NBA player gets ejected for pointing at the video scoreboard

My Algonquin students will enjoy this one, especially after we spent today's class talking about video replay controversies.  Here's a report from Balls Don't Lie about an incident last night:

In the second quarter of Tuesday night's Grizzlies win over the San Antonio Spurs, Memphis center Marc Gasol received his second technical foul of the game, after taking in the first during the initial quarter while arguing a call. His ejection was not only the first of his NBA career, but it's also the first time we've seen a player get a T for pointing to the instant replay on the scoreboard above.

Watch the video here.

Since the advent of Jumbotron technology, NBA players and coaches have made a show of either watching or pointing to the replay featured above, following a tough call that didn't go their way. Refs clearly don't like the practice, but more often than not (as the groaning crowd will no doubt let the referees know, following the replay), the referees are aware that they blew a close one, and they'll let the player or coach vent, point or stare at the flickering images above.

When video scoreboard replays go bad

Here's some advance reading for my Sports Business students who are already checking out my blog. This topic always generates lots of discussion.

Background - in September the video scoreboard operators at Bronco Stadium in Boise showed a replay of Oregon running back LeGarette Blount punching Boise State's Byron Hout over and over and over.

From OregonLive.com:

I just remembered. High in the stands after the game, we were unable to get out of the stadium quickly. So, we were entertained by the video scoreboard. Which showed the punch over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over. To do what incite a riot? They didn't show the cheap verbal comment. They just showed the punch. In slow motion I might add. So they edited it to make Blount look even worse. Over and over and over and over. And the Boise State fans grew angry. And they kept running it. And the Boise fans grew angrier. And what was a great environment in the stands, turned into screaming matches started by Boise fans. I saw them.

From the stands, you really couldn't see the Blount incident. 99% of the fans never saw it because there was so much going on right after the game.

So, someone tell the video operator it's not okay to show it 24 times in a row. Which is how many times I saw it before I stopped counting. What an idiot. Apparently I'm not the only one who noticed that. Which means, when we find out what Hout actually said, 'Can we broadcast that to their fans over two dozen times so their shamed? They should be. Or maybe the BSU fan who took a whack at Blount? Is that fair game to continuously show on a loop to them? And Oregon fans the next time any team from BSU shows up?

Read the entire article...