<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Is it a statistical coincidence? Or a result of teams' desire to make a few more bucks by selling a few more courtside seats? That's the question regarding this year's relatively low totals for blocks and steals. Ron Artest leads the NBA in steals with an average of 2.19 per game. If it holds up, it would mark the lowest figure to lead the league since the NBA first started keeping the stat in 1973-74. For blocked shots, it's the same story. Marcus Camby leads with an average of 3.11 per game. It would be the lowest figure to lead the league since 1981-82. One reason could lie in where teams seat their stat keepers at games. Several around the league say they have been moved in recent seasons from their usual courtside seats to locations farther away. It makes it more difficult to make a clear-cut call. Sixers stat keeper Ron Pollack, a 44-year veteran (and the son of legendary Sixers stat man Harvey Pollack), agreed that seating could be a factor for tougher calls such as blocks and steals. He said he is now seated some 23 rows up from the court. Pollack said some teams, including the Sixers, rely on a spotter courtside who stays in touch by headphone to provide a second opinion, but that more calls naturally are going to be missed. And when in doubt, most scorekeepers don't give a player credit for a block or steal.</div> http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writ...otes/index.html I guess the teams would rather make my money by selling the courtside seats than have the statkeeper sit there.
<div class="quote_poster">Will637 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Is it really that hard to miss stats and blocks from anyone in the lower level?</div> Its pretty easy from where I sit (couch) Just use a monitor or review the plays during the breaks.
