It is just the second game of the season and already I'm fed up with the officiating.  It's obvious that the refs aren't interested in being fair and impartial and these new technical rules are giving the refs a new avenue for showing their biases.

In last night's game the Cavs got at least 12 points as the result of bad calls or no calls.   When even the opposing fans talk about how many favorable calls they are getting you know the officials are calling it one sided.   Maybe you can say that the Cavs were the more aggressive team, which they were.  And the more aggressive team gets the calls.   I can go with that to a point.  And both teams did get the same number of free throws.  But how can you explain upholding the basket that was made when the clock didn't start until after 2 seconds had passed when just one second was left in the game? 



But in the Miami game, the refs continually allowed LeJerk to dip his shoulder and bull his way over defenders who were set and giving him the call.  That blocking foul on Pierce where he hurt his back was inexcusable.  Even the TNT announcers, who were pretty much in Miami's corner,  said that it was a pre-determined call and that it was very clearly a charge.  The refs are allowed to make horrible calls like that one but if a player raises an eyebrow to question it, they get hit with a technical foul.

And I can see that the refs aren't going to enforce the technical rules evenly and fairly.  Shaq calmly goes to the ref  (while play is stopped) to ask about a call and gets a T.  But Anderson Varejao can throw a hissy fit and stop around on the ground when the ball is called out of bounds off of him and no call?   And even worse,  LeBron is allowed to complain ALL THE WAY DOWN THE FLOOR, including throwing his hands up, facial gestures, and verbal complaints after a call against him and NO CALL.  He complained to a lesser degree on another call as well and no reaction from the refs.    The same with Wade.  He clearly complained both in gestures and words after 2 different calls and no tech.

These new technical rules that Herr Stern has instituted are a whole new way for his henchmen to influence games and carry out the decrees of the front office.   It wouldn't be as bad if the rules were enforced evenly but they aren't.  LeBron and D Wade are allowed to complain.  Varejao is allowed to throw a fit and dance around.  But, let a Celtic raise an eyebrow and they get called for a technical for it.  

I'm disgusted with the way David Stern continues to put a very flawed product on the court.  Instead of trying to improve the officiating and make it fair and without biases,  continues to make it worse.  The refs have absolutely NO accountability now.  No one can question their incompetence whatsoever.  They have carte blanhe to call the game any way they want and there is not a soul who can question it.  Players have to put up with horrible calls without any reaction whatsoever to those calls.  They have to watch players like LeJerk get away with everything short of murder without any repercussions whatsoever.

And no one better say a word against any of it.  Stern calls it his "respect for the game" campaign.   My question is how can you respect a game that has incompetent and biased refs and where teams and players are treated with different sets of rules?  Mr Stern needs to spend more time holding his refs accountable and forget about trying to make the game emotionless for fans and players.

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