REFS!

[liam]

I know a lot of people dislike CP3, but it's absolutely insane and inexcusable to me that a referee can have a personal vendetta against a single player and consistently screw the player and team he's on over. The Foster-CP3 beef has existed for a long time and the NBA does nothing about it despite both guys literally acknowledging it too. Shows how crooked things really are. Foster should have been ousted years ago. Brothers and Zarba in particular are also terrible, even more than Marc Davis which is astonishing

The NBA refuses to do anything about the refs because they still want to control outcomes especially in the playoffs!

[Celtics2021]

I know a lot of people dislike CP3, but it's absolutely insane and inexcusable to me that a referee can have a personal vendetta against a single player and consistently screw the player and team he's on over. The Foster-CP3 beef has existed for a long time and the NBA does nothing about it despite both guys literally acknowledging it too. Shows how crooked things really are. Foster should have been ousted years ago. Brothers and Zarba in particular are also terrible, even more than Marc Davis which is astonishing

Completely agree.  Those three are the worst, and that the NBA keeps giving them Finals assignments is beyond problematic.  There are actually a lot of good refs out there — I just don’t know who they are because I don’t need to pay attention to them.

[liam]

I know a lot of people dislike CP3, but it's absolutely insane and inexcusable to me that a referee can have a personal vendetta against a single player and consistently screw the player and team he's on over. The Foster-CP3 beef has existed for a long time and the NBA does nothing about it despite both guys literally acknowledging it too. Shows how crooked things really are. Foster should have been ousted years ago. Brothers and Zarba in particular are also terrible, even more than Marc Davis which is astonishing

Completely agree.  Those three are the worst, and that the NBA keeps giving them Finals assignments is beyond problematic.  There are actually a lot of good refs out there — I just don’t know who they are because I don’t need to pay attention to them.

That's what I always say " If you know a ref's name, they stink."

[Big333223]

I lean on the side of doubt when it comes to thinking there's something nefarious going on with bad reffing but I also don't think it's incompetence. My theory is there are essentially 2 sets of rules. There are the rules in the rule book and there are the rules refs are instructed to follow by the league. Again, not because of something nefarious, but because the league wants to make the game as exciting as possible to drive viewership.

So the league instructs refs to give a lot of leeway to players when it comes to traveling and carrying, they instruct refs to allow offensive players leeway with how physical they can be, they tell refs to let things slide in the final moments of games because people get upset when whistles are blown at the end of close games, and they instruct refs to let things go for a team that's down big in hopes of letting them back into the game a bit.

Do I know this for sure? No, of course not. This is my theory as to why the officiating is so bad. Refs are asked to keep 2 separate rule books in their heads and get caught in between a lot of the time. 

[liam]

They fine the hell out of anyone who dares question their terrible refs!


https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nba-fines-rudy-gobert-100k-for-making-dollar-sign-at-refs-after-fouling-out-190151809.html

[libermaniac]

They fine the hell out of anyone who dares question their terrible refs!


https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nba-fines-rudy-gobert-100k-for-making-dollar-sign-at-refs-after-fouling-out-190151809.html

The particular call that made Gobert do that was 100% the correct call. He raked the guy’s face with his arm. Gobert was totally out of line and deserved to be fined.

[Yuckabuck33]

I lean on the side of doubt when it comes to thinking there's something nefarious going on with bad reffing but I also don't think it's incompetence. My theory is there are essentially 2 sets of rules. There are the rules in the rule book and there are the rules refs are instructed to follow by the league. Again, not because of something nefarious, but because the league wants to make the game as exciting as possible to drive viewership.

So the league instructs refs to give a lot of leeway to players when it comes to traveling and carrying, they instruct refs to allow offensive players leeway with how physical they can be, they tell refs to let things slide in the final moments of games because people get upset when whistles are blown at the end of close games, and they instruct refs to let things go for a team that's down big in hopes of letting them back into the game a bit.

Do I know this for sure? No, of course not. This is my theory as to why the officiating is so bad. Refs are asked to keep 2 separate rule books in their heads and get caught in between a lot of the time.

Sounds good as a starting point. But then those unwritten rules are enforced selectively, and usually in line with a narrative. Scott Foster is known as "The Extender" for a reason. And as a fan of a team that is beating other teams by historic proportions, it's pretty obvious that on the road the refs do what they can through most of the game to make the fans of the other team feel like their team has a chance.
I call this corruption, whether or not gambling entities are paying to sway refs.

[mobilija]

I lean on the side of doubt when it comes to thinking there's something nefarious going on with bad reffing but I also don't think it's incompetence. My theory is there are essentially 2 sets of rules. There are the rules in the rule book and there are the rules refs are instructed to follow by the league. Again, not because of something nefarious, but because the league wants to make the game as exciting as possible to drive viewership.

So the league instructs refs to give a lot of leeway to players when it comes to traveling and carrying, they instruct refs to allow offensive players leeway with how physical they can be, they tell refs to let things slide in the final moments of games because people get upset when whistles are blown at the end of close games, and they instruct refs to let things go for a team that's down big in hopes of letting them back into the game a bit.

Do I know this for sure? No, of course not. This is my theory as to why the officiating is so bad. Refs are asked to keep 2 separate rule books in their heads and get caught in between a lot of the time.

Sounds good as a starting point. But then those unwritten rules are enforced selectively, and usually in line with a narrative. Scott Foster is known as "The Extender" for a reason. And as a fan of a team that is beating other teams by historic proportions, it's pretty obvious that on the road the refs do what they can through most of the game to make the fans of the other team feel like their team has a chance.
I call this corruption, whether or not gambling entities are paying to sway refs.

Corruption? It’s their league, the NBA can make it work anyway they please. You may not like the product or the look on the league but you have a choice not to spend money on it or watch it.

What would have to come out, in terms of league tampering with itself, to create any kind of punishment? Could teams or players sue the league? Some sort of government oversight enforced?

[Kernewek]

They fine the hell out of anyone who dares question their terrible refs!


https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nba-fines-rudy-gobert-100k-for-making-dollar-sign-at-refs-after-fouling-out-190151809.html

The particular call that made Gobert do that was 100% the correct call. He raked the guy’s face with his arm. Gobert was totally out of line and deserved to be fined.

But also, do we believe that Gobert makes that gesture if they’re not losing?

[Celtics2021]

I lean on the side of doubt when it comes to thinking there's something nefarious going on with bad reffing but I also don't think it's incompetence. My theory is there are essentially 2 sets of rules. There are the rules in the rule book and there are the rules refs are instructed to follow by the league. Again, not because of something nefarious, but because the league wants to make the game as exciting as possible to drive viewership.

So the league instructs refs to give a lot of leeway to players when it comes to traveling and carrying, they instruct refs to allow offensive players leeway with how physical they can be, they tell refs to let things slide in the final moments of games because people get upset when whistles are blown at the end of close games, and they instruct refs to let things go for a team that's down big in hopes of letting them back into the game a bit.

Do I know this for sure? No, of course not. This is my theory as to why the officiating is so bad. Refs are asked to keep 2 separate rule books in their heads and get caught in between a lot of the time.

Sounds good as a starting point. But then those unwritten rules are enforced selectively, and usually in line with a narrative. Scott Foster is known as "The Extender" for a reason. And as a fan of a team that is beating other teams by historic proportions, it's pretty obvious that on the road the refs do what they can through most of the game to make the fans of the other team feel like their team has a chance.
I call this corruption, whether or not gambling entities are paying to sway refs.

Corruption? It’s their league, the NBA can make it work anyway they please. You may not like the product or the look on the league but you have a choice not to spend money on it or watch it.

What would have to come out, in terms of league tampering with itself, to create any kind of punishment? Could teams or players sue the league? Some sort of government oversight enforced?

If the NBA intentionally rigged games, and it was proven, they would likely find themselves facing fraud charges in multiple jurisdictions, as well as match-fixing charges related to gambling at this point.  Professional wrestling is marketed as sports entertainment because it is not a real contest — the NBA, obvliously, does not.

[Big333223]

I just listened to Monty Mccutchen on the Lowe Post. I've never been more convinced that officials have their thumb on the scale. Mccutchen was defensive couldn't answer simple questions with talking himself into circles.

As I said before, I don't think they're not doing it to rig winners and losers, I think they do it to promote the kind of basketball they think will drive the most viewership. But the point is they absolutely play with the rules for reasons other than reffing a good game and it is infuriating to watch.

[Yuckabuck33]

I just listened to Monty Mccutchen on the Lowe Post. I've never been more convinced that officials have their thumb on the scale. Mccutchen was defensive couldn't answer simple questions with talking himself into circles.

As I said before, I don't think they're not doing it to rig winners and losers, I think they do it to promote the kind of basketball they think will drive the most viewership. But the point is they absolutely play with the rules for reasons other than reffing a good game and it is infuriating to watch.

I agree with every word of this post. Except...would you consider extending a playoff series to be rigging winners and losers? Because there's no question they do that. Going back to the 80s and Stern at least !

[Big333223]

I just listened to Monty Mccutchen on the Lowe Post. I've never been more convinced that officials have their thumb on the scale. Mccutchen was defensive couldn't answer simple questions with talking himself into circles.

As I said before, I don't think they're not doing it to rig winners and losers, I think they do it to promote the kind of basketball they think will drive the most viewership. But the point is they absolutely play with the rules for reasons other than reffing a good game and it is infuriating to watch.

I agree with every word of this post. Except...would you consider extending a playoff series to be rigging winners and losers? Because there's no question they do that. Going back to the 80s and Stern at least !

I definitely would if I thought for sure that happened. I just can't be sure. But there is certainly evidence that it happens.