The Refs Sucked Last Night

[NCaliSpurs]

Did anyone else feel like Knick Bavetta and Joe Forte blew call after call?

[CubanMustGo]

Bavetta needs to retire. Two years ago.

[J.T.]

I hope Bavetta has a coronary during a game. I hate that fucker.

[Big Pimp_21]

It was pretty bad from what I saw. I was in Sec. 226 last night, so the view wasn't as clear as it would have been in the LL, but it looked like Bavetta could have gotten some votes for 6th man of the year w/ all the help he was giving the Kings last night.

[G-Nob]

I've been saying for ten years that man needs to retire. The potential loss would've been chalked up to dick and his crew last night. You could tell the spurs were trying to adjust to the calls, but even the most inadvertant bumps were getting whistled. That was putting a huge damper on the team. It was funny because there was a different game being officiated on the other end when duncan and ginobili were getting hammered going to the hoop, they seem to look the other way. NEVER, EVER SHOULD A GAME BE DICTATED BY THE OFFICIALS. LET THE PLAYERS DECIDE THE GAME.

[MoSpur]

You can thank this guy for the OT dramatic win.

http://www.bbsr.de/images/nba/dick_bavetta_gross.jpg

[infinite styles]

http://www.thecinemalaser.com/image_2003/1203/p2-3-dvd-image-01.jpg http://www.bbsr.de/images/nba/dick_bavetta_gross.jpg

[CubanMustGo]

http://www.bbsr.de/images/nba/dick_bavetta_gross.jpg

:jack

[MoSpur]

I hate to blame the ref's for losses or anything like that, but last night was unbelievable. I don't know what game he was watching. This game should not have gone into OT.

[dmac]

Did anyone else feel like Knick Bavetta and Joe Forte blew call after call?
I saw more ticky-tack BS than a gift shop in a truck stop.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Terribly inconsistent calls, just what I expect from Bavetta. I don't think the calls were as lopsided as some think, but they were just all over the place. What was allowed in the first was suddenly a foul in the second half. Duncan's fourth foul in particular was bullshit. He'd didn't do anything different on that play than he'd been doing on every other pick and roll and got whistled for it.

I really believe that Bavetta takes it upon himself to make these calls to manufacture drama in the games. The conspiracy nut in my thinks that Stern might be holding the strings on him.

[kalikot_boy_kr]

Bavetta Con Flaciado Sa Covetta!!!!pwe!

[kalikot_boy_kr]

Pwetras In Bavetta Con'to Taenya!

[ducks]

game was close so there is a thread about the refs?

[SA210]

You can thank this guy for the OT dramatic win.

http://www.bbsr.de/images/nba/dick_bavetta_gross.jpg

I always laugh at how passionately dramatic he is. :lol

[ploto]

Be grateful we weren't the Pacers and got Violet Palmer. I never thought they would let her ref in the play-offs.

[Hook Dem]

Lay off the old man.........he was the best player Sac had! :lol

[NCaliSpurs]

game was close so there is a thread about the refs?


I just thought the Zebras plummetted to a new low. They basically took Timmy out of the game with lots of questionable calls - causing the Spurs to surrender a 10 point lead.

[nkdlunch]

a LOT of bad calls

[SA210]

At least it wasn't Salvitore.

Problem is, will we get Salvitore a couple of times coming up? :madrun

[Jimcs50]

Salvatore is the worst official in the history of Spurs playoffs, so any game where he is not reffing, I am ok.

If you look back to the playoffs, almost every game, Salvatore refs, it ends in a Spurs' loss.

The worst was when Dallas made 49 FTs in their win against SA in 03.

That was horrible....a jump shooting team having 49 FTs......

[Mr. Body]

Remember Dick Bavetta was architect of that horrendous overtime game against Denver last year where Duncan fouled out. It was easily the ugliest, most befuddling, ref-with-dementia officiated game I've ever seen.

[kalikot_boy_kr]

Artist Out, Bavetta In.......

[angel_luv]

On that play when Jason & Parker collided and poor Tony hit the floor hard and Bavetta ( according to the paper) had the ball boy spend extra time wiping up the floor to give Tony time to catch his breath- that was nice.

Other than that though, I think he is a mean old man and I don't like him at all.

[MoSpur]

I am not blaming the refs. The Spurs last night weren't the same ones we saw on Saturday and we all knew those on Saturday would not show up last night, but the terrible calls last night made it a little harder for the Spurs to get back into it.

There are always bad calls in a game, but last night was worst than bad. There were hand checks that were questionable. Or the one when Rahim knocked Manu down to the floor. The clear out by Rahim, which Tim was called for a foul.

[angel_luv]

I forget the specifics of all the calls that were awful.

We had two opponents on the floor last night, I thought.

[Sec24Row7]

I liked the touch foul on Barry after the questionable charge... that was great.

[romsho]

Dick Bavetta stinks. He wasn't the reason the Spurs gave up 109 points in regulation, but his inconsistency didn't help matters. He should retire.

[SAGambler]

Dick Bavetta stinks. He wasn't the reason the Spurs gave up 109 points in regulation, but his inconsistency didn't help matters. He should retire.

Yeah, where is that vaunted defense? The Spurs aren't supposed to give up near that many points.

Of course, Bonzi, Martin, and Sheef had the games of their lives, all at once. Doubt we will see that happen again.

[ShoogarBear]

Great Dick Bavetta story from a Pistons site. Brings a tear to my eye:
http://www.pistonsforum.com/pistons-basketball-articles/2070-once-upon-time.html


If you want some insight into how officiating in the NBA has changed over the years get yourself a copy of Calling the Shots: My Five decades in the NBA by the late great Earl Strom.

It’s an old book (1990) and might be hard to find but it's a gem written by one of the great personalities of the NBA.



Strom believed in calling a strong consistent game, not being influenced by the opposing crowd or whining players. He also drew a hard line with fellow refs similar to treatment Microwave dishes out to wayward posters on pf.com.

This Strom story was originally described by Charlie Rosen. Seems a number of seasons back, Philly was playing the Nets in New Jersey. The game was a nail biter and emotions were running high. Old Earl Strom and Dick Bavetta were the senior refs, and Earl made a last-second call against the Nets, apparently ending the game with a win for Sixers.

Suddenly Dick Bavetta ran across the hardwoods to the scorer's table, saying, "No! No! I got a push off against McGinnis!"

Earl Strom then challenged Bavetta, "Are you over-ruling my call?"

"I got pushing off right here!" Bavetta insisted, which reversed Stroms call and the Nets wound up with the W.

The game over, players were walking to their respective locker rooms when the door to the referees' locker room flew open and Dick Bavetta came staggering out. His Officials jersey was ripped and he was wearing a big welt over his eye, and he appeared to be running, maybe even scoping out a place to hide.

That's when it's reported old Earl Strom stepped out into the hallway and hollered after Bavetta, "You'll take another one of my (bleeping) calls again, right, you (bleep)?"

Earl Strom is in the Basketball HoF. Dick Bavetta will never be.

[Spurs Dynasty]

And how do you call over and back (the Duncan - Parker inbounds play) in overtime of a playoff game ! That technicality had no impact on the game whatsoever and was a silly, petty call !!!

Did you see the pounding players on both sides were taking in the paint with no calls? NO FOULS. BUTTTTTT... they called little ticky-tacky fouls at half court (again - no impact on play) on Barry and Duncan for barly touching players.

[DDS4]

Tells you something that the Spurs were able to overcome the refs.

[FromWayDowntown]

The Spurs allowed the game to be close (and, perhaps, allowed the officials to have an effect) by their soft play in the first half, allowing the Kings to run a layup line to the rim without any real resistance. The Spurs also did a horrendous job on the glass and allowed the Kings too many second chance opportunities. Had the Spurs taken care of their business in the first 3 quarters, the officials would have been irrelevant.

[NCaliSpurs]

6 on five all night.

Spurs have to be better than their opponents plus 20%.

[FromWayDowntown]

6 on five all night.

Spurs have to be better than their opponents plus 20%.

You say that as if the Spurs never get the benefit of calls. NBA officials are actually very, very good at what they do. Some, like Bavetta, can be manipulative some times and that's frustrating. But it puts the burden on teams to perform, which is ultimately what fans pay to see.

Again, if the Spurs had done the things they were supposed to do, the officials would have been irrelevant last night.

Rather than blaming the close score on the officials, give some respect to the Kings, who absolutely played their guts out last night.

[greyforest]

there were some terrible calls

i remember shouting at my tv at least once, 'that was the most pussy foul ive ever seen'

[ShoogarBear]

Just to clarify, I'm not trying to imply that the refs hurt the Spurs. The refs sucked both ways. If the Spurs had lost, it would have been their own fault.

[CubanMustGo]

And how do you call over and back (the Duncan - Parker inbounds play) in overtime of a playoff game ! That technicality had no impact on the game whatsoever and was a silly, petty call !!!


Sorry, that was absolutely a proper call. You don't want to be called for it, don't do it.

There were enough ?able things going on in the third quarter that we don't need to complain about legit calls.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Just to clarify, I'm not trying to imply that the refs hurt the Spurs. The refs sucked both ways. If the Spurs had lost, it would have been their own fault.

Indeed. I remember the crappy calls against the Spurs more clearly, but there were senseless calls on both sides. Trademark Bavetta.

[jn77]

I thought that the refs were trying to cost us the game! IWe were in sec 217 and there were a lot of hostile fans up there! It seemed that every time a Spur touched the ball the ref's called foul. I was actually amazed when calls went our way. It was great to see the spurs fight through it and get the win. Any truth to the rumor that Bavetta will be playing point guard for Sacramento on Friday?

[FromWayDowntown]

Some of you sound (well, read) like a bunch of Mavericks fans!

Stop blaming officials; if they make bad calls -- and they will make bad calls -- the Spurs have to overcome that; they did it last night.

It's bogus to try to blame officials for losses. (See Super Bowl XL, Feb. 2006).

[Obstructed_View]

Sorry, that was absolutely a proper call. You don't want to be called for it, don't do it.

There were enough ?able things going on in the third quarter that we don't need to complain about legit calls.
I agree. The over and back was just complete brainlock on the Spurs' part. The "touch foul" by Barry that some are screaming about was a hand check, a clear and obvious foul, and again, dumb of Barry to do.

[yeahone]

through all adversities we shall over come

[Low End Specialist]

Someone needs to come up with an animated GIF of that one ref doing the "back and forth" motion with his hands when Tim and Parker turned the ball over the in bounds pass.

I agree, the officiating was pretty dumb. I'm dreading which ever game Salvatore will officate. :(

[LilMissSPURfect]

THESE ARE THE PLAYOFFS>>>>>>>>>>>>> NOT THE WNBA! geeeeesh what was all that crap they were calling.....

[Brutalis]

Bavetta is like an old retarded hobbit running around with a whistle.

[KingsFanWithoutName]

And how do you call over and back (the Duncan - Parker inbounds play) in overtime of a playoff game ! That technicality had no impact on the game whatsoever and was a silly, petty call !!!
How do you not call that? That was a stupid move and had to be called.

[KingsFanWithoutName]

You say that as if the Spurs never get the benefit of calls. NBA officials are actually very, very good at what they do. Some, like Bavetta, can be manipulative some times and that's frustrating. But it puts the burden on teams to perform, which is ultimately what fans pay to see.

Again, if the Spurs had done the things they were supposed to do, the officials would have been irrelevant last night.

Rather than blaming the close score on the officials, give some respect to the Kings, who absolutely played their guts out last night.
One of the few posts written without blinders.

I can't believe there is so much :madrun after a win.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

It's bad form to criticize the refs after a gusty playoff win.

[tw05baller]

is there a schedule online that shows what refs will oficiate what games?

[FromWayDowntown]

is there a schedule online that shows what refs will oficiate what games?

Not available to the public. The teams don't even know who the officials will be until 90 minutes or so before game time. The fans generally don't know until the officials come out on the floor for the first time.

[gospursgojas]

Bavetta tries to be too much a part of the game....

The refs should just call the game as it is, we shouldn't even know who they are.

[kalikot_boy_kr]

Bavetta Is Leukemia For Sure..

[missmyzte]

Some of you sound (well, read) like a bunch of Mavericks fans!

Stop blaming officials; if they make bad calls -- and they will make bad calls -- the Spurs have to overcome that; they did it last night.

It's bogus to try to blame officials for losses. (See Super Bowl XL, Feb. 2006).

I agree, great teams will win despite the refs.

[Sec24Row7]

Kings fans know all about how Bavetta likes to let the team that is behind back in the game by giving them benefitial treatment.

Game 6 2002?

Anyone?

Bueller?