It sure didn't feel great to watch the champion Chicago Bulls win a sixth game and get a sixth championship trophy and ring Sunday night. But the reasons the anger has surfaced so readily for so many had absolutely nothing to do with poor sportsmanship. It has everything to do with integrity in officiating. It's one thing to be in awe of one player in particular (Jordan) or even one team (Bulls) to the exclusion of all others. But it's quite something else to watch blatant favoritism replace honest officiating by trained professionals.
Sure, memories of past performances and fear of future breakups could possibly cloud a judgment call or two. But an entire series? It's really getting scary to think of sports officiating as the downright dirty and dishonest business it's come to be. The NBA has a duty to look into the poor calls made, especially when national reporters notice the favoritism, too. But then again, if you live in Chicago, who the heck cares?Christie Jensen
Layton