Come on, ref, you're killin' us

Posted on February 16, 2012 |

• Sports Column

By Karl Lindholm

A meditation on basketball officiating, stimulated by recent events:

My late brother-in-law, the football coach, didn’t watch much basketball, though he was an avid fan of sports generally. He said, “I don’t like a game where the official is so important. The whistle is blowing all the time. It seems the refs often control the outcome, not the players.” He preferred ice hockey in the winter.

That’s a valid criticism. This dependence on officials is basketball’s greatest limitation. Nonetheless, it’s a great game.

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