[Back In The Saddle]

Just a couple of thoughts about some recent comments:

Once they take the court, it is the official's game. That's not selfish, that's the way it has to be. A comptetitive contest, especially one as subjective as basketball, is only fun when both sides can depend on impartial judgements. The moment it appears that the decisions are being based on something other than the agreed upon rules, it begins to be less fun.

The problem with enforcing the spirit of the rules over the letter is that too often "the spirit of the rule" is in the eye of the beholder. Sure, there are some areas where we get widespread agreement. And there are cases where the team that would benefit agrees to set aside the letter. But for the most part, talk of the spirit of the rules is just a tactic to get one's way at the expense of the game.