Im sorry for the almost profanity. Honestly I sat in front of this computer for 15 minutes trying to think of a title. For example, Holy S***, F*** David Stern and my favorite, love the refs instead of F*** the refs. I chose What the F*** for plain a simple reasons. Im so confused on what David Stern and the NBA are thinking. There's only one phrase that could help me. What the F***?
Sunday I arrived at the Rose Garden at 5:45, tip off was at 6:00. I didnt leave the arena till 8:50. This game was boring, slow and frustrating. Did the Blazers win? Yes. Did they come back from being down 12 late in the fourth? Yes. Does this sound exciting, thrilling, captivating? Yes.
The game in question was the Portland Trail Blazer v. Denver Nuggets. The reason I contemplated suicide several times during this game was because it had 63 fouls, 90 free throws, 1 flagrant, and 2 technical fouls. The game lasted 30 minutes longer then average. It had 14 more fouls the last years preseason average and the 34 made free throws by the Blazers made up a little over a third of their points.
What the F***?
The Officials of the National Basketball Association have decided to stop working. The entirety of the preseason will be officiated by replacement refs and possibly the beginning of the regular season.
Why have the 60 officials just all of a sudden decided to stop working? September 1st was the expiration date of the expired five-year pact. With an expiring contract the league has proposed an across the board budget cut...including a 10 percent reduction of referee budget. This includes travel costs, pension payouts and health benefits in addition to salary cuts.
This is probably the reason all 60 officials have decided to stop working. But that's just my guess.
Sundays Blazer game was not the first sign of trouble with interim refs. According to STATS LLC, there have been average of 57.5 personal fouls per game through Monday's exhibition schedule. That compares to 49 fouls per game in the preseason with the regular referees last year. There were 42 fouls a game in the regular season in 2008-09.
What the F***?
Three Coaches have already been fined for criticism of officiating...in preseason. Stan Van Gundy, Larry Brown, and Lionel Hollins. With all that money for fines, pay the refs.
The refs are just as much a part of this game as the players are. They each of certain tendencies to calling fouls, calling technicals and how they interact with players. They keep the game clean and they keep it played at a pace the paying customer is used to. No one pays to go watch a pick up game and no one is going to watch a game where 70 percent of the possessions result in a foul.
Its just bad business. You keep interim refs. and the games slow way down. With a slow game you will notice that attendance around the league will slow way down. With no one attending games everyone will lose money around the league.
Officiating will never be great but the game can be. Pay the refs what they want. Taking money from the refs takes away from every part of the game, including revenue.
Keep it fast, Keep it strong and let them play.
RHS
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