The NBA is rigged

[Cheesebeef]

I remember it well. But it still isn't like what we're seeing now. Then, it was pretty much one thing and from that one thing an entire conspiracy arose. But it didn't come up every game or every series. Since the Lakers series it seems like every time something goes wrong, one of our posters blames it on the refs.

yeah... I think you’re misremembering. People were going nuts during the Lakers-Suns round 1 series in 2006 when we went down 3-1. Banging the same rigged drum. Saw it even against the Clippers the next round and Mavs the round after that.

Only back then, Jon was joined by another NOTORIOUS poster who blamed every single loss on the refs who I constantly banged against because he was so annoying.

that poster isn’t around much anymore, and I won’t put his name on blast, but if I did, I bet you could do a search with his name and the word refs and get hundreds of hits. And they DID show up a couple times this playoffs... just to complain about the refs.

 

[BigRedRage]

You're not concerned that Foster is officiating our next game? Personally, I think it's in our heads (the team). It's tough to win if you suspect the referees won't allow it to happen. Sometimes we make our own fate.

refs get announced at 9am gameday I believe. I would prefer not to deal with foster is thats what you care about me answering. I'm a fan and not on the team so it is irrelevant.

 

[AzStevenCal]

yeah... I think you’re misremembering. People were going nuts during the Lakers-Suns round 1 series in 2006 when we went down 3-1. Banging the same rigged drum. Saw it even against the Clippers the next round and Mavs the round after that.

Only back then, Jon was joined by another NOTORIOUS poster who blamed every single loss on the refs who I constantly banged against because he was so annoying.

that poster isn’t around much anymore, and I won’t put his name on blast, but if I did, I bet you could do a search with his name and the word refs and get hundreds of hits. And they DID show up a couple times this playoffs... just to complain about the refs.

Yeah I know who you're talking about and I remember that series, I just don't remember the referee blaming being as pervasive as this is. But you're right, maybe time has dulled my recall.

 

[AzStevenCal]

refs get announced at 9am gameday I believe. I would prefer not to deal with foster is thats what you care about me answering. I'm a fan and not on the team so it is irrelevant.

I didn't know that, I thought I read last night that Foster was also scheduled for game 4.

 

[BigRedRage]

I didn't know that, I thought I read last night that Foster was also scheduled for game 4.

I am going off of a google I did the day after game 3 to see who the ref was for game 4.

Referee Assignments

official.nba.com

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[95pro]

I agree but the way a ref calls a game can affect the way players play. The flow of the game can be altered dramatically. The shots they take, the way they play D their aggressiveness or lack thereof. If a player knows a ref will not call a foul on the defending player does the player go to the hole? If a player knows the ref will call a foul on the other player he is more likely to go to the hole. After Jae gets ran over then called for a foul what does that plant in the minds of him and or his teammates. How does those type of plays affect the way Monty coaches a game?

Suns should have came right back and done the same thing on the other end.

 

[Mainstreet]

This. I still don't think the NBA is rigged. However, I do think there are refs who put themselves above the game. They want to be as noticed as the players playing the game. Scott Foster is one of those refs. I also think it's obvious he has a personal grudge against any TEAM that Paul plays on and putting those two things together isn't a good thing.

You have to be pretty oblivious to think that 0-12 is pure coincidence. I have worked with metrics/stats my entire career. 1 to 3 is a coincidence. 4-6 is concerning. 6-9 is eyebrow raising. 10+ is a trend.

I blame the NBA for pure incompetence or turning a blind eye more than I blame Scott Foster. If you are the NBA why put yourself in a position for this kind of conjecture with that kind of stat (win/loss result)?!?

I'm not in the rigged camp either but I think a team in the playoffs should have at least one peremptory challenge to exclude a referee assigned to work their games.

 

[Chaplin]

I'm not in the rigged camp either but I think a team in the playoffs should have at least one peremptory challenge to exclude a referee assigned to work their games.

The League would never, ever, EVER go along with that.

 

[Mainstreet]

Suns should have came right back and done the same thing on the other end.

Except the referees often call it on one player and not the other.

In the past NBA referees used to even out the calls when they made a mistake. It wasn't perfect but it leveled the playing field a bit.

 

[Mainstreet]

The League would never, ever, EVER go along with that.

The NBA is composed of owners and players. It would need to be a part of the new CBA.

I can think of a player representative who might like it.

 

[Covert Rain]

I'm not in the rigged camp either but I think a team in the playoffs should have at least one peremptory challenge to exclude a referee assigned to work their games.

That would be great but the league has all of these super secret processes for refs missing too many calls or responses to team complaints. Honestly, they should at the very least make all of that public. If they are not going to let each team have an exemption? Humiliate the hell out of refs like Foster.

 

[Chaplin]

The NBA is composed of owners and players. It would need to be a part of the new CBA.

I can think of a player representative who might like it.

The league has to sign the CBA. They wouldn’t sign it if this was proposed. Ever.

 

[Covert Rain]

The league has to sign the CBA. They wouldn’t sign it if this was proposed. Ever.

We have thought that before in the CBA on both sides of the coin. I doubt it either but there has been things both sides of agreed to over the years that I was surprised at. I think at the very least the players could demand more transparency in dealing with Ref complaints. That is not unreasonable by any stretch.

 

[Chaplin]

We have thought that before in the CBA on both sides of the coin. I doubt it either but there has been things both sides of agreed to over the years that I was surprised at. I think at the very least the players could demand more transparency in dealing with Ref complaints. That is not unreasonable by any stretch.

Sure, and I agree with that. But giving teams the ability to veto the presence of a specific referee in their game? That would be a non-starter. And a PR nightmare for the NBA to have to manage.

 

[Mainstreet]

That would be great but the league has all of these super secret processes for refs missing too many calls or responses to team complaints. Honestly, they should at the very least make all of that public. If they are not going to let each team have an exemption? Humiliate the hell out of refs like Foster.

The only one in position do that is the media and they have already voiced the issue.

 

[Mainstreet]

We have thought that before in the CBA on both sides of the coin. I doubt it either but there has been things both sides of agreed to over the years that I was surprised at. I think at the very least the players could demand more transparency in dealing with Ref complaints. That is not unreasonable by any stretch.

Yeah. It wouldn't be a deal breaker when it comes to a new CBA.

 

[Covert Rain]

The only one in position do that is the media and they have already voiced the issue.

Not the same thing. They have voiced the results. They have not made public other disciplinary actions or list of specific complaints. Scott Foster doesn't care what the media speculates.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Of course. And I've wondered, thought, blamed etc. that a referee was out to get us more than a few times myself. All they have to do is whistle Ayton for a couple quick fouls and he's a different player. The same thing was true for Amare early in his career. Or you could do what Steve Jaffe and a few other refs used to do, ignore when Billups or another physical guard would defend Nash driving the lane by swiping hard down on his forearm.

It became so common Steve ended up being a liability in closing minutes depending on the referee. I'm just not convinced, then or now, that there is an anti-Suns conspiracy nor do I believe the refs have been instructed to prolong playoff series.

I’ll never believe an anti-suns conspiracy. But I won’t dismiss a Scott Nelson vendetta. It’s just too easy for him to get away with it bc nba calls are too subjective to prove anything and unlike donaghy there’s no money involved.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

This. I still don't think the NBA is rigged. However, I do think there are refs who put themselves above the game. They want to be as noticed as the players playing the game. Scott Foster is one of those refs. I also think it's obvious he has a personal grudge against any TEAM that Paul plays on and putting those two things together isn't a good thing.

You have to be pretty oblivious to think that 0-12 is pure coincidence. I have worked with metrics/stats my entire career. 1 to 3 is a coincidence. 4-6 is concerning. 6-9 is eyebrow raising. 10+ is a trend.

I blame the NBA for pure incompetence or turning a blind eye more than I blame Scott Foster. If you are the NBA why put yourself in a position for this kind of conjecture with that kind of stat (win/loss result)?!?

Particularly when the only other constant variable is 61-48 with non-Scott foster reffed games. 0% to 56% winning percentages for 10% of games played by Paul. As I’ve stated previously - strains credulity and as covert says, if you’re the nba, why would you even want the scent of that stain on your crown jewel, the finals?

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I remember it well. But it still isn't like what we're seeing now. Then, it was pretty much one thing and from that one thing an entire conspiracy arose. But it didn't come up every game or every series. Since the Lakers series it seems like every time something goes wrong, one of our posters blames it on the refs.

You’re wrong. It didn’t arise with hip check. It existed prior to that. It existed with every series we ever played against the lakers and the Spurs.

 

[azsouthendzone]

Suns are 14-5 in the postseason and the refs are conspiring against them? Lmao. Wow. Maybe Giannis is a good player, two time MVP for a reason, and maybe the Suns aren't going to run the table and win every single game they ever play. It's amazing the entitlement a little success breeds.

 

[Bufalay]

Actually, you're not. Can you prove that Scott made all the calls that tipped the scales? Can you explain why we've had similar calls made against us by other referees?

In the last 10 playoff games of Paul that Foster has officiated, CP's team has been awarded almost the same number of free throws. And the referees know that every team is going to hack Giannis so it should come as no surprise to anyone that they see fouls there that might not be that egregious.

Also, have you considered the possibility that Paul's continued focus on Foster has created the situation where he and his teammates are influencing the statistical anomaly you're referring to? It they believe Foster is out to get them, do you really think they are playing with positive emotion when he's on the court?

I was being sarcastic.

 

[Covert Rain]

Suns are 14-5 in the postseason and the refs are conspiring against them? Lmao. Wow. Maybe Giannis is a good player, two time MVP for a reason, and maybe the Suns aren't going to run the table and win every single game they ever play. It's amazing the entitlement a little success breeds.

Not everyone here is saying the refs are conspiring against them. Many are focused just on Scott Foster.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Not everyone here is saying the refs are conspiring against them. Many are focused just on Scott Foster.

I don't agree with the "just on Scott Foster" part but yeah, it would be difficult not to focus on him. Clearly the numbers look bad but I don't accept that it's this incredibly rare statistical anomaly that proves the point. Games aren't coin tosses. In addition to the possibility that CP3 and the media have made it almost self-fulfilling for a few games now, factors such as who was injured and which team was actually better have to be considered also.

Still, like anyone, I'm suspicious of the guy and not just because of his close relationship with Tim Donaghy when that guy was still active. I'm mostly arguing against the people who look at the numbers and call it proof the league is fixed or even that Scott must be acting out of bias.

And I've always found it difficult to believe that referees have been instructed or encouraged to prolong series. I can believe that a D.ick (I can't believe that word is still censored) Bavetta or two decided on their own that it would help, but not that they'd been acting on orders.

I am however worried that with the rise of legal sports betting that the day will come when someone will be financially compensated for extending a series. That would be even harder to discover/prove than actually fixing games (or shaving points etc). But for the league to do it, too many people would have to be involved, people that could be fired for other reasons at any time which would put the league in jeopardy.

 

[Germz249]

I'm sorry Germz. I didn't mean to single you out. I've been getting carried away with my posts lately.

didn’t feel singled out at all and no need to be sorry. We all look at things differently.