Sam Smith: Nothing to see here, folks!

I know, but I'm just saying some call that got blown on that level of a game, no one assumed that he was, just that he was a bad ump that night.
I just hope that this doesn't leave the other refs with a black mark.

 

I think it's the same in any profession that has credibility issues. Plagiarism cases don't exactly make the rest of us look better, even if it's something 99 percent of us would never even consider doing.

 

Salary isn't the issue. Established NBA refs make anywhere from 100K to 250K. They have no off-season jobs other than to improve as referees. It is their full-time profession.

 

I don't know how the NBA gets around this. Sure home-team bias plays into perceptions, but I've watched games without a (sorry Mike V.) dog in the fight and been stunned by the calls, the no-calls and lack of consistency in the officiating.
If this means refs are going to start calling fouls regardless of the name on the front or back of a player's jersey - it might be a good start. The league should also do a better job explaining their calls after they are called. People still remember the Joey Crawford hatchet-job on Tim Duncan. And he wasn't fixing games (I guess) and was/is viewed as an esteemed official.

 

Smith's piece reminds me of Pete Vecsey on NBC dismissing out of hand any importance of Michael Jordan out late gambling in Atlantic City the night before a playoff game against the Knicks.

 

Several Chicago Tribune people took buyouts, including Sam Smith.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/chi-tribune-phil-rosenthal-column-080316,0,2195030.column

 

One more time . . . ?

 

Teddy Greenstein has some more on Smith's departure...

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/cs-080319-greenstein-gus-johnson-cbs-ncaa,1,406058.column

Jerry Krause once sent NBA reporter Sam Smith business cards with the title of "Monday morning general manager."

Too bad our favorite GM didn't sign himself to a 20-year extension. Instead Smith has decided to take a voluntary buyout, which will end his 28-year run at the Tribune on April 1.

The paper will lose one of its most opinionated and authoritative voices, our cross between Larry David and Red Auerbach.

"I don't think I've ever worked with a reporter who had a better command of his beat than Sam had," said Dan McGrath, the Tribune's associate managing editor for sports. "There are people running NBA teams who don't know the league or the game as well as Sam does."

 

Damn, didn't realize Smith was leaving. Not good for the Trib.

 

I wonder if he'll end up at ESPN. He was an occasional contributor to ESPN.com, IIRC.

 

Maybe the Chicago Tribune can trade Sam Smith and teddy Greenstein . . . um . . .to espn.com for Gene Wojechowski and Jemele Hill.

Don't be surprised if the Trib is considering Sam Smith for both Scoop Jackson and Bill Simmons.