

It started looking like that before the Spurs won their championships, so.........................

you are so right about that it sure did start before the Spurs championship, it started exactly when the Lakers started winning, coincidence?

[John Basedow]

you are so right about that it sure did start before the Spurs championship, it started exactly when the Lakers started winning, coincidence?

Hold still so I can catch your tears.

[Agloco]

Sometimes, but tbh the abs are as chiseled as they're gonna get.

Need some pics Double D. I think Basedow's got you covered bro.

[TwoHandJam]

you are so right about that it sure did start before the Spurs championship, it started exactly when the Lakers started winning, coincidence?

It's too bad that the NBA's business model is close to the WWE. The stars get preferential treatment and so do the darling money market teams. It's more of a business than a sport and has been for a while.

If the NBA was interested in having the best officials then they would institute more instant replays and have an unbiased 3rd party organization discipline and police them instead of ex-officials like today. No organization can police themselves effectively and without bias.

If you just like to win and don't care much for the integrity of the sport then just be a Laker fan. All the cool kids are doing it. You don't even need to know the names of the entire roster. Bonus.

[temujin]

2007 Game 3 was rigged by Donaghy. It's a fact. This wasn't for ratings or Stern's cronies, cause Phoenix and SA are comparable anticlimactic media draws. Donaghy was in bigtime debt to the mob and had to fix some games to pay the bills. Accept the gift and move on.

It was not a gift.
You actually WORK to have 1) Donaghy reffing the game, and 2) making sure he would "behave" he was supposed to.

That's how you get you due when you are a small market franchise.

As simple as that.

That's PRECISELY why I like the way Spurs do business.

[temujin]

And you gotta be pretty idiotic if you believe Joey Crawford didn't steer the 2010 series to Game 7, and finally handed it out to the "darlings".

And you gotta be even more idiotic if you think that it's going the same way this year.

[John Basedow]

It was not a gift.
You actually WORK to have 1) Donaghy reffing the game, and 2) making sure he would "behave" he was supposed to.

That's how you get you due when you are a small market franchise.

As simple as that.

That's PRECISELY why I like the way Spurs do business.


And you gotta be pretty idiotic if you believe Joey Crawford didn't steer the 2010 series to Game 7, and finally handed it out to the "darlings".

And you gotta be even more idiotic if you think that it's going the same way this year.

GNSF never fails to disappoint

[DeadlyDynasty]

:lolwhiner