Loose cannons

Idle thought: A lot of people have been ticked off at a lot of Presidents over the years but, down deep, they didn't or don't want anything bad to happen to them. Know why? Because they were smart enough to have a loose cannon along as a VP that would be even worse. President Joe Biden? President Dick Cheney? Back in the day -- President Dan Quayle? Scary stuff. Though he didn't make it to the Oval Office -- John McCain would have been the safest of them all. Would you really have wanted a potential President Sarah Palin having access to nuclear launch codes? Brrr.

But enough about politics and back to sports. Needless to say, they have their fair share of loose cannons as well.

Yours truly tuned into the NBA playoff game earlier tonight between Indiana and Miami "in progress". The first thing I saw? A technical foul called on a player for no apparent reason. After a short while, it appeared the players couldn't make sense of other calls, the coaches were equally exasperated, the fans certainly couldn't figure it out -- and even the announcers -- never at a loss for words -- were trying to gloss it over. But they didn't have a clue what was going on either. The game finally progressed to the point where one expected total pandemonium be break out at any second.

What the hell was going on?

But then I looked closer and, yep, there he was. I should have known. Joey Crawford was the lead referee of the game.

Strictly in my opinion, Joey Crawford is to the NBA what Jerry Springer is to talk shows. No matter how well intentioned the participants may start out, they'll find a way to turn their civility and/or professionalism into a free-for-all approaching total anarchy. Like Dracula fed on blood, these guys seem to feed on madness.

Jerry Springer I understand. A lot of people seem to derive some sort of satisfaction from seeing other people on TV that are even more screwed up than THEY are.

But I don't understand Joey Crawford. I dare say most would agree the best officials in any sports contest are the ones that go unnoticed, while the game proceeds smoothly along. They make their calls and sure -- players, coaches, and partisan fans will sometimes disagree -- but such is human nature when one is rooting for one side or the other. Yet I suspect most would begrudgingly admit the refs get it right 90+% of the time, even if they don't like it. And the game goes on.

Thing is with Crawford -- he's not content with merely reffing the show, he wants to BE the show.

And what I REALLY don't understand is why the NBA keeps trotting this guy out there to call big games. Crawford's been a ref since 1977. Somewhere during the course of all those years, you'd think the NBA would have figured out -- I mean, c'mon, they have people that review the performances of the refs, right? So what the hell is he still doing out there wreaking havoc?

Another idle thought: Huh. Maybe NBA commissioner David Stern and his cronies are big time Jerry Springer fans.

That would explain it.

But it doesn't make it right.