Bennett Salvatore

Banks2Pierce · Post #1 » by **Banks2Pierce** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 5:53 am

I am really starting to open my eyes to the conspiracy theories. At first I thought certain referees had certain biases against certain teams. Now I think the actual league may have a hand in it. Joey Crawford doing a pivotal playoff game for a game in which he threatened to fight a guy on one of the teams. If that's not enough, he was the one who botched the call on the last play.

We have been up 2-0 3 times and Bennett Salvatore has called Game 3 every single one of those 3 times. I mean, really Stern? At least hide your cards a little bit. 3 Losses for the Celts. The one Celtics game he did that we won was when he called the blocking foul on Pierce when he was shooting it. We overcame Salvatore. That was game 6. Coincidentally the game that the Pistons had to win.

I genuinely can't remember one close call that he has called in our favor. I clearly remember every touch foul he has called against us. My second least favorite Salvatore call came in Atlanta game 3 when we were making a comeback and Rondo got called for a ridiculous offensive foul that completely squashed any hope. It's just sad that Simmons wrote his comment that it would be the biggest upset in sports history if Salvatore wasn't doing game 3 of the Finals. I didn't even bat an eye when I saw Bennett trotting out there.

I am fuming as I write this. I am begging for Game 3 to be his last game of the season. Hopefully he's on a vacation right now with the money he is making from the NBA or some Major Bookie .

I want the NBA to make public which ref calls every foul I want this on NBA.com live right when the points and rebounds go up. I think he called one foul in the Celtics favor for the entirety of Game 3.

slamdunke · Post #2 » by **slamdunke** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 6:09 am

Wonder if Salvatore is reffing game 4

Falstaff · Post #3 » by **Falstaff** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 6:47 am

Don't bitch about the refs, don't be a whiner - leave that to Laker fans. The C's lost, and they could have won had they done any number of things - it had nothing to do with a league conspiracy, whether there is one or not. Game three was utterly win-able if Paul and KG hadn't sucked so hard, and maybe even if Doc had kept feeding Ray Allen. Let's keep the high ground. Our team lost, they need to play better.

DubaLakers · Post #4 » by **DubaLakers** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 7:07 am

The last thing either group of fans shoulb be doing is complaining about the refs. I hated game 1 and 2's result, especially game 2 and could gripe about some calls, but it's not the reason why the Lakers lost. Same with game 3. The Celtics were great for two games. It took the Lakers fantastic games from Kobe and Vujacic to edge out game 3, and the FT didn't help anyway, if you believe in that conspiracy junk, they missed 'em anyway. The Lakers were the agressor and PP and KG were non existant. No matter what team wins this series, and I've come full circle I really thought the Lakers were the better team, now I really feel it really can go either way. I didn't aticipate Lamar and Pau getting outplayed like this, especially Lamar. No way i'm gonna let my opinion of the series be determined by the refs. It's a cop out, it's bush, and it's an excuse.

Go Lakers!

spf211 · Post #5 » by **spf211** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:49 am

I remember running into Bennett when we used to host the Summer League at UMASS. It was strange running into all the NBA refs in their normal street clothes. Benett was wearing cotton slacks and a palm-tree print short sleeve collared shirt. Straight out of the Sopranos.

Anyway -- Benett owns a restaurant in Stamford (Bennett's Steak and Fish House) and I suggest we all go down there for a Celtic Championship victory dinner:

http://www.bennettssteakandfish.com/

tonythewise · Post #6 » by **tonythewise** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 12:20 pm

in my opinion, BS is just a bad ref. period. the fact that mauer, rush, salvatore and crawford are reffing the playoffs is amazing to me. crawford seemed like an easy guy to pass over since he was suspended last year for being a suck ref.

Gomes3PC · Post #7 » by **Gomes3PC** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 12:25 pm

I'm pretty sure it has less to do with Salvatore and more to do with each series our first game on the road has been one of our worst performances of that series. We just seem to forget each series the intensity needed to win on the road. Had we played all game like we did in the 2nd half, Salvatore or any other ref would not have prevented us from winning.

But yes, Salvatore is a subpar referee. Crawford is okay but a hothead, and Wunderlich was pretty nonexistent most of the game, meaning he probably did a good job. We got some refereeing breaks in Game 2, and they got them in the 1st half of Game 3. Ultimately you make your own luck. If you are the aggressor, the ref's will start giving you calls. If you just take jumpers all day you won't get anything. It wasn't until Posey took it to the hoop at the end of the 2nd quarter that we started getting any calls. To me that's no coincidence.

MyInsatiableOne · Post #8 » by **MyInsatiableOne** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 12:55 pm

^^Except we won game 3 in Detroit...

I agree, though, I feel OK with losing game 3 even though it was a missed golden opportunity. The Lakers needed huge games from Sasha and Kobe, Paul and KG played like ****, and STILL we had a chance to win it with 2 min. left.

Let's go tonight for the stranglehold!!!!

Banks2Pierce · Post #9 » by **Banks2Pierce** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 12:55 pm

The main issue I have is the fact that he has done our games in game 3 of the series every series except for one, and it has been on the road every single time. The only time the series was tied up at 1-1 was the only game 3 that he didn't ref.

Don't get me wrong here. I am not saying officiating is the reason for these losses. I think we lose that last game no matter who the officials are. I am just saying that the circumstances in which Salvatore has been used is a little suspect.

MyInsatiableOne · Post #10 » by **MyInsatiableOne** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 1:02 pm

Banks2Pierce wrote:The main issue I have is the fact that he has done our games in game 3 of the series every series except for one, and it has been on the road every single time. The only time the series was tied up at 1-1 was the only game 3 that he didn't ref.

Don't get me wrong here. I am not saying officiating is the reason for these losses. I think we lose that last game no matter who the officials are. I am just saying that the circumstances in which Salvatore has been used is a little suspect.

Of course, I agree. You always hear Stern talk about how the best refs from the regular season get picked for the playoffs. I always say "seriously?" Because if the crem de la crem is Bennet, Mauer, Crawford, Palmer, etc, then I shudder to think what the rest are like!

Game 1 of this series was the best officiated, pretty straight up...why not just use the same **** crew EVERY GAME so the players don't have to wonder how each game will be called. CONSISTENCY!!!!!!

Athanacropolis · Post #11 » by **Athanacropolis** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 2:33 pm

To the OP: I agree 100%. It wasn't until this year--game 6 of the Celtics-Cavaliers, specifically--that I really started to wonder.

But whatever. The better team will win, and that team wears green.

DorfonCeltics · Post #12 » by **DorfonCeltics** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:37 pm

spf211 wrote:Anyway -- Benett owns a restaurant in Stamford (Bennett's Steak and Fish House) and I suggest we all go down there for a Celtic Championship victory dinner:

http://www.bennettssteakandfish.com/

Spf, I'm down with that one. How great would it be to walk in there dressed to the T in our Celtics garb? However, I don't want to contribute one cent to this bum's success.