In order to prove its integrity, the NBA must suspend Dwight Howard

[ssspence]

Interesting bit with Tim Donaghy on WEEI this morning:

http://audio.weei.com/m/31376352/tim-donaghy-former-nba-ref.htm

He refers to his spot on the Dan Patrick Show yesterday:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/listenlive.player.html?file=http://ht.cdn.turner.com/si/danpatrick/audio/2010/05/25/DP-Tim_Donaghy-05-25-10_Interview.mp3

Incidentally, he diagrees with me and suggests that the NBA will push the refs to give more calls to the Cs to ensure they make it to the NBA finals. Interested to see if he's correct.

What a dirt bag this guy is.  So orlando got calls to prolong the series but, now Boston will get calls because they want them in the finals.  So who is actual better team?  lol

Right, that's exactly what he's saying. It's about money.

He is -- he's a dirt bag. He's also a (former) NBA official -- the two go together like PB & J. So considering these givens, why do the things he predicts will happen continue to happen?

[fairweatherfan]

Interesting bit with Tim Donaghy on WEEI this morning:

http://audio.weei.com/m/31376352/tim-donaghy-former-nba-ref.htm

He refers to his spot on the Dan Patrick Show yesterday:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/listenlive.player.html?file=http://ht.cdn.turner.com/si/danpatrick/audio/2010/05/25/DP-Tim_Donaghy-05-25-10_Interview.mp3

Incidentally, he diagrees with me and suggests that the NBA will push the refs to give more calls to the Cs to ensure they make it to the NBA finals. Interested to see if he's correct.

If the league is conspiring to influence outcomes in a way that favors it (which I don't agree with) this would be right - Celtics-Lakers is a much bigger draw than any other possible Finals.  The league's incentive would be to extend our series, then try to help Boston close out in its last game at home. 

Conspiracy theorists should be willing to acknowledge when the conspiracy should favor us.  We'll see.

[ssspence]

There was nothing suspension worthy.  His elbow on KG was inadvertent (unlike KG's, or his from last year), and the one of Davis was even more inadvertent, He was just coming down, and Davis' head got in the way.

While I have decided that Howard is a dirty player who gets away with it because of his child like persona, I do not think he has done anything to deserve a suspension this series.

I think this is well put. Do I think he's earned a flagerent or two that he hasn't received in this series? Is this guy a dirty player generally? Yes. But under the circumstances, it's a moot point.

[Mr October]

I wouldn't call it an integrity move, after Howard was given free reign in game 5, but.... I fully expect the NBA to close down on his fouls in game 6 and favor Boston - the team they'd prefer to see in the finals.

Game 5 was either a hatched job by the NBA, or just terrible officiating. Sometimes when it smells like a skunk, it is a skunk.

Shame on the NBA. Its games like this that make me want to stop watching.

[fairweatherfan]

I wouldn't call it an integrity move, after Howard was given free reign in game 5, but.... I fully expect the NBA to close down on his fouls in game 6 and favor Boston - the team they'd prefer to see in the finals.

Game 5 was either a hatched job by the NBA, or just terrible officiating. Sometimes when it smells like a skunk, it is a skunk.

Shame on the NBA. Its games like this that make me want to stop watching.

I agree with the conspiracy stuff to this extent: the refs obviously know that a longer series is good for the league.  Even if they don't consciously slant their calls, simply being aware of this can subtly influence how they interpret and call things.

In this case, like I said, I think the refs allowed the Magic to get away with more contact early than Boston.  When the Celtics started to get chippy with the Magic and the refs, they overreacted by Ting them up for fairly minor things.  The effect was to screw us over twice, but I don't think they deliberately intended to do so - refs are human too, and nobody likes thinking they're corrupt or unfair.  Basketball is maybe the most emotional of the major sports, and the refs aren't immune to it.

Then again, it really doesn't matter much why things went the way they did; the officiating definitely hurt our chances to take this one.  Who knows if we win with fair officiating, but that's the point: we'll never know.

[Prof. Clutch]

I don't mind physical games, but I also don't want players on either team to risk serious injury from physical play.  Howard has been throwin' them bows around like Ludacris in this series.  I went into this conference finals really liking Dwight, but all of these games has really soured my taste on him.

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it, he's been a dirty player in this series.

[Prof. Clutch]

So, let's resume the facts quickly here.

This play is worthy of a suspension :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eycPuFmGCdU

According to the rules, it seems legitimate :

The League Office will consider the following factors (as well as any other relevant facts and circumstances) in determining whether to classify a foul as Flagrant "1" or Flagrant "2", to reclassify a flagrant foul, or to impose a fine and/or suspension on the player involved:

1. The severity of the contact; 2. Whether or not the player was making a legitimate basketball play (e.g., whether a player is making a legitimate effort to block a shot; note, however, that a foul committed during a block attempt can still be considered flagrant if other criteria are present such as recklessness and hard contact to the head) 3. Whether, on a foul committed with a player’s arm or hand, the fouling player wound up and/or followed through after making contact; 4. The potential for injury resulting from contact (e.g., a blow to the head and a foul committed while a player is in a vulnerable position); 5. The severity of any injury suffered by the offended player; and 6. The outcome of the contact (e.g., whether it led to an altercation).

This play from KG is an illustration of the second criteria and the third one.

Fine, then, all the dirty plays from Howard should be reviewed and he should have been ejected and suspended two games ago already.

I mean... Look at that :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF583VAogjA

(3:20 for the play on the following video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6gu-9WAMgU&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddQrJbx0f-0&feature=player_embedded#

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL0TA-49g1g&feature=player_embedded#at=141 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIEVnjq7DBI&feature=player_embedded

All these plays are defined in the criterias of a flagrant foul! Especially the "follow through" part. Howard always make physical and unnecessary contact after the fouls, while he is still getting down after his jump or his arm shot. But it's clearly dirty and intentional, how can you doubt that after seeing him make these kind of plays time and time again in this series?

It's so obvious that the NBA HAS to review these plays and take the necessary measures to sanction Howard. Even on his elbow to Baby it's really suspicious with the way he "follows through" once again.

So far, Howard got a flagrant 1 for his foul on Pierce in game 2. And his foul in game 4 with the elbow in KG's head has been upgraded to a flagrant 1 after the game (which didn't change the final score by the way and could have impacted it in a big way).

After the ridiculous T's on Perk and its repercussion in the 2nd half (+ potentially in game 6), the NBA must review all these Howard plays and suspend him... if it wants to show its integrity, which is, clearly legitimately, questioned after such plays are witnessed and not punished.

I agree completely with you and wish I could give you more than one TP for this post.  The refs need to stop Howard from the stuff he does after the play is over, that's the most dangerous thing when he's throwing guys to the ground after the contact.

[Mr October]

TP for the videos Drucci. I want blood.

Fans at the Garden let the officals, Stern, Howard, everyone hear it for the entire game!!!

And if Howard pulls this crap one more time without a call, take him out.

[Mr October]

I wouldn't call it an integrity move, after Howard was given free reign in game 5, but.... I fully expect the NBA to close down on his fouls in game 6 and favor Boston - the team they'd prefer to see in the finals.

Game 5 was either a hatched job by the NBA, or just terrible officiating. Sometimes when it smells like a skunk, it is a skunk.

Shame on the NBA. Its games like this that make me want to stop watching.

I agree with the conspiracy stuff to this extent: the refs obviously know that a longer series is good for the league.  Even if they don't consciously slant their calls, simply being aware of this can subtly influence how they interpret and call things.

In this case, like I said, I think the refs allowed the Magic to get away with more contact early than Boston.  When the Celtics started to get chippy with the Magic and the refs, they overreacted by Ting them up for fairly minor things.  The effect was to screw us over twice, but I don't think they deliberately intended to do so - refs are human too, and nobody likes thinking they're corrupt or unfair.  Basketball is maybe the most emotional of the major sports, and the refs aren't immune to it.

Then again, it really doesn't matter much why things went the way they did; the officiating definitely hurt our chances to take this one.  Who knows if we win with fair officiating, but that's the point: we'll never know.

Yup. It can be as "subtle" as calling 2 techs on Perk in the first half in a game in which everyone gets called for tick tack fouls but Dwight Howard and his blessed elbows.

After that they can just what happens happens.

[Drucci]

We won and beat the Magic, so ultimately this is all that matters, but I wanted to post the latest cheap shot of Dwight in the series. Another dirty play that was, of course, "unintentional" (seriously, how biased are these ESPN announcers?!), although he clearly follow through with his arms in two times on Pierce's arm and then head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej_eh4nY0_I

Enjoy the fishing Dwight Coward!

[jordb2k5]

We won and beat the Magic, so ultimately this is all that matters, but I wanted to post the latest cheap shot of Dwight in the series. Another dirty play that was, of course, "unintentional" (seriously, how biased are these ESPN announcers?!), although he clearly follow through with his arms in two times on Pierce's arm and then head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej_eh4nY0_I

Enjoy the fishing Dwight Coward!

Headbands don't just fall off...