http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2857469

According to this study, the refs don't like black basketball players as much as white ones.

The title to the story makes me laugh. It makes it sound as though black players actually whistle, like tunes, more than white players.

SAMPLE SIZE TOO SMALL

that's like at the end of a game a losing team shouting at a ref saying look at the foul count as if it should be equal.

white dudes are softer, foul less.

What a joke.

When's Sharpton going to speak on this and demand an apology?

Are you just referring to the thread title or the actual story? Because all that went on here was that a researcher conducted an empirical study based on the best evidence available to him, made some modest observations based on the results, and elicited massive retaliation by the NBA's PR machine.

I didn't read the linked story, but I've been following it this morning on ESPN. I mean, the front page of the New York Times? What would be the motivation of the professor and the grad student?

Like I said, has anyone called Sharpton yet? You can do an empirical study and make some modest observations on just about any subject (or cultural phenomenon). How many of these studies would get this kind of attention?

I think they were ideological. What was the motivation for your response?

Being worn out on all the white toward black racism being constantly pointed out in this country as if there's no other type, when, quite obviously the opposite and many other types exist at what I would consider equal if not greater levels. Of course, I don't have any empirical data. Maybe I'll study that black NHL official and see how many times he calls penalties on the white guys.

Well, here's the initial draft of the study in pdf form: http://graphics.nytimes.com/packages/pd ... -study.pdf

It hasn't undergone much in the way of peer review, apparently, but the whole thing's right there.

Honestly, the report's a bit over my head right now and I'd need to invest some time in it to answer some of my questions (is "style of play" accounted for? What kind of fouls? The whole sample size thing -- I'm sure that's more than explained, but on first blush, the math seems fuzzy). End of the day, I'my pretty much always gonna be in favor of just about anything that attacks the NBA's officials. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to or watched a game and felt so frustrated at the sheer incompetence of these folks. Sloppy, underdeveloped teams/skills/players sucks, no doubt, but that's not nearly as tiresome as watching phantom call after phantom call after no call after...

Yeah I'd have to see that whole "imbalance of sample sizes" thing explained before this elicited a raised eyebrow. Are white players less aggressive? Is it possible to figure that out? Is it even ok to ask that question, or are we supposed to think everyone is always equal about everything?

...Dwyane Wade in last years Finals. They also never call a walk in the NBA, which drives me crazy.. They also only seem to get the out of bounds call right about 75% of the time. I'm OK with make up calls but how do they know if they should make it up?

i think basketball is by far the hardest game to officiate. Everything happens so quick, people are banging inot each other at the same time, players are tangled up . . . most calls are a coin toss in the ref's mind.