Alright, so because I am not an NBA coach, player, administrator, owner, or really in anyway affiliated with the National Basketball Association any way other than as a fan, I feel supremely confident in saying this to the referees, “WOULD YOU PLEASE START CALLING OFFENSIVE FOULS ALREADY?!?!?!”

Just tonight alone, I have seen no fewer than 4 plays on which I would call an offensive foul against players on San Antonio, and an equal number that I would call against Amare Stoudamire alone. Now, I like the NBA alot, but its situations like this that piss me off. A person’s popularity should not determine the calls he gets. A person’s star power should not determine the calls he gets. His friendliness with the refs should not determine the calls he gets. The level of athleticism should not determine the calls he gets.

If a person levels his shoulder into the defender, that is a foul. If an offender wraps his arm around the defender, that is a foul. Offensive players have gotten away with much too much in these playoffs, and it is getting ridiculous. Even GREAT defensive players are being made to look like chumps. ENOUGH ALREADY.

Let me give you an example from tonight alone. Amare Stoudamire got the ball above and outside of the left block. He started backing down Robert Horry. That is fine. Here is where it stops being fine. With no other players around, he quickly turned, and JAMMED his left shoulder into the solarplexis of Horry — knocking him back BENEATH the basket! — and then laying the ball in.

Now, I know everyone does it. Hell, I used to do it at the playground or someone’s house (stop laughing, I used to play basketball competitively when I was younger.), but that didn’t make it legal then either. (no, seriously, stop laughing.) Horry is not a small guy. He’s 6 foot 10 inches tall. And Stoudamire doesn’t do it on every play, like Shaq (you thought I forgot about him, didn’t you?) does. He’s probably the grossest offender of this offense, but if the ref’s aren’t going to call it, then why should he bother to stop.

Its time to stop it. Great defenders should be allowed their days to shine, and it shouldn’t be at the whim of the NBA referees. David Stern, please instruct the referees to start calling these fouls, and that is what they are. They are fouls. Don’t let this situation get further out of hand. These guys are too big for you NOT to see them. Yes, I understand scores will be down, but maybe, JUST MAYBE, players will learn to shoot better. Maybe they will learn to pass better. And maybe, they will learn to play better.