Technical Fouls

The three topics guaranteed to build animosity are Religion, Sports and Politics. While I write often about politics, public policy and community affairs, I just won’t write about religion here (though I do so in my own personal notebooks.)

Sports are a different matter. I’m a die-hard USC fan despite not being good enough to earn a scholarship to go there (either for my running or my grades.) I used to support the Rams, until the Devil (her first name was Georgia) took them to St. Louis. And despite a short malaise after Shaq left LA, there just hasn’t been anyone but the Lakers ever since Wilt, Happy Hairston, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor were stars.

And yes, I AM enjoying the NBA Finals.

But, I am not enjoying them as much as you might think. Why? The Referees, that’s why. As I get older, more experienced, more socially aware, I recognize in them all the traits of petty tyrants.

It is not so much that they don’t call everything on the other team and leave my perfect Lakers alone. It is that they are ruining the game with their inconsistency and unwillingness to reverse even the worst of calls. The League’s efforts to police them are ineffective and impotent.

The quickest way to help them mend their ways is a form of instant replay that becomes an avenue of appeal to their most egregious acts. What I want to say today, however, has nothing to do with Instant Replay.

I’d like to make what will be a largely unheard appeal that the league take away one of the last vestiges of the plantation. Please get rid of those awful and inhuman technical fouls given for arguing a call or for passionate outbursts on the court.

We all agree that the best players bring passion to the game. We also all agree that there are bad calls and there needs to be some way to appeal them.

The inconsistent application of “Tees” for arguing, celebration or taunting always makes it a joke when they are called.

In the Eastern Finals I saw a home team player repeatedly pound his chest after a game changing play without a call, while in another game a visiting team player was “Teed” up for a fist pump over a similar play. Different refs! Different players! Different towns! All wrong.

Some players can argue a foul without a Tee while others simply look disgusted and draw one. And God help you if you are perceived as a “Bad Boy.” You’re getting one every time you open your mouth.

Fans love the passion. And we live with the injustice of silly calls because the game still adds something to our life. But “Teeing” up a player because he had the audacity to question a call you just made is like allowing me to fine everyone – including customers - who disagree with my opinion or decision because I have some authority at work.

We think it is tyranny in a home, business or government, but somehow it is okay in a courtroom or on a basketball court. It is inhuman because it asks players to become robots. And it just reminds us of our basic training sergeant or the plantation overlords who wouldn’t allow any questioning of their authority or expressions of emotion.

And just in case you think that I think or am calling for an allowance of fighting or hurting referees, fans, players or coaches – I AM NOT. But the power to change a game needs to have some checks and balances and in the NBA, there are none.

Power is corrosive. And if it is unchecked, power always turns into tyranny. Just look at any NBA game between any two teams and you will see what I am talking about.

So, Commissioner, let’s get rid of this silly left-over from pre-Civil War times and allow some passion and humanity on the court. Believe me, you'll have a better "product."