Referee Eddie Rush Should Pay A Fine For Game 5

NBA Referee Eddie Rush should have to pay a fine for the 2nd technical foul that was called on Boston's Kendrick Perkins in Game 5 against the Magic. In fact, all bad techs should cost the offending refs money. Whatever they would've gotten paid for that game, they should pay it all back in fines. 

The league already admitted that Rush made a bad call by rescinding it. But that's not enough. It doesn't bring Perkins back on the court in a game the Celtics lost without him. Rush should personally pay for that out of his check.

 Players, coaches and owners have to pay fines when their personal issues with the league or an opponent cause them to behave in a way that's detrimental to the action on the court. Referees should have to pay as well. 

If Phil Jackson and Dwight Howard can be fined $35,000 each for comments questioning the consistency and fairness of the officials, then refs like Rush should also be fined for openly disregarding the rules in order to punish players and fulfill their personal vendettas.

In 2007, former ref Tim Donaghy admitted to fixing results in games he called for the NBA. In reference  to that case, Commissioner David Stern was asked about increasing the transparency of the referee system in the league. 

"We're not transparent enough," Stern said. "Transparency is a good thing."

A fine for Eddie Rush would be a great place to start for establishing transparency. By erroneously T'ing up Perkins and disqualifying him from the game, Rush gave the Magic a decided advantage. 

A heavy fine would make the punishment fit the crime. It would send a message to coaches, players and fans that the league won't stand for referees making bad, subjective, behavior-related calls that affect the outcome of games.

I don't believe Rush or the rest of the ref crew from game 5 wanted the Celtics to lose. I do think Rush wanted to send Kendrick Perkins a personal message that he doesn't like him and he used a technical foul to do it. In that way, Rush ruined a playoff game by using the league's rules for his own agenda. 

Whatever he was paid for butchering a conference finals game, half should be paid back to Perkins and the other half paid back to the Celtics. 

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Thanks Pinhead for your eye on the game within the game