Referee issue per the NBA, your thoughts?

by blazerbeliever97504 on Sep 18, 2009 7:29 AM PDT

I just read an article on the Ref issue currently happening,Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4482584t it got me thinking........is this good or bad? I know its bad based on the fact that the NBA has some of the most professional and gifted refs in the biz.

I wonder however, could this be a posative thing in relation to G.O.? Hear me out, disagree if you wish, but it seemed last year and allways seems that with rookies there is a vendeta(maybe to strong of a word) to "show" rookies that they are rookies and no matter what they will be rookies the whole year by the Refs. I agree that Oden was out of position more times than not but there was also a fair amount of judgement calls that did not go Odens way simply(IMO) because he was a rook.

NBA refs have the most power over a game, more than any player could ever hope for. Whats the saying? Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Let me just say i am not thinking there is a conspirecy(sp?) but i do think that the referee's in the NBA have an agenda(again, not sure thats the right word) towards the way they "think" games should be called. As for the players themselves, its not a stretch to think that specific players also have a "way that the refs" call them.

Oden may be a prime example of this, time will tell but my hope is that Oden benefits from the "non-status quo" in relation to any new/inexperienced refs who may replace the current ones.Link:http://www.covers.com/pageLoader/pageLoader.aspx?page=/data/nba/referees/referees.html&t=0 This link includes several names we "dont think so highly of" to say the least. From my P.O.V. its not the ref's fualt its just the nature of the beast. My overall point is that Oden IMO seemed to be subject to the "NBA Refs" view on how he, as a player should be called on fouls. I could be nuts but there seemed to be ALOT of judgement calls made last year that could have changed the course of Oden's personal game.

What are your thought Bedgers? Am i a crazy person seeing things where they aren't? Do you agree? Or am i restless because the season is around the corner? Lets hear your thoughts on this.

Tweet Comment 11 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

It's interesting food for thought

The biggest problem I see with saying, “See, look, Oden’s ticky-tack foul calls went down from last year to this year once the referees who had a vendetta against him were locked out!” is that there’s all kinds of pesky interference. He’s a year more experienced, ergo hopefully better at recognizing plays as they’re developing and not committing all the silly fouls he did last year. He’s a year fitter, so he’ll hopefully be more mobile and not get caught out of position so often.

So when Greg’s fouls decline and his minutes increase this year (and both those things will happen) it’ll be well-nigh impossible to say how much of it was the absence of refs who called Greg a certain way and how much was his own development as a player.

"I just sort of know that around the water cooler they talk of reality tv stars, and I strictly drink coffee." -- EvilKaramazov

by BlazersOrBust on Sep 18, 2009 7:41 AM PDT reply actions

I disagree it would be hard to tell

Oden didn’t seem to get all that many fake calls. He really did commit lots of fouls, without any assistance from the referees. I’d be willing to bet we would be able to tell by watching him play. Is he still out of position a lot? Is he still tricked into a lot of bad charges? Is he still committing lots of ticky tack fouls on people?

And on those seemingly tick-tack fouls: if a veteran, once every game or so, commits some ticky-tack foul the referees might let those go in favor of letting them play, and with the idea that those things even out. Refereeing is a little bit subjective. Incidental fouls are going to happen, and you want to call them enough to discourage people from abusing the system. But you also don’t want the game to come to a grinding halt, which it definitely would if refs called every single foul.

But when you have a young guy like Oden systematically committing ticky-tack fouls every three or four minutes, you can’t let that go. It would wreck the game.

by matthewcc on Sep 18, 2009 11:05 AM PDT up reply actions

We'll have to watch

for the play where someone drives past him, is at the hoop, and he reaches out and grabs their side with one hand…

That was the most jaw dropping moment for me. I was thinking “at least he didn’t foul” and then he reached out and fouled when the play was over.

I do think the refs had some problems, and sometimes called fouls from midcourt, but I am sure just watching Oden, as people who saw 88 games last year (I saw 87 of the 88), we will be able to judge his progress.

by lurtsman on Sep 20, 2009 9:27 PM PDT up reply actions

I think the difference will be so apparent that questions about the officiating will be dismissed offhand.

by Benjamanic on Sep 18, 2009 10:46 PM PDT up reply actions

This is actually pretty simple.

Oden got called for a lot of fouls because he fouled a lot.

I am a big Oden supporter. I think the Blazers are better with Oden than they would be with Durant. He will be an All-Star. But as a rookie he committed a lot of dumb fouls – frequently just out of frustration.

The refs getting locked out would be an unmitigated DISASTER for basketball fans.The caricature of referee as egomaniac is overblown and unfair. It’s a hard job and NBA referees are pretty good at what they do (star-treatment notwithstanding, which should be up to the NBA to discourage as they monitor everything the refs do and encourage and discourage all types of behavior to influence how the game is played).

It’s unfortunate, but the NBA and David Stern are locking out the refs for one reason:to intimidate the Players Union. The NBA is totally committed to this course regardless of any sort of reasonable compromise from the referees.

The amount of money they are talking about with the refs is peanuts, but they’re trying to show the Players Union they’re crazy like Nixon, and the players better get in line because the NBA is totally ready to cut off its nose to spite its face. It’s probably not true, but the unfair and self-defeating way they’re treating the refs is meant to enhance their bluff.

by matthewcc on Sep 18, 2009 10:48 AM PDT reply actions

this is true

david stern should be …..

lots of things that can’t be said on this family friendly site

I think that sums it up well

by lurtsman on Sep 20, 2009 9:28 PM PDT up reply actions

This means no more Violet Palmer right???

Paladins are awesome!

by Starvin' Marvin on Sep 18, 2009 2:11 PM PDT reply actions

last time refs were locked out

The last time refs were locked out the NBA had college refs calling the game. There were more traveling calls and stoppage than during any game done by NBA refs. Jordan was called for traveling more than a few times by these refs and when he complained the league game the refs want they wanted.

Since then they’ve gotten more power and control the game more than ever before in the history of the NBA. It’s no wonder Donahue got away with fixing games for years before it got out. Do you really think he was the only one?

by Bruise10 on Sep 18, 2009 3:06 PM PDT reply actions

While it was AWFUL, HORRIBLE, DISGUSTING, FRUSTRATING, BORING, ....

but the NBA did not use college refs in 1995. That would have been even worse, if that were humanly possible.

by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 18, 2009 6:02 PM PDT up reply actions

More travels? Good!

There’s entirely too much traveling going on in the NBA. A travel is a travel, and if it isn’t being called, then it should be because permitting steps gives the offensive player an unfair advantage. I know that offense sells tickets, products, blah blah blah, and I could care less. Too much ambiguity ultimately hurts the underdog. Remember when Travis got a step on Lebron and got called for a walk last year? Lebron wouldn’t have got that whistle against him.

by Benjamanic on Sep 18, 2009 10:33 PM PDT up reply actions

i see lots of fans say this....

but honestly most of the plays where people see traveling are two steps after picking up the dribble. sometimes it’s amazing how far these athletes can travel in two steps but i think it’s very consistently called and the common “everyone travels” complaint is really overblown.

i think the rulebook may technically say one step after picking up the dribble but it’s been called two steps for over 20 years at least.

by colinmarsh on Sep 20, 2009 10:25 PM PDT up reply actions