Today's release of the Pedowitz Report -- which, among other things, backed up the league's assertion that Tim Donaghy was the only one doing what he was doing -- prompted David Stern to take questions from the media via conference call. Here were some of the hightlights:
- The question was asked that if the report found that referees were not manipulating the outcomes of games, how were they able to win between 60 and 70% of their wagers? Stern answered simply, "I don't know," then questioned the reporter on that statistic. He added that he hadn't seen those numbers and that he didn't know if that was accurate. But he guessed that if you start by guessing and you're at 50-50, any additional piece of inside information would be likely to increase your odds of guessing correctly.
- Speaking of inside information, that was the reason the commissioner gave for implementing the game-day release of the names of which officials would be working which games. He said that the more information that's available publicly, the less of a gambler's advantage there is, because there would be almost no inside information anymore. Stern stated that the "gambler's edge would be blunted" by the release of more public information.
- The commissioner was asked whether he planned to make the referees available to the media on a game by game basis, similar to the way coaches are available before and after the games now. If they were available, it would be to discuss rule interpretations, not specific calls within the game. Stern said there are no plans to do that necessarily, but as rule interpretation issues come up, he would be willing to make the referees available. He also mentioned that, like coaches who have learned to speak with the media over the years, he would like to make sure the referees have training or are comfortable in doing so before that happens.
- When asked if he believes the league has an image problem regarding this, Stern mentioned all of the ways that the league is thriving: attendance, television ratings, media coverage, etc. He said that it's difficult to measure "fan burn" when every indicator that they have is up. He did say that he feels that the referee-working that goes on during games, as well as the players and coaches complaining about a particular call, tends to give the fans something to grasp onto to explain away a loss.
- So will the league become less tolerant of complaining by the players and coaches? Not necessarily. Stern said that he sees members of the NBA family (players, coaches, and officials) coming together to realize the impact that these things have on the game, and coming to sort of an awakening that overall it's something that needs to decrease. Sure. Tell that to Gregg Popovich during next season's playoffs.
Previously on FanHouse:
Independent Report Bolsters NBA's Case That Donaghy Was a 'Rogue'
Report: Donaghy's Suspicious Calls to Fellow NBA Ref Were Phone Tag
A Glimpse Into the Lonely Life of an NBA Ref
