better fines

So i just read an interesting article from the Sporting News about two NHL coaches being fined by the league for criticizing refs. A few things surprised me, especially as compared to the way certain other leagues handle this sort of thing.

First, was the size of the fines. Each coach was fined $10,000. No small sum, but much less than the NBA tends to fine its coaches or owners who criticize officials. And in these cases, it was in a more severe way than the NBA will fine people for.

One NHL coach complained to the media about the refs. Craig MacTavish, coach for the Oilers complained about ref Mick McGeough (frequently pronounced "Magoo" by fans that hate him - he's the closest thing the NHL has to Joey Crawford).

"I know he is a veteran official and at times I have found his antics humorous, but if this is the product of that, there is a problem," MacTavish said after the game. "It was a ridiculous call." He also called for McGeough to be suspended.

Meanwhile, the NBA just fined Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver $25,000 for complaining to the refs directly from court-side during a game. In other words, doing what every fan around him was probably doing. This was the first fine levied under a new anti-Mark Cuban rule that David Stern and his evil minions have recently implemented. (If you haven't yet read this article about Cuban's seeing the light - you need to read it).

Here's the part of the article that really blew me away...

McGeough acknowledged he blew the call, saying, "My judgment was poor on the play."

What? Say it isn't so! In David Stern's world any league that allows its refs to admit anything but perfection should immediately fail - if not cause the implosion of the Earth itself. NBA refs don't usually even get to talk to the press, much less honestly admit their humanity.

Props to McGeough for being willing to say he screwed up.
Now i may heckle him a little less the next time he comes to town.