My Annual Rant About NBA Officiating

[Kirobaito]

You knew that it would all come eventually. So here it comes.

Mavs down 1 point to the Suns at home. Mavs in possession, 4.7 seconds left. Michael Finley inbounds to Dirk Nowitzki, coming off of a merry-go-round rotation in the key. The Suns' defense opens up, Dirk soars up for the potential game-winning dunk, Shawn Marion hits his head and arms from behind in the form of an intentional foul, no foul called. The entire American Airlines Center crowd is in disbelief, as are the Mavs players and coaches. They can't even manage to complain and scream because they are so shocked and appalled at the lack of a foul call. This is the example of a game, without doubt, being decided due to a horrendous call. I consider the Mavs 38-16 after this game. We should have won, and I won't get over it for awhile.

This year my rant is organized.

http://www.sportsgoons.com/Vol1_Iss8/ref_cuban.htm

After comments like this, why should Joey Crawford be allowed to officiate in the NBA anymore? I've always hated him, primarily because he is long known for being a Mavericks hater. Such bias was most proven in game 2 of the '03 playoffs, where he called Dirk Nowitzki for 2 phantom fouls in the first 8 minutes, and then called Don Nelson for a technical foul for literally <i>looking</i> at him. He ejected Nelson and Mavs' assistant coach Del Harris also. I'm still bitter about this game, and I always will be, because of that horrendous and biased officiating. In that game the Spurs attempted 45 free throws compared to the Mavs' 22. The game came to a point where the other two officials (Dick Bavetta, Ted Bernhardt) tried to cope for Crawford's bias by calling Kevin Willis for a phantom technical foul.

But that's just Joey Crawford. Another official failed to call an obvious goaltend by Erick Dampier in the Mavs' 115-113 win over the Kings this season in the closing seconds.

Violet Palmer, the only woman official in the NBA, is also horrible. In the 3 games that she has done for the Mavs this season, she has done horrendously, especially in the Mavs' 95-92 win over the Sonics earlier this season, where Luke Ridnour fouled Dirk Nowitzki several times without a call.

I've been a sports official before, and so I do understand the scrutiny. It's difficult. Additionally, I understand that officials do not make the correct calls all the time. In fact, during a study made during the 2003 playoffs, referees make 62.7% of their "tough calls" correct (from an assortment of 359). That means the officials get nearly 40 percent of tough calls incorrect. That's just unacceptable.

(Very quickly, Mavs fan have special room to complain, because of the bad calls occuring during Mavs games, 62.5% of them went in favor of Mavs' opponents.)

So this has been my rant this season. Comment and scrutinize all you want. But I also have a question: Why is Joey Crawford still an official?

[Del Murder]

Is he the one who called that block in the Kings game?

EDIT: My question was answered after reading your entire post. :D

The NBA is a hard league to call. I don't think there is anything anyone can do about it. Sacramento just went through a stretch of three games that were all lost based on blown calls. And these were easily noticed to be bad. Like you said, the Dampier block was a clear goaltend since hit the backboard. Then the next game Miller gets called for a charge when the replay shows the guy was clearly in the restricted area. He had made that basket too :(. I think all teams have these games where you feel 'robbed' by the officiating, but I guess if you get your own gifts (like the Sacramento game) then it all evens out. If it helps you can consider the official record to be legit, since the Mavs have now won a game they should have lost, and lost a game they should have won.

[eestlinc]

Here's something you can do about it: watch baseball instead!

[Del Murder]

Ok let me turn it on right now...

[eestlinc]

wait another month and you will have that option.

[Strider]

Nothing compares to the atrocities of the 2000 Western Conference finals. Good God.

[edczxcvbnm]

The officals in the NBA are bias. You can't say anything like it was a bad call or else next game your team gets the royal screw job. They will call every little ticky-tack foul they can find and let the other team get away with a lot of stuff.

I think the Commish needs to fire some of the really bias ones and fine them if they call a game just that poorly to set an example and remind them of what they are there to do. They are there to call the game fair and square. Sure every now and then its just a bunch of bad calls because it is a hard game to call but it is still too crazy.

[Doc Sark]

I'm not a basketball fan, never will be. But, I have a lot of sympathy for what your saying because, for all the differences between top flight basketball and soccer, bad officiating appears to be the weak link in both sports.

[Kirobaito]

Nothing compares to the atrocities of the 2000 Western Conference finals. Good God.
2002 Western Conference Finals game 6 was one of the worst single games I've ever seen. And that probably just wasn't the officials; it's very possible it was David Stern wanting to see a 3-peat by the Lakers.

[Masamune·1600]

I'm so sick of hearing David Stern conspiracy theories. If you're looking to attack a sports commissioner, Bud Selig and Gary Bettman are much more obvious targets.

Yes, there have been some atrocious calls in the past. However, it's not going to change. The officiating involves a human element, obviously, and there are going to be times when the ref doesn't see the play correctly. And, yes, there is some bias.

Let me tell you, though, nothing compares to CYO ball all those years ago. My friend was slugged--hard--in the stomach and collapsed to the ground. This happened right in front of the referee. My friend, of course, was called for a travel.