Tim Donaghy Just the Start of NBA's Referee Problem

Once upon a time, major sports in America had a problem.

It wasn't more than a year ago that the public was bashing the top three American sports leagues and their commissioners for scandals that rocked Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Football League, respectively.

The MLB was in the middle of a long drawn out battle with steroids. Steroids created a mess so horrid that the United States Congress felt the need to get involved. Records became tainted, credibility questioned, and the players we once loved became enemies.

In the NFL, newly-acquainted commissioner Roger Goodell stepped into his job and within days, found that one of his most popular players, Atlanta Falcons' quarterback Michael Vick, was a MAJOR contributor in dog fighting.

And, of course, the NBA learned they had been dooped by a straight-out-of-the-movies villain in Tim Donaghy, who was accused of and admitted to fixing countless games as a referee.

Since that time, things have gotten better for some, while for others, things have gotten worse.

Baseball has continued to clean up its years of steroid abuse. Gone are the unlikeable abusers like Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Roger Clemens (allegedly).

Team's wised-up and turned their heads, and their pocketbooks, on the potential circus that would be created by signing one of these former superstars.

Likewise, power numbers are down and the game appears clean again. Testing policies have become stricter (although HGH testing is still an issue), and the league is once again filled with likable, fan-friendly stars such as Chase Utley, David Ortiz, Ryan Howard).

The NFL, meanwhile, was lucky that the Vick case was an isolated incident. Additionally, the "bad boys" who have tainted the league with their felonious acts have also been out of the spotlight.

Goodell was not afraid to completely rid Vick from association with the league, nor was he shy to suspend thugs like Pacman Jones, Odell Thurman, or Chris Henry from the league.

In the NBA, however, things are much worse. And unfortunately for David Stern, a quick fix does not appear to be pertinent.

 Everyone who knows basketball knows about the Donaghy problem. They also know about the latest allegations involving game-rigging, specifically with Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals. But the NBA's problem goes far beyond that.

It is ridiculous that, in this day and age, refereeing can be so ridiculously one-sided.

The media went nuts over how home teams dominated the playoffs this year, but there's a completely obvious reason as to why that is—referees are downright bad.

It isn't enough that preferential treatment is given to the superstars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade. That's nothing new. That started with Michael Jordan.

But for a home crowd to sway calls the way it has is completely inexcusable.

In baseball, you don't see a rowdy crown influence an "out" call at home plate or a "strike" call in a full count. In football, you don't see an interference call be made because a team got in the ref's head.

But in basketball, you see instances like the Celtics shooting 28 more free throws than the Lakers at home in game two, than the Lakers shooting 12 more than the Celtics at home in game three.

Now I'm not saying that refereeing helped the Celtics win the Championship in ANY WAY. They were clearly the better team and deserved the title by playing swarming defense and containing Kobe Bryant better than any team all season.

It could be a pure coincidence in the one example I gave. One reason for the difference in basketball to baseball or football could be that the crowd is much closer to the action. There's still no reason why the NBA, a multi-billion dollar business, can't make sure their referees are making consistent calls night in and night out.

That's why the NBA is in trouble. The Donaghy case, coupled with horrid refereeing on a regular basis, is destroying their entire reputation. Fans and columnists have grown to expect their teams to get calls at home and not on the road and that's just wrong. Especially when we, as fans, are shelling out hundreds of dollars to watch.

So take action and do it fast, Commissioner Stern. It's time to own up to the fact that your league has a problem and fix it.