Posted on 09/18/2009 5:00:26 PM PDT by shove_it
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The NBA moved ahead with plans to train replacement referees on Friday after the National Basketball Referees Association (NBRA) rejected its final contract offer.
"The proposals we have made to the NBRA are extraordinarily fair and reasonable, given the current economic circumstances," said Rick Buchanan, the NBA's executive vice president in a statement on the league's website (www.nba.com).
"It is extremely disappointing that the NBRA has ignored the economic realities, rejected our offer, and left us with no choice but to begin using replacement referees."
The NBA said its offer would have maintained current salary levels and modestly reduced the NBA's referee costs through changes to benefits and travel policies.
Entry level referees earn almost $150,000 per year while senior referees' salaries top $550,000.
Unless a new collective bargaining agreement can be reached the NBA will start pre-season using Development League and WNBA officials.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
That’s an understatement. It is bound to be an improvement.
When and where do I report for work. I am more than willing to accept the starting salary.
I will never understand why people making 6 figures need “collective bargaining”. Like airline pilots.
When entry level is $150K I start to wonder.
I have no problem with them making money. I do have a problem with taxpayers building the arenas and subsiding the teams.
Classes on the fine art of point shaving to be conducted by Tim Donaghy.
Subsiding should have been subsidizing. Clicked the spell check too quickly.
NO replacements, Please. Those games will look like WWF
on a hardwood floor! WOW, I’d even watch that.
Good one!! Yuck, yuck!!
If the NBA weren’t the worst reffed game out there, with the two rule books and just plain random calls, and if it weren’t for the massive gambling among refs Stern swept under the rug, I might be a little sympathetic. Instead in the real world of crappy gambling refs I happily wave bye-bye.
:When entry level is $150K I start to wonder.”
very very big money in the professional sports area, both in terms of what is spent on salaries (players mainly) and the gambling industry. If you pay these people like they are clerks, while they have the ability to have a direct impact on close games, they will have a lot more incentive to make it up on the side (which I suspect goes on anyway, that AFC (?) championship a few years ago and a superbowl too looked a lot like there was an effort by referees to be helpful to one team (don’t recall names now).
For the NFL, offensive holding is a fun one. An official can pretty much call it on any play, if they want to. it is great for stopping a drive’s momentum.
Will Billy Crystal please pick up the white courtesy phone?
A member of NBA royalty once told me, matter-of-factly, that owners and refs routinely fix games to maximize ad and ticket revenue.
let me see. Could I possibly care less? No. I couldn’t care less.
If they are NBA refs, there is no way that they’ll be able to call walking.
It probably would be an improvement.
Maybe the replacement will actually start calling the game like it’s supposed to be called. 150 grand to start? Unbelievable!
I already know rule number one of the job- do not call fouls on Lebron James and Kobe Bryant.
I will help you with rules 2 and 3, no star walks or palms the ball.
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