I might be willing to forgive them if Bavetta and the league had apologized at the time and completely changed the way officiating worked in the NBA. An apology now is worthless. NBA officiating is an absolute JOKE. The only thing that will change it is transparency.

The early call where the San Diego receiver was clearly down by contact, had the ball stripped by Bailey I believe? I think that would have been overruled by replay, but the equipment wasn’t functioning.

Now, shouldn’t somebody (the officiating crew I assume) be responsible for checking the replay equipment prior to every game to make sure it is functioning? Additionally, shouldn’t there be some kind of backup system in place?

I believe they kept the system shut down the rest of the quarter to make it “fair” for both teams. What a joke.

Anyways, to the topic at hand. If Bavetta apologized for his horrid officiating in that game, I wouldn’t forgive him. There is a very real possibility that said bad officiating was done on purpose, in order to extend the series. Since that can’t really be proven without a direct admission by Bavetta, the stench would still linger, apology or no apology.

Hochuli made an honest mistake. He’s well known as one of the best refs in the NFL, and one of the most respected. Bavetta is crap. Has been for years, nothing changes.

I e-mailed Hochuli to tell him I think he’s done a great thing by being man enough to admit to his mistake. Chargers fans are crybabies. How about blaming your DBs for not stopping the touchdown pass? Or for not stopping the exact same play for the 2-point conversion? There were 3 defenders surrounding Eddie Royal as he caught the 2-point conversion.

I was recently invited/ reluctantly joined a facebook group called “Get off your knees ref, your blowing the game, a tribute to Ed Hochuli”. I thought the call was b.s. The fact that Charger fans are this upset is even bigger b.s. though.

I tend to agree with Exhibit on all counts, chargers fans are being a bunch whiners. I spent 4 plus years arguing with the hordes of Laker Fans in San Diego throughout college about our infamous series, and their best rebuttal claimed that we were poor losers.

Back then, and even more-so now, we have had reasonable evidence to support our conspiracy of blatant game-rigging. Their reaction about an honest mistake thus far has been pathetic IMO.

As far as Bavetta goes. I won’t forgive. I won’t stop sending hate mail to him. But I’d still like for him to admit not just his mistake, but his mistake for choosing refereeing as career. Maybe then the NBA can establish a baseline for what is not acceptable as far as refereeing results and overall ref intelligence.

But I do sympathize with the fact that the referee’s do not have an easy job and take more crap for a job they do on the whole well.

Even admitting it was a poorly called game would have probably sated me back in the day — I’m easy to please. But Stern still holds the game was called right.

conspiracy is another.

which I took to mean: Too little too late. If he had apologized soon after the game maybe, 6 years later? whatever.

…but at this point, if he actually admitted he just f-ing blew it, I’d have to get over it.

But as it is right now, I WANT BLOOD.