Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone and superstar Nikola Jokic were ejected from the game against the Detroit Pistons on Monday night. Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant appeared to foul the Utah Jazz’ Lauri Markkanen on a game-tying shot. Former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy said NFL referees are inconsistent. What is going on with the officials in the two biggest leagues?
NBA And NFL Officials Are Good But They Are Human
First, let’s start with this. The officials in the NBA and the NFL are the best of the best. They’re not perfect, and they make mistakes. Sometimes it seems like these mistakes clearly cost your favorite team a win, and so the vitriol directed toward them is intense.
In the NBA, officials have running dialogues with players and coaches all game long. What seemingly irritates players and coaches is inconsistency such as when officials appear to give certain players more leeway to argue, while others have a much shorter whistle and are ejected from the game.
In the case of the Nuggets, Malone was clearly angry at the lack of foul calls for his team and left the coaching area to make a point at the official. Jokic had a legit gripe as there were two consecutive fouls not called. Strange for a two-time league MVP and reigning Finals MVP.
On Sunday in the NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett threw a deep ball and there was no receiver anywhere near the pass. Dungy wondered why that wasn’t intentional grounding.
Nobody Likes Inconsistency
“Two weeks ago we were told by @NFLOfficiating that this was intentional grounding. Yesterday it was not. Is it or isn’t it? Please let us know,” Dungy posted on X.
Inconsistency is what gets people riled up when it comes to officials. If it’s a foul or a penalty in the first quarter, then it should be the same in the fourth quarter or overtime.
If you are not allowed to verbally assault the official then that rule applies to everyone. Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green shouldn’t be allowed more leeway than anybody else. Fairness is what fans believe still exists in sports — a level playing field.
If the rules are different depending on who you are, then what’s the point in watching?
The old adage of leaving the game and not knowing who the officials were still holds true. If they are doing their job well, nobody will care. But if they are making errors, particularly judgment call errors, that’s a problem.
Overall, the officials in both leagues are excellent. As we have social media and multiple camera angles and more and more views of the product on the field, it is critical that officials do their very best to get the calls right.