[Sleeper]

I get tired of listening to talking heads and uneducated fans (not all fans, just the ones that don't understand the game) talk about the conspiracy that exists within the NBA. First and foremost, as a new official, it opened my eyes when I put on a whistle. This is with my dad having called for as long as I can remember. The rules are specific, and would be wonderful if administered in a vacuum. However, the nuances of the game, even at the level that I called this summer, provide very little opportunity for black and white enforcement. If you couple this with the speed of the game, you begin to empathize with what the NBA officials are going through. The angles are different that what is seen on TV and the decision has to be made in a split second, without the benefit of instant, slow motion replay or Bill Russell's expert advice. There are bad officals and there are "homers", but I am much less anxious to cast aspersions after having been on the floor. There are issues with the NBA and its officiating, but IMHO they have more to do with the front office than they do with the officials. We can add this to JFK, the Hollow Earth, Shadow People, The Pentaverit and all of the other conspiracy theories that allow people to occupy their time with non-productive activities.