Turns Out Referee Gambling is OK
Earlier I mentioned how the NBA front office was looking at sanctioning six referees who had gambled at casinos. Turns out there were more than six refs violating the anti-gambling policy - it was more like 25! Whoops. Rather than fine half his referee core, Stern is instead changing his tune and deciding to be a bit more lax on what types of gambling are allowed.
Many fans point to this change of heart as yet another example of Stern holding players to a different standard than referees. With players, Stern has been unyielding with fines and suspensions. The most notable fact might be the one game suspension of Stoudemire and Diaw in last year's playoffs against the Spurs. Yes, Stoudemire and Diaw technically left the bench and, by the letter of the law, should have been suspended. And that's what Stern said - his hands were tied, he had to follow the rules. Yet when half of the referees get caught breaking league rules, Stern turns the other cheek, ignoring the strict interpretation of the rules. One could also draw a comparison to Stern's uneven view toward referees with his very quick reinstatement of hothead Joey Crawford.
This will be an interesting year for NBA referees, both on the court and off the court. They will be held to the highest scrutiny by fans and the media, that's for certain, and PR snafus like this sure aren't going to help their image (or the League's).