The NBA ref ballet

Like the groceries on the bottom shelves at the supermarket, they're right in front of one's eyes if they take the time to look. But most people don't, because their attention is naturally drawn to other higher priced goods at eye level, which is all carefully planned out by the people in charge, of course.

It's ingenious and very effective. Even if one tries mightily to pay attention to such things, it's extremely difficult to do -- at least for very long.

That also aptly describes how the referees in the NBA choreograph their movements in any given game.

Back in 1988 the NBA went from two refs to three. It was arguably the smartest thing the league ever did. Consider the ramifications.

With only two refs, one was typically stationed on one end of the floor and the other -- the other. It was like they had a linear (limited) view of the game. But with three, they triangulate and get 3-D exposure. A lot of subtle things happen in the fast pace of an NBA game that two refs likely would have missed. Sure, even the triumvirate blows a call here and there, but it's a lot better than it used to be.

So yours truly decided to tune into an NBA game and only watch the officials. It was the LA Clips visiting the Okla Thunder earlier tonight. Did I make it through the whole game without paying any attention to the players? Of course not. I still don't know what's on the bottom shelves either, but at least I made a concerted effort to check it out.

Though quite subtle, the ref ballet was actually quite a thing of beauty to behold. In this particular game they do-si-doed counterclockwise throughout. In other words, they don't stay in the same position for very long. The zebras constantly rotate, though few notice.

This is a good thing. Assuming all refs are equal and unbiased, changing positions every minute or two with different things to look for keeps them on their toes as well.

Next time you watch an NBA game, check it out. After every stoppage in play, be it a foul, travelling, out of bounds play, team time-out, worshipping the TV gods, or whatever, the refs will shift. And during the course of an NBA game, how many times does the clock stop? A hundred?

One might also notice that when a ref under the basket calls a foul, he'll typically trot towards the scorer's table holding up the offender's number with his fingers. It's not like the official scorer is myopic and needs a closer view of the sign language. There's another reason for this. As that ref moves towards center-court, the other two will rotate right along with him. Do-si-do and round and round they go.

Not sure, but I think the Clips won this game. They were ahead by 20 late in the second half, but I tuned out before it was over. Why?

Because amongst the refs in this game was one Joey Crawford. He's easily recognizable. The bald head, the slumped over lumbering gait, and likely the loosest cannon in the history of NBA refs. One never knows what crazy stunt old Joey might pull next. He once gave Mr. Mild Manners himself, Tim Duncan, a technical foul when Duncan merely smiled at him -- while sitting on the bench!!

So what better game to watch the refs than one when Crawford is running around? Surely, something stupid would happen. Joey has this nasty habit of forgetting he's there to officiate a show and, at times, decides to BE the show.

But he didn't. Nary an act of his usual buffoonery while yours truly was tuned in, and that was no fun. And one can only take so much of walking around the grocery store looking at the bottom shelf anyway, even though it's cheaper.

Turned out, the Clips and Thunder have some fantastic players. It's really, REALLY hard to ignore them for long while concentrating on the refs.

So OK. I'm a sucker for the "eye level" stuff like most everybody else -- but at least I tried.....