Gino's Jungle

It is one thing for the casual fan to say the preseason means nothing. I guess you could even say it is alright for the diehard fan to say the preseason isn't worth anything. It is yet another for a ref to make that same assumption. Ray Allen was quoted in the Boston Globe as saying:

“At one point a referee said, ‘This is a preseason game,’ ’’ Allen said. “And everybody’s arguing, they wanted the call, and I told him, ‘This is a dress rehearsal, but we’ve got to get it right.’ You want to be perfect in preseason games, regardless who we are playing against. You don’t want to have to figure it out later.’’

The last I knew, it didn't matter what type of game you were playing in, you want the calls to go the right way. The ref apparently took an exception for an NBA preseason game. A game in which thousands of people still turn out to watch.

That is minor, though. How about teams that are trying to put the peices of the puzzle together? A team in the Celtics who are getting prepared for an opening night showdown in Cleveland that could very well be a takeoff point in the season, if we go into Cleveland and show our strength. But no... wait just a second.. the BACKUP REFEREE said the game is just preaseason. Oh alright, everyone pack up and head home-- the backup ref just called the game worthless.

These refereees should be practicing just as much as the players on the court. They themselves do not want to get to the regular season and have a big questionmark over their head by the media and fans (most of all coaches and players) as to whether or not they can get the job done. Therefore, it is not just a preseason game. It is a time for the entire league to prepare themselves the right way for the regular season. I don't see the right way as slacking off on making the correct calls.