Was pierce's foul on hinrich the worst call in the history of sports?

[CelticsWhat35]

Does anybody have video of this replay?  Because I'm quite surprised to see the amount of people who believe Pierce actually did trip Hinrich.  The only replays I saw were during the game, but they did show it plenty of times.  Granted, I paid more attention to the feet when Hinrich actually did trip, and Pierce was definitely well away from Hinrich at that point.  The only contact I saw was some incidental contact with Pierce's arm hitting Hinrich's.  But maybe that's when the legs got tangled as well, but I doubt it.  Either way, it just looked so bad for the ref to call something so long after the fact, when the players weren't even next to each other.

[droopdog7]

Wow, it seems to be about half and half on the Pierce play.  Anyway, the replay that I saw CLEARLY and I mean CLEARLY showed that PP tripped Hinrich.  I saw it immediately and wondered what the announcers were looking at.  And for anyone that missed it, I have no doubts about it.  The right call was made.

[Thruthelookingglass]

Does anybody have video of this replay?  Because I'm quite surprised to see the amount of people who believe Pierce actually did trip Hinrich.  The only replays I saw were during the game, but they did show it plenty of times.  Granted, I paid more attention to the feet when Hinrich actually did trip, and Pierce was definitely well away from Hinrich at that point.  The only contact I saw was some incidental contact with Pierce's arm hitting Hinrich's.  But maybe that's when the legs got tangled as well, but I doubt it.  Either way, it just looked so bad for the ref to call something so long after the fact, when the players weren't even next to each other.

I did a quick internet search and couldn't find video, but perhaps you can find out more at BlogaBull.

[cordobes]

Does anybody have video of this replay?  Because I'm quite surprised to see the amount of people who believe Pierce actually did trip Hinrich.  The only replays I saw were during the game, but they did show it plenty of times.  Granted, I paid more attention to the feet when Hinrich actually did trip, and Pierce was definitely well away from Hinrich at that point.  The only contact I saw was some incidental contact with Pierce's arm hitting Hinrich's.  But maybe that's when the legs got tangled as well, but I doubt it.  Either way, it just looked so bad for the ref to call something so long after the fact, when the players weren't even next to each other.

I've seen a photo where the (incidental) contact between Pierce's and Hinrich's foot is evident. While watching the game I didn't get it also, but the contact was there (and eventually lead to Hinrich's fall). Unfortunately I can't find that photo now, but it's out there somewhere.

[Section 87]

Either way, it just looked so bad for the ref to call something so long after the fact, when the players weren't even next to each other.

The ref waited to see whether the contact caused Hinrich to fall. If not, it would have been a good no-call. Waiting was the right thing to do ... to wait and see whether the contact had any effect. A lot of people seem to think a "late whistle" is an evil thing, but in many cases, like this one, it's good officiating. There was clearly contact, but it took two steps for Hinrich to fall. By the time he fell, Pierce was no longer near him, but the contact led to Hinrich's stumbling.

Hinrich missed both free throws, the next foul would have been in the penalty anyway, and Pierce only had three personal fouls for the whole game, so the call had little effect on the final outcome.

The worst call in the history of sports? Or the worst exaggeration of the day?

[CDawg834]

I believe this award was retired after the 6-opposing-men-on-the-court basket which was allowed to stand against us in a game at Portland earlier in the season where the three zebras managed to make it through the explanation to Doc with a straight face. The basketball was actually bronzed and sent on to Springfield where it resides next to the gold-plated leaked  memo that the NBA was watching KG's antics, also a first in the annals of the NBA.

Does anyone know anything about this "memo?"  I can't find anything out there on it, but it wouldn't surprise me.

I think the T on Perk was worse than the Pierce call...Perk LITERALLY didn't do anything! At least in the Pierce foul you could make the argument that he tripped him.  I don't think he did, but at least you have a basis for debate.

[BballTim]

I believe this award was retired after the 6-opposing-men-on-the-court basket which was allowed to stand against us in a game at Portland earlier in the season where the three zebras managed to make it through the explanation to Doc with a straight face. The basketball was actually bronzed and sent on to Springfield where it resides next to the gold-plated leaked  memo that the NBA was watching KG's antics, also a first in the annals of the NBA.

  Not to change the subject, but I'd love to hear a rational explanation about why the officials could do nothing to take away a basket that was scored with 6 players on the court immediately after it happened yet they can change the score in the last 5 minutes of a game because they missed a 3-point shot in the middle of the first half.

[Cman]

Yep, you're right.

With the Celtics down five after a Detroit run, Pierce, standing beyond the arc on the left wing, got his defender in the air with an up fake, drew the contact, and somehow made the triple as he fell backwards. The Palace of Auburn Hills was silenced until the call was revealed to be an offensive foul. Tayshaun Prince would get two free throws on the other end to complete a six-point swing.

That game made me understand how low
the standard of NBA officiating has
become. The C's didn't whine, though,but overcame it. I loved that (and still do).

This is what I liked about that game against Detroit.  Boston's response was great -- showed that they were true winners, not whiners.  Sometimes the refs are against you, and you just gotta play through it.  My guess is that there will be many times in tonight's game where the "tired" response will be to whine and gripe about a bad call.  But the winner response will be to play through it.  We'll see whether the Celtics show up tired, or ready to win this thing.

[droopdog7]

I believe this award was retired after the 6-opposing-men-on-the-court basket which was allowed to stand against us in a game at Portland earlier in the season where the three zebras managed to make it through the explanation to Doc with a straight face. The basketball was actually bronzed and sent on to Springfield where it resides next to the gold-plated leaked  memo that the NBA was watching KG's antics, also a first in the annals of the NBA.

  Not to change the subject, but I'd love to hear a rational explanation about why the officials could do nothing to take away a basket that was scored with 6 players on the court immediately after it happened yet they can change the score in the last 5 minutes of a game because they missed a 3-point shot in the middle of the first half.

Great question.

And regarding the original question, anyone see the offensive foul call against Dwayne Wade yesterday?  Now THAT was the worse cal in the history of basketball.  Just plain awful.

[RayRay4MVP]

      No it was a good call Pierce tripped him and he lost his footing. It's like this: Have you tripped over something and sort of ran forward with all your weight pushing you down? Im guessing thats what happened.

[Roy Hobbs]

I believe this award was retired after the 6-opposing-men-on-the-court basket which was allowed to stand against us in a game at Portland earlier in the season where the three zebras managed to make it through the explanation to Doc with a straight face. The basketball was actually bronzed and sent on to Springfield where it resides next to the gold-plated leaked  memo that the NBA was watching KG's antics, also a first in the annals of the NBA.

  Not to change the subject, but I'd love to hear a rational explanation about why the officials could do nothing to take away a basket that was scored with 6 players on the court immediately after it happened yet they can change the score in the last 5 minutes of a game because they missed a 3-point shot in the middle of the first half.

Great question.

I think the explanation was that it wasn't an *officiating* error, but rather a scorekeeping error.  According to the officials, they told the scorekeepers to make the change much earlier, but it wasn't corrected until much later.  Plus, unlike with 6 men, the officials are given the authority to change certain calls on 3-pointers.

If the Bulls lost the game due to a scorekeeping mistake, there's at least some precedent for replaying a certain amount of the game, much like the Phoenix / Miami (I think) game that was partially replayed after Shaq was fouled out after only 5 fouls.

[BballTim]

I believe this award was retired after the 6-opposing-men-on-the-court basket which was allowed to stand against us in a game at Portland earlier in the season where the three zebras managed to make it through the explanation to Doc with a straight face. The basketball was actually bronzed and sent on to Springfield where it resides next to the gold-plated leaked  memo that the NBA was watching KG's antics, also a first in the annals of the NBA.

  Not to change the subject, but I'd love to hear a rational explanation about why the officials could do nothing to take away a basket that was scored with 6 players on the court immediately after it happened yet they can change the score in the last 5 minutes of a game because they missed a 3-point shot in the middle of the first half.

Great question.

I think the explanation was that it wasn't an *officiating* error, but rather a scorekeeping error.  According to the officials, they told the scorekeepers to make the change much earlier, but it wasn't corrected until much later.  Plus, unlike with 6 men, the officials are given the authority to change certain calls on 3-pointers.

If the Bulls lost the game due to a scorekeeping mistake, there's at least some precedent for replaying a certain amount of the game, much like the Phoenix / Miami (I think) game that was partially replayed after Shaq was fouled out after only 5 fouls.

  Maybe. The announcers said that Chicago appealed the call to the league office and that's why the score was changed. I thought the game was Miami Atlanta, but it was definitely replayed after the Shaq trade so he wasn't available to play in the partial replay.

[fairweatherfan]

Yep, you're right.

With the Celtics down five after a Detroit run, Pierce, standing beyond the arc on the left wing, got his defender in the air with an up fake, drew the contact, and somehow made the triple as he fell backwards. The Palace of Auburn Hills was silenced until the call was revealed to be an offensive foul. Tayshaun Prince would get two free throws on the other end to complete a six-point swing.

It's still my pet theory that Salvatore made that call as a direct response to the NBA publicly rebuking Dick Bavetta for not making the Fisher-on-Brent Barry contact from Game 4 of the WCF.  The Fisher play was a similar scenario (pumpfake defender into the air, get landed on) except that Barry didn't attempt the shot.  The Detroit game happened the next day after the league's statement on the Fisher play, and it would be just like Salvatore to get ticked off at the league and think, "That's just as easily an offensive foul if the offensive player moves into the contact", and then call it that way against us. 

Just a thought I had because that call was so flat-out bizarre, and happened shortly after a ref was publicly criticized by the league for not calling a defensive foul on a similar play.  Seemed like a deliberate reaction by Salvatore, cause I've never seen it called that way before or since.

[ToppersBsktball10]

nah the techs on perk and eddie; those were worse than that

[Drucci]

I put the 3 ridiculous calls mentioned in this thread and uploaded the video on Youtube. You can see it in this thread.