So I wrote to the NBA about officiating, and the NBA wrote back the following (standard)...

So I wrote to the NBA about officiating, and the NBA wrote back the following (standard) letter:

"Thank you for contacting the National Basketball Association with your concerns regarding officiating. The NBA’s highest priority is to ensure that every game is determined on its merits, thus providing its fans with an honest and truly competitive league.

The NBA has a covenant with its fans. To preserve their trust, we make every effort possible to ensure that league processes and procedures are as thorough and transparent as possible.

We take seriously the actions of our officials. They are the most measured and metricized group of employees in the world. Our officials are held strictly accountable for their actions and we track every call they make to continually develop their abilities, with the understanding that their mistakes only make them human.

Thank you again for your concern. We appreciate your feedback regarding this issue.

Sincerely,

NBA Fan Relations"

Does that make anyone feel better about future improvements in officiating? I have to note that I didn't mention the Portland - Houston series or any particular call, just voiced some general concerns, comparisons to other pro sports, and what I think might help to improve the situation going forward (education of fans and refs, transparency and accountability, more reviews, head umpire, challenges, etc.).

almost 3 years ago Norsktroll 15 comments 1 recs |

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I'm actually surprised they respond at all

The poor unpaid intern that has to weed through every e-mail and determine which ’offiicial" response to send.

by TPfor3 on Apr 30, 2009 10:33 AM PDT reply actions

Would love a challenge rule, similar to the NFL

I don't normally do this, but I felt compelled to tell you something. You have an absolutely breath-taking... heiney. I mean, that thing's good. I wanna be friends with it

by Maximus Blaze on Apr 30, 2009 10:35 AM PDT reply actions

I wonder how many of these they get.

Traaaviiiis Outlaw!=Leerooooy JENKINS of basketball.

by DaNoose on Apr 30, 2009 10:36 AM PDT reply actions

It seems like very automated and fake......

Well written, but no personal response seems to be incorporated to really show me they are taking note of what you brought up

"Sometimes I catch myself watching him and he's shooting floaters all-net. And just to watch how he's talking trash. I loved it. I loved every minute of it. Rudy's a competitor." - Brandon Roy

by Trail Ducker on Apr 30, 2009 10:40 AM PDT reply actions

Ohhh and props to being smart and not pin pointing Portland-Houston but the whole league, smart move

"Sometimes I catch myself watching him and he's shooting floaters all-net. And just to watch how he's talking trash. I loved it. I loved every minute of it. Rudy's a competitor." - Brandon Roy

by Trail Ducker on Apr 30, 2009 10:41 AM PDT reply actions

Yeah, in a tight economy I couldn't afford those 25K :)

by Norsktroll on Apr 30, 2009 10:51 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs

Hmm, nice.

Goodbye Deke. The NBA will miss Mt. Mutombo.

by prezofdeath on Apr 30, 2009 10:48 AM PDT reply actions

"we make every effort possible to ensure that league processes and procedures are as thorough and transparent as possible."

That line made my eyes pop out. Transparent! Give me a break! I think the NBA officiating has a bigger problem with PR than it does with the actual officiating.

Norsk, I’d love to see what you wrote to them. :)

by Corvid on Apr 30, 2009 11:21 AM PDT reply actions

What he means is:

“Yeah yeah…you and everyone else complain about our referees but you’re still buying our tickets and jerseys so piss off.”

Blazer Fan

by leeroyjenkins on Apr 30, 2009 1:04 PM PDT reply actions

Next step

Voodoo dolls?

by tominhawaii on Apr 30, 2009 1:39 PM PDT reply actions

I like this sentence

They are the most measured and metricized group of employees in the world.

I assume jet fighter pilots don’t count. Or their own players.

by Norsktroll on Apr 30, 2009 1:41 PM PDT reply actions

or any philharmonic

:-)

"The refs have caused a bird-pig flu pandemic"

by appel82 on Apr 30, 2009 1:48 PM PDT up reply actions

the following is their response & my letter to them I filed it under NBA international.

Dear Robert,

Thank you for contacting the National Basketball Association with your concerns regarding officiating. The NBA’s highest priority is to ensure that every game is determined on its merits, thus providing its fans with an honest and truly competitive league.

The NBA has a covenant with its fans. To preserve their trust, we make every effort possible to ensure that league processes and procedures are as thorough and transparent as possible.

We take seriously the actions of our officials. They are the most measured and metricized group of employees in the world. Our officials are held strictly accountable for their actions and we track every call they make to continually develop their abilities, with the understanding that their mistakes only make them human.

Thank you again for your concern. We appreciate your feedback regarding this issue.

Sincerely,

NBA Fan Relations

#######yahoo.com</a> 04/27/2009 11:15 AM  To nba-letters-lNBA
cc
Subject NBA International

FROM: Thompson, Robert

MESSAGE:
Whats the deal with Joel & Greg Oden getting 5-6 fouls between them in the 1st quarter of every game & yet when Yao does start to get in foul trouble he can meet players in the air bumping drivers off the basket & not getting a call. Whats with Scolla/Artest/Battier being allowed to grab & hold every Blazer that comes near them with no call but when the blazers are just playing good physical defense (what the playoffs are supposed to be about) the refs get all whistle happy. I cannot condone an unfairly called game anymore just so you can still have China’s ratings for another round of the playoffs. I’m going to discontinue to watch ANY playoff basketball if the remainder of this series isn’t called somewhere close to fair. Please don’t let the NBA become the WWE

by DephlatorMouse on Apr 30, 2009 9:20 PM PDT reply actions

Where you complaining about the calls in game 2 and 5 as well?

I could not agree more, you should have complained about all of those calls that went for the Blazers, when obviously they were the wrong calls. Thank you once again for complaining to the NBA about the obvious partisan officiating in the Rose Garden. The Blazers in your opinion do nothing wrong and the Rockets commit all the fouls. We think your guys got away with murder in the series and we have the foul shots in game 2 and 5 to prove it.

Game 1: Blow out, refs had no affect on game.
Game 2: 36 free throws for the Blazers, poorly officiated NBA playoff game!
Game 3: the Blazers only take 10 free throws, but they crank up 23 3 pointers! If you take all jump shots you will not get many free throws.
Game 4: Roy shoots 13 free throws by himself, no other Blazer takes anything to the hole.
Game 5:
You guys need to figure out what a foul is on a big man, just because Roy goes in and runs into Yao it’s not a foul. As long as your big men jump straight up and are not chasing the play and they don’t drop their hands, it is not a foul. Oden has not figured out how to keep his hands straight up, I noticed this during the series. Trust me we Yao has just learned all of this, this year. We have been as frustrated with him and his silly fouls as you guys have been with Oden. As for Joel, he is just a dirty pile of garbage, he committed more than 5 fouls in the first quarter of each game. You can’t wrestle the guy in order to front the player, did you happen to see the two hands on Yao’s back almost every time down the floor? Trust me we had just as many complaints about Roy getting calls, when replays showed clearly he was not touched on the play.

Aldridge finally got called for some of the fouls he has been committing all series in game 6 and it cost the Blazers the series.

by jase3217 on Apr 30, 2009 10:49 PM PDT reply actions

Game 5: 23 free throws and the Blazers were called for only 12 fouls the entire game and only 4 in the second half. Unheard of in any basketball game.
Game 6: Blow out and the Blazers shoot more free throws than the Rockets.

by jase3217 on Apr 30, 2009 10:54 PM PDT up reply actions