I really hope Dick Bavetta isn't guilty

[Admin]

of fixing games or giving superstars preferential treatment in order to keep them in games. I realize that stars are going to get the benefit of the doubt on calls and I'm cool with that, but if there is some bigger conspiracy and Bavetta is involved I would be extremely disappointed as he has probably been my favorite referee for many years.

It would be like finding out that Santa is a fraud or something.

[TheTrueSiete]

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of fixing games or giving superstars preferential treatment in order to keep them in games. I realize that stars are going to get the benefit of the doubt on calls and I'm cool with that, but if there is some bigger conspiracy and Bavetta is involved I would be extremely disappointed as he has probably been my favorite referee for many years.

It would be like finding out that Santa is a fraud or something.

Huh? You have a favorite referee?

7

[AHF]

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of fixing games or giving superstars preferential treatment in order to keep them in games. I realize that stars are going to get the benefit of the doubt on calls and I'm cool with that, but if there is some bigger conspiracy and Bavetta is involved I would be extremely disappointed as he has probably been my favorite referee for many years.

It would be like finding out that Santa is a fraud or something.

Huh? You have a favorite referee?

7

How can you not love the race with Barkley? That was awesome.

[TheTrueSiete]

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of fixing games or giving superstars preferential treatment in order to keep them in games. I realize that stars are going to get the benefit of the doubt on calls and I'm cool with that, but if there is some bigger conspiracy and Bavetta is involved I would be extremely disappointed as he has probably been my favorite referee for many years.

It would be like finding out that Santa is a fraud or something.

Huh? You have a favorite referee?

7

How can you not love the race with Barkley? That was awesome.

As soon as you start to like a referee, within the next 2 minutes you're screaming at the TV "BAD CALL!"

7

[exodus]

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of fixing games or giving superstars preferential treatment in order to keep them in games. I realize that stars are going to get the benefit of the doubt on calls and I'm cool with that, but if there is some bigger conspiracy and Bavetta is involved I would be extremely disappointed as he has probably been my favorite referee for many years.

It would be like finding out that Santa is a fraud or something.

Huh? You have a favorite referee?

7

How can you not love the race with Barkley? That was awesome.

His dive at the finish line was priceless.

[Admin]

That was one of the funniest things ever. It was like Homer Simpson racing Mr. Burns.

[GoDawgs21]

I am sure most of you read the Sports Guy columns but today he linked back to his 2002 column on the state of NBA refs. I had no idea he was involved in everyone of those games. uh...

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Question: What was the most disturbing subplot of the playoffs?

Answer: The officiating, also the most disturbing subplot of the past four playoffs. If you examine the last four NBA playoff campaigns, during every situation where the league definitively "needed" one of the two teams involved to win -- either to A) change the momentum of a series so it didn't end prematurely, B) keep an attractive, big-market team alive in a series, or C) advance an attractive, big-market team to another round -- the officiating appeared to be slanted towards the team that needed that game. I use the phrase "appeared to be," because reviewing an official's performance is purely subjective. Maybe I'm dead-wrong.

These were just the games that jump out in my mind (again, I could be wrong):

1999, Knicks-Pacers, Game 3 ... LJ sinks a game-winning four-pointer (called a continuation foul by referee Jess Kersey even though LJ was fouled a full second before he released the ball).

1999, Knicks-Pacers, Game 6 ... Knicks last chance to close out Indy before the series shifts back to Indiana for Game 7 ... they get every call.

1999, Spurs-Knicks, Game 3 ... down 2-0, the Knicks get every call in their first home game and win their only game of the series.

2000, Knicks-Heat, Game 7 ... Knicks advance to the conference finals ... falling out of bounds, Latrell Sprewell awarded a timeout by referee Bennett Salvatore with 2.1 seconds left even though none of the Knicks called for one ... Sprewell admits after the game that he hadn't called a timeout ... the Miami players chase the referees off the court after the game, yelling that they had been robbed ... after the game, Jamal Mashburn tells reporters, "They had three officials in their pocket" and Tim Hardaway refers to referee

d*ck

Bavetta as "Knick Bavetta."

2000, Lakers-Blazers, Game 7 ... LA shoots 21 more free throws and rallies back from a 17-point deficit in the final seven minutes ... Shaq plays an illegal defense down the stretch, undaunted ... Rasheed Wallace absolutely gets manhandled down the stretch, yet doesn't get a single call ... up by four with 25 seconds left, Shaq body-blocks Steve Smith out of bounds and the refs don't make the call (the most egregious non-call in recent memory).

2002, Celtics-Nets, Game 4 ... Celts up 2-1 ... the Nets are inexplicably allowed to push and shove Kenny Anderson and Pierce while they dribble the ball ... a number of head-scratchers go against Boston, including three offensive charges down the stretch ... four different "bull-(bleep)" chants during the game.

2002, Lakers-Kings, Game 6 ... LA needs a win to stay alive ... from an officiating standpoint, the most one-sided game of the past decade ... at least six dubious calls against the Kings in the fourth quarter alone ... LA averaged 22 free throws a game during the first five games of the series, then attempted 27 freebies in the fourth quarter alone of Game 6 ... rumors that David Stern wanted to pull a Vince McMahon and declare himself "The special guest referee" for this game prove unfounded.

(By the way, I would feel remiss if I didn't share this information:

d*ck

Bavetta was assigned to every one of the above games. That's an absolute fact. You can look it up. Doesn't mean anything ... I just felt the need to pass that along. It sure looks bad, doesn't it? Maybe the league could do a favor for Bavetta and not assign him to Game 3 of the Finals, especially if the Lakers jump to a 2-0 lead over New Jersey. You wouldn't want to rile up those conspiracy theorists or anything. Ummmm ...)

[macdaddy]

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Smitty at 6:35

[coachx]

d*ck Bavetta is by far my favorite referee.

Joey Crawford is by far my least favorite referee.............His calls and ejection of Tim Duncan last year was the worst I have ever seen.

On the Portland / Lakers series................

There are points on both sides:

1. Shaq is the hardest player in the history of the league to referee. (Some say Wilt but Wilt was a gentle giant compared to Shaq. Shaq had more of a mean streak and played vs. bigger and stronger players.) In Shaq's younger days he got all kinds of preferentual treatment and the game was more physical back in 2002 as well.............You know guys like Steve Smith and Scottie Pippen were using ever trick in the book as well for Portland.

2. At the same time it is very common for referees to "swallow the whistle" for the last 2 minutes of a playoff game. Especially back in 2002. Was that in favor of the biggest man on the court no matter who it is. Sure it was !

3. Rasheed Wallace got a touch call vs. Shaq on the Youtube clip so it was as blantant as one made it out to be.

4. Steve Smith and Shaq have equal right to a loose ball. B/c one guy is smaller he should get preferental treatment when they collide ? Hell no ! without seeing that exact play a no call seems like the right call in my opinion if they truely had a 50/50 chance at a loose ball when both players collided.

5. If Portland would have simply hit some shots they would have won. They deserve most of the blame.

6. Who would the NBA profit more from ? R. Wallace and an aging Pippen and Smith to market in the finals or the dominant Shaq and up and coming Kobe for the market friendly Lakers ? Well, thats an easy answer.

I would love to hear Smitty's feelings on this since was actually there in the heat of the battle.

[AHF]

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4. Steve Smith and Shaq have equal right to a loose ball. B/c one guy is smaller he should get preferental treatment when they collide ? Hell no ! without seeing that exact play a no call seems like the right call in my opinion if they truely had a 50/50 chance at a loose ball when both players collided.

What play are you talking about with this? The Smith/Shaq call that is disputed (around 6:40 on the posted video) is a drive by Smith where he gets absolutely hammered and there is no call. That isn't a 50/50 ball where two guys are both just going for a loose ball. That was a badly blown call - even accounting for the rougher era of basketball.

[coachx]

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4. Steve Smith and Shaq have equal right to a loose ball. B/c one guy is smaller he should get preferental treatment when they collide ? Hell no ! without seeing that exact play a no call seems like the right call in my opinion if they truely had a 50/50 chance at a loose ball when both players collided.

What play are you talking about with this? The Smith/Shaq call that is disputed (around 6:40 on the posted video) is a drive by Smith where he gets absolutely hammered and there is no call. That isn't a 50/50 ball where two guys are both just going for a loose ball. That was a badly blown call - even accounting for the rougher era of basketball.

Now I see it is not a loose ball. But still, Shaq was simple standing in the lane and jumped straight up and came straight down. Smith jumped into Shaq and initiated the contact it looked like to me. Its not like Shaq came from the side or the back and hacked him......Again it was Smith jumping into to Shaq who is entitle to his own space. Basketball players get alot of cheap fouls in the post. I believe a player, regardelss of size, should be aloud to jump straight and come straight down while defending the post without fouling no matter their size ............ESPECIALLY IN THE FINAL 30 SECONDS OF THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS.

I would not consider that a case of a ref throwing a game. I have seen "no calls" in the final seconds on basketball games at ever level and do not see this as something any different.

Do the top 3 players in the NBA get a little preferential treatment in crunch time. Sure they do and they alwayse have. Is this right ? No. However it is not the same as intentionally throwing a game in my opinion.

[AHF]

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4. Steve Smith and Shaq have equal right to a loose ball. B/c one guy is smaller he should get preferental treatment when they collide ? Hell no ! without seeing that exact play a no call seems like the right call in my opinion if they truely had a 50/50 chance at a loose ball when both players collided.

What play are you talking about with this? The Smith/Shaq call that is disputed (around 6:40 on the posted video) is a drive by Smith where he gets absolutely hammered and there is no call. That isn't a 50/50 ball where two guys are both just going for a loose ball. That was a badly blown call - even accounting for the rougher era of basketball.

Now I see it is not a loose ball. But still, Shaq was simple standing in the lane and jumped straight up and came straight down. Smith jumped into Shaq and initiated the contact it looked like to me. Its not like Shaq came from the side or the back and hacked him......Again it was Smith jumping into to Shaq who is entitle to his own space. Basketball players get alot of cheap fouls in the post. I believe a player, regardelss of size, should be aloud to jump straight and come straight down while defending the post without fouling no matter their size ............ESPECIALLY IN THE FINAL 30 SECONDS OF THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS.

I would not consider that a case of a ref throwing a game. I have seen "no calls" in the final seconds on basketball games at ever level and do not see this as something any different.

Do the top 3 players in the NBA get a little preferential treatment in crunch time. Sure they do and they alwayse have. Is this right ? No. However it is not the same as intentionally throwing a game in my opinion.

I agree that the blown call is a far way from throwing the game. It was a bad call, though, in my opinion. Remember the way the game was actually called? See this at 5:48 for the last foul on Sabonis.

[bronnt]

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4. Steve Smith and Shaq have equal right to a loose ball. B/c one guy is smaller he should get preferental treatment when they collide ? Hell no ! without seeing that exact play a no call seems like the right call in my opinion if they truely had a 50/50 chance at a loose ball when both players collided.

What play are you talking about with this? The Smith/Shaq call that is disputed (around 6:40 on the posted video) is a drive by Smith where he gets absolutely hammered and there is no call. That isn't a 50/50 ball where two guys are both just going for a loose ball. That was a badly blown call - even accounting for the rougher era of basketball.

Now I see it is not a loose ball. But still, Shaq was simple standing in the lane and jumped straight up and came straight down. Smith jumped into Shaq and initiated the contact it looked like to me. Its not like Shaq came from the side or the back and hacked him......Again it was Smith jumping into to Shaq who is entitle to his own space. Basketball players get alot of cheap fouls in the post. I believe a player, regardelss of size, should be aloud to jump straight and come straight down while defending the post without fouling no matter their size ............ESPECIALLY IN THE FINAL 30 SECONDS OF THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS.

I would not consider that a case of a ref throwing a game. I have seen "no calls" in the final seconds on basketball games at ever level and do not see this as something any different.

Do the top 3 players in the NBA get a little preferential treatment in crunch time. Sure they do and they alwayse have. Is this right ? No. However it is not the same as intentionally throwing a game in my opinion.

Shaq did not jump straight up. Smith was driving in and Shaq came across, and jumped up into him, getting him with his body. He didn't get on Smitty on the arms or with his hands, so it was clean up top, but you can't just jump toward a guy and put you hip into his to knock him away from the basket. It was an egregious call, and one that of course had to go in favor of Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Niell.

I remember being pretty upset about it at the time because I'd been following Portland (mostly because of Steve Smith-it was cool to see him playing alongside Pippen) all season. A lot of things would have gone very differently if this game hadn't been so poorly officiated.

[GoDawgs21]

LOL Bavetta officiating this game after all of the stuff that is flying around about him. Thats just funny.

Any chance Stern wants a longer series ???? hahahahaha