I rarely get worked up like this, but the refs are getting way out of hand. As long as David Stern and Ed Rush coddle these small people with large egos, they will become emboldened, and become even more unbearable. The question is, how do we get the NBA's attention, without hurting the Rockets? I know boycotts are overutilized and not really that effective, but what if we just stopped tuning into the NBA on NBC and TNT? They pulled Rockets games from their schedule anyway. Of course, we would need a sort of organized "petition" with a HUGE HUGE HUGE list of fans who just aren't going to watch anymore. And who actually don't. It's unrealistic to expect us to not tune in to Rockets games, but maybe not watching the rest of the NBA will get their attention, and spur David Stern into action. Maybe with the recent Mark Cuban publicity, we can raise the issue of "the integrity of the game" and force the NBA to improve their product. That there are even questions about the integrity of the game should be a red flag for David Stern. If there is a drop in national TV ratings, maybe that will be the impetus that spurs Stern into action. Comments?
I dont think not watching the games will effect the game as much as not attending the games. I know its inpossable to have a complete ban of attending NBA games but it would relly be nice right now
It's about the Rockets so this forum is appropriate. I really dont know how we, the fans, can affect the referreing. That, unfortunately, is why the NBA has gone from great to mediocre. If Stern still knew what he was doing, he'd be seriously worried about even just a small minority of fans (like some of those on this BBS) who are so angered by the lack of officiating that they no longer care for the game. Instead, I think he has put himself above the game and ruined it. Attention to detail on their part would help a lot. Some changes I would like to see them make. 1) Add more female refs - I dont know why, but I feel like they call a cleaner, more traditional games 2) Put a limit on the number of years a ref can officiate - Only a fortunate few players make it past 10 years in the league. Refs shouldnt go that long. Why? They get "used to" the way players play. It's the same reason jurors who are predisposed can't be selected. The way a player plays should have no bearing on the officiating. 2a) Hire more young refs - With all the bad calls in tonights game, that moving pick violation on Karla where he picked a someone over about a 10 foot span was refreshing. I'm glad that young ref had the guts to make the right call. 3) Publicly announce referee punishments - The NBA needs to admit that the refs are human. They make mistakes too. Not only did the Rockets lose this game, Francis gets fined, losing money. Officials should be as well. 4) Review officiating more often - Each official should be reviewed after every game and a scoresheet could be made up (how many calls did he accurately make in hindsight, how many obvious ones did he blow, what effect did he have on the game that he shouldnt have...I realize hindsight is 20/20, but that is the only way to judge performance). If possible, I think the public should see these scorecards, but I know that would never happen. 5) Instant replay - I dont understand to downside to this. Use a timeout system like in the NFL. It really shouldnt take more than a minute or two. The most realistic system would be to only have calls that were made checked. Although it would be even better to be able to replay missed calls, this could impact the flow of hte game in that if no foul occurred, a fast break, etc might have been stopped for no reason. Then again, limiting the number of instant replays per team (i.e. 1 per half) and tying it to timeouts would prevent teams from using them frivously. 6) Have robotic refs - In a dream world, robots or cameras covering every angle on the court and connected to the scoreboard/sound system would be the always right ref. I can dream cant I I really dont know if any of these are good ideas (I've barely thought about them) or how the fans could get some of these changes implemented, though.
We really don't have any influence, do we? We can write letters that go unanswered, express our dissatisfaction on radio, TV, newspaper, and Clutchcity.net, but nothing ever happens. It's impractical to have fans unionize, or strike, or picket, or mount any sort of protest. I just see this trend with referees continuing, and there's really no effective way to voice our displeasure.
SUPPORT MARK CUBAN.. I EMAILED HIM AND THIS IS WHAT HE SAID! call the rockets and tell them that as customers of the team, you demand they support my efforts and ask the nba to publicly show how they will improve the officiating Thanks !
