The dispute between the NBA and their referees over the lack
of a collective bargaining agreement has been featured by many
basketball writers. In New York, Ian O'Connor writes "The Year
of the Lockout is alive and well, the referees cast as victims of
the month. The NBA is putting its multi-million-dollar assets in
the hands of small-change operators" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 10/26).
Shaun Powell writes in THE SPORTING NEWS: "Halfway through the
exhibition season, one thing is painfully clear: The NBA cannot
afford to start the season with the replacement referees
currently working the exhibition" (SPORTING NEWS, 10/30 issue).
Chris Young in Toronto: "With the regular season eight days
away, just about everybody is getting tired of the missed calls,
the non-calls and the bad calls" (TORONTO STAR, 10/26).
Baltimore SUN's Jerry Bembry, noting the injuries to Shaquille
O'Neal and Chris Webber from physical plays: "With so much
dissent and the possibility of injuries to main attractions, ...
perhaps the league will wise up and get the real crews by opening
night" (Baltimore SUN, 10/27). The Sonics' Shawn Kemp spoke on
the replacement refs: "I'm not trying to discredit them, they
have to learn the game. You can't come in and referee a game if
you haven't done it before." Knick Patrick Ewing: "The
officiating is horrible. That's not to knock all of them: some
can be NBA refs. But not all of them at once." Pacer Reggie
Miller noting where most of the replacement refs work: "I feel
sorry for the CBA" (Baltimore SUN, 10/27).
CBA RESIGNS PACT: The NBA and CBA signed an extension of
their agreement designating the CBA as the official developmental
league of the NBA. This is the 16th year of such cooperation
(N.Y. TIMES, 10/27).
