Joey Crawford Sounds Off on 35 Years as an N.B.A. Referee

Wished I liked him but I don't. Don't understand all the "talent" business. At his best, he seems to be a very mediocre to poor referee. Even when you take away the Duncan episode. I'm just talking about on the court. He gets faked out by flops and he misses way too many calls.

 

People give him too much credit because he's been around for so long

 

His only real flaw is his incredible ego-centric sense of being part of the game. No other ref has ever made such a point to draw attention to himself. No other ref does things like his hopping tweet-tweet-tweet dance halfway up the court before calling a charge.

I reffed in college, and it was a cool experience because it brought me a new perspective on refs in basketball.

Two things that were drilled into me are things that Crawford throws right out the window:
1. You did a good job if no one notices you.
2. You can't have rabbit ears.

IIRC, the Duncan thing manifested from laughing about his stupid look at me antics. Crawford noticed them laughing and double T'ed them up over it.

I do have some respect for him, in the sense that he HATED Dick Bavetta and any other refs that didn't call the game straight.

 

In the article is says he broke a finger calling a tech a wee bit eccentrically lol. And he has also had a lot of psychotic problems, that can't be good.

 

It's ironic how all of that pretty much illiminates Crawford as a good ref. He tries to make the game about him and not the players, and no one calls games based on their emotions more than Joey Crawford.

Joey has never called the game straight. At times he makes calls against the home team just to prove he will go against the home crowd regardless of actuall foul and his emotional use of technical fouls should have him banned from the game. The issue with Tim Duncan in the play-offs and even when he tossed Steve Francis in a game in Utah (I think Stevie was kicking ass) for no reason is proof of why he should never be allowed to officiate a game.

All major sports have issues with officiating but NBA officiating is by for the worst of any major sport going.