Is the NBA rigged??
May 8, 2008
I have had this theory ever since I watched the referees tear apart the Dallas Mavericks two years ago. But now after watching this whole Chauncy Billups clock issue at the end of the first half in game 2 of the Eastern Semifinals against Orlando, this is pretty much indisputable to me.
I don’t really care that the league does not give the refs (Steve Javy) the power to use replay since the buzzer didn’t go off. If I was in Steve’s shoes, I’d ask myself if getting the call right was more important or if simply following protocols is more important. The bottom line is that if you were, in fact, no authorized to use replay, but used it and got the call right, were you going to get in trouble?? Do you think the league will discipline you for “breaking the rules” even though you got the call right and did your job to provided a fair playing field for both teams?? Yeah, I didn’t think so either.
I’m by no means a Magic fan or a Pistons hater. I am just stating, as a former referee, that doing what is right is more important than any “protocol” if logic dictate that the protocol makes no sense. I have broken “protocol” before and have stuck my neck out there. In the end, when all the dust have settled, I was praised for handling the situation correctly - albeit with “unconventional” methods. Why couldn’t someone who’s supposed to be at the top of their game stand up for what is right instead of just guess??
(You can watch the entire episode of crap by Steve Javy and Co. after the jump)
Posted in News/Events
May 11th, 2008 at 8:00 am
So let me get this straight, you’re saying the NBA is rigged because the refs didn’t break the rules and use instant replay?
What do you think a ref would rather have, one right call or his job? Probably the latter.
If Steve Javie would have used replay, there would have been an outcry from the NBA and its fans, and rumors would arise that the game was rigged against the Pistons, with the evidence being that they were so willing to overstep their bounds to wave a Detroit shot off. Not to mention Steve Javie would either get a lengthy suspension or flat out lose his job. This is the NBA, not whatever middle school league you were reffing. There’s a little bit more of a hierarchy.
For once, the refs did the right thing. I would be saying the exact same thing if it was Rashard Lewis shooting in that situation. When they CANNOT use instant replay, they do the best they can to estimate the time it took to get the shot off.
If you had even watched any other game of the 2006 Playoffs, you would know that Detroit was haggled 10x more than Dallas was. It’s called superstar-biased calls. Welcome to the NBA.
May 11th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Personally, I would have applauded if they “broke the rules” and used instant replay. Would I want to see someone lose their job? No. But that doesn’t mean that I would have preferred a coin-toss for the judgement call for if the shot counted or not. I counted myself “1-Mississippi-2-Mississippi” and counted well into 5. Is that scientific? No. What I’m even more curious is what was discussed during the huddle. Did they take a vote?
If my understanding of NBA officials responsibilities is correct, it is the responsibility of the trailing ref to make sure the clock is operating. Now had there not been 5.x seconds left on the clock, the situation would probably have been a stoppage of play and ball in from out of bounds. Did the trailing ref just happen to miss the fact that the clock started and then stopped after .3 seconds ran off?
You don’t know anything about me and what kind of games I’ve reffed, so there’s no need for any personal attacks. I’m just simply stating that - from a fan and a former basketball referee’s perspective - I think it would have been more important to get the call right than to pay attention to silly rules about when it is or is not permissible to use replay.
And as far as rumors arising that the game was rigged against the Pistons? Dude, the right call speaks for itself. The bottom line for me is what is right. Maybe had the league given a little bit more explanation to what the officials discussed it would have shed a little bit more light in this controversy. But you and I both know that the NBA would never do that.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:14 am
If I criticized Steve Javy for the episode with the Pistons/Magic, I should also praise him for what he did yesterday at the end of the first quarter with the CP3/Ginobili foul situation.
I believe that the rule officially is that if there wasn’t a made basket (which there clearly wasn’t), then replay was not supposed to be used. To the naked eye, I thought the foul was before/at the time when the clock hit 0.00. But if the replay clearly show that the foul occurred afterwards, then there is no foul. And I’m OK with that, even though I wanted the Hornets to win.
Is there an outcry that a ref had abused its power? No. Why? Because he got the call right. In the end, what matters is what is right.
June 9th, 2008 at 1:19 am
I’m a Pistons fan, and I will say that was a BS call. But fastforward Lakers v Celtics game 2 tonight. Give me a freaking break. How did the Celtics get to the line so many times, yet the lakers barely had the chance to sniff the foul line. Its totally rigged for the celtics to win this series in 6. If it isn’t obvious with an NBA ref being outted, I don’t know what more people need. NBA is a total rig job, probably along with most other sports. They have just done a horrible job at doing it.