We're gonna get Bavetta'd tonight

[Mitch Cumsteen]

1. He hasn't done a Spurs playoff game yet (I don't think).
2. For sure he hasn't done a Spurs/Suns playoff game.
3. He didn't ref the Bulls/Pistons game last night so he's available. Fortunately, Bennett Salvatore and Jack Nies did, so at least we have that going for us.

Let's face it.... we're going to get Dick the Knick in full force tonight in a must win game for the league. Conspiracy theorists unite.

[FromWayDowntown]

I've posted it elsewhere, but since there's a new thread dedicated to this for Game 6, I'll reiterate it here:

Game 6 possiblities are (in relative descending order of likelihood):

Dick Bavetta
Mike Callahan
Ken Mauer
Tom Washington
Joe Forte

Tony Brothers
Luis Grillo

Bennett Salvatore

Frankly, I'd guess that there's about a 10% chance that Bavetta isn't here tonight, in which case he'd be a dead giveaway to call Game 7, along with Salvatore and one other official -- probably Bob Delaney or Dan Crawford.

[spursfan09]

So, depending on who refs the game. they will determine the outcome of this game?

[Dingle Barry]

The Spurs should secede from the Association if they draw Salvatore and Bavetta for a game 7.

As an aside, it is a god damn joke that fans know the names of officials. These guys aren't fucking scientists. Anyone can referee a sporting event. Why do they have such strong tenure?

[FromWayDowntown]

So, depending on who refs the game. they will determine the outcome of this game?

No. Speaking for myself, I don't think officials ever determine the outcome of games. Players have ultimate control over the outcome of any game.

I've studied up on the officials because I think it's interesting to see who the NBA thinks is good and to understand why that might be so.

In Bavetta's case, I'm still wondering. . . . .

[Budkin]

Let's just win tonight please. Please.

[Mitch Cumsteen]

So, depending on who refs the game. they will determine the outcome of this game?
Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.

I would like to quote the Sportsguy, circa 2002:
http://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/020606

If you examine the last four NBA playoff campaigns, during every situation where the league definitively "needed" one of the two teams involved to win -- either to A) change the momentum of a series so it didn't end prematurely, B) keep an attractive, big-market team alive in a series, or C) advance an attractive, big-market team to another round -- the officiating appeared to be slanted towards the team that needed that game. I use the phrase "appeared to be," because reviewing an official's performance is purely subjective. Maybe I'm dead-wrong.

These were just the games that jump out in my mind (again, I could be wrong):

# 1999, Knicks-Pacers, Game 3 ... LJ sinks a game-winning four-pointer (called a continuation foul by referee Jess Kersey even though LJ was fouled a full second before he released the ball).

# 1999, Knicks-Pacers, Game 6 ... Knicks last chance to close out Indy before the series shifts back to Indiana for Game 7 ... they get every call.

# 1999, Spurs-Knicks, Game 3 ... down 2-0, the Knicks get every call in their first home game and win their only game of the series.

# 2000, Knicks-Heat, Game 7 ... Knicks advance to the conference finals ... falling out of bounds, Latrell Sprewell awarded a timeout by referee Bennett Salvatore with 2.1 seconds left even though none of the Knicks called for one ... Sprewell admits after the game that he hadn't called a timeout ... the Miami players chase the referees off the court after the game, yelling that they had been robbed ... after the game, Jamal Mashburn tells reporters, "They had three officials in their pocket" and Tim Hardaway refers to referee Dick Bavetta as "Knick Bavetta."

# 2000, Lakers-Blazers, Game 7 ... LA shoots 21 more free throws and rallies back from a 17-point deficit in the final seven minutes ... Shaq plays an illegal defense down the stretch, undaunted ... Rasheed Wallace absolutely gets manhandled down the stretch, yet doesn't get a single call ... up by four with 25 seconds left, Shaq body-blocks Steve Smith out of bounds and the refs don't make the call (the most egregious non-call in recent memory).

# 2002, Celtics-Nets, Game 4 ... Celts up 2-1 ... the Nets are inexplicably allowed to push and shove Kenny Anderson and Pierce while they dribble the ball ... a number of head-scratchers go against Boston, including three offensive charges down the stretch ... four different "bull-(bleep)" chants during the game.

# 2002, Lakers-Kings, Game 6 ... LA needs a win to stay alive ... from an officiating standpoint, the most one-sided game of the past decade ... at least six dubious calls against the Kings in the fourth quarter alone ... LA averaged 22 free throws a game during the first five games of the series, then attempted 27 freebies in the fourth quarter alone of Game 6 ... rumors that David Stern wanted to pull a Vince McMahon and declare himself "The special guest referee" for this game prove unfounded.

(By the way, I would feel remiss if I didn't share this information: Dick Bavetta was assigned to every one of the above games. That's an absolute fact. You can look it up. Doesn't mean anything ... I just felt the need to pass that along. It sure looks bad, doesn't it?

[steppy]

Am I crazy or was there a story done last year about Bavetta retiring at the end of the 05-06 season? I was confused when I saw him back this year.

[Amare_32]

When does the League release the names of the referees for Game 6.?

[Sec24Row7]

Salvatore reffed the Bulls/Pistons game last night... he is probably set up for game 7

[maxpower]

It is sad that NBA officials are so well known.

I only know or recognize NFL officials because of their penchant for 'roiding up or country drawl or how good of an official they are.

As of now the only name that comes to mind in the NFL is Ed Hochuli.
I went through a list of nfl officials and could not put a name to the two refs who I would recognize visually.

[GrandeDavid]

"Knick Bavetta[/url]

Cute! :lol

[The Truth #6]

The refs seem to be an odd bunch. Some come across as Stern's lapdog (Bavetta) while others are asshole mavericks like Joey Crawford and Steve Javie.

Sadly, they each find their own way to suck ass.

[Fabbs]

[QUOTE=Mitch Cumsteen]Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.

I would like to quote the Sportsguy, circa 2002: [QUOTE=Mitch Cumsteen]

Add 2006s rub down that Dirk got from Dick.

[Felonius Monk]

No. Speaking for myself, I don't think officials ever determine the outcome of games. Players have ultimate control over the outcome of any game.

I've studied up on the officials because I think it's interesting to see who the NBA thinks is good and to understand why that might be so.

In Bavetta's case, I'm still wondering. . . . .

Who do you think will take Joey's place in the NBA Finals rotation? I believe last year's NBA finals refs were:

Dick Bavetta
Mike Callahan
Danny Crawford
Joey Crawford
Bob Delaney
Joe DeRosa
Bernie Fryer
Steve Javie
Ken Mauer
Jack Nies
Eddie Rush
Bennett Salvatore

[timvp]

As I posted in another ref thread, I don't think Bavetta would be that bad (for once). He hated Joe Crawford more than anyone and is probably happy Tim got rid of him.

[leemajors]

When does the League release the names of the referees for Game 6.?

if i remember a previous post of FWD's correctly, usually an hour to a couple hours beforehand.

[FromWayDowntown]

Who do you think will take Joey's place in the NBA Finals rotation? I believe last year's NBA finals refs were:

Dick Bavetta
Mike Callahan
Danny Crawford
Joey Crawford
Bob Delaney
Joe DeRosa
Bernie Fryer
Steve Javie
Ken Mauer
Jack Nies
Eddie Rush
Bennett Salvatore

My first hunch would be that Ron Garretson is elevated to Finals status again. I was surprised to discover that he hadn't called any Finals games in 2006 -- it was the first time he'd missed the Finals in quite a few years. If it's not Garretson, I'd think it will be either Greg Willard or Tom Washington.

[anonymous coward]

jinx: Bavetta or not Bavetta the spurs will blow out the suns

[Bigzax]

1. He hasn't done a Spurs playoff game yet (I don't think).
2. For sure he hasn't done a Spurs/Suns playoff game.
3. He didn't ref the Bulls/Pistons game last night so he's available. Fortunately, Bennett Salvatore and Jack Nies did, so at least we have that going for us.

Let's face it.... we're going to get Dick the Knick in full force tonight in a must win game for the league. Conspiracy theorists unite.



i guess our spurs will just have to blow those mutherfuckers out then...leave no doubt...

:makemyday

[FromWayDowntown]

if i remember a previous post of FWD's correctly, usually an hour to a couple hours beforehand.

I think it's made public 90 minutes before game time. Last year, before Game 7 against the Mavs, some intrepid Spurs fan spotted Delaney, Bavetta, and Javie having lunch on the Riverwalk, which proved to be a correct call on that night's crew. I guess if anyone sees NBA officials downtown this afternoon and makes that sighting publicly known, we'll know earlier.

[tlongII]

It's Javie.

[Obstructed_View]

Since Larry Johnson's four point play was completely legitimate, and the whistle blew when the ball was in the air, I call BS on the ref conspiracy theories. If one has to lie on his first example, it's not a very convincing case. If the Spurs don't win, they have nobody to blame but themselves.

[rayray2k8]

It's Javie.
Javie did game 4 so did salvator.

[FromWayDowntown]

Javie did game 4 so did salvator.

Salvatore didn't do game 4 -- Javie did it with Joe Derosa and Jack Nies.

[mavsfan1000]

It's almost a guarantee that the suns win tonight and it doesn't matter who's reffing.

[Budkin]

Bavetta reffed Game 7 of the 2005 Finals.

[E20]

I don't know what all the talk about refs are, but the one thing that Suns will get is:

http://www.aguto.com/s/stallowned.jpg
http://flamevault.com/~chunchmeow/extra/stallowned.jpg