There are enough threads in the Rockets forum right now that I figured I would start this in the NBA Dish. After Game 1, Dallas owner Mark Cuban did not claim referee bias against the Mavs, but alluded to it from certain referees by posting their "record" when officiating a Mavs playoff game. One or two refs if I recall were 0-5 or 0-6 and Joe Crawford, who took all the abuse from Mavs fans in Game 1, was like 5-3. There were even references to it in the Dallas Morning News. Today, that entry in his blog has mysteriously disappeared. http://www.blogmaverick.com/ Me thinks someone got a phone call.
Joey Crawford was the one who got involved in the thing with Avery Johnson late, where Avery got fined. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2005-04-25-coach-fined_x.htm
It was Joe Crawford. That's too funny, I was wondering last night if he would be forced to remove it.
I just noticed that a few minutes ago and was going to see if there was a post about it...damn hilarious.
...or maybe he read the box score for Game 1 and realized how ridiculous it must look to complain about the refereeing when your team shoots twice as many free throws as the opposition.
Found this in the "Notes" section of CBS Sportsline's recap: Mavs owner Mark Cuban posted on his blog Sunday the team's playoff record since 2002 based on who officiated each game. They came in 0-6 in games worked by Monday night's crew chief, Dan Crawford. They had at least one win for all other refs who worked at least three games. Dallas came in 1-3 under both of the other officials, Greg Willard and Mark Wunderlich.
Yeah, that was funny. Cuban cited the Mavs' record under Dan Crawford as 0-6, but it was actually Joe Crawford who lead that crew (5-3 for the Mavs). So it was a wee bit misinformation that just makes the Mavs look even dumber.
Whether or not this has anything to do with this series...I think that refs often tend to give breaks to teams that hustle and play good defense, rather than teams that gamble defensively and have a perimiter oriented offense such as the Mavs of previous years. The refs would never admit it, and might not even know they are doing it, but sometimes I find it to be true.
I think DHR may have a point - while I don't think the refs have it out for any particular team/player (except Yao, of course ), they may tend to blow the whistle more/less often on certain styles of play. I'd be really interested to see for each referee a log of their fouls with a description of the play that led to the foul. For example, when one defender makes mild contact with a shooter, are there refs who tend to wait and see whether the ball goes in before calling (or not calling) the foul? Do other refs tend to call fouls for specific types of offensive or defensive moves? Could be a fascinating study - if I had the time and a tape of every game.
And THAT might be the real reason it was taken down btw ....the boxscore lists Dan Crawford as the ref for Game 1 Joe Crawford is the one who looks like Uncle Fester right?
Joe Crawford Dan Crawford After carefully studying their pictures, I have decided to forgive Cuban. At first I believed he was trying to spin information and spread a lie by blaming the loss on the record of the crew chief (even though it was the wrong chief), I see now that ragingFire was correct, these guys just look way too much like twins to know the difference. By the way, I find it irresponsible that the press just publishes stuff without any research. I guess that can fly in politics and stuff, but this is basketball, so Let the Truth Be Told. Jeebus. Cuban blogs something idiotic and the press spreads it around. I don't give a flip that the boxscore says "Dan" instead of "Joe". I mean come on, there are other stories about the same game where Avery Johnson goes after the crew chief "Joe"...sigh. Edit: I retract my statements. It seems Cuban was blogging about Monday's game. Oops. But then again, Avery did blame the refs on Saturday's game in which they shot 40somewhat freethrows. Whatever, screw the Mavs. T-Mac, Yao, and the WPSS killed the Mavs on Monday, not the refs. Go Rockets!
sorry Kim, but that pic of Crawford pointing at Jason Kidd is a caption game pic if I've ever seen one...
Yahoo list Dan Crawford as doing both games. I thought it was Joe who did game 1. Games 1 - Officials: Dan Crawford, James Capers, Ken Mauer Games 2 - Officials: Dan Crawford, Greg Willard, Mark Wunderlich
Joey Crawford did game 1 and Cuban posted stats of his Mavs losing to Dan Crawford (0-6). Dan Crawford does game 2 and Cuban removes stats of his Mavs losing to Dan Crawford (0-6). Why? Because he is using the edit function ---> (0-7) Oh! The irony of Cubans blog....
Is that Craig Sager in the background of that pic with Danny Crawford. I ask because he's not wearing technicolor clothing. It could be Denny Crum, too, I guess.
