Zebras and lions
Cops without guns is what I call them. As for what I think about cops… Do you have a couple of years? This blog really wasn’t planned, but then I saw Tim Donaghy’s interview. I think that interview garnered the same reaction out of me as I would have if I saw Oprah transfigure on TV, summon her spacecraft in some inaudible extraterrestrial tongue and fly off with fellow large-headed, big-eyed kinsmen. I hate refs. Always have. Now, before I go on, there are some refs who are very cool. Problem is being cool isn’t good enough. In my humble opinion, a ref needs three essential attributes to be a good ref: 1. He must be “cool”. In other words, just no matter his personal feeling toward any player; 2. He must know what he’s doing; and 3. He must not care who wins. And in the case of athletic competition, 2 out of 3 is very, very bad.
In basketball, I had the same problem Rasheed Wallace has. I cared too much about unjust cruelty carried out by church rats in positions of power. Church rats who still carry out their personal vendetta on that big guy on the football team that took his lunch money when he was a lowly nerd in high school.
“I got an idea! By golly I’ll be a cop! Or even better a ref! Yeah, that’s it. Then I’ll pay him back for taking my lunch money years ago and taking my wife today. That’ll show him.”
Every time I felt I saw bias, I simply couldn’t control myself. For me it was incomprehensible that a human being would see what he knew was true and hide it simply because he didn’t like me, any player, any team or any coach. When my coach would tell me that refs are human and they talk, I would think to myself, “How could he really do that? It’s just not right.” I felt that with utmost conviction simply because I would never do it. Example? As you can probably guess by now if you’ve kept track, I can’t stand Damon Jones. I have no tolerance to even hear him speak. But will I ever lie about his basketball ability because I don’t like him? Never. He can shoot the piss out of it and is smart as a whip and about as distracting as one. To supress truth due to one’s own bias and/or selfishness is cruelty with origins bordering the demonic. Call me whatever you want, I’ll be that. Just don’t call me cruel.
If a player is lacking self control, by all means hit him with a technical foul, a 15-yard personal foul, a red card, 15 minutes in the box, toss him, whatever! But if a ref makes one call, one, and that call was made unjustly because he didn’t like the player or to avenge something the player did, you are affecting that player’s love of a childhood fantasy or even worse that player’s livelihood. How many players have you seen make a career on one play? To me, I don’t care two shakes about Tim Donaghy betting on games. What bothered me was what he said about sending messages to players for something that happened in a game last week. Unreal. Players have always known that it happens on every level. However, hearing it from an NBA ref’s mouth and confirming it is a large pill to swallow. The simple explanation that refs are human is not good enough. When you are in a position of power affecting people’s lives, you are held at a higher standard. Therefore those nimrods’ punishments will be worse than just an everyday nimrod.
Again, I stress, there are some really, really cool refs. Like I can tell you this: Spanish refs are for the most part great. I’d say 90 percent of them are cool. I know everyone will say I’m just being bias because I love Spain… So what? No, seriously though. I attribute how they treat the game to the fact many of them are ex-players. That and… 1. They are just and if a ref is angry with a player, a simple handshake before the game squashes it all. 2. They don’t care who wins. And 3. They know what they are doing. Again, they are ex-players. Even though, in the States, referees make these assinine claims about having to be some referee school grad to know how to ref. Whatever. I’m sure some little schooling has to go into it, but not how it’s made out to be here in the United States.
If it was so freaking complicated, how does a ref start today and end up in the NBA in two years? Say what you want, the refs that pay 10 years dues know what I’m talking about. I played, I know the tricks just like every other player and with very little learning all ex-players would be better refs than refs.
Every time I was in vet camp with an NBA team, that same little ref would come in to talk to the team about points of emphasis this year. I swear, he couldn’t have been much taller than Frodo. I would always start laughing histerically when I saw him. The first time he walked in the first thing that came to mind was, “coochie coochie coo, aww isn’t he just cute,” and they told me he was a real ref and I thought they were just messing with me. I realized he really was a ref when I actually saw him reffing a game I was in! I asked myself, “How the hell can he possibly see a foul any higher than my navel or even get those little legs to move fast enough to catch a fast break?” Sure, I’m exaggerating… But just a little. He’s tiny. 5-foot-5 max. Fact is, more ex-players should be refs but ex-players are simply to cool to want to biznitch.
Being a ref hater gives me little or no credibility, I know. But I don’t need cred in a blog… Just a screen and an opinion. I’ve had more T’s than China (Get it? China has a plethora of delectable teas.) I broke a record in Korea. China? I’ve had so many there they just stopped calling them because they saw it didn’t change anything. I can even say technical foul in Chinese. I think at one point they were calling me by the name technical foul. “Ji shi fan gui! Ni xer feng la! Wotao!”
Everyone has his/her reason as to why and so do I. Strangely enough, I never received one T in the ACB. Not one. I had no complaints. The refs there were cool, didn’t care who won and knew what they were doing. In every other country I played in, there was maximum two out of those three. But this isn’t about me, it’s about those jerk off refs. Just an emphatic, massive, massive reminder… Zach Zarba, Leroy Collins, David Guthrie, Eli “E-Money” Roe, Eric Lewis, Jess Kersey and Tony Brown, all cool as ice. Love them. They respect the game and even more essential, they respect themselves. Those guys, you can’t even anger. Leroy, for example, you can chastise and yell at. His reaction? “Screw you very much. Take this tech and keep it movin’. Want another, I’ll gladly accommodate.” The rest of you, I’m sure you’re cool off the court but on the court… Bullocks to the lot of you. Bullocks!
This whole Donaghy thing couldn’t have come at a worse time personally. It makes one question even playing this sport. Please, if you haven’t seen it and you’re an NBA fan, don’t watch it. Or do watch it. It probably wont affect you. But as a player, ex-player or whatever, it makes you question why playing anything other than pick up is even really basketball. I think I’ll take up chess. Almost done, just had to throw in a little injunction. To all three of you cool refs… Sorry. To the rest of you ass-munchers… Eat glass.
Art Said,
December 12, 2009 @ 10:31 am
Once again great article!
By the way, I’ve read that Gabe signed contract with team from Poland.
Johnny Ray Said,
December 12, 2009 @ 10:35 am
Man WTF are you talking about????
No ref in Spain has a background of being a pro baller….maybe amateur. Please Gabe, write about what you know and if you don’t have arguments to back your speech up… Just shut the F*** up!!
b43 Said,
December 12, 2009 @ 10:50 am
Gabe - what about players calling their own fouls, like in pick-up games? I play a lot, 200-300 games a year, and my observation is that it’s not much different than a refereed game. The self-monitoring things seems to even out.
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Rick James Said,
December 12, 2009 @ 11:13 am
Good blog my friend, but keep in mind that almost every sport has EXTRA paid refs. I’m not talking about the salary they earn from the association they represent, I’m talking about the extra money they get from most likely, the mafia. Soccer is Europe is a good example, well Soccer anywhere in the world, but I’m sure everyone is already aware of this. In soccer they can easily add a ref following by video and play-by-play to make the crucial calls, but do they? No, because someone needs to get payed. I will tell you this my friend, that Kings vs. Lakers series was no fucking doubt in my mind fixed.
I understand what you are saying about ex-players should be refs, but when you are in the NBA and you collect millions, do you really think after all the wear and tear on their bodies, players want to become refs for a less annual salary? Hell no. They can make the money refs make in a year or in 5 YEARS with just one good investment and sit home, relax with their family. So, who wouldn’t do that as a NBA player? I mean after all the years spend away from their family playing for their team, do you really think they want to go through that again just for a 1/4 mill? I don’t think so.
Jake Said,
December 12, 2009 @ 11:17 am
Gabe, it seems like you’re the one with childhood issues, not the refs. You expect refs not to make it personal but you sure as hell do. Yea, go take up chess. The game of basketball can do without you.
Furn Daddy Said,
December 12, 2009 @ 12:11 pm
I think you are screwing up the cop demographic. Judging from personal experience (I don’t like cops either), I would think that more failed “jock” types (the type that didn’t make it past high school or college football/baseball etc…) enter into law enforcement rather than nerds. The bully that took the lunch money ends up being the cop because it garners fear and respect (power) from the people.
You might be right about the refs though.
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Leo Shepard Said,
December 12, 2009 @ 12:28 pm
Gabe, I have to agree with what you said. Donaghy actually told what we already knew. History lesson: Remember when Jeff Van Gundy told during the Rockets 1st round playoff series that he heard from a former ref that the refs for that series were told to officate Yao Ming differently. Yao received calls that were bogus, and Van Gundy went on ESPN and told why. Stern fined him a huge amount of money and told him to tell who his source was. Van Gundy refused, took the fine and later on said that “he made it up”. He didn’t make it up. We all know the game isn’t officated correctly most nights and refs are not held accountable. The NBA never tells when a ref is ever punished for the wrong call, but we know how much money Rasheed Wallace looses when the NBA fines him.
Giovani F Said,
December 12, 2009 @ 1:09 pm
Come on now….in Spain there are many professional leagues you dumb a@@….our college teams are probably better but they have pro leagues all over Europe..look at Jennings…we the hell do you thing he played…in Italy…and Spain has always been the powerhouse of Euro basketball. Funny when idiotic fools make idiotic uninformed comments cause they are simply stupid. You should just go outside and empty your septic tank trailer park boy. Basketball is a sport where a refs has more influence to the outcome than any other game. I like homeboy said alot of refs are making calls through players. The ref is blocked out yet he makes a call. Look at MJ…the greatest of all time but he carried the ball every trip up the floor…but remember he used to take a certain ref to dinner alot and give him autograph and Rolexes….by the way he still refs today but if was funny that he thought he was quicker than Barkley.
sasa Said,
December 12, 2009 @ 2:03 pm
The whole world is against Muoneke, Wallace, Sprewell, Iverson, Marbury itd.
If it wasn’t for those refs who ALL conspire against you guys for reasons well known (you have to be stopped or else), you would all be MVPs.
If Wallace and Muoneke were so much pro-justice, how come they do not argue with the refs when he has a bad call in their favor? In order to protect the opponent who unjustly got a foul?
Ahhhh…I get it; refs never make a bad call in their favor, it ALWAYS goes against them……….now everything makes much more sense.
Larry B. Said,
December 12, 2009 @ 4:14 pm
David Stern is trying his darnedest to shout it up but the whispers surrounding Donaghy and refs are growing louder every day. If Stern has any sense he needs to do something about refs and having them be more consistent more effectively monitored.
Nick Said,
December 12, 2009 @ 4:17 pm
Are you kidding me?? Refs are the most underappreciated people in sports. People like this guy, whoever this bum is, and Sheed, who I do like, are morons when it comes to officials. I guess in the mind of this punk, we should just not have refs, right? How terrible, what a stupid, low class opinion.
don Said,
December 12, 2009 @ 7:13 pm
The ref situation in the league is a shame. i hate the celebrity the nba puts into the position and i hate that david stern protects them like there his children when even the best ones are fuck ups. I think the solution might be making the ref pool a whole lot bigger and have refs get picked for games through some type of lottery. I think this might solve two of the main problems i think they have which is it might humble them and take away there celebrity enabling them to call decent games more frequently
doyouwantmore Said,
December 12, 2009 @ 8:38 pm
Gabe every time you blog I have a harder time rooting for you as a writer, or a basketball player.
BetterThanYou Said,
December 12, 2009 @ 8:53 pm
Seriously, you take exception at a ref because they are human? I have seen players hold grudges and act on them on the court for literally YEARS. The refs always get paid much less than the players in pro ball they are officiating and most are dedicated professionals doing a hard job (with the usual exceptions you find in any job).
And it takes an awful lot to be a referee. Not only a good understanding of the game but also a deep understanding of the rules, how to apply them and how to actually referee a game. The proper mechanics and positioning so they can see the calls (that includes the shorter refs) can be complex especially as the level of play gets tougher. They don’t just shove a whistle in your mouth and tell you to run on out there and hope for the best - watch how organized and efficient a refereeing crew move around a court.
I am amazed today by how few players actually know even the basic rules - just listen to some of the ex-players who are now commentators or color guys, Most of them have NO idea.
It is also clear that you have no idea how hard it actually is to referee a game at pretty much any level. You have to go out there in a no-win situation with no one on your side and have to make tough, hard decisions time and time again for the whole game with no substitutes. It is OK for a player to miss a jump shot - but you miss a travel or a shooting foul or don’t make position to make the right call and everyone starts ripping into you.
And for the idiot on the self-calling of a game - there is always the one player who calls phantom fouls every time he misses and the ones who want to get into a ten minute argument over the score or a travel call. Today I listened to a 10 minute game disruption over a goal tending call. Seriously stupid. Next thing you can do is to suggest we ’shoot for the call’ like we do in pickup as well…
As for the conspiracy nuts - i.e. the NBA fixes games by telling refs to do… You are just that - nuts. Get over it - your team wasn’t good enough.
And Gabe - I really take offense at your comments about the ‘little’ ref and also how ex-players are “too cool to want to biznitch.” Haywoode Workman was a strong journeyman player and one of the better newer refs in the NBA. Same goes for Leon Wood and Bernie Fryar. Leon Wood was I believe the #10 pick in the draft back in 1984.
It isn’t about credibility or lack of it - instead you have made it about the class of opinion you have presented - this is a low class opinion of a group of people who are necessary for you to be able to play a basketball game and through that make a living.
slimmy Said,
December 12, 2009 @ 11:42 pm
What a stupid article.
Kenzo Said,
December 13, 2009 @ 3:11 am
What else is new Gabe is unemployed and angry. Please God make the next blog I read be gabe complaining about getting fired from the hype.
Kenzo Said,
December 13, 2009 @ 3:14 am
Ha ha “It makes me question even playing this sport” Do you even play anymore??? PS The Nepali League does not count
Brian Said,
December 13, 2009 @ 6:02 am
At Texas, as a freshman, you were one of my favorites in college basketball. No disrespect intended…..but now you don’t seem like you are more mature than an 18 year old first year college student.
I understand you need to be a bit controversial to have a blog. But every time I read any of your blogs you make a point to commit to yourself to a cause that really does not need any commitment.
I respected your talent as a basketball player. I would like to respect you for the man that you have become. Don’t use this platform that Hoopshype has given you to disappoint the people that care about you. You are either 31 or 32 considering that you finished high school in 96. High time you started acting your age.
Jesse Said,
December 13, 2009 @ 6:43 am
You write by far the best basketball blog on the web. I wish people who can’t handle the depth of your thought would stop finding excuses to criticize you. Best of luck. You should go back to China, then I would actually have the chance to watch you play.
Steve Watkins Said,
December 13, 2009 @ 8:18 am
Gabe,
I used to think like you also. I played in a lot of after-work leagues and I got fed up with the refs. So I decided to ref games in high school and church league.
Filling the refs shoes gave me a whole new perspective. Reffing is NOT an easy job. There are so many things you have to wtach for and so many things going on on the court. Also as soon as you put the stripes on, you become the enemy. You have to do it to appreciate it. My biggest regret from is that I did not call more technical fouls. If I started doing it again I would never hesitate to use the T.
Steve Watkins Said,
December 13, 2009 @ 9:50 am
There have been some suspicious events that have occurred under David Stern’s leadership surrounding some key playoff games. Seattle-Phoenix, Sacramento-LA, and Milwaukee-Philadelphia are three examples. In all of these series, there was a significant discrepancy in fouls called, favoring the team with a significantly bigger ticket draw going into the next series. Has there ever been any key games where a significant number of fouls were called in favor of the lower ticket draw? Maybe there have been but I am not aware of any. I am not saying these games were fixed but why doesn’t David Stern come out and explain this situation to someone with no paid interested in the NBA?
Steve Watkins Said,
December 13, 2009 @ 10:43 am
The Yao Ming incident is also very suspicious. The NBA has a huge interest in attracting viewers from China and millions of them tune in just to watch Yao Ming. I am not saying that the league office instructed referees to give Yao Ming any special treatment but why would Van Gundy make up a story like that and then change it? I would like to see David Stern come out and explain this to a Mike Wallace type.
BUCK Said,
December 13, 2009 @ 5:08 pm
Money. Money. Money. David Stern’s job is to make the owners money. They may say they are not makeing money, but thet are, that is why they are still in the game. To the fan, basketball is sports. To the owners, it is a money makeing cow and what ever has to be done, has to be done. So to all who think the game is not fixed to a certain point, dream on, everyone is allowed to dream. In the real world, money is what it’s about. One simple “?”, why are home teams given breaks on calls ?? Even the commentators admit this. If you can’t admit this, dream on, everyone is allowed to dream ! Anyone who saw the Lakers vs Kings playoffs back in the day, and say that wasn’t fixed needs to be admitted somewhere. I was all for L.A. and I couldn’t stand it. It was just too open. So dream on dreamers. I still love to watch NBA ball, but i know what i’m watch. Not as bad as big time wreasling, but getting close.
Earl Said,
December 13, 2009 @ 5:39 pm
Making a bad call and making a call simply based on personal reasons are different. Also in a sport where a simple foul call can slow the game and kill a teams momentum, the refs should be held to a higher standard. Some things are just mistakes and other thing which are obvious to me as a fan are just plain wrong. The commentators joke about it but it is no joking matter. I think Tim Donaghy is a low life but everything he is saying is not a lie and also there are a lot of tricks refs use to high what they do in stats like that Iverson thing. Chances are he started getting calls when the game was decided to hide the fact that he was not getting calls when it mattered. I have not seen the tape so i can not confirm this but i have seen enough of finals and what not to know that some games have been called unfairly.
Earl Said,
December 13, 2009 @ 5:46 pm
This is a question to some bloggers and people. I can not support every opinion that Gabe has because they are his personal opinions but why instead of saying you are wrong for saying that refs who ref based on personal feeling is not true do we mudsling Gabe or others to suggest that everything they say is not true. Why not just prove that person is wrong based on facts or something. Also just like in high school it would be good to give references to those facts so others could rarify them. As far as they bully thing and nerds getting power. I have seen it happen but you can also make an argument for a jock that could not cut it and want to live through that career and power. The problem with that is most tall and athletic people tend to get a different respect than shorter people who are more likely to be mad all the time or have to force the issue to get respect. Exactly what Gabe has said I have seen with teachers which sucks because they are supposed to teaching the future instead of shunning students who do not share there bias beliefs. This problem has never been something basketball holds the market on but something that happens all the time in many other fields but NBA has more exposture
Steve Watkins Said,
December 13, 2009 @ 8:11 pm
Short people are just naturally angry? hahaha
tim Said,
December 14, 2009 @ 2:43 am
The author speaks about the need for referees to be “cool”. In my opinion, this is irrelevant.
Beta721 Said,
December 14, 2009 @ 7:59 am
This blog space is obviously a forum for “selective understanding” (ala selective hearing). Gabe is speaking from his POV, that of a highly talented professional player. We are speaking from the level of outside observer and lower-level participants (to thise of you who ref school/YMCA leagues). Obviously there are going to be points you don’t agree with, it doesn’t discredit Gabe’s entie thought process. Some other things;
1) Stop hating on Gabe, he has a blog, plays ball and gets paid for it…stop hating.
2) The NBA has nearly 100 referees, if you are an NBA fan you probably know which ones hve screwed your team over the years and which ones are continuously retched (talking to you J. Crawford, Javits, etc…) Just like in any job some excel, some fail…but unfortunately in the NBA Czar Stern doesn’t let his paying audience know who excels and fails from the ranks of the referees.
3) Stop hating…generally…it’s not a good look
Beta721 Said,
December 14, 2009 @ 9:00 am
Sorry, I meant Javie….not “Javits”
Steve Watkins Said,
December 14, 2009 @ 9:24 am
Beta721,
Thank you for your lecture. Gabe surely needs and appreciates your protection.We will all try to be nicer to poor Gabe. Some of us are short-circuiting our keyboards because we are foaming at the mouth over our hateful words.
WSG Said,
December 14, 2009 @ 9:39 am
Great column, Gabe. For the life of me, I don’t understand why there aren’t people answering questions about this under oath, already. Why is baseball held to a different standard?
WSG Said,
December 14, 2009 @ 10:18 am
To take it further, if referees did, in fact, conspire to target certain players and certain team-specific situations, (practically the very definition of cheating), it needs to be seriously looked into. If it happened, it might even be the worst kind of cheating. These guys (refs) have our trust to maintain the integrity of the game; they are in fact, in a ‘position of trust’, which makes it all the more reprehensible that they would mess with any aspect of calling a game, ever.
When I spend my dollars to see a professional sporting event live, I expect only the players to determine the outcome. Unless there’s an understood acceptance that there will be elements of ‘big-time professional wrestling’ involved, nobody EVER has any business whatsoever to affect outcomes of games played, except the players playing it … and always (of course) within the rules. It’s one thing to know that rules will sometimes be interpreted a bit differently, one ref to the next, allowing for the speed of the game, especially. But … it’s a whole other thing – completely – for referees to secretly conspire behind their closed dressing room door against players and teams. If they actually did that, it’s called cheating.
They dragged baseball players out to testify under oath for allegedly cheating, didn’t they? How is this really any different?
Chris Said,
December 14, 2009 @ 12:41 pm
Gabe for sure cannot write well about this topic, it is biased for sure, but Gabe is the guy on the team or in the room that always says what is on his mind and everybody else’s but they are too afraid to say something.
Ballers united, never take a ref’s side if you actually played, and I m not talking high school or JUCO….I m talkin UNI or any pro league
Chris R Said,
December 14, 2009 @ 1:30 pm
What makes me upset about basketball, is having rules that refs are supposed to call fouls that aren’t a part of basketball. I say, if you wouldn’t do it in a pick-up game, then you shouldn’t do it in an organized game.
Nick Said,
December 14, 2009 @ 3:31 pm
Whatever, Gabe is one of these “new school” guys. He is all about star power and flash, and has no real love for the game the way it is supposed to be played/run. This guy is a sham, he’s a punk, and I will never read another article written by this fool.
tom Said,
December 14, 2009 @ 4:35 pm
It doesn’t matter who “should be ref.” Anyone with that much power will be tempted and eventually will give in and take the easy way out. Stern is as much to blame as anyone! He’s totally corrupt.
Just read a great book, “The Steam” by Steve Alper, that focus on a corrupt NBA ref. who partners with a desperate gambler to take down the NBA and the vegas bookies. Great Book! It shows how corrupt the NBA really is!
Beta721 Said,
December 15, 2009 @ 7:28 am
Steve Watkins,
You’re welcome. Daily lectures offered at 3pm, 5pm and 7pm each day.
But please, if you do foam at the mouth, wipe up after yourself.
gabe n. Said,
December 15, 2009 @ 10:20 am
This Gabe really sounds like a bitter old grandpa. Everything is somebody else’s fault, nothing his. The man just adores himself. When I see him come to the ref when the player guarding him gets an unjustly called foul and start arguing that it was bad call, then I will belive him. Of course, that will be when hell freezes over.
Porky Said,
December 15, 2009 @ 2:41 pm
“Hate makes the world go round.”
Gabe (Kaplan)
Scott Said,
December 15, 2009 @ 7:48 pm
You obviously have a huge problem with authority in any form; when are you going to grow up and deal with it? Refs make mistakes; no way they are held to a “higher standard’ by dysfunctional fools like yourself; the only “higher standard” you understand in your infantile state is to have everything go your way; not going to happen. Stop blaming others and look inside yourself.
jake Said,
December 21, 2009 @ 11:21 pm
Dig your work, man.