NBA to expand technical foul rulings

[Patr1ck]

I think the referees are partly to blame, too. Where do you draw the line between emotional reactions and aggressive arguing? They are enforcing it like its a zero tolerance policy right now. I didn't think that was the case.

[Andrew]

I think they're pretty much going for zero tolerance here even if they're not calling it that, no longer distinguishing between an involuntary "Oh, come on!" kind of reaction or even frustration at oneself for committing a stupid foul and belligerent argument after a call.

[Andrew]

ABC analysts say new techs policy is too harsh

Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson, ABC’s analysts on national broadcasts, both said Tuesday they have problems with league’s plan to call more technical fouls. Jackson even believes the NBA may have to back away from it at some point.

“I don’t think that it’s something they’re going to keep in the long run,” Jackson said on a conference call. “I think at the end of the day they will chip away at—I would hope that they take a step back from this rule. I think it’s a little too harsh, just watching early on.”

I hope he's right. As I said before, I'm all for the policy bombing spectacularly in the early weeks of the season and forcing the league to re-think their approach and the results of their supposed market research.

[Andrew]

The technical they just assessed to Kevin Martin was absolutely pathetic.

[koberulz]

And another one, this time on Fisher. Don't we have personal fouls for that sort of thing?

And FFS, nobody who can get the Pierce-LeBron charge/block call wrong deserves protection from complaining. Where's the campaign to get the referees a clue?

[Andrew]

Reduce player complaints by improving the quality of officiating and holding referees more accountable? Now there's a novel solution...

[Modifly]

The technical they just assessed to Kevin Martin was absolutely pathetic.

I was just about to post that. Absolutely pathetic indeed. I don't know what to say. Bullshit.

[koberulz]

...and just like that, it's no longer the worst tech of the year. FFS, this is a joke.

[buzzy]

...and just like that, it's no longer the worst tech of the year. FFS, this is a joke.

What happened?

[Lamrock]

And here's another. Jesus Christ the NBA is such a fucking joke these days.

[koberulz]

...and just like that, it's no longer the worst tech of the year. FFS, this is a joke.

What happened?

Whateverhisnameis Johnson had the gall to raise his arms.

[Lamrock]

Armon. Armon Johnson. Remember the name. Armon Hammer. PGotF. AJ.

[JaoSming]

The Clippers had a 5-on-3 and the refs stopped it to give a technical foul to Andre Miller?

From J Adonde's twitter, what happened?

[koberulz]

Yeah, let's make a shit call then T the guy up when he points it out! And let's ban pointing!

Fuck you, Stern.

[Modifly]

Stern is turning the NBA into the WWE.

[benji]

Scripting the games seems like a really inefficient way of predetermining the outcomes.

I mean it works when you have a limited number of exhibitions and performers with a preset time frames and appearances, but 30 teams of 15 players playing 82+ games of 48+ minutes just adds to the problems.

[REMO85]

Yay, I have now lost all interest in Basketball. All these decades and now I don't even feel like watching basketball anymore.

Might go watch Soccer, where you can score a goal and then run around dancing, doing backflips, punching refs in the face and having sex with their daughters.

[Andrew]

Here's hoping fan reaction to these technicals forces the NBA to reconsider the zero tolerance policy. As I've said before, it'll be worth the fiasco in the early games if it makes Stern and co realise the error of their ways.

[Axel The Great]

Didn't wanna start a new thread for this, but it's another of the NBA's retarded rules now:

No more upside down headbands

IMO, the NBA should be worrying about bigger problems like the possible lockout, not making up retarded rules.

[rise]

not making up retarded rules.

Wow! I've been waiting for someone to say that!

Sorry Rondo- no headband for you. These rules are becoming stupider by the day.

[Andrew]

I can see the NBA's point, they want the logo prominently (and correctly) displayed on headbands. Still, the fact they're focusing on this and keeping players from showing emotion instead of holding referees accountable and making improvements to the way certain infractions are called is absurd and disappointing. At least they've made some improvements in expanding the instant replay rules.

[Cartar]

Another terrible techincal on Wilson Chandler. Well done, Stern.

[Andrew]

And yet another puzzling one on Ilgauskas to start the second quarter of the Magic/Heat game today.

EDIT: Followed by another truly ridiculous one on LeBron in the third quarter. Seems they're serious about it though, to T-up LeBron like that.

[koberulz]

LeBron's reaction was possibly the most mild in the entire game, which is particularly silly.

What happened on the Ilgauskas one? I must have stepped out at quarter time and missed it.

[Dan's Brain]

lol. ridiculous technical foul on Nate Robinson. It looked like he was more disgusted with himself than he was with the call. appalling.