The key to squeezing the truth out of anyone is waterboarding giving them anonymity. And so if you want to hear what NBA players and coaches truly think of the league's officials you have to grant them that. The Los Angeles Times polled almost three dozen players and coaches in an effort to get to the bottom of the league's best and worst refs, and what came out was a result that indicates seniority and experience rule, and also gave us a lot of interesting quotes.
Of the 64 zebras in the league the top three were:
1.) Danny Crawford (Who's been in the league 31 years) - 30 Votes
2.) Joey Crawford (Pictured above, who's retiring this year after 39 seasons in the league) - 25 Votes
3.) Monty McCutchen (Who's been in the league 23 years) - 13 Votes
Players appreciate the fact that Danny Crawford is both firm and approachable, rare attributes for an older--uh--ref, with one player saying:
Another player chimed in:
As for Joey Crawford, the league's flamboyant and most recognizable ref, a nameless head coach had this to say:
Added an anonymous player, who was likely not Tim Duncan:
McCutchen reached similar levels of respect as the two unrelated Crawfords. One assistant coach praised his truthfulness:
In contrast, the three crappiest refs named were:
1.) Scott Foster (Who's been in the league a way-too-high-to-be-on-this-end-of-the-list 22 years) - 24 Votes
2.) Lauren Holtkamp (In her second year) - 14 Votes
3.) Marc Davis (In his 18th year) - 12 Votes
On Foster, the league's most loathed, a veteran told the Times
A different conspiracy-minded player expanded upon that, saying:
Holtkamp, who found herself in the midst of a controversy around this time last year after some postgame comments from Chris Paul, is also viewed unfavorably. You can certainly create your own theories, but one baller insisted it had nothing to do with the fact that she's a woman, and everything to do with the fact that she's green:
A head coach was far more succinct:
Finally there's Davis, who's disliked by at least one player for his supposed self-importance:
Whether you detest certain refs, or view them as interchangeable, it's certainly interesting to hear the opinions of the players and coaches sharing the floor with them. Definitely something to keep an eye out for the next time they're running a game you're actually emotionally (or monetarily) invested in.
[via LA Times]
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