Shaq fined $35,000 for comments about officiating on Christmas Day

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=5960248

"I guess they came out to see No. 26 today," O'Neal said, referring to official No. 26, Bob Delaney. "... He was a great player out there today.

"They [fans] paid all that money to watch No. 26 play. If I was a fan, I would be pissed. You pay all that money for good seats, you have two of the best guys in the [NBA] sitting on the bench, out of the game. That is what happens when you have control freaks out there."

Orlando's Dwight Howard picked up five fouls, including a technical, while being held to six points in 33 minutes.

"It's just two good guys going out there hard," O'Neal said of his battle with Howard. "I just wish we had the opportunity to play."

O'Neal scored his only two points seconds before fouling out in the fourth quarter. His 13 minutes were by far the fewest in any of the 63 games in which he's fouled out in his career.

That is the SECOND TIME this year Bob Delaney and his piss poor attitude decided a game for the Celtics. He was the same guy who cost them the second game of the season in Cleveland - when Shaq said essentially the same thing. People dont pay to see Bob Delaney.

Mrkleen

I do think that all refs try to get the call right BUT when they miss an obvious one like when PP gets hammered across the arms and then he bitched a little too much and they tee'd him up. That's where the line is too wide. Some players yack and yack and never get called for a T. Look at Van Gundy, he cried all game but when Doc questioned a call that he was dam right on............a TECH.

Not sure what the answer is to overhaul bad officials. I think some organization outside should be in control NOT the commish and his cronies.


Wonder how far a lawsuit against the league would go when enough fans have shelled out thousands to watch the players and only get to see a fleeting glance. When I buy a box of Chocolates I expect it to be ....a BOX of CHOCOLATES imagine that. When I go to an NBA game I expect to see the best players not the LaRue Martin's and Paul Ruffner's of the world.

When I go to an NBA game (soon) I want to see the best players play not sitting on the bench for over 1/2 the game because some two bit whistle blower gets his jollies off by making questionable calls then teeing up any player that challenges his judgement.

And I know the old saying play good enough so that a couple bad calls don;t cost you the game.........thats all well and good but when a games a grinder it just isn't that easy.

beat

The game was pathetic even for the biggest group of chumps in organized sports,

Shaq is 100% right. I like that he spoke out because Doc and Danny clearly wont in public.

Way to be Shaq.

Too bad current superstars like Kobe and LeBron don't have the stones to say stuff like this, the fur might actually start to fly then.

bob

.

What do Kobe and LeBron have to worry about. LeBron plays the game like a bull in a china shop, never gets called for lowering that shoulder when he is driving to the basket. He just runs right over his opposition. But....he is LeBron, never gets a foul called. As far as Kobe.....lets face it, he is the pretty boy of
the league, he won't foul out often, if at all.

Shaq was right, Bob Delaney was definitely playing to the crowd, which he always does. He never should be on a game of such prominence. He loves being the king!

bob

Bron has enough problems with the english lanquage.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/news/story?id=5960277

"That's crazy, because I had no idea what the word 'contraction' meant before I saw it on the Internet," James said after the Miami Heat's practice Monday.

geesh Bron keep the lips together a bit more. Better to have people think your a moron than open your mouth and remove all doubt!

beat

WHAT A JERK!!!!!

Rosalie

You summed it up quite neatly!
And didn't use a single contraction!

beat

LeQueen may not know the meaning of the word, 'contraction', but he understands the concept.

First:

Not saying let's take New Jersey and let's take Minnesota out of the league. But hey, you guys are not stupid, I'm not stupid, it would be great for the league."

or later:

"That's crazy, because I had no idea what the word 'contraction' meant before I saw it on the Internet," James said after the Miami Heat's practice Monday. "I never even mentioned that. That word never even came out of my mouth. I was just saying how the league was back in the '80s and how it could be good again. I never said, 'Let's take some of the teams out.' "

the lying sack of scatta

gyso wrote:LeQueen may not know the meaning of the word, 'contraction', but he understands the concept.

First:

Not saying let's take New Jersey and let's take Minnesota out of the league. But hey, you guys are not stupid, I'm not stupid, it would be great for the league."

or later:

"That's crazy, because I had no idea what the word 'contraction' meant before I saw it on the Internet," James said after the Miami Heat's practice Monday. "I never even mentioned that. That word never even came out of my mouth. I was just saying how the league was back in the '80s and how it could be good again. I never said, 'Let's take some of the teams out.' "

the lying sack of scatta

oh i missed that, just started a thread to sort of knock his knowledge of the english language, appears he's a liar too..

but we already knew that.. "I got a goal, and it's a huge goal, and that's to bring an NBA championship here to Cleveland," James said. "And I won't stop until I get it."

LeQueen gets the DPOTY, language category, for his work in front of the microphone. This award is based on pure volumn.

I mean, he goes instinctively to backpeddling as soon as he finds out he has once again munched on his size 'extra-large' shoe. He's got people, but they don't get it either.

Yeah, LeQueen, pants right on fire!!

back to the Shaq story..

im liking the Big fella more and more that he's a Celtic.. dood calls it as it is..

matty

he dont cry wolf ever two seconds either, which is why when he does speak it hogs the throttle.

The Jordan Rules indeed.

Stern...i'll just sit and grin, and the money will roll right in.

hey beat

the only answer that is real is replace Stern with an honest man that knows and loves the game and replace the entire reffing system starting with the removal of every single nba ref except one or two honest ones (think untouchables)

But any ref that has been around long enough to profit bux wise from fixing games or that has been around long enough to build and sustain grudges has got to go and you have to IMPOSE a strict term limit. You are an nba ref for 4 years. It's really no diff than politics.

beat wrote:Mrkleen

I do think that all refs try to get the call right BUT when they miss an obvious one like when PP gets hammered across the arms and then he bitched a little too much and they tee'd him up. That's where the line is too wide. Some players yack and yack and never get called for a T. Look at Van Gundy, he cried all game but when Doc questioned a call that he was dam right on............a TECH.

Not sure what the answer is to overhaul bad officials. I think some organization outside should be in control NOT the commish and his cronies.


Wonder how far a lawsuit against the league would go when enough fans have shelled out thousands to watch the players and only get to see a fleeting glance. When I buy a box of Chocolates I expect it to be ....a BOX of CHOCOLATES imagine that. When I go to an NBA game I expect to see the best players not the LaRue Martin's and Paul Ruffner's of the world.

When I go to an NBA game (soon) I want to see the best players play not sitting on the bench for over 1/2 the game because some two bit whistle blower gets his jollies off by making questionable calls then teeing up any player that challenges his judgement.

And I know the old saying play good enough so that a couple bad calls don;t cost you the game.........thats all well and good but when a games a grinder it just isn't that easy.

beat

Completely agree. And there are too many refs in the NBA these days that think they are beyond reproach. Watching Bob Delaney is sickening - as he is telling Jermaine O'Neil and Shaq to just "walk away" literally REFUSING to engage in a discussion about his calls. I mean, Shaq has been in the league for 18 years...can you imagine working with someone for 18 years and having them still dismiss you when you try and talk to them?

WTF does Bob Delaney think he is - that someone like Shaq, who is a hall of famer / all time great doesnt deserve at least a short explanation?

NBA should be like baseball - where after each game, each official is graded - and those with the most blown or missed calls - get left out of the playoff rotation - or have to explain themselves in the off season. The refs in the NBA are above the law (so to speak) and it is ruining the game.

beat wrote:bob

Bron has enough problems with the english lanquage.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/news/story?id=5960277

"That's crazy, because I had no idea what the word 'contraction' meant before I saw it on the Internet," James said after the Miami Heat's practice Monday.

geesh Bron keep the lips together a bit more. Better to have people think your a moron than open your mouth and remove all doubt!

beat

Look at it this way, LeBum, "contraction" is what has happened to your reputation.

Now do you understand it?

By making the comments he did, Shaq was well aware of the fine he would be facing. There are so many ref's out there with egos just as big as these superstars, if not bigger. Watch Joe Crawford, he is a real jerk, Dick Bavetta looks like he is going to die right there on the court, Kenny Mauer hates the Celtics and makes his feelings known by the way he calls the games, and after watching Bob Delaney, I laughed at his ability to call a game professionally on the biggest day of the regular season. Who is David
Stern watching when he watches these games???????? He is the one who
needs to be gone, then someone can come in and really straighten out this mess he has created. He has make the referees GOD















[quote]

rosie t

I said the same thing above. Stern is a suit as such he understands money. He did a good job. Now it is time to put the nba in the hands of someone who loves, respects and UNDERSTANDS the game of basketball.

The old guard refs must all be let go and new blood infused. The refs serve four year "terms" and then they move on and ref in college or elsewhere.

But it is so broken that Stern and ALL the current refs must go. Got to take a laser sight alley sweeper to the whole set up and just start over.

[quote="RosalieTCeltics"]By making the comments he did, Shaq was well aware of the fine he would be facing. There are so many ref's out there with egos just as big as these superstars, if not bigger. Watch Joe Crawford, he is a real jerk, Dick Bavetta looks like he is going to die right there on the court, Kenny Mauer hates the Celtics and makes his feelings known by the way he calls the games, and after watching Bob Delaney, I laughed at his ability to call a game professionally on the biggest day of the regular season. Who is David
Stern watching when he watches these games???????? He is the one who
needs to be gone, then someone can come in and really straighten out this mess he has created. He has make the referees GOD


Rosalie,

In all fairness, NBA players have "the Ego that ate Tokyo". There isn't a single one of them with a self-esteem problem (although some, like Ray Allen, are gentlemen about it) and the coaches that have to manage these collosal egos are no shrinking violets themselves. Refs, therefore, MUST have strong egos to survive in that arena also. So, to be honest, I have no problem with a ref with a strong "don't mess with me because I always win" ego. Some of the all-time great refs (Mendy Rudolph, Earl Strom and Darryl Garretson to name three) had supersized egos too.

Where I have a problem is that there has been a deliberate policy shift in this year's officiating where players are not allowed to argue with refs over calls or get T'd up. Since that effectively "declaws" the opposition (players/coaches), then Stern should instruct his refs to "lighten up a bit" because they're not going to have to withstand the harranguing from the players and coaches. What's the need to "defend yourself" if nobody is attacking you anymore?

Considering the two centers who are slated to be the #1 and #2 centers on the East All-Star team didn't get to play much because of fouls on NBA Christmas, this $35k fine on bazillionaire Shaquille O'Neal might have been the cheapest and best deal going this shopping season. It might have brought a spotlight on a game that justifies Stern to quietly "have some words" with Ronnie Nunn, the NBA Director of Officials (another ref I NEVER liked. The fact that Ronnie Nunn is the director of refs shows just how inferior they have become).


bob

.

Bob-every sport needs control, I do believe that. However, how much is the
question. Why, just because they get a foul called on them do they not have the right to question just what they did wrong. To make the ref's unaccountable to anyone is wrong. Listen, I sat through some of the most highly contested games ref'd by Mendy Rudolph, and Jack Madden. One game I thought the crowd was going to come out and kill Madden for a call he made on Sam Jones. I just feel some of these guys have been made to feel that they don't have to answer to anyone. Maybe you are right, having a former ref as the head of them might not be the smartest thing. Let's face it, I am from Boston, have watched Red scream and yell for years and years, listened to Johnny Most annoint every ref the bad guy, so I am a bit biased
in my view. But, I still believe there are some out there with a chip on their shoulder

Bottom line is that (as Shaq said) NO ONE pays to see the refs. A well officiated game is one where you dont even know who the officials are.

This happens all the time in baseball and often in football as well. But in the NBA, almost every night - one of the officials has to stick his big head into the middle of the competition to show how big his (EGO) is. Every single NBA game I watch (not just Celtics games) I am aware of who the officials are...and NOT for good reasons.