A few common complaints from fans of the team that's playing the Lakers in the playoffs go something like this: The refs screwed us! The NBA is fixed! The league wants the big market team from Los Angeles to advance! This is not something unique to fans of the Jazz, they just happen to be the ones currently facing L.A. in a tight series, and their fans just happen to be the ones making this complaint at the moment.
What's different this time though is that finally, a writer from the team's home town tells the fans exactly how completely ridiculous these sentiments are. Gordon Monson, take it away:
To all the Jazz fans who are crying . . . and crying . . . and crying about the refereeing in the Jazz-Lakers playoff series, how about this idea: Give it a rest. It's old and it's tired and it's predictable and it's embarrassing and it's unfounded. Drop the persecution complex. Nobody's out to get you. David Stern is not a grand puppet-master. He's not Vince McMahon.
Since the end of Game 5 I've received complaints from at least a hundred fans about the Jazz getting jobbed in one form or another, or 30 anothers, by the refs. Most of those protestations blast straight past accusations of ineptitude on the part of a few refs, and claim rather that there's a conspiracy afoot, that the NBA wants the Lakers in the Finals, and the Jazz are an inconvenience that must be dealt with by way of a crooked whistle. C'mon, does anybody really believe that?
Amen, brother. Seriously, there isn't anything more annoying than hearing a team's fans blame the refs for losing. I heard a little of this after the Lakers took Game 5.
After a hard-fought, close, and very entertaining game, it was pointed out to me that the Lakers shot 14 more free throws than the Jazz. Conspiracy! But four of those were intentionally given by Utah at the end of the game, so that's only a difference of 10 foul shots. In Game 4 in Utah, the Jazz shot a whopping 20 more free throws than the Lakers did, and I didn't hear Laker fans blaming the officials or Jazz fans even acknowledging the differential.
It's fine to argue about whether or not a particular call should have gone one way or the other. But to say in any series that the league is fixed or that the refs have it in for your team is just plain stupid.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. It's cool how you read True Hoop then just re-post the same thing here. Basically a journalist has an opinion, a blogger posts it, and then you re-post it agreeing with the original sentiment. What's the point? Can't you come up with something on your own?
Posted at 1:11PM on May 16th 2008 by E
2. The Jazz are a dirty team;
The push and shove is in their style;
There is not conspiracy here;
The fans in Utah are very mean;
They want to beat LA so bad , Boozer from the get go mentioned we got the muscle??
Boozer words they are lean and tall but we have the muscle ?
Well, boozer wrong sport is not boxing here or kickboxing or wrestle not even hockey.
Posted at 1:22PM on May 16th 2008 by frank
3. Yeah, as a Laker fan I would have no reason to go read what the Utah papers are saying about the series before tonight's Game 6 and then comment on it, right?
By the way, TrueHoop is awesome, and I read every post. And when I'm inspired to comment on something I see there, you'll know it. Because I always mention it, like I did here.
http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/05/15/pau-gasol-didnt-push-off-to-get-that-last-rebound-okur-flopped/
Posted at 1:22PM on May 16th 2008 by Brett
4. I don't believe its a conspiracy to get the Lakers to the Finals, why to play the Celtics? Ratings would be sky high, good old days! The real story is how bad the officiating is in the NBA! Who fouled Odom on the dunk? Vu dribbles the ball and kicks it out of bounds and referee behind some 25 feet calls a foul, replays show no foul. Gasol twice pushes off to get rebound, Boozer gets hammered. It may sound like I'm bias but No it just poor officiating. They stink!
Posted at 1:50PM on May 16th 2008 by glenn
5. In utah Lakers get raw deal, in L.A. Utah gets raw deal. I think the fans are to close to the action and they intimidate the officials. Its all about the mighty buck though!!!!!
Maybe the officials are betting again?
Posted at 1:59PM on May 16th 2008 by glenn
6. Robert Horry is a cheap shot artist, he is over the hill and has become the Marty Mc Sorley of NBA. That was a intentional foul to injure West, last year it was Nash. Retire "Whorey" Horry
Posted at 2:03PM on May 16th 2008 by glenn
7. NBA needs to move the fans back so referee are not intimidated and the NBA needs to watch every game they officiate. It sure looks like there betting again. I still have a ?, who fouled ODOM on the dunk?
Continuation shouldn't be from 23 feet, these rules are horrible. What happen to the Best Officials officiating the game in Playoffs?
Posted at 2:09PM on May 16th 2008 by Glenn
8. Utah needs to put a block on Kobe's back and then watch the NBA do something about it! Horrie needs to retire!
Posted at 2:12PM on May 16th 2008 by glenn
9. Sorry Brett, didn't mean to insult you. The little Lakers blog you have going here is fascinating, full of brilliant ideas, and never ever predictable.
Posted at 2:14PM on May 16th 2008 by E
10. I also find it suspicious that Brett continues to look at the Jazz side of the coin of all the referee bashing that has come about this year. Every team's fanbase has been doing it; it just comes about easier for Jazz fans because they've been following a prestigious franchise full of hall of fame material for many years now with nothing but Northwest/Midwest and felt hanging from the rafters to show for it. It's frustrating, and if you would have read the entire article by Monson, it is well founded.
Posted at 3:05PM on May 16th 2008 by Cory
11. Wilbon just weighed in on ESPN Radio, and he disagrees with you.
Posted at 3:14PM on May 16th 2008 by MC Welk
12. Why be surprise that lakers are getting all the breaks. This as been going on for years. It appears the officals will start calling against the other team as soon as kobe yells.
Posted at 3:30PM on May 16th 2008 by alto
13. While I don't believe that the refs are out to get the Jazz, Gordon Monson can't just say that a fix by the refs in "unfounded," when the simple fact is that has been with Tim Donaghy. The fact of the matter is that has happened.
Posted at 4:18PM on May 16th 2008 by bryan
14. Home team always get more calls their way. Plain and simple.
Posted at 4:56PM on May 16th 2008 by Ryan
15. anyone who believes that the sports leagues don't rig their games is a fool. the nba wants boston and la and after providing some drama that is who they will make sure they get, bet your life on it.
Posted at 5:05PM on May 16th 2008 by tal bodin
16. The real story should be that NBA officials just flat out suck. They don't call fouls with any sort of consistency, except for always treating the home teams better. Most good young players get no respect from the officials, while scrub veterans still do. What the fukc is that? Just because you've been in the league forever doesn't mean you should get a break from the officials. The whole league is a joke.
Posted at 5:10PM on May 16th 2008 by Dr Huxtable
17. Ok bloggers. Explain how all home teams have won (except 1). I have watched the refereeing and there is a strong home team bias! Concerning the Laker Utah game number 5. There were calls that went both ways, but in the last 5 minutes of the 4th, instead of letting the players play the refs did make some very questionable calls favoring the home team.
Look over the footage. Why call fouls on those plays when they hadn't the entire game??
At least Utah fans get another dish of home favored reforeeing at game 6.
Posted at 6:25PM on May 16th 2008 by Robert
18. The NBA is clearly fixed. I mean, San Antonio Spurs = Ratings GOLD!
More seriously: If any owner, having invested several hundred million dollars, thought the NBA was devaluing their franchise in favor of another by manipulating the officiating, the lawsuits would be epic.
Posted at 7:23PM on May 16th 2008 by mwu
19. Look at the games and you will see that the foul calls go to the team who attacks the basket. When Kobe didn't, the fouls were in Utah's favor. The reason is the players reach for the ball and get body.
Watch for contact when the ball is taken away in the paint. Just gotta be contact.
Posted at 7:27PM on May 16th 2008 by Leroy
20. the JAZZ ARE A GREAT TEAM AND HAVE A GREAT COACH SLOAN SHOULD HAVE BEEN COACH OF THE YEAR ,WITH THE LAKERS YOU CANT EVEN LOOK BAD AT KOBY BRYAN CAUSE THE REFS WILL CALL A FOUL SO THERE IS NO WAY THAT ANYBODY CAN BEAT THEM LIKE THAT ,SLOAN GREAT COACH
KOBY UVERATED AND A RAPIST .
Posted at 8:51PM on May 16th 2008 by Ed