Yeah, yeah. We see you.
Here’s something that might help in NBA refs regaining some credibility: According to the Orlando Sentinel, Dick Bavetta might be ready to call it a career when he’s finished leaving his mark on games this season. In case you missed it, the infamous Tim Donaghy said working with the 69-year-old Bavetta was “like pursuing a graduate degree in advanced game manipulation” in a tell-all that the league is currently trying to keep from being published. If Donaghy thinks you blow at calling games, then you really, really suck.
Donaghy claimed Bavetta has been the driving force behind several of the NBA’s most controversial games in recent years, including a pair that extended the Lakers’ playoff lives in elimination games against the Blazers and Kings in 2000 and 2002. However, perhaps the greatest of Donaghy’s revelations about Bavetta comes here (excerpt courtesy of Deadspin):
“Bavetta actually paid an American Airlines employee to watch all the games he worked and write down everything the TV commentators said about him. No matter how late the game was over, he’d wake her up for a full report. He loved the attention.”
That, of course, doesn’t come as much of a surprise, considering Bavetta’s little display of stupidity and affection with fellow attention whore Charles Barkley at All-Star Weekend a few years back. Yeah, we see you guys…nobody cares.
Anyway, Bavetta calling it quits would certainly help. Can we get Steve Javie to hang ’em up next?
greasy
By: Kyle on November 9, 2009
at 3:21 pm
The NBA: Where man-on-man action happens.
By: Jeremy on November 9, 2009
at 3:24 pm
The NBA: where David Stern is responsible for defrauding the players, fans, and the game itself. No other sport could such things happen.
As much as I love basketball, I just can’t stand how stars get every call, rookies, get nothing (unless they are Lebron), and guys such as Raja Bell get screwed for being good at what they do.
A league where Rasheed Wallace is CORRECT????? I guess anything can happen, but wow…..
Dick Bavetta, you publicity-addict, get away from the NBA before the feds come after you.
By: JP on November 9, 2009
at 4:03 pm
Yeah, they’re a joke…I can’t believe the league fought so hard to get these guys back. I think the NBA would’ve gained some credibility by letting them all walk.
By: Jeremy on November 9, 2009
at 4:32 pm
they fought back b/c the replacement refs were even worse. They had no financial incentive to screw up games, they just couldn’t keep up
By: JP on November 9, 2009
at 9:30 pm
Yeah, but I think they would’ve fought to bring them back regardless of the replacement refs’ performance. Oh well, hopefully Bavetta is out after this year, though I wouldn’t be surprised if he’ll bask enough in the attention to convince himself to come back.
By: Jeremy on November 9, 2009
at 10:00 pm