NBPA letter

["James A. Hill" <jahill@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I sent this letter to the NBPA at "info@nbpa.com.  I think the players
association may be interested in having the officiating improve if they see
an economic downside to poor officiating.  Others may wish to send a note as
well.

<Jim

Subject: Poor officiating will cost players money.

To Executive Commissioner, Mr. Billy Hunter and the Executive Committee
members,

I am writing to you to lodge a complaint about the game officiating for the
last couple years.

I attend games with my Wife or children at $95.00 per ticket by splitting
tickets with a season ticket holder, I buy merchandise and watch the NBA on
television which supports your ratings.  I can still remember attending my
first NBA game at the Boston Garden more years ago then some of today's
players have been alive.

I can assure you that my 14 year old son can remember the night the Celtics
beat MJ and the Bulls on Halloween.  He had to give up trick-or-treating to
attend the game.  He would do it again.

The NBPA should be concerned about the lousy officiating that has been going
on.  Watching the games is becoming more like watching the WWF as the
product on the floor is becoming an imitation of a basketball game.

The nonsense of some players that get 3 seconds in the paint and others get
7 seconds, some players get breathed on and a foul is called and others get
mugged without a whistle makes you wonder WHO the game is about.

I for one have cut down on the number of live games I attend.  I will let my
Wife or daughters watch "their program" on the big screen tv and catch the
second half of the game after their done.  I know other long time season
ticket holders that feel the same way.

If you want to know why "basketball related income" will continue to drop I
suggest that the quality of the game, because of poor officiating, has made
the game less interesting then all the drug busts combined.

I don't really care WHAT the rules are.  Just have the ref's call all of the
games using the same rules and apply them equally.  (Except against rookies
maybe ;>) )

A "superstar" isn't a superstar if he can't play within the rules.  A
borderline guy who puts out the effort should be treated the same as any
other player.

These borderline and less-then-superstar players are the ones who need the
Players Association.  The superstars don't need you.  As everyone has found
out, the superstars are going to get their money anyway and they'll let
everyone else scramble for what is left.

The Players Association needs to force the NBA to make it a level playing
field for ALL of players and generate fan interest in "BASKETBALL".  I like
my team leaders but I also like the guy that does the dirty work.  Those
4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 guys are the "glue" of the team.  They will all be
making the minimum soon.  The league is losing it's fan base and along with
it the "basketball related income" (BRI) that the salaries are derived from.
The retirement money will also continue to drop as fans turn away from $100+
merchandise because the game is less and less interesting.

The way the officials have taken over the game we might as well buy their
jersey's.  They decide who plays and how they play.  I want the players to
show me THEIR skills not be held back while trying to determine the
officials "interpretation" of the rules.

Gentleman it is up to you to lead this.  I have written to the Mr. Stern of
the NBA for the last two years, as have others.  They would rather fine the
players for of-court behavior then clean up their own house.

The NBPA can either watch BRI continue to slide or they can work to make the
game an actual game again and watch BRI go back up.

It's your members money at stake.  What are you going to do about it?

Sincerely, Jim Hill


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Jim Hill
mailto:jahill@leasingservice.com