I know I've suggested this in about half my posts, but here goes again....
I don't have a single answer to your questions, but they lead me to believe that you would enjoy a book by the late Earl Strom entitled "Calling the Shots: My Five Decades in the NBA." It is out-of-print, but it can be found through
http://www.alibris.com.
Earl Strom was an NBA official for years and makes a surprising (for me) case in favor of adjusting the calls to suit star players.
Whether you agree with him or not, he offers great anecdotes and a clear love for the game and for officiating.
Quote:
Originally posted by Trayhezy
There are a million questions that can be asked as to why casual fans, players and coaches are more dissatisfied with the officiating in this league and on a wider basis than any other of the major sports.
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Upon what do you base this - just out of curiosity? (By the way, ever go to a youth hockey game in recent years? You want to see dissatisfaction?)
You might also enjoy the following articles that have been oft cited around here:
http://insider.espn.go.com/insider/story?id=1511196
http://espn.go.com/nba/columns/bucher_ric/1513723.html
http://espn.go.com/ncb/columns/bilas_jay/1510733.html
And stick around here for a while.... You'll find men and women of great integrity who will impress you with their dedication to fairness. This is the mentality of the vast majority of officials in my experience (as a long-time coach and official). I've seen a lot of very good and fairly poor officials, but I've honestly met very few who do not fit this mold of wanting to call games as honestly as possible.
Last thought: Watch 10 NBA games (or college, or high school, or eighth-grade girls). Write down the calls you think are wrong for one reason or another. Now, count for yourself which calls favor "your" team and which go against. We get emotional about our sports - that's why it's fun. But as an official, I've never had a coach or parent shout at me for a call that went in his or her team's favor - NEVER. Bias plays a role in our emotional response, but a lot of people seem never to separate that from their intellectual assessment. If officials are weaker in basketball than in other sports as you suggest may be the case, provide objective data that support the claim.
Hope this helps.
Joe