Mark Cuban

[LarryS]

Originally posted by crew
when you make the statement that, "nba officials use the star system of officiating." this is a very strong statement. you are now stepping on the integrity of the hardest working officials in the world. the daily regiment of nba officials is very long-strenuous-and mentally difficult. these guys spend hours a day reviewing game tape watching web plays and taking tests on their website. they are even fined by the league office for missing a rule. do nba guys miss plays? certainly, for they are not perfect. i have had the plaesure of watching a post game tape with nba officials. most people would break down and cry to hear the things they say to themselves when they miss a play. they are very hard on themselves.

i believe that i have become a better official by watching numerous nba games as well as nc2a games. these guys are there for a reason-they are very good. and when you criticize them ask yourself 2 questions: why are they where they are? and, why am i where i am?

officiating is more than getting plays correct. it is game management, dealing with hostile coaches and players, and constant criticism from fans, coaches, players, and worst of all fellow officials.

Guys...I'm not saying that NBA officials are the dregs of the earth. I am saying the Cuban MAY have a point. If my boss wants something done a certian way, I'm gonna do it his way. I like my job, thank you very much.

I agree that everyone, especially me, can learn a lot just by watching them.

Crew,
Allow me to give you my answers to the two questions you asked?

1) Because they are excellent officials who want to be at that level. (But they are not perfect)

2) Because I just started and have no desire to ever call anything above HS varsity for 3 reasons. I enjoy the HS game and love working with "kids", I am already 44 and my job is not flexible enough to ever consider college or pro ball.

Doesn't mean I can't be an excellent official.

Let me ask you a question. Do you think they never give the benefit of the doubt to a star?

Is you answer yes, you don't think the "star system" exist. If you answer no, you just admitted it does at some level.

It may be because I'm new, but I saw a kid take his competition to school for 3 1/2 quarters the other night. Late in the 4th, it look like he traveled starting his move. I held the whistle because I thought I just didn't see it correctly. Is that a "star" getting the benefit of the doubt because he a taken this same defender about 15 times?

[Huskerblue]

Cuban is a MORON!!!!

[Oz Referee]

Here in Australia there have been several cases of Coaches and Owners gettign fines for comments about the referees. So the NBL (Australia's version of the NBA) has decided to air a live TV show with the head of referees, Australia's top referee, and a panel of 3 or 4 coaches, plus the two show hosts. All coaches will be able to submit comments/questions to the panel before the show is filmed, and for the duration of the show it will be open-slather, with no fines for commenting on the standard of the referees.

I'm not sure that I agree with the concept, but it should make for some interesting viewing!

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by LarryS


As for making Cuban disappear, when was the last time the league stripped the owner of a franchise? I don't see him selling anytime soon. If he "disappears", my guess would be that 50% of the disinterested observers of the NBA would instantly become "convinced" that Cuban was right and they had to shut him up.

There are a number of ways to disappear someone like Cuban
from an exclusive club. One way is to just fine the
sh1t out of him until he gets the message. At some point
the team will go up for sale, problem gone. I don't care
who you are and how much money you have, $500k is worth
thinking about.

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by Mark Padgett
If refs like Earl Strom, Jake O'Donnell and Richie Powers were still around, Mr. Cuban might wake up one morning with a horse's head in his bed.

Whine, whine, whine. Like the Fabulous Sports Babe would say: if you don't like the officiating, score more points.

Mr. Cuban would more likely leave the arena with a broken
nose.

[BBarnaky]

Dude you are so wrong. I have seen many times where refs made phantom calls and Cuban *****ed about it. He was right. You might not like his method, but he was right.

Do NBA officials miss plays? yes. Do NBA officials call week "and 1" plays? yes. Do NBA officials have a bad angle because they have a closed look as opposed to an open look or get "stacked" or "straight lined" and miss plays? Yes. Do NBA officials make "phantom foul" calls because it is a certain player going to the basket? Absolutely not. I do not agree.

Cuban can disagree with judgment all day. We can all debate that. As long as the judgment from the staff is consistent thus promoting consistency across the entire staff, then all is good.

I think your accusation that an NBA official makes a "phantom call" is unfounded and I would like some clear cut examples. I watch a lot of NBA officials very closely and have the utmost respect for them. They do a great job. Do they miss plays? Yes, sure they do they are human. But they don't call "phantom calls" based on preferential treatment of a certain player(s) or team(s).

[devdog69]

Originally posted by LarryS
As for taking money from Cuban, this guy made more than $500,000 since the moment the fine was handed down. Besides, I think he came out with his statement that most of the fine is going to Cancer Research in the name of Mrs. Nelson (who is starting her own fight with cancer after Don's fight last year). That PR move alone was worth 500k in advertising.
[/B]

Just FYI, Cuban's 500k fine goes to the league, what they do with it, I have no idea. He matches his fines in charitable donations, so he gave another 500k to charity, quite a lot of that went to Cancer Research in Mrs. Nelson's name. So it actually cost him a mill, which probably still isn't too much for him.

[LarryS]

Originally posted by devdog69

Just FYI, Cuban's 500k fine goes to the league, what they do with it, I have no idea. He matches his fines in charitable donations, so he gave another 500k to charity, quite a lot of that went to Cancer Research in Mrs. Nelson's name. So it actually cost him a mill, which probably still isn't too much for him. [/B]

You are correct. I messed up on that and didn't bother correcting it because the discussion was moving on the other areas of my post. He said last year (when the total of all fines was about $500k - and matched $ for $) that the money was nothing...he had plenty. Must be nice.

[DrakeM]

All money from fines goes to NBA charitites.

[Hawks Coach]

As for the reason Mark Cuban is the only 1 of 29 owners that actually says something, please refer to the $500K fine. Most fans who think Cuban is a moron only think that because they figure it's not worth half a mil to run your mouth, not because they think he's wrong. And I happen to agree that he is a real fool to blow money like that, regardless of whether or not he has a real issue worth pursuing. But he is not the only conspiracy theorist out there - remember the Bucks! Not saying he's right, but he is not the only one ever to raise a beef of this sort. Most owners/coaches/GMs just won't pay the fine, so they don't run their mouth.

It may well be that owners complain privately, that they take up issues out of the spotlight with the Commish and the officials, but they are forbidden from commenting publicly. But those are the rules of the club, so you either follow them or pay the price.

Also, I am not convinced that a renegade will be able to be forced from the club - look at Al Davis. Different circumstances, but you gotta bet that the NFL has wished him gone on more than one occasion.

[Peter Devana]

I know one of his players personally and he says the team loves the guy!!

[Hawks Coach]

There are some rumors that the league may up the ante in the Cuban fine department - removal of draft pikcs. This would be a "force out" in old hoop terms.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/690057.asp

[Brian Watson]

Worked a local rec league game last night with an older ref. We will just gloss him "byron", since this was the style shirt he wore.

Middle of the first half (2 18 min running clock halfs)...guy calls a "force out". My skin tried to turn inside out.

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by Hawks Coach
There are some rumors that the league may up the ante in the Cuban fine department - removal of draft pikcs.

Although this is severe, it's not unheard of, I think. Didn't the T-wolves lose some draft picks, among other things, b/c of the "secret contract" they had with Joe Smith? I remember McHale got suspended from the team for (I think) a whole year b/c of that deal.

Chuck

[Hawks Coach]

Yes, the penalty has been assessed in the past. But the case you cite is one of the penalty fitting the crime - you got a player you should not hve signed, we will now deny you players you should be able to sign. Taking draft picks for ref criticism would be completely unprecedented, and I think it would also be clear that the league was not trying to just punish, but to get rid of Cuban. Obviously, the billionaire baby can pay 1/2 mil fines for a long time before it causes him to change zip codes.