Dude, Stern is just the commish. He's not the league. Hate the little man, if you want to. Hate the constant tinkering with the rules. Hate that players don't have to go to more than one year of college to get drafted, if you want, or that they have to go at all. Hate the lack of fundamentals that we see, far too often. But don't hate the league. That's why we're here. You may as well hate the Rockets.
OK...holy crap...this one really blew up. From TrueHoop: Wow. Insulting Dick Bavetta ... the man really has a HUGE ego problem, and he really *does* think the game is about him. "Disrespecting the game by laughing and mocking the officials"? Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Btw .. I loved Rich Lord's rant this afternoon in which he said "Joey, you're FURNITURE. Deal with it."
Crawford is over the top, out of control. He should have been delt with more firmly long ago. He thinks he is above the game. I feel better about the playoffs since he was suspended, although, there are a few more that need to join him for games to be called fairly. Many calls on Yao are pure racial prejudice, plain and simple, a ridiculous double standard.
Somehow I don't think tossing players for laughing on the bench was part of Stern's plan. And besides, he told the refs to back off on the whistles after the first couple of weeks with the "zero tolerance" thing.
he deserved it, he's been in the league for long, it doesn't mean he could abuse his right to speaking of anything to the player.!!!
I think he meant legitimate techs. I'm also assuming he doesn't like having his refs challenging players to street fights.
Joey Crawford will now sit on his couch watching the Spurs in playoffs on TV. He will whistle TD a technical everytime he sees TD laughing on the bench because it's obviously TD is laughing at him. The difference is now Crawford can only do it at home. But damn, TD is still laughing on the bench. But what can you do now Crawford? Huh! U wanna fight?
If this is end of his career, I will really feel back for Crawford. He is still one of the best refs in the game BY FAR......he just has that ego/temper problem once a while....
Translation: He's one of the best at officiating, but the league can bear an arrogant prick for so long.
from my recollection i think i'd rather crawford referee a game 7 in the finals than bavetta but could be wrong.
Now take Steve Javie away and we'll have ourselves a party. For the ones that think Stern was too *ahem* stern in this situation, that's a laugh. If our Rockets gets into the 2nd Round of the playoffs and plays the Mavericks and somehow Crawford was refereeing the game, wouldn't you feel a bit uneasy? I sure would. I rather not have to think about that possibility and Stern effectively took that possibility out of the equation. Would the refs turn on San Antonio? I say 50/50. Maybe they will because they'll look the other way when Manu flops or when Duncan is all over their back. Maybe not because they value their jobs.
I remember hearing one radio broadcast of a game a few years ago during the Dream and Franchise and Rudy year. Gene Peterson was calling it as usual and he was saying how this ref was crazy mad at Rudy T and the Rockets. It was a tight game near the end and the Rockets were in a timeout huddle. Peterson said that the ref was basically so close that he was eavesdropping in the huddle just waiting for any excuse to call a technical. Now I'd like to say it was Joe Crawford, but I can't remember. I don't remember what lead to that point. I wasn't even sure if it was the Dream and Franchise year, but I do remember Rudy T was mentioned as the coach. Point is, whoever that ref was, was so caught up in the possibility of being disrespected in his own eyes. Refs should call the game, talk about how to keep the game being called fair, and prepare for late game situations. They shouldn't be holding grudges and looking to make a point with a technical. Peterson was clear that while the Rockets were 100% just trying to huddle and prep for crunch time, this ref was making this a personal hunt. Refs are not bigger than the game....they never should be. "Respect for the game" is the rule that is stressed heavily this year in regards to technicals. When players pout on the court, they are violating that and should be T'd up. But Refs must respect the game too. They usually do, but what Crawford did was undermine the game with his actions.
Oh my! Mavs fans voted by a 52% margin that Crawford's suspension was "too severe." 31% "about right" 17% "not enough" On tv poll at end of GS "game."
Joey Crawford and Dick Bavetta are the two worst refs in NBA. They are so desperate to get any possible camera time. It is ture that they may blow some right calls. The problem is that they cannot keep their egos in check. They easily destroyed a fun basketball game. DICK, you'd better get what Dicator Stern means by suspending Joey crawford.
This is terrible. If Joey gets punished like this, why the hell wasn't Dick Bavetta put on ice a long time ago? And it looks like Crawford has the EXACT same thought: Crawford also blasted fellow referee Dick Bavetta in the e-mail obtained by ESPN.com, hinting at divisions among referees between those who do and don't support Bavetta and writing that maybe Bavetta will wind up as the crew chief in Game 7 of the NBA (Finals) "which is a travesty in itself you even being in the finals." Looks like I'm not the only one who thinks Bavetta is a terrible, terrible official. I mean, he wasn't even prompted to say anything about Bavetta, and he went out of his way to anyway!
No, you're right. Bavetta is an awful official. He never has figured out how to call a big man, he regularly misses really egregious calls. He's always nice to the players, but even so, they regularly vote him among the worst in the league.
