June 10, 2009
NBA Officiating (I just don't get it)
By: B Phillips
In one of my all time favorite movies Varsity Blues, back up QB turned QB 1 (FNL Reference) Jonathon Moxon proclaimed “In America we have laws. Laws against killing, laws against stealing. It’s accepted that, as a member of society, you will live by these laws.” It is true, America is a society filled with laws and rules, and all my life I have tried to keep pace with each. When I was in school I followed school rules (don’t speak out of turn, punch other kids, or swear). Once I became an adult (yes I consider myself somewhat of an adult) I followed work and societies rules (see John Moxon). While I am a fan of some rules, and some I am not, some I follow, and some I don’t, the one thing I can appreciate about societies rules, generally speaking, is there is very little ‘grey area.’ We understand the rules and the consequences, whether or not we follow them is up to us.
The sports world also has a set of rules, unique to each sport. In fact these rules sometimes supersede those of real life. For instance, if you hit someone with a hockey stick in the parking lot of Culver’s you could anticipate an all expenses paid trip to the Warren County Jail and an orange jumpsuit for your troubles. Do it on the ice within the boards of the hockey rink, worst case you are put in time out (the penalty box). Kind of funny how that works. Rules are important in sports for they help maintain the integrity of the game. To the credit of most professional and collegiate leagues, they have even changed rules as the game has evolved. While most would agree these rules are pretty easy to understand, the practical application of them presents a bit of a challenge, particularly in the NBA Playoffs.
Until recently I was of the opinion the NBA on the whole was in decline. The post-Jordan area had left a lot to be desired in terms of star power, the ‘Dream Team’ had become a nightmare, and many American’s felt a strong disconnect with the modern player leading to a steady decline in TV ratings. Fast forward to today, Kobe vs Lebron has become such a passionate debate it’s border line Holy War, or NBA Jihad as Hotel would say, the ‘Redeem Team’ brought back the Gold, and an 8:30est Game 3 tip between the Rockets and the Lakers was ESPN’s most viewed program of 2009! You start to get the feeling the NBA is back.
As a result, I really hate to be overly critical of the 2009 NBA Playoffs, I mean good Lord a first round series between Chicago and Boston gave us more excitement than all 4 San Antonio Spurs Championships combined. However if I were to attempt to isolate an area of improvement for the league to focus on (“Ring, Ring. Yes David Stern I do have a minute,”) it would have to be the over officiating of the playoff games (and Jeff Van Gundy in the booth, he sucks). Many great games filled with unforgettable highlights and excitement have left fans with a bitter taste in their mouth thanks to everyone’s favorite third team on the court, the officials. Now let’s not kid ourselves, if our team loses we'll will find a hundred reasons to justify and excuse it (Paul Gasol did goal-tend CLee ha), however the reality is most NBA fans, this year, would probably be justified in their complaints.
Again at issue is not the NBA rules but rather the application of them. We all have a basic understanding of the rules, traveling, fouls, out of bounds, etc. It’s how these rules are applied that becomes so confusing. There are general rules for everyone, then certain players get their own special rules (Kobe, Lebron, Wade, etc). Some people get two steps going to the rack, some get 3. Sometimes a foul is a foul but not if it happens in the last 10 seconds of the 4th qtr. Sometimes that guy will get that call, while that rookie is not going to get that call ever. Sometimes it’s not a flagrant foul in the game, but it is when the league looks at the tape, and sometimes it is in the game, but not when the league looks at the tape. What the hell!!! How on earth could you ever expect the average NBA fan to be able to A) keep up with the inconsistencies and B) understand any of this nonsense? I guess the one thing you can say about NBA officiating, is it’s consistently inconsistent
I have some advice for the NBA officials; grow a set and call the games straight. If it’s a foul, call it (regardless of the name on the jersey). If it’s a travel call it, 2 steps or 3, you decide I don't care, just be consistent. If it was a foul in the 1st quarter it’s a foul in the 4th quarter, it’s not that hard. We’re not talking rocket science (it’s my understanding rocket science is the most complicated thing ever in the whole wide world) just basic hoops 101. Follow this advice and we will all be better for it. I would love to fly out and demonstrate these fundamental basketball principals but as my boy Mox said, “Jonathon Moxon is only one man!”
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