Quote:
Originally posted by Goose
JR...
You do realize that you made my initial point. I said the NBA was the weaker sister, not necessarily becasue of bad referees, but because the league views "entertainment" over basketball. It does not "pay" to have the stars sit.
Point two clearly would indicate that this is the real reason why more good, great officials don't jump.
Ask any great college football official if they had the chance would they move to the NFL? Case closed! Ask any great college umpire if they got a call from MLB, would they go? Case closed. Now ask the great college referees if they got a call from the NBA if they would go?
Money? Prestige? Placement at the bottom? What gives? Many good officials will say they are content doing a good D1 schedule, but I can't imagine them not wanting to work the best basketball league in the world. That is, if it is indeed perceived as the best, and clearly it is not.
Maybe I'm over simplifiying it, but the NBA is reaping what it is sowing, and then crying about the lack of viewership while the NCAA eats the NBA for lunch.
Then Stern gets all in a tizzy becasue someone treads on the "integrity" of the NBA game....give me a break! Integrity left the game a long time ago.
goose
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Your theory that the NBA refs do not come from the college ranks does not hold water. Currently 65% of the NBA staff has come from the college ranks and many of their resumes read final fours, conference championships, NIT/NCAA tournament games. Pretty good pettidgree and flys in the face that some of the best college refs don't go pro. The staff can only be so big and some of the good NCAA refs don't fit the NBA "image" that they desire others have been college officials for so long that that is what they are comfortable with etc. The NBA is looking for good, fit (by their definition) etc.
For the record those referees with NCAA exp now working the NBA are as follows:
Bennie Adams, Gary Benson, Matthew Boland, Tony Brothers, James Capers, Jim Clark, Derrick Collins, Sean Corbin, Dan Crawford, Mark Davis, Joe Derosa, Kevin Fehr, Nolan Fine, Joe Forte, Sott Foster, Luis Grillo, David Jones, Anthony Jordan, Jess Kersey, Courtney Kirkland, Eric Lewis, Ed Malloy, Ken Mauer, Rodney Mott, Tommy Nunez, Ron Olesiak, Violet Palmer, Olandis Poole, Blane Reichelt, LeRoy Richardson, Phil Robinson, Eddie F. Rush, Michael Smith, Bill Spooner, Derrick Stafford, Scott Wall, Tom Washington, Greg Willard, Leon Wood and Zach Zarba.
Others come from fathers and brothers in the pro officiating business, Ron Garretson (His dad was a long time NBA official) Steve Javie (His dad worked 4 NFL Super Bowls), Joe Crawford (2 Brothers working MLB). These guys probably know something about officiating based on their pedigree.
The balance just did not list it on their resume because it was so long ago (i.e. Dick Bavetta, Bennett Salvatore) This is speculation on my part but you get the drift.
I was at a college camp last year and Joe Borja (sp?) was in attendance. Who do you think he was there to look at... the 16 year old players... no. He was there to scout the college officials and the up and coming talent.
I think you are grasping at straws with this argument. Just because Burr is an outstanding college official doesn't mean he fits the NBA mold while others do...