JamStone
11-08-2006, 12:56 PM
I'm writing a letter/e-mail to Stern about the new "zero tolerance" technical foul rule. I want some input on additions, changes, and suggestions regarding the letter. Please let me know what you think before I send it out.
TO THE NBA OFFICES:
The new "zero tolerance" rule could very well be hurting the game. Officials who haphazardly call technical fouls for the slightest player reaction is borderline ridiculous. Not only does it take away much of the emotion, especially passion, in how some players play, but it hurts the game in terms of entertainment value. Fans do not want to see a game that has a good flow and watch it stop for technical fouls just because a player disagrees with a call. Beyond that, these technical fouls already have cost teams wins.
I understand that the NBA wants to make the game better. I understand that the NBA wants less complaining about whistles, less histrionics, less unnecessary drama. But, it is not very clear at all that these "technical foul" calls have improved the game. In fact, to the fans as well as the players, it is not helping the game. There are certain players who play with a fire and emotion that are not completely able to temper or control their emotions. There is a reason why players like Rasheed Wallace, Allen Iverson, Kenyon Martin, Kevin Garnett are so beloved by their fanbase. It's because of their passion to play so hard and show their emotion. The way the officials are calling technical fouls takes away a lot of that emotion. That is not improving the game, in my opinion.
Now, the problem with the new "rule" is that it is so vague and discretionary to the officials, that it is not consistently and fairly enforced across the league with all the players. What one player does that will merit a technical foul in the eyes of one official has not always been called a technical foul against another player. There is no accountability for this inconsistency among referees.
Now, if the NBA insists that this will improve the game, and if the NBA insists on making the league better by allowing fewer on-the-court complaints by players and coaches, there must be some type of system to hold the officials accountable when they are in the wrong. This new rule gives arbitrary discretion to the officials without accountability, without recourse for when a player or coach was actually right in voicing a complaint or displeasure over a call.
I think there should be a system of "checks and balances" in order for officials who are actually in the wrong also hold accountability. I think the NBA should set up a committee to review all "technical fouls" that officials call for complaining. If the committee finds that the call that led to the technical foul was a bad call or that the technical foul was unwarranted, not only should the technical foul be rescinded and the player or coach not have to pay the fine for the technical foul, but the official who made the technical foul call should have to pay a fine, just like players have to pay a fine for getting a technical foul.
Now, I feel the committee should be made up of representatives from three groups: the players (player union), a coaches representative, and an appointed representative from the League Office. Anytime two of the three representatives feel a technical foul was unwarranted, then the technical foul should be rescinded, the player or coach should not be fined, and the official who made the technical foul call should, in kind, pay a fine of their own.
Such a system would not make the rule perfect or eliminate all problems or issues with the new rule. But, it would at least make the officials have some sort of accountability so that they don't recklessly and arbitrarily start calling technical fouls for every little gesture by a player or coach.
The rule was vague to begin with, and it gave too much discretion for interpretation by the officials. And, some officials can use this new rule to single out players that have a history of complaining to officials that would lead to inconsistent application and enforcement of the rule. Rasheed Wallace might get a technical foul for complaining, and the same exact reaction by Shane Battier could go unnoticed and unpunished by the same exact official. That is not fair. That is not consistent. That does not make the game better.
Additionally, I think the rule that a player will be suspended for a game after 17 technical fouls should also be amended this season while the players adjust to the new rule.
If one of the NBA's goals is to make the game of basketball better, to keep it improving, then a rule like this needs to be fair, consistent, and equally enforced. There needs to be ways of implementing the rule so that it is not abused by officials. Make the game better. And, make the rules fair.
Regards,
Concerned NBA fan
TO THE NBA OFFICES:
The new "zero tolerance" rule could very well be hurting the game. Officials who haphazardly call technical fouls for the slightest player reaction is borderline ridiculous. Not only does it take away much of the emotion, especially passion, in how some players play, but it hurts the game in terms of entertainment value. Fans do not want to see a game that has a good flow and watch it stop for technical fouls just because a player disagrees with a call. Beyond that, these technical fouls already have cost teams wins.
I understand that the NBA wants to make the game better. I understand that the NBA wants less complaining about whistles, less histrionics, less unnecessary drama. But, it is not very clear at all that these "technical foul" calls have improved the game. In fact, to the fans as well as the players, it is not helping the game. There are certain players who play with a fire and emotion that are not completely able to temper or control their emotions. There is a reason why players like Rasheed Wallace, Allen Iverson, Kenyon Martin, Kevin Garnett are so beloved by their fanbase. It's because of their passion to play so hard and show their emotion. The way the officials are calling technical fouls takes away a lot of that emotion. That is not improving the game, in my opinion.
Now, the problem with the new "rule" is that it is so vague and discretionary to the officials, that it is not consistently and fairly enforced across the league with all the players. What one player does that will merit a technical foul in the eyes of one official has not always been called a technical foul against another player. There is no accountability for this inconsistency among referees.
Now, if the NBA insists that this will improve the game, and if the NBA insists on making the league better by allowing fewer on-the-court complaints by players and coaches, there must be some type of system to hold the officials accountable when they are in the wrong. This new rule gives arbitrary discretion to the officials without accountability, without recourse for when a player or coach was actually right in voicing a complaint or displeasure over a call.
I think there should be a system of "checks and balances" in order for officials who are actually in the wrong also hold accountability. I think the NBA should set up a committee to review all "technical fouls" that officials call for complaining. If the committee finds that the call that led to the technical foul was a bad call or that the technical foul was unwarranted, not only should the technical foul be rescinded and the player or coach not have to pay the fine for the technical foul, but the official who made the technical foul call should have to pay a fine, just like players have to pay a fine for getting a technical foul.
Now, I feel the committee should be made up of representatives from three groups: the players (player union), a coaches representative, and an appointed representative from the League Office. Anytime two of the three representatives feel a technical foul was unwarranted, then the technical foul should be rescinded, the player or coach should not be fined, and the official who made the technical foul call should, in kind, pay a fine of their own.
Such a system would not make the rule perfect or eliminate all problems or issues with the new rule. But, it would at least make the officials have some sort of accountability so that they don't recklessly and arbitrarily start calling technical fouls for every little gesture by a player or coach.
The rule was vague to begin with, and it gave too much discretion for interpretation by the officials. And, some officials can use this new rule to single out players that have a history of complaining to officials that would lead to inconsistent application and enforcement of the rule. Rasheed Wallace might get a technical foul for complaining, and the same exact reaction by Shane Battier could go unnoticed and unpunished by the same exact official. That is not fair. That is not consistent. That does not make the game better.
Additionally, I think the rule that a player will be suspended for a game after 17 technical fouls should also be amended this season while the players adjust to the new rule.
If one of the NBA's goals is to make the game of basketball better, to keep it improving, then a rule like this needs to be fair, consistent, and equally enforced. There needs to be ways of implementing the rule so that it is not abused by officials. Make the game better. And, make the rules fair.
Regards,
Concerned NBA fan