NBA FanHouse

No Call for LeBron, No Win for Cavs

Brett Pollakoff — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:05:00 EST

Filed under: Bulls, Cavaliers, NBA Last Night, NBA Referees, NBA Videos

The Bulls went into Cleveland on Thursday and pulled out a hard-fought win over the Cavaliers. It was a low-scoring, defensive struggle, as neither team shot the ball very well, so it's not surprising that the game came down to the final play.

LeBron James drove to the basket with three seconds left and his team trailing by one, and was met by two defenders when he got there -- Luol Deng, who was guarding him from the play's outset, and Joakim Noah, who came over to help at the last second. James appeared to jump into Noah, and there was definitely contact. But somewhat incredibly, the refs swallowed their whistles, and the Bulls won the game.

Was it the right call? Read on and judge for yourself.

The action starts at the 2:25 mark:

It's not that I necessarily think that a foul should have been called there, and in fact, I'm of the opinion that the refs should let the players decide the game whenever possible, and only intervene in the closing seconds if the call is an obvious one.

But watching this as it happened, I think anyone who's seen LeBron drive like that and get contact on the final possession was stunned to see the officials not blow the whistle. LeBron, like most of the game's biggest stars, will historically get that call 98 times out of 100, even if it's a questionable one.

Mike Brown's discussion of the no-call seemed to back up the officials, although he believed that Noah might have been still on the move when the contact was made.

"I still don't understand that rule," Brown said. "I thought [LeBron] drove the ball, and Noah came across the paint, and as he came across the paint he jumped. I understand the rule of verticality as if you're in the spot, and you jump straight up and somebody runs into you, then it's a no-call.

"But I've got to find out if you're going across the lane and you meet somebody on the other side ... I don't know."

Fortunately in this case, the refs did know, and appeared to make the correct call. It will be interesting to see if the early-season trend of the officials favoring the rules over the game's stars will continue as the season goes on.

No Call for LeBron, No Win for Cavs originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: NBA Adjusts Officiating Policy

Matt Moore — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Gambling, NBA Referees

On Thursday, a memo from the NBA to all 30 teams was leaked and subsequently reported on by Chris Sheridan of ESPN and tweeted about by Chris Mannix of SI. The purpose of the memo was to reiterate a "no-tipping" policy regarding officials and arena or locker room personnel.

Long story short, backstage personnel have long done favors and personal errands for officials before and after games, and in the latest CBA negotiations, a policy was put in place to end it. The memo clearly states that the league does not feel the pre-existing actions have tampered with games, but a conclusion was reached to eliminate it regardless.

"This is an important change to the CBA," the memo states, as reported by ESPN. "While we do not believe that the pre-existing practice of tipping locker room attendants has affected the integrity of the officiating in any way, it could be perceived in a negative light, and it is therefore best to eliminate this practice."

Any other week, this would appear as an act of due diligence and a progressive move by the league to remove negative perceptions about the officials and get in front of any concerns. Unfortunately, this week it looks a little odd.

Earlier this week, Tim Donaghy's expose book on the alleged shady life and times of NBA officials was leaked to Deadspin. The book was pulled from planned publication by Random House following pressure from the league, although Donaghy is trying to find another publisher.

Many have dismissed the excerpts as the inflammatory, exaggerated ramblings of a dirty official trying to generate enough income to scrape a life back together after his stint in prison. The league has done very little to even acknowledge the book, and it is well on its way to fading into obscurity in the annals of league conspiracy theories.

One of the traditions mentioned in the excerpts was that the refs would play a game where the first official to give a technical to one of the league's "bad boys" wouldn't have to tip the ball boys that night. Since the refs use the ball boys as their personal runners prior to games -- fetching snacks and drinks, running errands -- the refs would usually tip the ball boys. That makes sense. Making bets during games with that tip being the payoff does not make sense. Anything that creates what legal code usually refers to as "consideration" in how they officiate would cross that line into where the simple bets influence the games.

The memo clearly states that this decision was reached during the CBA negotiations, which was before the book excerpts were leaked to Deadspin. So this isn't a direct response to those allegations, as we previously reported. However, in the harsh light of PR, this doesn't come across great.

The fact that this policy touches an issue directly that Donaghy mentions gives the impression that the two are directly related, even though the timeline shows that the policy was established before the book publicly leaked. Unfortunately, the appearance is that the league is adjusting a policy in light of the attempted rabble-rousing by their disgraced former employee. By all accounts this was less of a poorly executed cover-up and simply a case of poor timing. And that's if you believe Donaghy's claims at all.

You're going to have a hard time finding NBA league insiders who think that Donaghy's claims have any real sense of truth to them. They may be able to paint a certain image using strategically manipulated context, but they don't actually reveal any smoking guns. But if the league is planning on sending out any more memos on officiating behavior, they might want to wait a while until Donaghy has slipped back into the darkness of irrelevance, which should be in about, oh, 10 minutes or so.

Note: this post was edited to reflect the inclusion of the tipping policy in the referees' CBA with the league.

Report: NBA Adjusts Officiating Policy originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA's Refs to Return for Season Opener

Tim Povtak — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Referees

Fans can wave goodbye in these last few exhibition games to the replacement officials who will disappear quietly at the end of the week.

The NBA's regular, locked-out referees will be back on the job for the start of the season Tuesday after a labor agreement was reached this week between the league and the union's executive committee.

It won't become official until Friday when the 57 tenured referees ratify the deal in a union meeting, but they all are making arrangements today to attend a training camp Saturday, Sunday and Monday in New Jersey.

"Yes, it's done,'' said one source very close to the negotiations who asked that his name not be used. "They're coming back to work. That was the goal all along.''
Howard Beck of the New York Times first reported Tuesday that a tentative agreement had been reached.

There are four NBA games scheduled for Tuesday, and regular officials are expected to be working all four games. The replacement officials have worked the entire exhibition schedule after the league locked out union officials, who have been without a contract since Sept. 1. Most of the replacements were from the NBA Development League and the WNBA.

A meeting Tuesday in New York that included both Lamell McMorris, the union's chief negotiator, and David Stern, the NBA Commissioner, sealed the deal.

"That's when it all got done,'' said the source.

The NBA, the players and the coaches had been growing increasingly nervous about the prospect of starting this much anticipated season with officiating crews that have struggled to keep the games flowing smoothly. To their defense, though, exhibition games almost always look sloppy.

The two sides almost struck a deal last month, but a late executive board reversal against it, and an overwhelming "No" vote by membership, killed the early settlement.

The last time the league started a regular season without union officials was during the 1995-96 season. They were expected to avoid a major problem during this negotiating session because they already had agreed to salary proposals. The biggest stumbling block was severance pay and pension plans.

NBA's Refs to Return for Season Opener originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: NBA, Refs Close to a Deal

Brett Pollakoff — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Referees

The labor dispute between the NBA and its referees may come to an end later this week, and the regular season may start with the regular referees calling the games.

According to a report from Howard Beck of the New York Times, negotiators for both sides agreed to the basics of a new deal on Tuesday, and it's one that's expected to be ratified by the referees' union when they vote on it later this week.

The money quote from the Times piece:

... the new agreement, reached during a meeting at the N.B.A.'s Midtown Manhattan offices on Tuesday, was intended to meet the referees' remaining concerns, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations.

"It's highly likely the referees will be back on the court in time for the season,'' the person said.

This is excellent news for anyone who follows the league in any capacity, as officiating -- even when done by those with many years of experience at the NBA level -- is often a controversial topic. No one wanted to see regular season games marred by the additional foul calls and situational uncertainty that has clouded some of the contests during the preseason.

If all goes as planned and the original referees are indeed installed in time for next week's season-opening slate, then David Stern's tough stance -- which might have been an effort to strike a little fear into the players' union in advance of their upcoming negotiations two years from now -- will have worked to perfection, without sacrificing the integrity or outcomes of any regular season games.

Report: NBA, Refs Close to a Deal originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Can the NBA Fine Maccabi's Coach?

Tom Ziller — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:38:00 EST

Filed under: Knicks, Euroleague, NBA Referees, NBA Videos

I don't believe David Stern has jurisdiction over the entire basketball world; it just seems like that's the case occasionally. It'd be silly to think, however, that Stern won't have words with leaders of Euroleague and the Israeli Basketball Association after Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Pini Gershon held up his team's exhibition game against the Knicks in Madison Square Garden for nearly 10 minutes by refusing to leave the court when an NBA replacement referee ejected him.

As Gershon made his point, drawing NBA security officials over to plead for his cooperation, the crowd (and Knicks) waited. Eventually, a prominent Israeli rabbi (!) convinced Gershon to leave the court so the game could resume. The New York Post suggests Knicks prez Donnie Walsh left the Garden infuriated at the behavior. I can't imagine Stern -- who bristles at any criticism of any refs the league employs -- felt differently.

But Maccabi in particular remains a huge draw as the first team of Israel. The Kings are in the planning stages to hold an exhibition in Tel Aviv next fall, with rookie Omri Casspi -- who in a few weeks will become the first Israeli to play in the NBA -- as the connection. Stern will likely do little more than politely ask future visiting teams to respect NBA officials, whether they are replacements or not.

Can the NBA Fine Maccabi's Coach? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Collects $120K from Brown, Bobcats

Matt Watson — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:10:00 EST

Filed under: Bobcats, NBA Referees

Earlier this week, the NBA fined Washington's Gilbert Arenas $25,000 for refusing to speak; today, it fined Larry Brown and the Bobcats a combined $120,000 for Brown talking too much. Brown hasn't been happy with the NBA's replacement referees all preseason, and his frustration boiled over on Monday when he was ejected from Charlotte's game against the Hawks in a contest that featured 61 fouls and five total technical fouls.

The next day, Brown vented about the disjointed flow of the game, although to be fair he seemed to put just as much blame on the NBA rule book and his own players' mistakes as he did the replacement referees.

Nevertheless, the NBA wasn't in the mood to split hairs, giving Brown and the Bobcats matching $60,000 fines -- $35,000 for the ejection and $25,000 for the complaints. If the fines collected were actually used to close the gap between what the NBA league is offering the regular referees and what the regular referees are asking, I think Brown would agree it's money well spent. Unfortunately, that's not how things work, so this might be the last time Brown speaks his mind anytime soon.

NBA Collects $120K from Brown, Bobcats originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Larry Brown, Replacement Refs Don't Mix

Brett Pollakoff — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Bobcats, NBA Referees, NBA Coaches

An hour before the Phoenix Suns were set to play their first preseason game of the year, I asked the team's head coach, Alvin Gentry, how he felt about the prospect of replacement referees calling the games. His response?

"You think I'm touching that one?" Gentry joked. "You want to see the memo I got from the league?"

Actually, I did, but he didn't have it handy. The point was, replacement referees are a touchy subject, and complaints about them were supposed to be kept to the bare minimum by team personnel.

Apparently, Larry Brown didn't get the memo. Because he flipped out and was ejected by the replacement refs during his Bobcats' preseason game Monday night against the Atlanta Hawks.

Brown had enough with just over three minutes to play in the third quarter, when a referee asked security to escort him from the floor after a second technical foul for arguing one of the 61 fouls that were called on the night. That's the funny part, actually -- Brown, being a veteran coach who has been thrown out of plenty of games in his career, left on his own accord, and didn't need a security guard to show him where the locker room was.

But this doesn't erase the fact that the league is going to have a real problem on its hands the longer the replacement officials are allowed to call these games. While they're certainly adhering to the rule book and, for the most part, calling the game by the letter of the law, the replacements are almost definitely violating the spirit of the law, by killing any flow at all by not knowing when to make a call, and when to allow play to continue without a whistle.

There's a rhythm to NBA basketball, and for as much scrutiny that's given to the officiating, it's truly an art to try and call the games evenly for both sides, while still making sure that all of the rules are sufficiently enforced.

It's clear that the replacement officials were instructed to simply call everything, but it's equally clear that this isn't the best way for the referees to run a professional basketball game.

The best solution for everyone would be for David Stern to come to his senses, and give the referees' union the relatively small concessions it's seeking before the start of the regular season. If that can't be accomplished, then he at least needs to tell the replacement officials to loosen up a bit, and allow the game to be played as it was intended, and not with multiple whistles being blown for every minute of game action that we're seeing on the court.

Larry Brown, Replacement Refs Don't Mix originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Replacement Refs Struggle in Detroit

Matt Watson — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:45:00 EST

Filed under: Bucks, Heat, Pistons, NBA Referees

For the second game in a row, replacement officials have completely botched routine free-throw procedures in Detroit.

During Monday's game between the Pistons and the Heat, the referees failed to whistle a dead ball after Ben Wallace tossed up an air ball on a free-throw attempt in the first half. Worse yet, in the fourth quarter, the officials allowed Will Bynum, a career 77.8% shooter from the stripe, to shoot free throws for Maceo Baston, only realizing their mistake after Miami's bench complained when Bynum drained them both. After conferring, the officials took the points off the board and sent Baston to the line, where he missed both attempts.

Bynum pleaded innocence after Monday's game, telling FanHouse he heard a referee tell him to take the line. From the officials' perspective, I'm not sure what's worse: Bynum telling a fib, which shows how easily they were fooled; or Bynum telling the truth, which proves that all three refs weren't on the same page. Either way, it looks bad ... but not as bad as what happened Wednesday.

From the recap:

Ersan Ilyasova was fouled while shooting a jumper and awarded two free throws. During the next timeout, more than 90 seconds later, the officials decided he had been taking a 3-pointer, and gave him another shot.

He made it, but [Tayshaun] Prince pointed out that the error was only correctable within 24 seconds, so the point was taken away from Milwaukee.

``I told him that they couldn't change it after five minutes or whatever it was, and he said 'yeah, you're right,''' Prince said. ``Then I had to remind him to tell the scorer's table to take it back off the board.''

So the refs not only blew the initial call, but they didn't know how to fix their mistake, needing a player to set them straight. For some reason, I'm thinking Steve Javie or Dan Crawford gets that right the first time.

Will embarrassing miscues like these force the NBA into a corner and lead to a new deal being struck with the regular referees? Perhaps, but even if a new contract is signed before the start of the regular season, it may be a coincidence.

One popular theory among NBA folk is that the league isn't as concerned about forcing the referees' union into making concessions so much as proving to the players' union that they're willing to play hardball once it comes time to negotiate their deal. It's a risky maneuver from a public relations standpoint, but the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced it's possible.

Consider this: if I didn't tell you about the mistakes made by the replacement crews, would you have heard about them? Hardly anyone attends these games -- arenas are generally half full, regardless of reported attendance figures -- and most teams only have two or three preseason games televised. TV highlights are distilled to a handful of key plays, and sports talk radio is dominated by football and MLB playoffs.

In other words, your average fan won't have a clue how awful the stand-in officials are until the regular season, and even then there's a grace period of at least a month before casual fans really start paying attention, meaning David Stern can make his stand now without massive public outcry. If the interim weren't so abysmal for those of us paying attention, I'd almost say the strategy is genius.

Replacement Refs Struggle in Detroit originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shaq's Debut Overshadowed by Delonte West, Replacement Officials

Chris Tomasson — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:45:00 EST

Filed under: Bobcats, Cavaliers, NBA Referees

CLEVELAND -- The Shaq show was overshadowed.

Center Shaquille O'Neal made his preseason debut for Cleveland on Tuesday night, looking good in a 92-87 win over Charlotte at Quicken Loans Arena. But most of the talk after the game centered on Delonte West's continued troubles and Bobcats coach Larry Brown's frustration with replacement officials.

A source said after the game that West will not be at Cavaliers practice Wednesday, and it's possible his absence could continue beyond that. The source said he will be in the Washington D.C. area Wednesday to address legal matters concerning his Sept. 17 arrest in Maryland after police said he was pulled over for speeding on a motorcycle while carrying two loaded handguns and a loaded shotgun in a guitar case.

Cavaliers 92, Bobcats 87: Box Score
SI.com: Cavs Reveal Their Depth in Preseason Opener

Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry declined comment to FanHouse after the game. But the team is expected to have a statement Wednesday on West.

West, who hasn't talked to reporters since the team's media day Sept. 28, got testy before the game when reporters attempted to interview him, and wouldn't comment. Cavaliers coach Mike Brown had said before the game West would play and he warmed up, but he wasn't used nor was even on the bench.

"Delonte is going through a process right now, but, while he's going through that process, we're trying to use all the resources that we have available to help him through it."
- Cavs coach Mike Brown "Danny approached me and told me that he wasn't going to play,'' Brown said. "It was his decision he did not want him to play. ... Delonte is going through a process right now, but, while he's going through that process, we're trying to use all the resources that we have available to help him through it. It's going to take a little bit of time, but we have the patience to deal with it.''

West missed a game that featured a total of 55 fouls called by replacement officials, with Cleveland shooting 41 free throws to Charlotte's 24. Larry Brown got a technical in the final minute of the third quarter for arguing a call on a Bobcats player, and continued to ride the officials the rest of the game.

"They're learning,'' the Charlotte coach said about the replacement officials, who are working preseason games while the regular officials are locked out. "They're trying to get better. This is not an easy game to officiate. All you want as a coach is consistency, but this is not an easy thing for them. We have the best officials in all of sports, and this is the way it is.''

The negativity overshadowed the first game with Cleveland for O'Neal, acquired during the summer from Phoenix. Playing only the first half, O'Neal totaled six points, three rebounds and a block in 16 minutes. His new sidekick, Cavaliers star LeBron James, had 15 points while also only playing the first half.

Mike Brown ended up using 18 of the 20 players on his roster. The only ones who didn't play were Leon Powe, out following knee surgery, and West.

It remains to be seen when West might play again. He had unexcused absences from two-a-day practices Sept. 29 and Sept. 30 before returning Oct. 1. West did not make the trip to Akron, Ohio, for a team scrimmage last Saturday.

"We have a nice support system around him,'' said Mike Brown. "He has a nice support system back at home in place. I'm confident that he's going to utilize it just like he did last year. And things will get him back on track, and he'll do what he needs to do to keep himself right first because that's more important than this game.''

West, who has a bipolar disorder, last year missed 12 days of the Cavaliers' training camp to seek treatment for depression and a "mood disorder'' he said he has battled his entire life.

"I'm not really thinking about that, sitting back and, 'Well how much time is he going to need,''' said Mike Brown. "If he needs some time, then we'll have to sit back and have to talk about it. Danny has been involved with this process this whole time. I've just gotten updates.''

Meanwhile, the games continue. And at least O'Neal wasn't critical of the replacement officials after his Cavaliers debut.

"They're out they're working hard,'' O'Neal said. "They did a fabulous job. The (locked-out) refs want their business handled a certain way. The great (NBA commissioner) David Stern wants his business handled a certain way. Hopefully, they can come to some type of medium. I thought the officials -- I don't want to call them replacement officials because they're in the same program as all the veterans -- did a nice job. But hopefully the real referees will come back because this is an important season for a lot of people and we want everything done right. We want everybody that's supposed to be in place to be in place.''

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com.

Shaq's Debut Overshadowed by Delonte West, Replacement Officials originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA's Expanded Instant Replay Rules Makes Sense

Tom Ziller — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Referees

I'm not the type of fan who bemoans expanded replay use. It does slow down the game, and can kill a team (or both teams') flow. But considering the importance of winning, and the innate challenges of officiating basketball, anything that can help the referees should be implemented, so long as games don't begin stretching to four hours.

I don't think the new instant replay rules will tack on too much time; they make complete sense. Referees can now consult replay to decide whether a shot got off or foul was committed before a shot clock violation occurred. And in the final two minutes of regulation or in overtime, referees can consult the tape to see who last touched the ball before it went out-of-bounds.

These situations will occur rarely -- no more than once a game on average for the shot clock rule, and less frequently for the out-of-bounds scenario. And if it saves just one mistakenly lost game, it'll be worth any time concessions.

NBA's Expanded Instant Replay Rules Makes Sense originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite Denver's Trickery, Replacement Refs Decent in Debut

Chris Tomasson — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:30:00 EST

Filed under: Jazz, Nuggets, NBA Referees

SALT LAKE CITY -- It seemed as good of a time as any to test these rookies.

Thursday's preseason opener marked the first NBA game for three replacement officials. The Denver Nuggets didn't wait long before resorting to some trickery.

Late in the first half of their 103-87 loss to Utah at EnergySolutions Arena, Nuggets forward Renaldo Balkman was fouled, and timeout was called. After the timeout, rather than have Balkman, a 53.6 percent career free-throw shooter, go to the line, up stepped Nuggets guard Arron Affalo, a 79.7-percent career marksman.

Thankfully, the replacements caught it and ordered Balkman to the line. If not, they might have been replaced.

"It works in high school,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said of the old trick. "I don't think it's ever worked (in the NBA).'

Not that anybody is going to make a movie about them called The Replacements (wait a minute, that title already has been taken), but overall it wasn't too bad of a night for the substitute teachers. They have been called in to work games with the regular officials locked out after failing to agree to NBA-desired monetary concessions.

So the main attractions Thursday weren't necessarily No. 15, Denver forward Carmelo Anthony, or No. 5, Utah forward Carlos Boozer. They were No. 129, Tre Maddox, No. 110, Deldre Carr, and No. 158, C.J. Washington.

Considering rookie officials historically wear higher numbers, it's a general NBA rule that if the numbers of the three officials add up to be well over 100, it's going to be a long night. But no one had ever seen a game when the numbers of the three officials added up to 397.

"One hundred thousand, five hundred and six, he was good,'' joked Boozer after the game when asked about an official he thought did well.

Actually, Boozer liked how all three performed.

"I was impressed by the refs,'' Boozer said. "They called a fair game. They weren't intimidated by us. I thought they had their composure. They made their calls, and they were confident. ... The good thing about it also is we can talk to them. You could ask them, 'What did I do wrong?' They'll tell you what you did wrong and you move forward.''

The referees earned some respect in another way. The NBA rolled out three young NBADL officials, none of whom even had done an NBA preseason game before, who appeared in better shape than some of the players.

"When was the last time you saw three officials with size-32 waists?'' quipped former NBA coach Tom Nissalke, now an analyst for a Salt Lake City sports radio station.

But, while the referees looked sleek, it must be said that not every call was. In the third quarter, Carr called Utah forward Paul Millsap for a block on Anthony that even Anthony admitted "probably'' should have been a charge.

Minutes earlier, though, a break had gone against the Nuggets. Center Nene was called by Maddox, the crew chief, for a foul on Boozer even though it appeared he got all ball.

"I don't want to be fined in the preseason,'' said Nene, who in the second quarter also didn't like being called for a foul on a three-point attempt by Utah guard C.J. Miles, although that one looked legitimate.

But even Utah coach Jerry Sloan and Karl, who have been known to grumble plenty, both said the officials were "fine.''

"We were worse than they were,'' said Karl, whose Nuggets had 27 turnovers.

The Nuggets also had 39 fouls while the Jazz had 30. Yes, these officials weren't letting a lot go.

``They did what they were supposed to do. They're getting a lot of attention, a lot of pressure is on them. They don't need us to grade them. They already got that."
- Carmelo Anthony, on the replacement refs In the fourth quarter, when Denver rookie Ty Lawson was slow in tucking his jersey in while entering the game, the Nuggets were called for delay of game. Since they already had gotten a warning, that was a technical foul.

"They got a lot of pressure on them,'' Anthony said of the replacement officials. "But what they did was ref the game. They did what they were supposed to do. They're getting a lot of attention, a lot of pressure is on them. They don't need us to grade them. They already got that.''

You better believe they do. The NBA, which does not make officials available after the game unless it is to discuss a rules interpretation to a pool reporter, had an observer on hand, which is standard for every game.

But the NBA also had a representative from the league's referee operations department on hand. Such representatives rarely come to preseason games and only attend about 10 percent of regular-season games. But the NBA is sending about a half-dozen of them to nearly every preseason game.

"I thought the officials did a really good job (Thursday),'' said Nissalke, who was Cleveland's head coach when replacements were used in 1983-84 and a Denver assistant when they called upon in 1995-96. "I liked their mechanics. It's a lot easier when they're working as a three-man team (compared to 1995-96, when two-man crews were used for the great majority of the approximately 40 regular-season days regular officials were out).

"But the game is going to be a lot different when they get to the regular season. Some of the guys might not be tough enough to handle the pressure. Jerry is usually always on the officials, but Jerry got up one time (Thursday).''

At least the officials didn't have to deal with feisty Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin on Thursday. Martin, who earlier this week said he anticipated games with replacements would be "terrible,'' sat out with a minor leg injury.

There certainly was no animosity from the Jazz at the start. Utah forward Andrei Kirilenko, who said it's something he always does, sought out the officials to shake their hands. One seemed quite surprised Kirilenko would walk half the length of the floor to greet him.

"I was trying to keep it light,'' Kirilenko said.

It didn't help him. For those trivia buffs, who do you think was on the wrong end of the first whistle by a replacement official?

Kirilenko was called for traveling by Washington just over one minute into the game. The Russian wasn't enamored with the whistle, calling it a "European'' move.

"I didn't expect it to help,'' Kirilenko said of his pre-game greeting apparently being quickly forgotten.

It's good, though, the officials didn't allow Afflalo to shoot those free throws late in the first half. That wouldn't have been quickly forgotten.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com.

Despite Denver's Trickery, Replacement Refs Decent in Debut originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gamblers, and the NBA, Watching Replacement Officials Closely

Tim Povtak — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Gambling, NBA Referees

Much like the players and coaches are expected to do, the gamblers around the country are sure to try and use the replacement referees at NBA games to their advantage.

Although legalized betting on exhibition games -- that begin tonight with replacements -- is expected to be minimal, those in the gambling industry will be scrutinizing the new officials closely in hopes of seeing tendencies and trends that they can use in both wagering and setting point spreads for regular season games.

"The bettors may be a little leery of the new refs at the start, but they'll be out there analyzing, looking for patterns they can use,'' said Richard Gardner, sports book manager for BODOG, the on-line sports betting site. "It's like a chess game (with the gamblers). I'll be looking for trends myself. It's definitely something to keep an eye on.''

Joel Litvin, NBA president of league and basketball operations, said Thursday that he is moving forward with 62 new officials, leaving the regulars refs on the sideline until a new contract with their union can be negotiated. He also said there are no new talks with the union leaders scheduled.

The regular season begins Oct. 27, which is when the real gambling will begin. Even though the replacements likely will be working only a short period of time and will be paid like first-year regular officials, he said he was not worried about another Tim Donaghy situation erupting. Donaghy is the former NBA official who was found guilty of federal conspiracy charges in 2007 after admitting he provided gamblers with inside information on games he was working.

"It's no concern at all. We've got safeguards in place that apply to all our officials. There are strict policies when it comes to gambling. I don't view this as an added risk whatsoever,'' Litvin said. "We have a process for background checks. And we've done them.''

Since the Donaghy scandal, the NBA has increased its scrutiny of officials dramatically the last two seasons. That scrutiny will be increased even more with the replacements. The league will be watching closely to gauge which of its new officials are the best, hoping to use them the most and quickly weed out any that struggle.

"I don't like using the word `scrutiny,''' said Ron Johnson, the NBA's senior vice president for referee operations. "It's part of management and leadership. It would be irresponsible for me to not use our management staff to the fullest extent possible, to help our guys. Yes, there will be more management, but not scrutiny.''

Gardner said the risk of referee tampering is something he also watches closely because it could affect his business. The new referees will make him even more vigilant in the coming weeks.

"That's always a risk, but the NBA realizes it can't afford another situation like that. The last thing they need is another one of those,'' Gardner said. "From our end, you're always looking for people betting out of the norm, one guy who has six accounts all linked, or a guy who used to beat $20 is now betting thousands.''

R.J. Bell, who runs the sports betting news site Pregame.com in Las Vegas, said there are three things he expects to see as he watches the replacement officials. And it will effect the betting.

His predictions:

-- New officials who might be a little nervous will tend to make fewer calls because it creates less scrutiny and less focus on them. Less calls in general benefits the more physical teams and lead to fewer points. The lower scoring games will benefit the more physical teams.

-- The star players are going to get even more deference by the new officials because of an intimidation factor. Teams with real superstars will have a bigger advantage than normal with the replacement referees.

-- The home court advantage will be even more pronounced with the new officials because they will be more affected by the crowd.

"The sharp bettor will look at this (replacements) as an opportunity,'' Bell said. "Anytime there is a disruption from the norm, and it won't be so obvious what the results will be, it's an opportunity for some people.''

Gamblers, and the NBA, Watching Replacement Officials Closely originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former Replacement Official Talks of Crossing Picket Lines, Harassment

Chris Tomasson — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:05:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Referees

When replacement officials take to the floor for Thursday's NBA preseason opener, there will be negativism coming from every direction. If the last such work stoppage is any indication, it wouldn't be surprising if locked-out officials picket outside the EnergySolutions Arena in Utah.

A replacement official from 1995-96 agreed to speak with FanHouse under the condition his name not be used. While an official always has to face adversity, he offered some insight about what it was like to deal with also being called a "scab.''

Povtak: Another Former Replacement Ref Gives Advice
Ziller: Older Refs Need to Swallow Self-Interest | More: Refs vs. NBA

The NBA has failed to reach an agreement on a new contract with officials after they wouldn't accept NBA-desired monetary concessions. So replacements will take to the floor for the first time Thursday when Denver plays at Utah.

The 1995-96 replacement remembers the tension before games. He said that outside many arenas the officials who had been locked out protested while carrying signs.

The official recalled being in a car that went down a Reunion Arena ramp before a game in Dallas. Two officials were standing outside. One carried a sign that read, "NBA scabs.'' When the car with the officials drove by, the officials yelled, "You scabs'' as well as obscenities at them.

The official remembers once going to great lengths to avoid hostile officials outside the Spectrum in Philadelphia, a city where there were more protests than most.

"The NBA rule was you had to be at a game one hour in advance,'' said the replacement, who had been a minor-league referee and ended up working more than 15 games before the regular officials returned in December. "So I said to the guy I was working with, 'Let's get there two hours in advance and we'll miss them. So we did. And then after we arrived, I remember 76ers people coming to us and saying (the two officials outside) were yelling, 'You guys are (wimps) for coming in early. Come on out and talk to us.' We just laughed. We didn't come out.''

Despite some of the tension, the official said he didn't feel intimidated. He also didn't claim to be intimidated by much of the other negativism surrounding the replacement officials.

"Once, after I threw out (a perennial All-Star), a (radio announcer) said, 'Well, the replacement referees are doing a good job of keeping the stars out of the game,''' he said. "I just laughed. I thought it was a good line.''

The official said that during one game fans were riding him and calling him "Mickey,' referring to the Mickey Gordon character Billy Crystal played in the movie Forget Paris, which came out earlier in 1995 and was about an NBA referee.

Rather than ignore the fans, the referee said he told them, "You bet I saw that movie.'' That won them over.

"Pretty soon, they were saying, 'This guy's not too bad,' '' said the official, who estimated he got about 95 percent of his calls correct. "Then they were saying, 'Go Mickey.'' '

But coaches often weren't friendly to the replacements. In one game, the official said Houston coach Rudy Tomjanovich yelled, "It's too bad you referees don't know how to referee a basketball game,'' and "You guys are terrible.'' Tomjanovich got a technical.

The official also offered some insight into how replacements were selected in 1995-96 and what they went through to get ready for the season.

The official first got a call from the NBA in early September 1995 asking if he would be interested in possibly being a replacement, and he said he would. Then in late September, the call came inviting him and about 50 others to a one-week seminar held at the Sheraton Meadowlands in New Jersey during the first week of October.

From 9 AM each day during the week until about 7:30 PM, the officials listened to Darell Garretson, then the league's chief of officials who died last year. He went over the rule book, the officials manual, NBA philosophies and game control management. Examples were shown on a big screen.

The official said most of the officials were in decent shape, but one was about 50 pounds overweight. The official said Garretson did single out one who was about 12 pounds overweight and said, "This is what you don't want to look like."``I loved it. I was always excited walking out on the floor. It's an entirely different feeling (than any other officiating). ... It's like being in the major leagues rather the minors.''

Garretson said during the seminar that there is no such thing as a dumb question. One prospective official then asked, "Can I wear my NBA jacket to church if I get the job?''

To Garretson, that apparently was a dumb question. The unnamed official said Garrettson "was ready to kill the guy.''

The great majority of the officials at the seminar were chosen for game duty, but some got more games than others. The official said replacements received $895 per game plus expenses.

"The reasons these guys did this is they were thinking that, if they did a good job, that they're going be offered a position (as a full-time official after the work stoppage),'' said the official, who did not end up getting such a call. "I loved it. I was always excited walking out on the floor. It's an entirely different feeling (than any other officiating). It's like being on the PGA Tour instead of the Nationwide Tour. It's like being in the major leagues rather the minors.''

While the official generally spoke well about the quality of refereeing during the 1995-96 work stoppage, he did say that not all officials were fully ready for the major leagues.

"There was one referee who was 24 years old and smoked,'' he said. "(During a game that extended past regulation), he came up to me and said, 'I'm absolutely exhausted.' I said, 'Are you kidding me. I love what I am doing.' "

Yes there was plenty of negativity, but the official said he has no regrets about going through the experience. When the word came in early December that the regular officials would return, he was greatly disappointed.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com.

Former Replacement Official Talks of Crossing Picket Lines, Harassment originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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To Get Back on the Court, Older Refs Need to Swallow Self-Interest

Tom Ziller — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:40:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Referees

The latest details from the again broken-down referee labor negotiation come from ESPN's Chris Sheridan and Howard Beck of the New York Times. Beck reports that the executive board of the refs union initially approved the latest offer from the NBA on Sunday with a 3-2 vote, effectively endorsing the plan for the fuller population of refs.

But an impassioned plea from the two exec board dissenters -- identified by Sheridan as Bennett Salvatore and Steve Javie -- flipped a third exec board member -- identified as Bill Spooner -- and led to the eventual defeat of the deal on a vote by the full union.

When you take a look at just who makes up the leadership of the union, and you see what's at stake in these negotiations, you begin to realize why these negotiations are getting nowhere fast.

The league has denied previous union claims that commissioner David Stern is trying to push out older, more highly-paid referees. And I tend to believe the league on this: the relative savings of switching from a Salvatore to a younger official aren't that grand. The league maintains that the referee severance system, which the league says pays some refs upwards of $500,000 upon their retirement, has gotten out of hand and must be reformed. As so many industries struggle to meet pension obligations these days, the need for reform tends to make a lot of sense.

It's easy to translate that NBA desire as a method to push veteran refs out. But to me, it seems more of an issue of the league needing to start somewhere. In its latest concessions, according to Sheridan, the league has maintained current severance levels for the next two seasons. At that point, future severance payments awarded when refs retire would be reduced.

For referees like Salvatore, who will have turned 60 years old by midseason, that sticking point becomes a very personal issue. Effectively, approval of this deal would incentivize Salvatore to retire after the 2010-11 season. Salvatore may not want to retire at age 61. No NBA player ever wants to retire -- and refs have just as strong a link to the game. To vote for this current deal, Salvatore would put himself in the position of either needing to retire in two years or miss out on a few hundred thousand dollars in severance pay. It's a decision wrought with self-interest, obviously, as are most labor battles.

Javie and Spooner, while younger than Salvatore but still among the older half of the ref corps, are in the same boat: self-interest vs. ending this lockout. It's worth noting that the two members of the executive board who continue to support the latest NBA offer -- Joey Crawford and Bob Delaney -- are roughly the same age as Salvatore, among the oldest refs still working. But they apparently voted against their financial self-interest to end this stoppage.

The bigger concern is a pathway out of the stoppage. The NBA thinks the severance issue needs to be fixed ASAP. The older referees, led by Salvatore, Javie and Spooner, don't want to get pushed into retirement or screwed out of cash. The younger refs, apparently, have been convinced by the older crew that the union can somehow delay severance reform indefinitely. That belief seems short-sighted -- it will happen eventually -- and you wonder if at some point soon those refs who took the Salvatore/Javie bait will realize this, reverse course and vote to get back on the court.

Don't get it twisted: at this point, the best move for everyone involved (fans included) is to end the stoppage. If the hang-up is truly as embedded in the self-interest of a few older refs as it seems, then there's no excuse for the larger share of the union to keep shaking their heads. It does the referee fraternity no good in the long run to try to bleed the league of any more concessions related to severance pay. Because it's not going to work. It's time to end this. If the Salvatores and Javies won't do it, it's time for the younger officials to take control.

To Get Back on the Court, Older Refs Need to Swallow Self-Interest originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kenyon Martin: Games With Replacement Refs Will Be 'Terrible'

Chris Tomasson — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Nuggets, NBA Referees, FanHouse Exclusive

DENVER -- Kenyon Martin can joke a little about replacement officials. Overall, though, he doesn't think it's too funny.

In an interview with FanHouse, Martin said he believes games will be "terrible'' with the replacements.

"I joked the other day with [Tim Grgurich] and Jamahl Mosley,'' the Denver Nuggets feisty forward said about talking to a pair of assistant coaches. "I'm going to get suspended in the first month of the season. I'm going to have 15 technicals in the first month just for the simple fact [replacement officials] don't know how I run my mouth. They don't know how I approach the game.''

They might find out in a hurry. Martin and his Nuggets play Thursday at Utah in the NBA preseason opener and first game using replacement referees.

Martin isn't too happy the NBA hasn't been able to reach an agreement with officials over a new contract. With officials not agreeing to some monetary concessions, the league has locked them out and brought in replacements.

"If they want the extra benefits, I don't know why they can't get it,'' Martin said. "Give [the officials that] in order to keep the game the same way. Because the game is going to be terrible with those replacements.

"It will be terrible. I believe guys will get more technicals. But that's probably what [the NBA is] looking for, more money. There are going to be more ejections. Tempers are going to be even worse. Attitudes are going to be even worse.''

Martin was told the NBA donates money from fines to charities so the league wouldn't make more money off technicals and ejections. But that didn't slow down Martin.

"It's going to be pretty bad,'' Martin said of NBA games. "The replacement refs, there's no way they're used to the pace of the game. ... The guys, except the rookies, they know the guys [in the NBA]. They know how to call the game if I'm playing, if Chauncey [Billups, a Denver guard] is playing, if [Allen Iverson, a Memphis guard] is playing. They know because we've been around.

"They know how we can talk to certain refs. Certain guys know me. I don't mean no harm sometimes. I might get out of line sometimes. But, for the most part, I get a little leeway. But with the [replacement officials], I don't have that leeway. ... You know how you can approach certain refs, what you can say to certain refs.''

Despite any leeway, Martin has incurred many fines, ejections and suspensions over his nine-year career. He had 10 technicals last season, five shy of the number that results in a one-game suspension.

Teammate Carmelo Anthony reached 15 last season, but NBA rules did not call for a suspension because No. 15 came in Denver's final regular-season game. But Anthony isn't worried about replacement officials.``To me, I think the players should just, at least in the first four to six games, not worry about it and just play through it."
- George Karl

"It's refs,'' Anthony said. "They'll learn the game. They watch films. Some refs, they've reffed [the NBA] game before. We got to play. They got to ref.''

Nuggets coach George Karl also isn't getting too bent out of shape about the replacements.

"I think there will be just more emotion in the game, more verbal confrontation of calls,'' Karl said. "To me, I think the players should just, at least in the first four to six games, not worry about it and just play through it. Understand we'll get good whistles and we'll probably get some bad whistles. ... Coaches think refereeing is bad no matter how good it is.''

Karl sees a positive in that some replacements who do well later could become regular officials. Still, he's hoping "sooner than later we'll have the first-class guys back in the league.''

Until then, Nuggets guard Anthony Carter believes there could be some rough patches.

"It's always going to be tough when you have a whole new set of refs,'' Carter said. "The other refs kind of know what other players do and what their moves are. Who's flopping? It's going to be a big challenge for them. ... They're going to be cursed out a little bit. They just have to have thick skin. They're going to miss calls, and we're going to be complaining. But that's part of the job.''

Martin sure is complaining. He's pointing a finger at NBA commissioner David Stern to get the lockout settled.

"To get [the officials] back, it's ain't on nobody else,'' Martin said. "It's on David Stern to get it done. Ain't nobody else but on him to get it done.''

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com.

Kenyon Martin: Games With Replacement Refs Will Be 'Terrible' originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former Replacement Official Says Refs Will Be Tested

Tim Povtak — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Nuggets, Pacers, NBA Referees

Bert Smith has been there, done that, so when an NBA replacement official calls him this week to ask for advice, on what to expect from star players and volatile coaches, on what it's really going to be like doing the games, they would be wise to listen closely.

It will range from obstacle course to gauntlet.

Smith was a young, promising official working college basketball games in the Big 12 and Conference USA when the NBA plucked him to be a replacement in 1995 during the last referee union lockout.

He worked 16 games that year, including a Sonics-Pacers game Nov. 18 in Indianapolis when he ejected then Seattle coach George Karl, who kept riding him over a call he didn't like, got a technical foul, then drop kicked the ball into the stands to show his displeasure. Smith tossed him.

"George was the only guy that year I had to eject,'' said Smith, now a veteran NCAA official who works mostly in the Southeastern Conference. "It's going to be interesting this time. It's not going be be easy. The replacements have to realize they are going to be tested, really tested. They have to understand that Kobe (Bryant) wants to be yelling at (regular official Steve) Javie, not a replacement guy. Phil Jackson and Doc Rivers (coaches of the Lakers and Celtics) don't want replacements doing their big game.''

The NBA will start the exhibition schedule with replacements this week in Utah when the Jazz play the Nuggets, now coached by the same George Karl. His Seattle team in 1995-96 won 64 games. His Denver team played in the conference final last spring, and should be even better this time.

"I don't remember (kicking the ball and being ejected in '95). I'm getting too old to remember,'' Karl said earlier this week. "Go back and get the video. I've gotten thrown out in Indiana a lot.''

Smith wasn't asked by the NBA to be a replacement this time. He left the NBA's developmental program several years ago, deciding to focus on the college game and his other career. He knows several college officials who rejected requests this time from the NBA, but he also knows some who accepted and will be among those starting the season.

"It's a touchy situation (for guys with NBA aspirations). If you're asked and tell them no, it's like saying, `I don't want this job interview.' And they just say, `if you don't want to help us out now, then why should we help you out later?''' Smith said. "If you don't come through for the boss, the boss is going to remember.''

Despite the trials, Smith still looks back at '95 as a positive experience for him. Until December of '95, they were working with two-man crews instead of today's standard three-man crews, which automatically made the job tougher.

They were easy targets for fans, players, coaches and broadcasters who didn't like the way games were going.

"We were just a means to the end for the NBA, but I have no regrets at all. For the most part, guys (players and coaches) were respectful. But it's really a no-win situation. We missed calls. Games weren't officiated as well, but regular officials miss calls, too. They (players and coaches) will want to see what you're made of, what kind of intestinal fortitude you have. All you can do is be honest with them when you miss a call.''

Former Replacement Official Says Refs Will Be Tested originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Trying to 'Robotize' Its Referees

Matt Steinmetz — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Referees

Let's face it, one of the reasons the NBA is trying to push out some of its older officials is because of the perception that some of those older officials tend to view themselves as bigger than the game or that they interject themselves too much into the action.

While there is no doubt most of the league's best officials don't lack for self-confidence, it's also true that this notion is overblown. Further, it's worth mentioning that the NBA always has had strong-minded and strong-willed officials ... and the league was better for it.

Great officials are just like great players in terms of confidence, competitiveness and wanting to be the best. To officiate at the highest level and for the world's greatest athletes, you have to have a presence and a tangible aura of authority.

SI.com: NBA, Players Differ on Replacement Refs

Maybe the perfect official would be Steven Wright with a whistle, but that's just not realistic. Just like every NBA player can't be like Tim Duncan.

I keep hearing that the league doesn't like things like Joey Crawford's intensity, Steve Javie's assuredness or Dick Bavetta's showmanship, and that's fine. It's one thing to not like it, it's another to try to rid referees of all their individuality and personality in an effort to bring as little attention to them as possible.

Bottom line is the league wants its officials to be seen and not heard. But I've got news for the league: try as you might, you're never going to make refs invisible. Nor should they be invisible.

The late Earl Strom is considered one of the greatest officials of all time, and he had an ego and personality as big as any player's. You ever hear of Pat Kennedy? He was one of the NBA's early officials and he is in the Basketball Hall of Fame. You know what they said about Kennedy ... he was colorful.

Strom and Kennedy would have a difficult time officiating in David Stern's NBA. In reality, I'm not sure that you can be a great official without a certain edge. Look at some of today's best refs: Javie, Crawford, Ron Garretson, even the young-ish Scott Foster.

They've got a little personality to go with their A-games. And make no mistake, if you get rid of refs like that, then quite simply you don't have the best officials reffing your league.

This brings us to a broader issue regarding the replacement referees. Joel Litvin, NBA president of league and basketball operations, said earlier this week that the NBA is much better prepared to open the season with replacement refs than it was back in 1995, the last time it had to do it.

Litvin said that this time the NBA is using D-League and WNBA refs, who are part of the league's pipeline. That means they've been trained in NBA mechanics and rules interpretation.

That's all well and good, but let's call it like we see it. Replacement officials haven't earned the right to referee NBA basketball. They haven't paid their dues and they don't deserve it. Having a feel for the game is far more important than memorizing the rule book and adhering to the proper technique when it comes to calling a walk.

One of the problems the NBA has with its officials is it values protocol and mechanics and presentation more than it does competence. It's become more important to find officials who look and dress the part rather than finding exceptional officials who might not fit the mold perfectly.

An official I respect once told me that good refs talk far more than they blow their whistle during the game. Good refs have a constant dialogue with players, occasionally urging them to get out of the lane before making a three-second call or warning about too much contact on the perimeter before calling a foul.

This dialogue often opens up lines of communication and creates a foundation of mutual respect. But in today's NBA, there's no room for that kind of informality. Nope, these days officials are taught to disengage, walk away and not acknowledge.

That approach breeds fewer conversations between officials and players, and creates an atmosphere in which officials are distant, aloof and unapproachable. That's not good, in general, and it's particularly not good when we're talking about less competent officials.

The league is poised to usher in a whole new group of inexperienced and youngish officials, who by extension will be more beholden to the league when it comes to behavior and demeanor. These new officials will be significantly easier for the league to control and keep in check.

The "robotizing" of officials is fully underway, and that's really too bad. After all, the best officials are always human.

More Steinmetz on Twitter: @matt_steinmetz

NBA Trying to 'Robotize' Its Referees originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meet the NBA's Replacement Referees

Tim Povtak — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:10:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Referees, D-League

The NBA has opened its training camp in New York for replacement officials, a group that includes 35 with experience in the NBA's Development League, six with WNBA experience and two that worked in the NBA before being fired in recent years.

Those numbers are based on the list of 44 officials -- obtained by FanHouse -- who had agreed to be part of the camp. (You can find the list, which has not been confirmed by the NBA, at the end of this post.)

The league has been preparing to open both its exhibition schedule next month and the regular season with replacements after contract talks with the referees' union hit a stalemate.

Although league officials sounded confident that the replacements will be better prepared than they were when last used in 1995 (during another contract dispute), they did not have an easy time getting enough quality officials into this camp.

"A lot of guys turned them down,'' said one referee who declined an offer from the NBA to join the group of replacement officials, "... for different reasons.''

The exhibition schedule begins Oct. 1 in Utah. The replacements, according to one source, will be paid $1,100 per game, which is less than a third of what the average regular official makes. They also will be paid $80 a day in meal money, along with all travel and hotel expenses.

Most notable among the replacement officials are Robbie Robinson and Michael Henderson, both of whom were fired by the NBA for poor job performance.

Here is a tentative list of the referees who have agreed to serve as replacement officials, according to information obtained by FanHouse:

Steve Anderson, Brett Barnaky Scott Bolnick, Lorenzo Bronson, Nick Buchert, Deldre Carr, Jose Carrion, Marcus Clayton, Andre Crawford, Kane Fitzgerald, Edward Gaines, Carlos Gonzalez, Micheal Henderson, Don Hudson, Byron Jarrett, Keith Kimble, Marat Kogut, Karl Lane, Jamey Luckie, Tre Maddox, Glenn Mayberry, George McDaniels, Will Mensah, Matt Myers, Brent Nansel, JT Orr, Mike Price, Robbie Robinson, Kevin Scott, Garrick Shannon, Brian Shelley, Lamont Simpson, Jeff Smith, Kevin Sparrock, Clark Stevens, Ben Taylor, Josh Tiven, Tony Turner, Scott Twardoski, Kurt Walker, Ken Washington, CJ Washington, James Williams and Jeff Wooten.

Meet the NBA's Replacement Referees originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Players Union Stands With Refs

Tom Ziller — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:15:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Referees

Hornets guard Chris Paul may not be worried about replacement referees coming to the NBA, but Paul's union apparently feels differently. Derek Fisher, the Laker who heads the National Basketball Players Association, put out a statement Tuesday supporting the referees union in its labor dispute with the league.

In the statement, Fisher called the implementation of B-level referees "unacceptable" and said that replacement refs "could compromise the integrity of the game." He also asks the league to treat the refs fairly, presumably because Fisher would like the league to treat players fairly in ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations.

The league has locked out its current referees, and will begin training replacement refs culled from the D-League and the WNBA this week. The first preseason game -- to be officiated by replacement refs unless a last-minute deal is struck -- is October 1.

The NBPA statement comes at very interesting time, as the players union and a committee of team owners and league execs meet today to continue those CBA negotiations. The bargaining agreement expires in two years. The owners have vaguely threatened a lockout if their demands to reduce the share of revenue guaranteed to players is not decreased. The owners are also expected to push for a higher age minimum for draft eligibility, while the players want to preserve their revenue share while also pushing for expanded revenue sharing between the teams.

The referees and league are fighting primarily over changes to the retirement benefits packages afforded to officials.

NBA Players Union Stands With Refs originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Better Prepared to Open With Replacement Officials

Tim Povtak — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:05:00 EST

Filed under: NBA Referees, FanHouse Exclusive

Joel Litvin, NBA president of league and basketball operations, said Tuesday that the league is much better prepared to open the season with replacement officials than it was in 1995, the last time they were used.

The NBA last week locked out its regular referees after failing to negotiate a new contract with their union, turning instead to replacements that will begin training camp Thursday in New York.

"This is a far different situation than it was the last time,'' Litvin told FanHouse. "Frankly, this is not the easiest situation to be in, but we've got the structure in place to make it a smoother transition.''

The biggest reason he expects a better performance is that in 1995, the league turned to replacements from the independent Continental Basketball Association. This time they are turning to replacements from the NBA Development League and the WNBA, whose officials have been working under the NBA guidelines. Those leagues didn't exist in 1995."They've already been part of our extended family. It's already our referee pipeline. They've been trained in NBA mechanics, NBA rules interpretation.''
-- Joel Litvin

"They've already been part of our extended family. It's already our referee pipeline. They've been trained in NBA mechanics, NBA rules interpretation,'' he said. "We like to think our regular officials are the 60 best in the world. We also believe these are the next 60 best.''

In 1995, the replacement officials worked the first two months of the season before the regular officials returned. The replacements were criticized routinely by players, who often tried to test the inexperience officials and use them to their advantage.

During the combined exhibition scheule and first month of the regular season that year, players were suspended a total of 26 games, although 16 of those came from a Kings/Pacers fight in which 13 of the players were suspended just for leaving the bench area.

In the last two months of that season, with the regular officials back on the job, players were suspended for a combined 24 games involving fights.

The NBA game was considerably more physical back in 1995 than it is today, and fighting was much more common. Harsher penalties with stiffer fines today have taken out most of the brawling.

NBA officials also are scrutinized much closer today than ever before. For every game now, there is an NBA observer in the stands rating the officials. And every game has video being reviewed by the league office, something that didn't exist in 1995.

"We'll know right away. It will let us identify sooner rather than later if a referee is not performing,'' he said. "And game assignments can be adjusted.''

Litvin also said he was surprised to see the referees union criticize the league for inviting Michael Henderson and Robbie Robinson to the training camp. Both were NBA officials from 2004-2007, but were released because of poor job performance.

"They are among the few officials in the world who have real NBA experience,'' he said. "Why wouldn't we bring them back?''

The first exhibition game is scheduled for Oct. 1. The first regular season game is Oct. 27. Although no talks between the union and the league are scheduled, the two sides have agreed on many of the major salary issues. There still is considerable disagreement over cutbacks the league is trying to make with pension benefits and severance packages.

NBA Better Prepared to Open With Replacement Officials originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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