Nature Vs. Nurture: Refferee in the NBA

NEP_blazers — Wed, 28 May 2008 22:41:29 -0000

Everyone is talking about the non-call of last night's Western Conference Finals Game 4, when Brent Barry appeared to be fouled in the closing seconds of the game by Derek fisher. No fould was called even though there was obvious contact made when Derek Fisher fell for a Brent Barry pump-fake. After the game Barry and Popovich claimed that they agree with the non-call at that stage of a big game.

Do you? Do you subscribe to the notion that at it's core basketball is the hardest professional game to referee, and thus scrutinizing non-calls, poor calls, etc. is an act contrary to the nature of the game? Or do you honestly believe that the current state of refereeing is greatly flawed, and that the system of teaching the technique of refereeing NBA games is underdeveloped and neglected by David Stern and the NBA?

As a giant fan of the TrailBlazers, yet a true fan of the game of basketball, I often watch NBA games without a rooting interest in either teams playing (unless the Blazers are one of the two teams on the floor, of course). People ask me who I want to win, and I often respond "I don't care. I just want to watch a good game". This means I want it to be close, but mostly that I want it to be sane... which I struggle to find in most NBA games anymore as a result of way too many poor calls and/or non-calls made by refs.

It just seems so simple to me: Here are the rules. They have been created to make this a perfect and fair game. If any one of these rules is broken at any time during the game, blown the whitsle.

I agree that the game is very hard to get right all the time, and that certain rules are flawed in themselves, and that referee are only human... but come on! Am I the only one cringe-ing every time I try to sit down and watch a NBA game because of the refs? Am I the only one who thinks that David Stern needs to institute a new school when it comes to establishing high-quality referees?

Last night there was time on the clock when Derek Fisher jumped into the air after falling for a pump-fake and landed on Brent Barry as he was moving to his right to put up a shot. Derek Fisher commited a foul when he did this. BLOW THE WHISTLE. Black-and-white.

Poll

What is the source of these controversies? "Nature"- at it's core the sport is too hard to be refereed any better, or "Nurture"- the NBA doesn't proerlly train and develop thier referees

NATURE

8 votes

NURTURE

14 votes

22 votes | Poll has closed

SB Nation User Blog: NEP_blazers

Nature Vs. Nurture: Refferee in the NBA

What is the source of these controversies? "Nature"- at it's core the sport is too hard to be refereed any better, or "Nurture"- the NBA doesn't proerlly train and develop thier referees

NATURE

NURTURE