Van Gundy fined for comments about playoff officiating

[Goose]

Gee, I come back in here and find 7 pages worth of material. Some good and some not so good and that is partly my fault.

This will be my last post, unless someone wants to continue on a more civil note. I'd love to discuss this issue further, but I fear that things have gotten out of hand a little and I am to blame for some of that.

Anyway, with that said, I also should like to modify, retact, some of my statements about the NBA not getting any top college officials. I did not know that that many were now part of the league, although I do feel that the 10 or so is not nearly enough, it is a step in the right direction. I don't know what the percentage is, but anything under 50 percent is far to low for me, especially when the NBA should be the pinnicle of ones officiating career. As kids, we all wanted to end up in the majors etc. so why would it be any different being an official? We all want to work in the best league/level there is and I just don't see the NBA getting that respect.

At this point, there are only really three choices one can make in dealing with this issue. At least, I can only come up with three scenarios regarding the current state of the NBA in regards to the way the game is being officiated, or should I say, the perception of the way the NBA is officiated. This has been an issue since I can remember back in the 60’s, so it is something that has stuck rightly or wrongly over the years.

1.Scenario one states that generally speaking, officiating in the NBA is lacking. The officials let far to much go. As a result of letting them play, this has had the effect of watering down the league and in the eyes of many fans, has devalued the league when compared with officiating in the NFL or MLB. When comparing the officiating with the NFL, MLB and NHL, the NBA is perceived as the worst officiated of the 4 majors.

2.Scenario two states that in general, the league is officiated the way the league wants. In other words, the officials are competent, highly skilled, but are under guidelines dictated by the league office as to what to call and what to possibly pass on. The league wants a certain type of game and the officials are marching to that drumbeat.

3.Scenario three states that there is nothing wrong with the NBA. Bad officiating is only a perception which really has no merit once one understands the ins and outs of the game, specifically rule knowledge. Furthermore, what is perceived as bad officiating is due in part to the skill of the players. They are bigger, faster, etc. than they were 30 years ago and therefore, cannot be officiated in the same manner as say, D-1 college programs or the same way they did 30 years ago.

So, take you pick. My vote, not that anyone cares or that it matters in the least is no. 2. I think the ref's are doing what they are told, under the guidelines of the league office. The league wants a certain type of game and the officials work to that end. FWIW, I think that all the NBA officials are stuck between a rock and a hard place. I believe they are all skill and competent, but are at odds with what the league wants.

goose