ESPN Insider: Duncan ejected? That's no joke.

[carina_gino20]

sorry if this has already been posted:

Duncan ejected? That's no joke
by: Marc Stein
posted: Sunday, April 15, 2007 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: Tim Duncan

DALLAS -- Tim Duncan grabs rebounds, but never headlines. Tim Duncan never lets us inside. Tim Duncan is boring.

Accurate scouting report, right?

Wrong. Duncan's dossier needs a major rewrite after Sunday.

An afternoon that was forecast to be more letdown than showdown wound up more competitive and combustible than the Mavericks or Spurs ever imagined, capped by Avery Johnson summoning Dirk Nowitzki back into the game for the final nine-plus minutes. That helped the hosts rally for a 91-86 triumph which, more than anything, seemed to suggest that Johnson simply couldn't bear to lose a home game to their hated rivals from the south, even when the game meant virtually nothing to Dallas.

However . . .

Don't expect to hear much more about the on-court proceedings after the way Duncan (a) was ejected for just the second time in his career and then (b) uncharacteristically unloaded on veteran ref Joey Crawford.

Unloaded, actually, doesn't begin to cover it, since the famously reserved Duncan (at least in his dealings with the media) not only accused Crawford of having "a personal vendetta" against him but also revealed that Crawford challenged him to a fight.

Interested yet?

Duncan arrived at the final regular-season weekend of his 10th NBA season with just one overturned ejection* in all that time and seven techs for the season. But twice in a span of 1:16 in Sunday's third quarter, Duncan was hit with Ts by Crawford.

While sitting on the bench.

The first was more surprising than shocking. Manu Ginobili was called for a foul and Duncan -- still simmering after an offensive foul that sent him to the bench moments earlier -- voiced a protest from his seat at referee LeRoy Richardson. Crawford swooped in to T him up. Unusual, yes, but not unprecedented.

The second? Call it a full-blown stunner.

Duncan was still seated and laughing animatedly on the bench after a foul had been whistled on Fabricio Oberto. Undoubtedly feeling he was being shown up, Crawford hit Duncan with T No. 2.

It was a scene reminiscent of the Western Conference finals in 2003 when Crawford ejected then-Mavs coach Don Nelson for standing silently (but defiantly) near the scorer's table in San Antonio after Nelson had been ordered to return to the bench.

The real show, though, would take place at Duncan's locker ... after the Spurs fizzled without him in the fourth.

An extended look at the quotes can be found here, but the summary is plenty good: Duncan explained in great detail how Crawford "has a personal problem with me" and repeatedly asked him before the technicals, "Do you want to fight?"

Duncan also insisted that he barely spoke to Crawford during the game and that he thinks he can play through any carryover when the Spurs and Crawford inevitably cross paths in the playoffs.

"I got to watch what I do, I guess," Duncan said. "I guess I can't laugh anymore. I can't enjoy the game. I'll have to sit there and put my head between my legs."

My best guesses from courtside:

1. Even though the second technical was one too many -- and even though a good chunk of public opinion is going to accumulate on Duncan's side -- he's a lock to get fined for his comments.

In December, remember, Jason Kidd was docked $20,000 for lashing out after a bungled call in Detroit sealed a one-point loss for the Nets. Didn't matter that Kidd was right about Vince Carter drawing a foul on Rasheed Wallace. Didn't matter that the league office deemed it a missed call as well. Kidd referred to the refs that night as "three blind mice" and Duncan just said a lot more than that.

2. Expect Crawford to be disciplined as well. The difference: Punishments for referees generally aren't made public, so we might not immediately know about any fines and/or suspensions.

Yet there's no way this can be downplayed in the league office. Duncan does have a well-chronicled rep as one of the league's most frequent complainers to referees and had to have said more to Crawford over the course of the afternoon than he claims. But a referee suggesting a fight to settle things, even in jest, is no way for a referee to calm tensions, which is one of their jobs.

And with players on both sides telling me they heard the word "fight" tossed around on the floor, I have no reason to doubt the veracity of Duncan's account.

3. This one really isn't a guess at all: I can't wait until the next Spurs game Crawford officiates. Should be, dare we say, pretty interesting.

*About that overturned ejection? Some good trivia I had forgotten, courtesy of our pal Johnny Ludden from the San Antonio Express-News: Duncan's only other career ejection -- on Feb. 4, 2002, after an exchange with Kevin Garnett got both guys tossed -- was rescinded by the league a day later.

[Kori Ellis]

And with players on both sides telling me they heard the word "fight" tossed around on the floor, I have no reason to doubt the veracity of Duncan's account.

That's what I wanted to know - if players corroborated Duncan's story.

Interesting.

[kris]

And so the media has decided that today is going to be the day that Duncan has the reputation of complaining to the officials. Yesterday, he rarely ever complained about fouls in their player manual. I guess it got updated.

[xfycox]

Thanks for posting this.

[jmard5]

Hey, great post. Many thanks!

[Amuseddaysleeper]

And so the media has decided that today is going to be the day that Duncan has the reputation of complaining to the officials. Yesterday, he rarely ever complained about fouls in their player manual. I guess it got updated.


oh come on now, Duncan has been a HUGE whiner the past few seasons, this is no surprise. I'm sure plenty of Spurs fans can admit to this.

[Mr. Body]

Kind of a crappy article.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Kind of a crappy article.


why? I thought there was some good info in there

[Mr. Body]

It's awfully lukewarm and doesn't give a sense of what happened.

[xfycox]

It's awfully lukewarm and doesn't give a sense of what happened.


I think it depicts what happened fairly well.

[jmard5]

Kind of a crappy article.

I find the article good. What's wrong?

[Mr. Body]

It depicts what happened well because we've all been covering it all night long.

Just too lukewarm IMO. That's all. But ESPN has to feign objectivity.

[kris]

oh come on now, Duncan has been a HUGE whiner the past few seasons, this is no surprise. I'm sure plenty of Spurs fans can admit to this.

Of course, anybody who watches the game knows it. But the national media like dumbass Mike Breen always remarks at how well behaved he is, etc. because of how he was his rookie season.

[whottt]

Thanks for deciding the 2 seed in the WC Joey...stupidly.

He should be fired.

Not only did he decide it...he killled any interest remaining the in the regular season.



Now that I think about it...I still would rather have Crawford than Bavetta. So maybe fire him after the season.

And I've never seen anything to indicate Duncan is a liar...and as noted elsewhere, Crawford is a convicted felon.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Of course, anybody who watches the game knows it. But the national media like dumbass Mike Breen always remarks at how well behaved he is, etc. because of how he was his rookie season.

ahh gotcha

[Amuseddaysleeper]

...and to think it was only last year Duncan felt like this in post game interviews





Tim Duncan Releases Decade Worth Of Pent-Up Emotion After Spurs Preseason Loss



SAN ANTONIO—Star Spurs center Tim Duncan has issued a public apology for his "unacceptable, inexcusable behavior" last Saturday night following a preseason loss to the Orlando Magic, saying that frustration and disappointment with his low-scoring, six-rebound performance caused "ten years' worth of unexpressed emotions to burst out of me like… like something I don't even know what."
Enlarge Image Tim Duncan R

An "agitated" Duncan responds to reporters' questions in a brusque tone of voice at a slightly elevated volume.

No criminal charges, police reports, or even complaints have been filed against Duncan, who was last seen leaving the Alamodome after giving what reporters are terming "mildly animated" answers to their post-game questions at a "slightly elevated" volume.

"I simply lost control during my post-game comments, and I did not give the press the full half-hour they are entitled to," said Duncan, who is on record as calling the Spurs' play during the game "bad," "real bad," "awful," and "very, very bad indeed" several times over the course of the 28 minutes he spent with reporters. "Anyone who knows me knows I never use language like that. I can only ask the city of San Antonio to forgive me for my outburst and give me a second chance."

"I was angry," Duncan added. "I even felt mad. I never want to go through that again."

Duncan claims that, after speaking to reporters, he was filled with a level of emotion that caused his memory to become unclear. However, Duncan is fairly certain that he turned away from reporters after insufficiently thanking them for the interview, walked to the parking lot with unusual briskness, and climbed into his car in a blatantly agitated fashion.

Witnesses' accounts bear out Duncan's version of events, with several onlookers saying Duncan "slammed" the door of his 1992 Buick LeSabre closed before driving off. Spurs guard Tony Parker, whose car was near Duncan's, denied rumors that Duncan was muttering grumpily to himself, but said Duncan did exhale audibly twice while getting his car keys out.

"Looking back on it, I think he was sighing in a frustrated or even exasperated manner," Parker said. "I thought about saying something, but I didn't know what. I'd never seen him like that. Frankly, I was a little scared."

"I should not have driven in that condition," said Duncan, who has implored the children of San Antonio not to emulate his actions or regard them as "cool." "I know better than to operate a motor vehicle while upset or in a highly emotional state of mind, but I did it anyway. I only wish I had exercised the self-restraint to let it go at that."

Traffic cameras tracked Duncan traveling from the Alamodome at up to seven miles per hour over the speed limit, twice driving through yellow lights, to a convenience store near his home, where the store's security cameras show him purchasing highly caffeinated beverages and several unhealthy snacks. A clerk at the store says Duncan consumed three of the soft drinks in his car while listening to barely audible music on his car's radio before driving off several minutes later.

Duncan's mid-'90s four-door sedan was found in the parking lot of his nondescript apartment building Sunday morning, having impacted a tree at what insurance company investigators say was an "extremely low" rate of speed, inflicting almost $140 worth of damage to the car during what they say seems to be an abortive attempt to park while slightly jittery from an excess of mild sugar stimulants.
Enlarge Image Tim Duncan Jump R

"I do not wish to discuss that at this time," Duncan said. "I'm just glad no one was hurt while I was experimenting with Coke, or Pepsi, or root beer, or whatever it was. I just remember going into my apartment, turning on the television, unblocking Showtime, and calling up a few girls from church to say 'hello' and 'how are you doing.' Frankly I'm mortified, and in light of my actions, I wouldn't blame them for being cross with me in return. I was brought up to respect women, not to place telephone calls to them at what might possibly be well past their bedtimes."

Duncan recalls nothing else until 9:30 the next morning, when he woke up two hours late, unshaven, and dressed in unusually brightly colored clothing. Duncan immediately contacted the police, and was relieved to find he had in fact broken no laws.

Duncan has assigned himself 120 hours of community service working in hospitals, neighborhood improvement projects, and on highway-beautification crews for his "reckless endangerment" of the people of San Antonio.

"I promise you," the dry-eyed Duncan said in an unusually well-modulated voice, "you will never see anything like that from me again."


:lol :lol :)

[THE SIXTH MAN]

Your an idiot.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Your an idiot.


:rolleyes
:dramaquee

and by the way "idiot' it's "you're" not "your"

[THE SIXTH MAN]

:rolleyes
:dramaquee

and by the way "idiot' it's "you're" not "your"
Wow what a burn. Maybe next time you should capitalize the first letter in a word when beginning a new sentence. :rolleyes
Further proving that you're an idiot. Are there anymore typos you'd like to point out?

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Wow what a burn. Maybe next time you should capitalize the first letter in a word when beginning a new sentence. :rolleyes
Further proving that you're an idiot. Are there anymore typos you'd like to point out?


not really, but if you're gonna call someone an idiot, may as well spell correctly, no?

[THE SIXTH MAN]

not really, but if you're gonna call someone an idiot, may as well spell correctly, no?
:lol Yeah next time I make a post, I'll be sure to proof read it you fucking loser.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

:lol Yeah next time I make a post, I'll be sure to proof read it you fucking loser.

and next time I post, I'll be sure to double check with you if it's okay to post an article that was obviously a joke, you fucking PMS'ing bitch

[THE SIXTH MAN]

and next time I post, I'll be sure to double check with you if it's okay to post an article that was obviously a joke, you fucking PMS'ing bitch
:lol OK big man. Don't get your panties in a bunch just because I thought what you posted was stupid. Post all the stupid shit you want in a public forum. Just don't cry like a bitch when some one is objective to it. Jeez go get laid :p:

[Amuseddaysleeper]

:lol OK big man. Don't get your panties in a bunch just because I thought what you posted was stupid. Post all the stupid shit you want in a public forum. Just don't cry like a bitch when some one is objective to it. Jeez go get laid :p:


I appreciate the advice :tu

[JPB]

technicals on THE SIXTH MAN and Amuseddaysleeper

[slayermin]

Joey and TD used to get along great. I hope they resolve this.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

technicals on THE SIXTH MAN and Amuseddaysleeper

:lol


oh shit, now do i get ejected?
:spin :p:

[xfycox]

*laughs* oh shit dont ban me from the topic for laughing.

[TDMVPDPOY]

all that trainin in online fightin games is going to come in handy in a fight with joe....

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

Does the Onion Sports articles have Spurs fans on their staff?I seem to remember them having a couple Spurs Basketball articles. The one about Manu was pretty funny.

[Taco]

Unloaded, actually, doesn't begin to cover it, since the famously reserved Duncan (at least in his dealings with the media) not only accused Crawford of having "a personal vendetta" against him but also revealed that Crawford challenged him to a fight.


And with players on both sides telling me they heard the word "fight" tossed around on the floor, I have no reason to doubt the veracity of Duncan's account.

[CubanMustGo]

Here's another Insider take, from Chris Sheridan:

Will NBA whistle Crawford?
posted: Monday, April 16, 2007 | Print Entry

A little over a year ago, a little birdie who has been around the NBA almost as long as I have been alive told me a little story about Joey Crawford, who ejected Tim Duncan from Sunday's Mavs-Spurs game for laughing -- yes, laughing -- from the bench.

For the blow-by-blow of what happened Sunday, including Duncan's claim afterward that Crawford challenged him to a fight, be sure to check out Marc Stein's latest blog entry.

What I'm here to give you is a little Insider background, as well as the following quasi-prediction: It would not surprise me if Crawford loses his whistle for the upcoming postseason.

Here's why:

That little birdie I spoke of before told me that Crawford was summoned to the league office in New York by Commissioner David Stern nearly four years ago following his antics in Game 2 of the 2003 Western Conference finals.

Crawford had called four technical fouls in the first 10 minutes, 11 seconds and ejected Mavs coaches Don Nelson and Del Harris. Here's the way I reported that story way back then when I was the pool reporter who interviewed Crawford in the officials' locker room after the game.

Stern, from what I was told, was livid that Crawford had become the story of Game 2, and Crawford was told that if it ever happened again, the consequences would be serious.

Well, it sure looks like Crawford is the story again, and I'm eager to see how Stern and NBA vice president Stu Jackson handle this.

Nothing infuriates Stern like seeing the words "conspiracy theory" in print, but Stein has already gone there, and a lot of others are going to be going there, too -- especially if Crawford ends up being assigned to a Spurs game during the playoffs.

The easiest way to prevent that from happening would be for Stern to give Crawford an early summer vacation, explaining to the 56-year-old how undignified it is to be challenging players to fights, and how he was warned before to knock off the shenanigans.

Yes, Crawford has 31 years of NBA experience. Yes, he has worked 38 NBA Finals games, 266 postseason games and more than 2,000 games overall. And yes, he is from the first family of American officiating (Joey is the son of retired Major League Baseball umpire Shag Crawford and the brother of veteran ump Jerry Crawford).

He can be a joy to be around on his good days, but Crawford can become bigger than the game itself when he's feeling ornery, and his temper might one day end up having an effect on which team wins the championship. San Antonio lost yesterday's game by missing its final nine shots over the final 6:30 with Duncan unavailable. I dare say the Spurs' finish would have been different had Duncan not been booted, and it'd be a disaster to have the same thing happen if these teams meet in the Western Conference finals.

After all the debate about the officiating we went through last June following Dirk Nowitzki's questionable foul against Dwyane Wade late in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, does the league really need to put itself in harm's way by assigning the bombastic and confrontational Crawford to officiate?

I don't think Stern and Stu Jackson are willing to take that chance, which is why I've got a hunch we may have seen the last of Joey Crawford until next season.

[Findog]

And so the media has decided that today is going to be the day that Duncan has the reputation of complaining to the officials. Yesterday, he rarely ever complained about fouls in their player manual. I guess it got updated.


TD is a great player and a class act in the way he conducts himself on and off the court, but give me a break -- he is one of the biggest whiners in the League. He's never committed a foul - EVER. Aside from the jump hook, his patented move is palms up, along with pleading, sad eyes.

[Findog]

Here's another Insider take, from Chris Sheridan:

Will NBA whistle Crawford?
posted: Monday, April 16, 2007 | Print Entry

A little over a year ago, a little birdie who has been around the NBA almost as long as I have been alive told me a little story about Joey Crawford, who ejected Tim Duncan from Sunday's Mavs-Spurs game for laughing -- yes, laughing -- from the bench.

For the blow-by-blow of what happened Sunday, including Duncan's claim afterward that Crawford challenged him to a fight, be sure to check out Marc Stein's latest blog entry.

What I'm here to give you is a little Insider background, as well as the following quasi-prediction: It would not surprise me if Crawford loses his whistle for the upcoming postseason.

Here's why:

That little birdie I spoke of before told me that Crawford was summoned to the league office in New York by Commissioner David Stern nearly four years ago following his antics in Game 2 of the 2003 Western Conference finals.

Crawford had called four technical fouls in the first 10 minutes, 11 seconds and ejected Mavs coaches Don Nelson and Del Harris. Here's the way I reported that story way back then when I was the pool reporter who interviewed Crawford in the officials' locker room after the game.

Stern, from what I was told, was livid that Crawford had become the story of Game 2, and Crawford was told that if it ever happened again, the consequences would be serious.

Well, it sure looks like Crawford is the story again, and I'm eager to see how Stern and NBA vice president Stu Jackson handle this.

Nothing infuriates Stern like seeing the words "conspiracy theory" in print, but Stein has already gone there, and a lot of others are going to be going there, too -- especially if Crawford ends up being assigned to a Spurs game during the playoffs.

The easiest way to prevent that from happening would be for Stern to give Crawford an early summer vacation, explaining to the 56-year-old how undignified it is to be challenging players to fights, and how he was warned before to knock off the shenanigans.

Yes, Crawford has 31 years of NBA experience. Yes, he has worked 38 NBA Finals games, 266 postseason games and more than 2,000 games overall. And yes, he is from the first family of American officiating (Joey is the son of retired Major League Baseball umpire Shag Crawford and the brother of veteran ump Jerry Crawford).

He can be a joy to be around on his good days, but Crawford can become bigger than the game itself when he's feeling ornery, and his temper might one day end up having an effect on which team wins the championship. San Antonio lost yesterday's game by missing its final nine shots over the final 6:30 with Duncan unavailable. I dare say the Spurs' finish would have been different had Duncan not been booted, and it'd be a disaster to have the same thing happen if these teams meet in the Western Conference finals.

After all the debate about the officiating we went through last June following Dirk Nowitzki's questionable foul against Dwyane Wade late in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, does the league really need to put itself in harm's way by assigning the bombastic and confrontational Crawford to officiate?

I don't think Stern and Stu Jackson are willing to take that chance, which is why I've got a hunch we may have seen the last of Joey Crawford until next season.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Let this be true. And send Bennett Salvatore packing too -- Helen Keller would make a better ref than him.

[monosylab1k]

Yet there's no way this can be downplayed in the league office. Duncan does have a well-chronicled rep as one of the league's most frequent complainers to referees and had to have said more to Crawford over the course of the afternoon than he claims.

best part of the article. but crawford should be fired.

[monosylab1k]

It's awfully lukewarm and doesn't give a sense of what happened because it doesn't take Tim Duncan's side 100% and didn't include a picture of Crawford as the anti-Christ with a pentagram tatooed on his forehead.

fixed.

[LilMissSPURfect]

hmmmmmmm still hearing excuses from the mavs and their fans for last year you deal with it and move on i suppose

in any case, this situation with timmy was unprecedented that why all the hoopla

yes tim whines, and complains but so do all the other ballas out there!

[ManuTastic]

With all those ABC cameras around, it is a mortal lock that one of them was one Crawford during that ejection sequence. It should be a matter of reviewing the tape to find out who said what. If Crawford did say "you want to fight?" then he should be suspended and sent to anger management camp. How is that different from a player challenging someone to a fight on court?

If the new crackdown on player bad behavior truly does allow refs to eject players for laughing while sitting on the bench, then it needs to be revamped and restricted. It's ridiculous for refs to be so sensitive. I hope the league sends Crawford home early for some R&R so he doesn't get in a snit like this during the playoffs.

The refereeing in this league has gone from bad to worse. They should get rid of the whole current crew and bring in a new crop. Anything would be better than the flip-a-coin calls that are made every minute of every NBA game. Review any game and see if there's any consistency to, say, charging/blocking calls. They're essentially random. It's almost made the game unwatchable.

[foodie2]

Wow what a burn. Maybe next time you should capitalize the first letter in a word when beginning a new sentence. :rolleyes
Further proving that you're an idiot. Are there anymore typos you'd like to point out?

"Anymore" is not a word. It's "any more".

Just helping.

[foodie2]

*About that overturned ejection? Some good trivia I had forgotten, courtesy of our pal Johnny Ludden from the San Antonio Express-News: Duncan's only other career ejection -- on Feb. 4, 2002, after an exchange with Kevin Garnett got both guys tossed -- was rescinded by the league a day later.

Wasn't he also ejected for that thing with Jack Nies?

[monosylab1k]

With all those ABC cameras around, it is a mortal lock that one of them was one Crawford during that ejection sequence. It should be a matter of reviewing the tape to find out who said what. If Crawford did say "you want to fight?" then he should be suspended and sent to anger management camp. How is that different from a player challenging someone to a fight on court?

If the new crackdown on player bad behavior truly does allow refs to eject players for laughing while sitting on the bench, then it needs to be revamped and restricted. It's ridiculous for refs to be so sensitive. I hope the league sends Crawford home early for some R&R so he doesn't get in a snit like this during the playoffs.

The refereeing in this league has gone from bad to worse. They should get rid of the whole current crew and bring in a new crop. Anything would be better than the flip-a-coin calls that are made every minute of every NBA game. Review any game and see if there's any consistency to, say, charging/blocking calls. They're essentially random. It's almost made the game unwatchable.

This is exactly what Fuhrer Stern wants...to rule his league with an iron fist and allow his Gestapo to do what they please. I don't think we've even scratched the surface of how corrupt things are going to get unless someone gets rid of the Fuhrer.

[Sec24Row7]

No, suspended... he just got 1 T for that.

[nkdlunch]

Crawford wanted to fight Duncan??

that fucking nut has lost it. I hope the league checks recordings of this and fires that bald dickhead

[nkdlunch]

TD is a great player and a class act in the way he conducts himself on and off the court, but give me a break -- he is one of the biggest whiners in the League. He's never committed a foul - EVER. Aside from the jump hook, his patented move is palms up, along with pleading, sad eyes.

newsflash, most of NBA players do that.

Duncan almost never complains about officiating AFTER the game. during yes.

unlike mav players, coaches and that faggot Cuban.

[tmtcsc]

I thought that was a joke ! I thought you were kidding. I even wrote it in my diary. "Someone said Joey Crawford challenged Tim Duncan to a fight. That was very funny." -- homage to Anchorman the movie.

In all seriousness, I did think someone was joking about the fight challenge. Joey Crawford should be suspended and banned from doing Spurs games. That is unexcusable. It was all caught on tape. Tim said NOTHING but hahahha for the second T.

[mFFL03]

I do like crawfords T-foul on the second situation. No so much on the first....but players do need to learn to respect and back off of the refs a little more.

Duncan was clearly mocking the decision making of a ref, and that shouldn't happen. It's different than football or any other sport because the bench is so close to the game.

However, if the line "do you want to fight?!" is true, then crawford should be banned from ever reffing in the league again. Duncan can call him a piece of (*&(8 all he wants, but in no way should violence seep into this part of the game (official vs player). The league has had enough problems in the last 7 years with fights and violence.

[nkdlunch]

:lol Duncan said he can fight crawford in allstar halftime. like when barkley raced bevetta :lmao

[monosylab1k]

:lol Duncan said he can fight crawford in allstar halftime. like when barkley raced bevetta :lmao

that would be the biggest ratings draw ever. duncan vs. crawford in the octagon. of course it wouldn't last too long as duncan would knock that old asshole out in about 5 seconds.

[nkdlunch]

this is how the fight would go.

Duncan would absorb Joey's old and wrinkled punches, laughing histerically. Then, when crawford runs out of breath and starts having a heart attack, Duncan would push crawford's face into the ground, with his pinky.

[spursfan09]

TD is a great player and a class act in the way he conducts himself on and off the court, but give me a break -- he is one of the biggest whiners in the League. He's never committed a foul - EVER. Aside from the jump hook, his patented move is palms up, along with pleading, sad eyes.

:rolleyes Mavs fans are So stupid. If you think Tim is bad, then what the hell od you think of Mark Cuban, who always complains about the refs, and sends in tape after tape of his precious Dirk getting fouled.

[FromWayDowntown]

Duncan was clearly mocking the decision making of a ref, and that shouldn't happen. It's different than football or any other sport because the bench is so close to the game.

That's certainly true when you watch the video. But I'm still confused about how Joey Crawford could have known -- how he could have been certain -- that Tim was mocking him unless he was looking for Tim to provide a reason for ejection. Joey made the call on Oberto that immediately preceded the 2nd T. He made that call while stationed near half court. For Joey to be able to discern that Tim's laughter was based on the call and not on something that Robert Horry said, he had to have been staring down Duncan, which suggests to me: (1) that Crawford was in fact looking for a chance to run Duncan; and (2) Crawford acted as inappropriately (or moreso) than Duncan did.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

That's what I wanted to know - if players corroborated Duncan's story.

Interesting.

Yep. If Mavs players are backing up Duncan, Crawford is in serious trouble.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

It depicts what happened well because we've all been covering it all night long.

Just too lukewarm IMO. That's all. But ESPN has to feign objectivity.

Objectivity? They cite players from both teams saying they heard Crawford bring up a fight. That's pretty freakin' informative if you ask me.

[Ginofan]

Does anyone have any idea when they will hand down the punishment? Is it expected sometime today?

[LilMissSPURfect]

dam we will never know......I heard ref agendas are not disclosed....

[CubanMustGo]

dam we will never know......I heard ref agendas are not disclosed....

Well ... you'll know if TD gets fined/suspended. If that does NOT happen that will tell you something ... but IMO he does and it won't be small. I just hope that if they are going to suspend Tim they don't fart around with it - get it out of the way now and not the playoffs.

And you'll also be able to see where Crawdad is assigned in the playoffs, if anywhere. If he doesn't do any Spurs games that would tell you something, too.

[FromWayDowntown]

If Joey Crawford doesn't work next weekend, I think it would be a pretty fair assumption that he was disciplined.

[SpursFanFirst]

Thanks, Carina for posting that article. I saw it on ESPN last night, but wasn't able to read it...I was hoping someone would put it on ST.

[ducks]

they have to rule on this matter today
because the spurs play today

[rayray2k8]

Thats interesting to see that "some" of the players are saying that they heard crawford in fact say the word "fight".
I really dont care if duncan or crawford gets suspended of fined. Let's just move on from this and focus on the playoff next week.
Though i am interested to see how the league officals are gonna explain this.

[cherylsteele]

that would be the biggest ratings draw ever. duncan vs. crawford in the octagon. of course it wouldn't last too long as duncan would knock that old asshole out in about 5 seconds.
Naaa....JC would have a heart attack B4 it even started after he sits back and thinks.....what the hell did I get myself into now?!?

[Cara De Dedão]

TD is a great player and a class act in the way he conducts himself on and off the court, but give me a break -- he is one of the biggest whiners in the League. He's never committed a foul - EVER. Aside from the jump hook, his patented move is palms up, along with pleading, sad eyes.


I have never read truer words on this board than these.

[milkyway21]

That's what I wanted to know - if players corroborated Duncan's story.

Interesting.i didn't see the game. I went to a vacation then friends texting me the Spurs lost and that Duncan got tossed then now i read this actually happened? I'm so sad because Duncan is my favorite player and Crawford is I think one of my favorite referees, one I am so confident things will never go wrong if he officiates a Spurs game even in the playoffs. I want him to officiate. Now that he actually asked Duncan to a fight, I don't know.

:depressed this actually happened in the NBA?

You just don't knowhow sad I am.


.

[50 cent]

I'm so sad because Duncan is my favorite player and Crawford is I think one of my favorite referees, one I am so confident things will never go wrong if he officiate a Spurs game even in the playoffs. I want him to officiate. Now that he actually asked Duncan to a fight, I don't know.

:depressed this actually happened in the NBA?

You just don't knowhow sad I am.
eh, it's just a game.....don't beat yourself up over it. :p:

[milkyway21]

eh, it's just a game.....don't beat yourself up over it. :p:I can assure you I'm not suicidal over it.

I'm just sad the NBA is getting so bad press about this. I didn't hear any referee challenging a player to a fight in a game ever. Much more that the one he challenged is one of the nicest player in the league. :p:

[Guru of Nothing]

Surely I'm not the first to think this, but shouldn't Joey Crawford's punishment be refereeing a Spurs' playoff game - in San Antonio?

I'd hate for him to eat a bad breakfast taco.

[CubanMustGo]

Surely I'm not the first to think this, but shouldn't Joey Crawford's punishment be refereeing a Spurs' playoff game - in San Antonio?

I'd hate for him to eat a bad breakfast taco.

While on a sinking riverboat in the dirty, muddy SA river.

[leemajors]

what's amazing about this whole situation is nobody has photoshopped duncan and crawford into the v for vendetta poster. if someone has, please link it!

[milkyway21]

what's amazing about this whole situation is nobody has photoshopped duncan and crawford into the v for vendetta poster. if someone has, please link it!I'm thinking about the finals game between the Spurs and the Nets in New Jersey, i don't know if it was game 3, 4, or 5, when Crawford called Tim for a foul, it think it was a foul on Jefferson, and then complained about it saying "I didn't even touched him" or something. What Crawford said was "Get away from meeeeee, Tim". Duncan must have learned something from it. He can never win over Joe. :rolleyes

i just wish Crawford would excuse himself from officiating a Spurs game in the playoffs. We don't want any distractions over this thing. I wish he'd stay away from San Antonio at least for now that an incident such as this is still fresh in our minds.

[JasonsGirl]

I usually never say anything in here but its pissing me off to see so many people talk about how whiney Tim is. SO IS EVERY OTHER PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE. Everyone is acting like tim is the only one who complains.

[DaMavs02]

I think it's not that Duncan is the only player that complains, he just seems to complain pretty uniformly throughout the game. The Spurs seem to use complaining as a form of gamesmanship, yelling at the refs for calls that are clearly correct -- Horry seems to enjoy doing this especially. Dirk seems to complain more loudly and in fewer situations overall, so he ends up with more technical fouls (though no ejections...).

It's similar to how the Pistons formerly played defense. If you bump the offensive player constantly, the refs won't call fouls every time you do it, and you can get away with more contact than you could if you used it sparingly.

I'm not saying it's not a strategy or its not effective or its poor sportsmanship or anything; it just tends to annoy a lot of people to see players getting their fair share of calls but still complaining.