As usual, the referees are out there alone
It was a great summer for the NBA, with all the controversies and scandals involving other sports. Even if David Stern can’t come out and say it, thanks, Manny Ramirez, Brett Favre and Plaxico Burress.
Of course, peace is a transitory state in any league these days, and the NBA isn’t just any league.
The era of harmony just ended officially, with Stern locking out the people he has always praised for upholding the integrity of the game.
Unfortunately, there are priorities. The league’s negotiations with its referees are a small, but significant part of a bigger picture, involving the ongoing talks to renegotiate the deal with the players.
In other words, who needs integrity, at least for the first month of the season?
(Those of you who think the NBA has no integrity to uphold, which includes so many players, coaches and fans, should stop reading here. If I thought the NBA was fixed, I’d ask to cover something that wasn’t. At least, coaches and players are well paid for the screwing they insist they get but any fan who thinks it’s bogus and still watches will have to supply his own reason for wasting his time.)
To cut to the chase, there are only two possibilities:
1. Stern locks out refs, starts season with replacement officials, or scabs, puts up with the sturm und drang from even-more-horrified players, coaches and fans as long as he can, and makes a deal.
I’d say that would be Thanksgiving, at the latest.
2. The refs figure out they’re in a world of trouble, make the best deal they can, and start the season.
Since the two sides are reportedly less than $1 million part for the overall package – total – it will take a lot of bad will in the meantime to keep them from making a deal. Stern has spent the last three seasons, throwing his chunky body in front of the refs to protect them from all the slanders in the wake of the Tim Donaghy scandal.
As if that matters now. This involves bucks, and not just the tip money the refs take home, relative to the enormous NBA revenues. In a bad coincidence, the refs’ contract has run out 16 months before the NBA’s option to terminate its deal with the players… in the wake of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression… with league revenues projected to dive and Stern seeking major givebacks.
With Stern and Players Assoaciation Director Billy Hunter already talking about a new deal, the commissioner isn’t about to cut his refs a break in the meantime.
Hard-nosed as he is, Stern is actually known for maintaining labor peace in a turbulent era, with only one stoppage while the NFL, baseball and the NHL are in double figures, if you add them all up.
Of course, before signing the peace treaty, Stern is more like Jimmy Breslin’s characterization of President Eisenhower’s secretary of state, John Foster Dulles:
“Smile now. Later send in the B-52s.”
The league has reportedly asked the refs to take $3.2 million in cuts. The refs’ new boss, Lamell McMorris, has reportedly offered to take $2.5 million in cuts.
That’s not enough of a difference to quarrel about, but watch them do it anyway, right up to the start of the season.
Stern, in a more conciliatory mood before talks with the players in the ‘90s, labeled himself “Easy Dave,” but he hasn’t said anything like that lately.
This is Stern in his Judge Dredd incarnation, welcoming McMorris, who’s in his first negotiation with Little Big Man to the NBA.
As hard a time as this is for Morris, his officials, at least, know they have to give up something. In Hunter’s first negotiation in 1999, Stern locked the players out for half the season and came close to shutting the whole circus down.
Personally, if I was a referee – even to a sportswriter in today’s challenging environment, it doesn’t look inviting – I’d take the short money and try to get a short-term deal, say, three years. By then, the economy may be better, and the players will have a new contract (presumably).
With entry-level refs getting almost $150,000, we’re not talking about blue-collar guys trying to feed their families. Actually, the refs are as blue-collar mentally as cops, performing a task even more thankless. In terms of relative contribution and the talent and the toughness needed to do the job, refs are the game’s most underpaid people, relative to owners, players, coaches, and top league administrators.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the year the refs are going to redress that injustice. In the only silver lining available, they’re about to become even more underrated than they already were.
Today’s Celtics Links 9/21 | Boston Sports Nation Said,
September 21, 2009 @ 8:45 am
[...] Starring Brian Scalabrine, NBA All-Star? CelticsBlog Who Has The Best Defense? Hoopshype Mark Heisler » As usual, the referees are out there alone LOY’s Place Player Profiles: Ray Allen #20 Celtics.com Boston Celtics, Harvard [...]
Oklahoma city thunder basketball | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Said,
September 21, 2009 @ 11:59 am
[...] Oklahoma city thunder basketball Written by admin on September 21, 2009 — Leave a Comment HoopsHype.com NBA Blogs - Mark Heisler » As usual, the referees …I don’t care if Oklahoma City wins the title, after a series of debacles that ends with a no-call after five Thunder players gang-tackle LeBron James going to the hoop at the end of Game 7 of the Finals. … After that, they’ll barely be able to play the season, for all the doomsday talk about the end of professional basketball, etc. Saving the day, Stern and players union boss Billy Hunter, who will have been snarling at each other in dueling press conferences, … read more… [...]
justin Said,
September 21, 2009 @ 3:09 pm
The NBA refs consistently make mistakes. They are by far the worst in any sport. I can’t believe they make that much money. That’s a disgrace.
George Said,
September 21, 2009 @ 3:26 pm
I stopped reading when U told me to… Altho I may not think that all NBA games are rigged, U cant tell me that Uve never had Ur doubts. I still watch the games caus it entertains me. Games and series’ are rigged, either thro money, death threats or sometimes sub-consciously by preference. Players, whether U like to believe it or not, have thrown games, and dont think Donaghy was the only ref who had problems.
I still love Basketball, and will keep watching, and will still get upset when my team loses.
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/story/2008/06/10/nba-scandal-donaghy.html
is it really hard 2 believe?
Larry Said,
September 21, 2009 @ 4:33 pm
While the refs are not very good and consistent, NBA player salaries have gone up from a league average salary of 300,000 in 1978 to 5.6 million last year. Referees are integral to this sport as shaky as they seem. With the rules as they are there will be many inconsistencies. Refere salaries have not gone up anywhere near what players salaries have percentage wise nor should they have as the players are the product the league is selling.Referee pay has not gone up anywhere near the percentage of players and if the two sides are only 700,000 apart there is no need for lockout by Stern. You keep negotiating for the salary of a 2nd round draft pick on the end of the bench who doesn’t play. That’s common sense. The average ref makes from 150,000 to 200,000 a year and there are about 60 of them. They have no home court and are on the road 81 games per year although the league tries and keep them close to where they reside as much as possible.
Jams Said,
September 22, 2009 @ 5:16 am
Its clear the games aren’t rigged cos there’s no way the Spurs would have won all those titles as they are one of the most boring teams of all time and ratings for their finals series are alway abhorent.
Andrea Said,
September 22, 2009 @ 7:17 am
Refs will always make mistakes, that’s the game. But when they realize they made a mistake they often make another one on purpose to compensate for the other team.
They are overpaid and too famous, they need to be anonymous.
I hate it that they all have their respective personalities.
If a ref has a reputation of not allowing the smallest bit of contact, he will stay that way forever because people know him as such and if he starts allowing a little contact people will say it’s fixed.
If fans didn’t know who the refs are they could improve rather than become a stereotype of themselves.
Give the refs less money, less fame, more freedom, more respect.
justin Said,
September 23, 2009 @ 11:00 am
If you do a good job you should be paid accordingly. Do they do a good job? No. Are they biased? Yes. There are 2 good refs in the entire league. They deserve to be fired.
Fred Said,
September 23, 2009 @ 11:09 am
Mark,
Thanks for the good article. I always enjoy your pieces.
I do, however, as a 40+ year basketball player, coach, referee and enthusiast, have to disagree at one point: the competence of the NBA referees.
I really do NOT think they fix games - the Donaghy issue aside - but I DO believe that hubris has seriously detracted from the quality of the officiating.
Granted, officiating is the bane of the world’s greatest sport (basketball), but for some reason (I have my theories), the officiating in the NBA is inconsistent at best and game-ruining criminal at worst. The NBA has 3, highly trained (and paid) officials on the court at each game, but EACH game - without exception (yes, I realize what that statement implies) - has multiple bad and/or non-existent calls. My personal favorite is the travel call. In the NBA, you can consistently take 3 steps without dribbling and be an All-Star, BUT, the referees LOVE to call the travel when players go from a standing stop, usually at the top of the key. Having seen SO MANY egregious travels NOT being called - many featured on Sports Center - in every single game, it’s the pinnacle of gall - and my aforementioned hubris - for them to EVER call that.
I also find it ironic that you have a picture of Joey Crawford - who is the personal embodiment of my whole arguement. Not TOO long ago, he was suspended for poor officiating, etc.
Hey, I watch the NBA IN SPITE of the officiating. It’s still the greatest game on the planet. But, the refs need to step up THEIR game, too.
Keep up the great work, Mark. You are appreciated.
Fred
Oklahoma
Utah Jazz Blog Said,
September 23, 2009 @ 3:09 pm
I almost always side with management in a contract dispute, and this case is no different. It’s a free market and a free country. If you don’t think the wage is fair, go do something else. NBA refs are far from irresplaceable.
Moe Peep Said,
September 24, 2009 @ 5:58 am
Joey crawford is da biggest G in the league u jus know that he wouod of thrown down with Duncan for real!
Donaghy is a stright up hustler out for his.
NBA needs to respect these Dudes.