04/25/24
June 05, 2002
Nader urges NBA to review officiating: Consumer advocate Ralph Nader and the League of Fans, a sports-industry watchdog, sent a letter to NBA Commissioner David Stern on Tuesday urging a review of the officiating in the aftermath of the "notorious" refereeing in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals between the Kings and the Lakers in L.A.
posted by srboisvert to basketball at 10:08 AM - 4 comments
Sorry insomnyuk, I disagree. Fallibility is part of the human experience, and if we are to accept that our athletes are sometimes fallible, then we must extend that same courtesy to the referees. If we are to inject a little non-linear time into sport, it cannot be with refs turning back the clocks to remedy an error. Besides, when it boils down to it, the Kings choked away two winnable games against a Laker team that was nowhere near 100% ... and the reffing had very little to do with it, Ralph Nader be damned.
posted by smithers at 04:27 PM on June 05, 2002
Nader, Nader, Nader. Tsk, tsk. The fans are hardly being oppressed by the NBA. I appreciate those who advocate for the disadvantaged, but those who watch the playoffs are not being abused. Sure, we get mad at the refs and accuse them of altering the outcome of the game but that's all part of being a fan. In the end, it's just a game. There are people who are really suffering that might need your intercession. Kings' fans just need to realize that poor officiating is a part of all sports and that free throws win close games. Free throws. Yes, game six was ugly, but I'm sure if you looked at the tape you would see that the refs were not inventing all of the fouls that they called. In fact, I'm sure there were plenty of fouls on the Kings that they didn't call. Bibby got belted in the end (and I was yelling "foul" as well), but he was also holding Kobe. It's true.
posted by jacknose at 04:58 PM on June 05, 2002
outrageous, what the heck does Nader know about the NBA? He's just trying to keep his name in the press.
posted by djacobs at 09:49 AM on June 06, 2002
Nader was the last person I would expect to get involved in NBA politics, but his point that the officiating was bad seems to be generally held by fans who watched game 6. His solution is unworkable, however (the NBA reviewing its refereeing procedures). That's like asking an employee to write his own performance review. The conclusion of such a review would undoubtedly result in pats on the back, rounds of applause for the current system, and a conclusion reading "after much study, we have concluded that everything is fine just the way it is." This league needs instant replay, and it needs it bad. Hockey uses it (it's a similar, fast paced game) on rare occasions, and the NFL uses it. Why can't the NBA? It could even be on a limited basis, maybe a challenge per quarter or something like that. Furthermore, all last second shots should be automatically reviewed, because during the playoffs, there have been three instances where the instant replay could have helped: Samaki Walker's Game 6 shot at the end of the first half, Baron Davis' shot against the Magic which was called off, and Reggie Millers late shot which counted against the Nets. It will have to be something the players, coaches, and fans demand, not Ralph Nader.