News Flash: Officials matter in basketball

Amid the frenzy of reports on former NBA Official Tim Donaghy's involvement on fixing NBA games in conjunction with organized crime has been the admission by various sports personalities that the officials can have a big hand in the outcome of basketball games. Dick Vitale cited foul calls on big men as just one possible scenario.

I agree with just about everyone that corrupt officials are not a good thing for the NBA. Heck, corrupt officials aren't good for any professional sports league, college, or high school. But, I think it's hypocritical for the same people who are crying about this potential injustice when many of the same people, for years, have been downplaying the impact of officials on games. Heck, David Stern has been one of the strongest proponents of the idea that the teams in the NBA decide games, not the refs.

So, it would be nice if people would sit firmly on one side of the fence, rather than hop back and forth depending on the scenario. Bad officiating can create inequity in sports. Period! And, said bad officiating is never good. Whether the crappy calls are on purpose or by accident, it doesn't really much matter to the team that is getting the shaft in the deal. That's my take ... the teams are important, but there are times when the officiating is so one-sided that it puts one team at a distinct disadvantage.

My friend (and HS teammate) John usually argues the other side, that you shouldn't blame the officials because no team plays perfectly and loses. If this is your stance, you should not really be up in arms about this issue of whether or not Donaghy was involved in all this. If one team plays perfectly, there is no way that they won't cover the spread, no matter what the official does. One official, or a crew even, would have to be obviously cheating to even make a game close if one team played good "D", made all its shots and didn't turn the ball over.

February 10, 2007, the Hornets were favored by 8 against the Grizzlies. The Hornets played well, shooting 55.8% from the field, outrebounding Memphis by 14 and turning the ball over just 8 times. They covered the spread, winning by 15 points, 114-99. But, they missed 9 of 22 FT's; only caused 10 TO's; and allowed Memphis to shoot 43.9%, make 9 of 19 3's and 18 of 23 FT's. What's my point? The Hornets played well enough to cover the spread, but they obviously didn't play a perfect game. If a corrupt official made crappy calls that resulted in a 10-15 point swing, it could affect the point spread. But, similarly, a team could make up for it by playing better.

If it is found that Tim Donaghy blatantly affected the outcomes of games, that's bad news. It will be even worse if it is found that more officials are involved. But, I think it's equally important that people not lose sight of the real issue ... bad officiating is bad whether it's corrupt or not. It can affect point spreads and wins and loses. Sometimes, it is the officiating's fault!