Ref-Bashers Are Just Whistling in the Dark

From the desk of Mark Cuban

Owner, Dallas Mavericks

To Stu Jackson

VP, Basketball Operations

National Basketball Assn.

New York, N.Y.

Dear Stu,

As the Game 1 video, which I've overnighted to your home, office, gym and neighborhood Starbucks (and which is also on my blog), shows clearly, Boris Diaw walked at the end of Game 1.

Please add the following names to the list of officials we don't want to see the rest of the postseason: Forte, Joseph; Fryer, Bernard; Willard, Gregory.

We take special exception to Forte, who had to be blind or on the take to call Devin Harris for hooking Steve Nash, who's a notorious flopper as well as a little ingrate.

On the other hand, we'd like to commend the work of Joey Crawford, Jimmy Clark and Joe DeRosa, who worked our Game 2 victory.

As usual, thanks for your prompt attention to these matters,

Mark

*

I don't care how many millions they pay Jackson, I don't want his problems. He not only hears from the Mavericks but all the other teams, too.

Even in this postseason, the best since the Bulls' heyday, there's no question the system is messed up. Both teams work the referees on every possession, trying to draw contact or fake it by flopping. The referees go back to their hotel, go over the video of the game on their laptops, review all calls and file a report so Jackson has an answer when the losing general manager calls.

Just by engaging in a dialogue, the league is playing along with the teams, which think they're cheated regularly, at the expense of its own referees.

Everyone pines for legendary referees like Mendy Rudolph. Of course, back then opposing coaches swore the real obstacle to winning in Boston Garden wasn't some leprechaun but Mendy.

The great referees dispensed frontier justice like Judge Roy Bean. Joe Gushue once ejected the New York Daily News' Dick Young from the press table. Earl Strom confronted hecklers, once choked partner Dick Bavetta and claimed Wilt Chamberlain saved his career by grabbing him before he could punch a St. Louis Hawks official.

Now referees aren't allowed to have personalities, to the point of barring them from talking to the press. It's all corporate

There's more to Cuban than his enfant terrible act, breathing life into his franchise. Despite an ego struggle with coach Don Nelson, they kept it together for five seasons until Nellie walked away, when Cuban turned to Avery Johnson, whom Nelson had nominated as his successor.