Stern Speaks on the Refs/NBA Officiating Poll (Merged)

[silvershamrocker]

From SI:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/blog/66163/index.html?eref=fromSI

-- Stern dismissed criticism of the refs during this postseason. He said the media is trying to make it seem like there's a problem, but the more important judge is the fans, who seem thrilled with the playoffs.

He says the more important judge is the fans... But almost any fan will tell you that the refs are terrible. Yes, most people are thrilled with how the playoffs have gone because of all the close games and high level of play, but they would be much better if the refs would call the game with some level of consistency.

And for the record, I don't think the NBA is fixed. I just think some of the refs are too old and should be replaced. And I also wish the NBA wouldn't protect their refs so much.

[crownsy]

From SI:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/blog/66163/index.html?eref=fromSI

-- Stern dismissed criticism of the refs during this postseason. He said the media is trying to make it seem like there's a problem, but the more important judge is the fans, who seem thrilled with the playoffs.

He says the more important judge is the fans... But almost any fan will tell you that the refs are terrible. Yes, most people are thrilled with how the playoffs have gone because of all the close games and high level of play, but they would be much better if the refs would call the game with some level of consistency.

And for the record, I don't think the NBA is fixed. I just think some of the refs are too old and should be replaced. And I also wish the NBA wouldn't protect their refs so much.

More evidence that stern either doesn't get it or chooses to ignore it because his base is marketing and ratings, not the actual health of the game.

[Hoyo de Monterrey]

From SI:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/blog/66163/index.html?eref=fromSI

-- Stern dismissed criticism of the refs during this postseason. He said the media is trying to make it seem like there's a problem, but the more important judge is the fans, who seem thrilled with the playoffs.

He says the more important judge is the fans... But almost any fan will tell you that the refs are terrible. Yes, most people are thrilled with how the playoffs have gone because of all the close games and high level of play, but they would be much better if the refs would call the game with some level of consistency.

And for the record, I don't think the NBA is fixed. I just think some of the refs are too old and should be replaced. And I also wish the NBA wouldn't protect their refs so much.

They are either A) corrupt or B) wildly incompetent... either way, Stern doesn't care.

God I hate Stern's arrogance.

[Roy Hobbs]

The playoffs themselves have been great; the fans have a lot to be excited above.

The refs, however, have been terrible.  It's possible to have exciting playoffs, and terrible refs. 

[Hoyo de Monterrey]

Silvershamrocker posted an excellent quote from a blog where David Stern dismissed criticism of the referees by claiming fans were happy with the way the playoffs were going. Mr. Commissioner, the caliber of the playoffs can be great, while the referees suck. You have a problem, and you don't seem to care at all.

I'm curious to see how this will play out, as I consider most on the blog to be intelligent basketball fans.

[silvershamrocker]

I voted for your third option.    And good idea getting a poll, BTW.

[Hoyo de Monterrey]

I voted for your third option.    And good idea getting a poll, BTW.

Thanks, I hope it gets response because I'm sick of Stern's smug burying his head in the sand approach to this. There is a problem. TP for the quote on the other thread.

[Kwhit10]

Playoffs are definitely exciting.  The officiating has been terribly inconsistent.  I can care less the way calls are made or what the rules are, I just want the calls to be consistent!  I don't want the calls to be made differently depending on how much time is left on the clock, or depending on who the parties involved are.

[hpantazo]

Playoffs are definitely exciting.  The officiating has been terribly inconsistent.  I can care less the way calls are made or what the rules are, I just want the calls to be consistent!  I don't want the calls to be made differently depending on how much time is left on the clock, or depending on who the parties involved are.

I think Stern is going for the WWE mentality, inconsistent refereeing makes even more excitement because you never know what's going to happen, you have to keep watching. It works! This year, we saw the Blazers score with 6 guys on the floor, we saw the mavs intentionally foul a guy at the end of a game to prevent a shot, but no...it wasn't called and the nuggets hit a game winning three. Amazing! Who know what will happen next.

[cordobes]

I answered yes. Some very high-profile bad calls (Rondo vs. the Bulls; Antoine Wright vs. Melo; Howard clean block on James' 3; etc.) that give a different impression but overall the games have been well officiated. The NBA basketball is a very difficult game to officiate due to the players and the officiating orientations (that, ironically, are conductive to the brand of basketball people are labelling as exciting and high-quality).

A good demonstration of this is that even in games that were considered so badly officiated that people created specific threads to rant about it, they couldn't come up with more than 2/3 bad calls, with some of them being arguable. I expect a NBA officiating crew to make 90% of good calls, and I think they've been meeting that in these playoffs.

People like a lot to whine about officiating in abstract, but when dared to point out all those atrociously bad calls, most of the times they don't offer more than an empty hand and a flawed knowledge of the rules of the game.

[Donoghus]

Predictable answer by Stern.  Did anyone really expect him to knock his own product?  Of course not.  Can't say I'm surprised there.

However, I think he's lying through his teeth about the fan thing.  Yes, these have been exciting playoffs but that doesn't necessarily mean that the fans have been happy with the refereeing also.  One doesn't necessarily correlate to the other.  Lot of inconsistency and questionable calls these playoffs.

[satch]

The NBA needs to take the politics out of the officiating. One set of rules for Kobie's and Lebron's superstar types and another set for the rest of the league. The flow of the games evolves into an inconsistent and unfair display. When the Lebron's and Kobie's of the league don't get these political calls they have a tendency to pout. Let em pout...call it same for everyone.

[MetroGlobe]

The basis for Stern saying the fans are happy with the games, is right here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2009/news/story?id=4222827

Viewership is up.  WAAAAYYY up.  A 20% increase year over year?  Fellas, that's beyond David's wildest imagination, I'm sure.

Now whether or not people are happy about the officiating, that's a different thing altogether.  But as far as interest in the NBA is concerned, the numbers couldn't be healthier for the league.

[Finkelskyhook]

From SI:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/blog/66163/index.html?eref=fromSI

-- Stern dismissed criticism of the refs during this postseason. He said the media is trying to make it seem like there's a problem, but the more important judge is the fans, who seem thrilled with the playoffs.

He says the more important judge is the fans... But almost any fan will tell you that the refs are terrible. Yes, most people are thrilled with how the playoffs have gone because of all the close games and high level of play, but they would be much better if the refs would call the game with some level of consistency.

And for the record, I don't think the NBA is fixed. I just think some of the refs are too old and should be replaced. And I also wish the NBA wouldn't protect their refs so much.

I think the officials are great considering all that they have to remember.  
-Never call anything on the messiah.  If the messiah has the ball, he need not dribble.  Clean blocks are fouls.  Etc etc.  The messiah can also protest every call at will...Don't you dare call a tech.  But if Perk or Howard look in the direction of the officials, T them up.  But ignore those Mutomboesque elbows from Howard.

-Pierce, Bryant, Nash, Wade, Anthony, Iverson, Carter, and O'Grady can't travel at will and can draw fouls if there's a player within 10 feet of them.

The rulebook sort of applies to anybody else except at the end of the games when the rules all change.

How the hell can anybody officiate with different rules for different players and different rules at one time of the game from the other?

I think with everything these guys and girl have on their plate to remember they're pretty outstanding.

The only way that the messiah didn't get to the Finals was because Orlando made game 6 or 7 with their shooting so lopsided that the officials couldn't will the Cavs to victory like they tried to do at the end of game four.  

Stern just looks at the ratings.  As long as fans buy the product, that's all he should do.

[BballTim]

  I'd say the officiating is no worse than last year or the year before.