NBA ref gets caught stalling for television time
We all know television rules all sports. It could be the dreaded extra point-commercial-kickoff-commercial NFL deathtrap. It could be that moment you see an NFL referee standing on the field waiting to announce his replay decision until TV gives him the go ahead. It could even be the EIGHT TV timeouts during a college basketball game. Advertising and TV comes first, the game comes second.
But rarely is the curtain pulled back on TV's iron grip over the games like it was when ESPN cameras candidly caught NBA referee Bill Kennedy having a fake chat with Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich Wednesday night. After a discrepancy over the length of a timeout, Kennedy thought he had to create a diversion to stall for commercials even though the television cameras were actually fixed on him the entire time. Smoothly handled, I must say.
While commercials controlling the timing and length of games is somewhat annoying, at least it's not like TV gets to decide who wins in the NBA Playoffs in any kind of grand conspiracy. Thank goodness for that.
(H/T SportsGrid)
Yeah, the NFL has the market on interminable commercial breaks. Extra point/Kickoff/One play till quarter ending is enough to make you stop watching.
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The real deathtrap is change of possession-commercial-end of period-long commerical-play with injury or replay-even longer commercial. You could watch a James Cameron movie in that time period and hardly miss a play.
@LastingsMilledgeville Worst one happened during a Ravens-Browns game this year. After a touchdown that happened with apparently no time left in the quarter, CBS went to break. During the break, 1 second was put on the clock. Kickoff goes through the end zone, touchback. Commercial. One play, real end of quarter, another f'ing commercial.
