There's a HUGE difference in a missed call where a shot barely grazes the rim and a missed call where an exposed player at the top of the key has a player jump into on a catch-and-fake. The difference is that EVERYONE WHO FOLLOWS BASKETBALL with a hint of impartiality spots the latter as an egregious error. There is no one at the end of the game without the aid of replay saying "Fisher might have bumped Barry;" it's a definite - FISHER BUMPED BARRY. Without the aid of replay, some folks would say the shot grazed the rim, and others would say it was an airball.
It's the difference between being WRONG and being INCOMPETENT.
The question isn't whether the call would have decided the game. The question is, "WHY WAS THE OBVIOUS CALL NOT MADE AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE OF THE GAME?"
I have to believe that if Baron Davis or Gilbert Arenas is out there, that would have been a foul. And that's why I get the most disgusted.
This is now two years in a row where the playoffs have MAJOR controversies due to officiating and rules violations.
My thought follows the line of thinking of one of my favorite quotes:
"I believe in coincidences. Coincidences happen every single day. But I don't TRUST coincidences."
You are right there is a huge difference Joe....
One is a judgement call and one is not. The amount of contact to warrant a foul in that situation is a judgement call by the officials. The question isn't about the contact as much as it was 'Is it enough to warrant a foul' The referees did not think it was.
A ball hitting the rim is not a judgement call. It is pretty straight forward. They don't get to say 'well did it hit enough of the rim to warrant a reset of the shot clock' there is no judgement being used in that call.
And for the record, after watching this again after our debates, Joey Crawford was not the only referee in position to make that call. In fact I believe he was partially blocked out by Barry and the other official had the better angle.
