We heard Reggie (or maybe it was Chuck) exclaim something in anger after what looked like an obvious traveling call on Derrick Rose during last night’s Bulls-Thunder slugfest, and we figured we’d come across it as it made the rounds last night and this morning. It sorta did, but we’re happy people gave the refs a bit of a break because they likely got it right.
We’re almost always pro-referee here — we didn’t have anything to do with this tag’s creation and only ever speak up when Joey’s narcissism gets out of hand — and that’s because it’s really freakin’ hard to be an NBA ref.
First off, their vision gets blocked all the time because NBA players are pretty big. Second, NBA players are also incredibly fast. That’s a rough combination if you’re attempting to evaluate something as nuanced as a charge vs. a blocking call. For the most part, we abhor the loudmouths who lose their minds over a call they saw so clearly…on replay or with a wide-angle view of the entire court. It’s dumb and reveals a stunning lack of empathy, but then a lot of dumb people get rewarded with attention on Twitter. (Eventually, the armchair analysis in 140 characters will plateau, or at least that’s what we hope.)
Where were we? Oh right, the Derrick Rose non-call. You see, the ball likely touched Steven Adams when Rose was up in the air with it. So when the ball returned to the court, Derrick was allowed to keep going and bank in the layup. It’s not a travel if an opponent touches it. That’s a rule and everything.
Anyhoo, be less impulsive when you watch basketball and then share your thoughts on the Demagoguery-heavy internet town square. Not every idea that percolates to the front of your brain needs to be shared. Just annoy your family or co-workers instead of the rest of us. That’s what we do. Seriously, ask our co-workers; we’re probably chirping about some bullsh*t right now.
