Quote Originally Posted by Tahoe
If they don't call them with a simple grab, coaches will start to have their players foul harder and harder. The pussy league doesn't want that.
I disagree. Most of the time players, and fans for that matter, want the officials to swallow the whistle in the closing minutes and let the players decide the game. unless it's a clear foul, you don't want ticky tack shit causing the game to go one way or the other.

To say they should call minor contact down the stretch is stupid. Suppose Rick told him to play D straight up and not foul. Suppose they did blow the whistle and Melo got a shot up (and went to the line for 3 shots). Everyone would be bitching because the refs "bailed the shooter out" with that call.

To me it's all on the player. If you're going to intentionally foul someone you better tell the ref or make it look like a foul. Going for a steal and hitting the guys wrist is not an intentional foul. He's just changing his tune afterward because he screwed up.