On Thursday Los Angeles Clippers point guard
Chris Paul made critical comments about rookie referee Lauren Holtkamp after a
105-94 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Holtkamp issued five technical fouls
against the Clippers, who lead the league as a team with 50 such fouls.
Paul was among the Los Angeles players issued a technical
foul on Thursday night. The call against him was made early in the third
quarter when he tried to get an inbounds pass quickly but instead was T’d up
after questioning Holtkamp.
In response, after the game, Paul stated “…I don’t
care what nobody says, I don’t care what she says; that’s terrible. There’s no
way that can be a tech. That’s ridiculous. If that’s the case, this might not
be for her.”
After reviewing Holtkamp’s calls, the referee’s
union general counselor Lee Seham made a statement, deeming Holtkamp’s calls “fully
justified.” He also said the union “deplores the personal and unprofessional
comments made by Chris Paul. [Holtkamp] belongs.”
Holtkamp, who is serving her first full season as
an NBA referee, is one of two active female officials in the league, along with
the NBA’s first female referee, Violet Palmer. Prior to working for the NBA,
Holtkamp had six seasons of NBA Development League experience. She has also
refereed in the WNBA, college, and FIBA ranks.
In a league with its share of controversial players, Paul is a well-respected individual with little controversy attached to his name before this event. His reputation among his peers earned him election as the NBA player's association president. In my opinion, Paul's comments were not overtly sexist and he has earned the benefit of any doubt in that regard. They do, however, leave room for debate about his intentions.
In a league with its share of controversial players, Paul is a well-respected individual with little controversy attached to his name before this event. His reputation among his peers earned him election as the NBA player's association president. In my opinion, Paul's comments were not overtly sexist and he has earned the benefit of any doubt in that regard. They do, however, leave room for debate about his intentions.
What do you make of Chris Paul’s comments? Do you
believe they were justified? Does his position as NBA player's association president make it inappropriate for him to make these comments? Do you believe he would he have made similar comments
if a male referee had made the calls?
By Nate Pentecost
References: http://es.pn/1zY7ird
By Nate Pentecost
References: http://es.pn/1zY7ird
Nate,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you posted on this topic. I was watching the game and heard the comments that Chris Paul made afterwards. At the time, I did not know what he said to Holtkamp, nor was I completely clear about why she T'd him up. Like you, I read the statements later that said that she was justified in making that call. And I heard a lot of endorsements for Paul's reputation, including that as NBAPA President, he was an advocate for Michele Roberts, the first woman to become executive director of the National Basketball Players Association. I do not think anyone should be cast as a 'sexist' (or 'racist' for that matter) on the basis of something that was said in the heat of the moment - especially without knowing the context. I also believe that it is futile to speculate about what Chris Paul said. Why not just ask him? I think he did weigh in on what he meant. Is this being blown up out of proportion? Perhaps. On the other hand, it is shedding light on advancements that have been made by women - i.e., as you said, there are two women referees, and a woman is assistant coach for the Spurs (Becky Hammon), plus Michele Roberts. It looks to me like the NBA ought to be applauded for taking these positive steps. I don't think Chris Paul should be vilified - even if his alter-ego isn't as 'mild-mannered' as he appears to be in the State Farm commercials.
Dr. Spencer
ReplyDeleteWhile Paul’s comment was not extremely berating, it was demeaning and ignorant. Paul’s disbelief in the call should not lead him to think that Holtkamp is unsuited to be a referee in the NBA. Holtkamp holds years of experience as a referee, with a great deal of training in addition. Her background as a basketball official is what deems her as a qualified referee, not her gender. As the president of the NBA Player’s Association, it is Paul’s duty to uphold class and to represent the players of the NBA in a respectful manner. Paul should guide his league by leading with example in all realms of the profession. If a male referee made the call, I do not believe that Paul would have responded in the way he did. His ignorant comment points out that Holtkamp is a female, which does not hinder her from making calls. Almost every male referee in the league has been questioned for making a bad call, yet his profession as a referee has not been questioned. As long as both male and female referees receive the same training and uphold the same qualifications, there should be no discrepancy in their ability to referee an NBA game.
Kali Morgenstern
ReplyDeleteI did not see the game or the call that was made but after reading the information regarding the situation I agree with Dr. Spencer. Instead of all the comments and speculation of what Chris Paul “really” meant, the question should be asked directly to him. While his reputation is one that regards him as a respected athletes, he is still human. And just like many athletes, he may have let his emotions and anger get the best of him. He is in a leadership position and should be aware that comes with responsibility to act in a humble and respectful manner especially in the face of the media, however we all make mistakes, especially when we react purely with emotions. I’m not trying to make excuses for him and I do believe he should take responsibility for his actions. Personally attacking someone for doing their job is unacceptable.
Allie McDavitt
I do not see an issue with Chris Paul's comments. I believe that he would have said the same thing about a male official who is in his first season. I have heard far worst things said to officials after a game. Watching the highlights and listening to broadcasters talk about this situation, I believe that Chris Paul had every right to speak out against the technical fouls. He grabbed the ball so they could get moving down the court. Holtkamp grabbed the ball from him and said “uh, uh”. Paul responded with “Why, uh, uh?” There have been far worst things that have happened in a NBA game that have not been called a technical. An NBA player gets fined for technical fouls, and may also get suspended if he gets a certain amount. I could see why Paul was upset about getting teed-up after asking “Why, uh, uh?”
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with the comments made by Chris Paul. I believed he referred to her as a "she" because she is a female. If it were a male referee, I'm sure he would have been addressed as "he". Judging from Chris Paul's background, I think he knew what he was saying and didn't mean to offend her.
ReplyDeleteI stand firmly in the belief that he would have made the same comments if it were a male ref. I think the call was terrible, but I understand that the game was very heated at that point. My first thought when she called the technical was that she (Holtkamp) was doing it to assert her presence as an NBA referee. Over the years there have been many NBA refs like Joey Crawford that like to take over the game. I'm not saying she's going to be like that, but as a female, I'm sure she wanted to assert a "no nonsense" stance with the players.
I think Chris Paul is not the one to blame in this video, but the media, who turn those comments into a gender debate. Whether or not “… this might not be for her” is meant to be sexist or misogynistic, both parties, Paul and Holtkamp, will suffer from the outreach of this debate. Yet, I think that gender related issues should be discussed publicly when there is legit reason for it. The Paul incident, however, is based on an interpretation of some comments that were made “in the heat of the moment”, as Dr. Spencer put it, that put the player in the wrong light. By no means did he explicitly make any sexist comment. With regard to that, some more sensibility from the media is required, since they risk putting a person’s reputation on the line for the sake of a story and sales numbers. Moreover, Holtkamp herself might suffer from the incident, since she might be under much more scrutiny in the future.
ReplyDeleteAgain, I am not saying that gender-related issues should not be discussed in sport and I think that players who utter sexist comments should be held accountable for that. In the case of Chris Pau and Lauren Holtkamp, however, I think the reaction of the media is exaggerated and moving into a wrong direction.
by Andreas Khuny
I don't have any issue with Chris Paul's comments. In no way do I believe he meant it to be sexist or discriminatory. I feel that his comment had everything to do with how he felt about the call, not the ref. His position as the president of the players association does not make his comments inappropriate in my opinion because at the end of the day he is still a player and a competitor. Personally I think to say his comments were inappropriate based on his position would be an issue before his opinion about the call would. That would be like saying "because Obama is the president, he is not aloud to have an opinion against any poloticians views, especially if they are not of the same gender." I believe either way, male or female ref, Chris Paul would have made the same comment because it was the comment that he disagreed with, not her gender.
ReplyDeleteJonathan Robinson
Amanda Notley
ReplyDeleteI feel as if Chris Paul did not intentionally make any sexist comments. He was expressing how he felt about a call and I feel that he would have made the same remarks if the referee was a male. I think that people spend way too much time reading into things like this and stretch the truth far beyond what it should be. There is a lot of people out there that just love to stir the pot and I think this is one of those times that people are trying to start something even when there is nothing to start. I think that his remarks were purely about the play. This athlete has a great reputation and he is not dumb enough to streak his reputation with something as non-important as this. If a female had said this about a male referee I guarantee there would not be this much commotion about the comment. The media needs to relax on the sexism twist that they are so readily to plague athletes with. They are causing more harm than not.
I think the media is manipulating Paul’s comments. This is a clear example of why some athletes do not like talking to the media at all. As a fan, I want to hear the truth from athletes in interviews. I know that they have to filter what they say, but I still enjoy hearing players’ true thoughts. I do not think Paul’s comments were an intentional or unintentional attack on Holtkamp’s gender. Chris Paul was obviously upset with the call and was exercising his first amendment right. I don’t think there was any malice what so ever. He would have made the same comment if the referee were white, black, male, female, etc. I think the media is making something out of nothing, as usual. Because he is the president of the NBA players union, I think he is being over scrutinized, and that comes with the territory. Because of his position, he has to be extra careful when speaking to the media. It is very interesting hearing people’s opinion on this matter. Good post Nate!
ReplyDelete-David Sims