Referees Take Yet Another Blow

I'm sure Kobe will get the next call in his favor...

Well, I’ve finally decided to scan the internet to read more excerpts from Tim Donaghy’s new book The Book The NBA Doesn’t Want You To Read. I think a few months back when I wrote Officiating the NBA Referees maybe I was looking from the wrong point of view. I no longer believe it’s slow reaction time because of old age. I no longer believe that flopping is the reason for these terrible calls. I mean honestly deep down, I kind of had an idea that the referees are screwing with us most of the time, which must have been why I was so pumped about the referee lockout originally! I truly do wish we started this season with the replacement refs. Sure there might have been bad or some missed calls here and there, but SERIOUSLY, aren’t we used to it no matter who is out there? I can’t fully believe everything he said in the book, since he does have some strong motives in his quest to deface the NBA. I CAN however buy the face value of the information that a lot of calls and miscues by crews DO have some hidden motives behind them, and I must’ve been blocking that out for years. Reading through the excerpts felt like when you know that your girlfriend is cheating on you, but you aren’t really sure, and then you finally find out that it’s true. Yes Tim, your revelations have hurt me, and damaged me for every future relationship I have with refs for years to come. If the refs are indeed Stern’s puppets, playing with teams and players abilities to make the playoffs we may as well get Vince McMahon in there setting up the plotline for the season. We could turn these great athletes into a show instead of a sport, wouldn’t that be great. Are we heading to a league that resembles the Globetrotters vs. the Admirals? I figured that the refs had bias’s against players, teams, or coaches, but didn’t want to believe that they were truly effecting the outcome of the games. I know, it sounds nieve, but maybe I got used to it being shoved in my face for the past decade, so why didn’t I see it as a flaw? A) I guess I just accepted that some guys are going to get calls, and when it comes down to it, these refs I’m sure get caught up in the heat of the moment. B) I didn’t want to see in writing what I’d obviously already suspected, like the excerpt on the 2002 Western Conference Championship game 6 or the Spurs and Suns playoff series. C) Aside from the Lakers getting gifts like Pau Gasol and Artest for nothing, they are getting calls in crucial games, because the league hinted the refs should give them more calls in their favor. The Lakers seem to be one of the most hated teams in the league, and could this be a reason why? 

Deadspin had some good transcript on the jest of what he said in his book.