Sports Column

Make NBA referees accountable for their calls

Independent oversight won't solve the problem

By dwight jaynes

The Portland Tribune, Jul 4, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (8 Reader comments)

Jake O'Donnell and other former referees used to rule NBA courts.

KEN LEVINE / GETTY IMAGES

When news that the NBA has hired an unknown soldier, Gen. Ronald L. Johnson, to head up responsibility for referees, it renewed an outcry in the media for independent oversight of the officials.

You know, remove them completely from control by the league office – eliminating the possibility of undue influence on the officials to make outcomes consistent with what’s best for the league.

That sounds great, and a lot of people who aren’t familiar with recent NBA history have fallen in love with the concept.

But I’ll tell you for sure that it flat-out won’t work. It will create a much bigger monster than the league has now.

And I’ll tell you that because it’s basically already been done. And what a mess it was.

For many, many years, NBA officiating was almost untouchable by the league office. That was back when the referees’ union, and its legal counsel Richie Phillips (yes, the same Philadelphia lawyer who headed the baseball umpires’ union), ran the show.

That was quite a time for the league’s referees. Jake O’Donnell, Jack Madden, Mendy Rudolph, Earl Strom, Darell Garretson and a few other veteran refs roamed the NBA like gunslingers, strutting onto the court wearing their authority and giant egos like a badge. You didn’t like it – tough. Here’s a technical foul for you.

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