NBA Referees Ensure Game 7 Revenues in Celtics Cavaliers Series

Why do they even pretend anymore? It has been openly discussed for years by players, coaches and fans that officials in the NBA make calls in favor of star players presumably to boost their performance and marketability. When a rookie is asked about a foul call that didn't go their way we often hear them respond that the star players "just get those calls" as if it's an accepted fact in the league.

In the Celtics Cavs game last night one blatently bad call after another went in the favor of Lebron James and the hometown Cavs. A charging call against the Celtic's Paul Pierce was so egregious that the announcers seemed stunned into silence.

Slanted officiating has long been a factor in home-court advantage. Naturally, the league understands that they can draw more fans to arenas to see home teams win than to see them lose. Calls that favor the home team are routinely chalked up to home-court advantage by commentators who opine, "that's a call that you seem to get at home." The current New Orleans/San Antonio series is tied 3 games to 3 with the home team winning each game by an average of over 17 points. Are they asking us to believe that these teams are 34 points better at home than on the road?

If the game is called correctly, shouldn't the officials be blind to the name on the player's jersey and where they are playing? Shouldn't the calls be consistent? If revenue from attendance and marketing are allowed to influence officiating, is it a stretch to believe that the league would order officials to make calls to extend playoff series to additional games? More games means more TV broadcasts, more ticket sales, etc.

Is it any wonder that the NCAA basketball tourney has grown in popularity while the NBA has lost fans? People like to watch sports because the results are uncertain. The NBA is killing the suspense for the fans!