ARTICLE

[Dorine Pratt <norine@sover.net>]

I was asked to post the article I referred to, so here goes:
Dorine

               By David Nielsen
               Scripps Howard News Service

               By winning their sixth title in eight seasons, the
Chicago Bulls
               have proved that they are one of the best teams in NBA
history.

               They have also proved that they are one of the most
blessed.
               When the Bulls hand out their championship rings, they
might
               want to reserve some for officials and the members of the
NBA
               Board of Governors.

               Two blatantly poor calls Sunday night took
               three points away from the Utah Jazz and
               gave two to the Bulls. It doesn't take an
               advanced mathematics degree to see how
               this five-point swing affected the 87-86
               nail-biting Bulls' victory.

               In the second quarter, official Dick Bavetta
               waved off Howard Eisley's 3-pointer, mistakenly claiming
it
               came after the 24-second clock expired.

               Bavetta's blunder was compounded by another dubious call
               when the refs let Ron Harper's game-tying shot stand late
in the
               fourth quarter, even though it came after the shot clock
buzzer.

               Anyone with a VCR and a slow-motion button could see
these
               calls were atrocious.

               But don't expect to see these plays on the official NBA
video
               celebrating Chicago's "Repeat Threepeat." That's because
the
               NBA spinmeisters won't dare show anything that besmirches
the
               integrity of their championship.

               Of course, they also won't dare consider doing the one
thing that
               could ensure the games' integrity: using instant replay
to review
               questionable calls involving the clock.

               The NBA's Board of Governors does not allow referees to
               check replays at any time, not even in the playoffs. They
aren't
               even allowed to check at the end of the game, unlike the
NCAA
               where officials can review any possible last-second
buzzer
               beaters.

               This intransigence has led to several embarrassing
gaffes,
               including earlier this year when a late basket at the
buzzer by
               Allan Houston of the New York Knicks was mistakenly
               disallowed, costing them a key game with the Miami Heat.
The
               Knicks filed an official protest with the league, but it
was
               rejected. NBA commissioner David Stern wrote that the
referee's
               decision "is an archetypal example of a judgment call."

               Stern could have just as easily have written that the NBA
says
               blatantly bad judgment calls are a perfectly acceptable
part of the
               game. Who cares about accuracy? Who cares about fairness?

               All that matters is that the decision was made on the
court.

               And you thought Latrell Sprewell's lawsuit was illogical?

               None of this is meant to belittle the Bulls'
accomplishment. Any
               team that comes back from a three-point deficit in the
final 40
               seconds to win at the Delta Center deserves praise.

               But without the two disputed shot clock calls, the Bulls
could
               have been down by eight points as time wound down. We may

               have seen the Bulls finally forced to play an NBA Finals
Game 7
               for the first time. That show would have redefined
"Must-See
               TV."

               Instead, anyone who cares more about fairness than fakery
is left
               with a hollow feeling. The Jazz aren't the first team to
be hurt by
               bad calls. Nor unfortunately will they be the last, until
the NBA
               decides justice is more important than Threepeats.

               (David Nielsen writes for Scripps Howard News Service. He

               can be e-mailed at nielsend@shns.com)

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