Are NBA refs biased?

[Texas Aggie]

Here's the meat of the study:

The researchers looked at six seasons of turnover statistics. They used ones where referees wield relatively little influence, such as a bad pass or steal, as a "control" group, and compared them with ones where referees wield greater influence, such as traveling and offensive fouls.

The researchers found that each type of favoritism -- home, trailing in a game and trailing in a series -- resulted in a 5 to 10 percent advantage in "discretionary" turnovers, or ones over which referees have the most influence.

I've never really thought to compare a team's propensity to travel or pick up a charge to their getting the ball stolen or throwing it out of bounds (if in the control group). I'm as huge a critic of the NBA's officiating system as anyone -- I think its a joke -- but I can't necessarily agree that a 5 to 10 percent difference in these so-called discretionary vs. non-discretionary items means much of anything.

They should have hired 3 or 4 retired college officials with no NBA experience as consultants.