http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/61492/20090908/nba_could_use_replacements_refs/ Say what?! Is this a good or bad thing?
Look at it this way - at least replacement refs will be coming in with blank slates. Some current refs have decades of grudges built up against some players and coaches.
The people trying to convince themselves that replacement refs will be better than the regular ones, are sorely mistaken. We've done this before, and there was a clear drop off.
Indeed; there were a lot more games where the refs simply lost control of the situation, and it became a series of phantom makeup calls for horrible calls that came before. It was definitely worse than the reffing at the time, but the more I think about it, it was probably on par with the reffing today.
I remember it differently. The replacement refs did suck as bad as the current crop of fools just in a decidedly different way. The one thing they did less of was the horrific bullshit of the star call. That was refreshing to me as a fan.
I completely agree. In fact I would go so far as to say if I didn't see the current refs again, I wouldn't be heart broken. Just to know that the whole crew that was around when Donaghy was reffing would make me feel much better about the situation.
I remember a replacement ref blowing the whistle when Calvin Natt fouled someone, and the ref called the foul on another Blazer who already had four or five fouls, and Natt told him "hey, that was on me." The ref said something back to Natt, and Natt started walking towards the ref, pointing at him. The ref put up both hands and nearly fell over he was backpedaling so fast.
The NBA ruined a great opportunity to reform the reffing after the Donaghy scandal. The refs need to be under a different organization from the NBA like FIBA or whatever the colleges do.
Agreed. Different organization, and more transparent. The NBA said the reffing would be more transparent after the Donaghy episode, but it hasn't. How about the NBA refs have to show up to get grilled by the press after each game just like the players and coaches do.
