January 9, 2006

NBA SHOULD FINE, SUSPEND OFFICIAL FOR HORRENDOUS CALL

      As much as some try to rationalize NBA official Steve Javie’s moronic expulsion of Toronto Raptors Morris Peterson during Sunday’s game against the New Jersey Nets in reality there can be no justification at all for such a call.  It was a game altering decision by one of the league’s more self-aggrandizing, self-serving and arrogant officials and should be immediately dealt with by the league.  In February 2004 the NBA suspended its official Michael Henderson three games for making a bad call that turned the verdict around at the end of a game.  How the league can avoid not doing the same this time would be beyond common sense since Henderson’s call was an erroneous decision in the midst of action while Javie’s decision was premeditated.  In effect Javie’s was far worse.

       For those unaware of the circumstances—The Nets (and former Raptor Vince Carter) were in town playing the Raptors in a typical grudge match game between the two rivals.  Despite Carter’s incredibly childish departure from the town and the team he and former teammate Peterson have remained good friends.  As such when the teams meet there is always a certain amount of tomfoolery between the two during the game.  With less than a minute remaining in the first half and Peterson taking the ball out of bounds Carter went over and gave his good buddy a playful jab.  Laughing during the dead ball moment Peterson returned the frivolity—only to have Javie whistle the frolics down, apparently believing the behaviour was serious, and throw Peterson out of the game.  Even Carter tried to plead with the official that it was all done good-naturedly but the notoriously stubborn Javie would not acquiesce.  Judge and jury had sentenced. 

      How poor are your officiating skills when you feel the need to involve yourself on such a large scale during the contesting of an NBA game?  Javie is considered one the NBA’s best (isn’t that frightening?) but isn’t part of being a good official mean that you have to admit, on occasion, that you are human and that you make mistakes?  Javie made one of the worst mistakes I have ever seen made by an official in any sport.  He could have easily settled the situation by consulting with his fellow officials and reversing the call—but Javie believes only in Javie, and the world according to Javie is irrefutable.

       The effects of the call on the game were incontrovertible.  Without Peterson, the Raptors best perimeter defender and the one player who could arguable keep Carter within some form of control, Vince went nuts against his former team scoring 24 points in a fourth quarter explosion.  It was a miraculous three point shot that brought the Nets all the way back and snatched certain defeat from the jaws of victory for Toronto.  If Peterson were in the game it is likely that Carter would not have had such a late game explosion and would have been contained enough for the Raptors to pull out the win.

       As such, and like Henderson’s call that ultimately cost Denver a victory over the Lakers, Javie should be suspended for costing the Raptors the victory.  It will be a monstrous case of injustice if nothing is done.  When Henderson was suspended NBA player Brian Grant commented, “Nobody is above being policed by the NBA.”

       Let’s hope so.