Poll: Does the NBA have the worst officiating in sports?

Officiating is always under the microscope in sports. That's because if an official is being noticed, it means a call has been made, and chances are 50% of the people watching the game are displeased to say the least.

If you've seen any of the NBA's Eastern Conference Semifinals series between the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers, you know the discussion has been focused more on the officiating than the basketball being played on the court.

After Game 1 ended under what Indiana felt was unfair circumstances, more questionable late game calls in Game 2 led to onetime-Black Bear and current Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle getting tossed from the contest.

The Pacers have since submitted 78 plays to the NBA that they felt were called incorrectly against them during Games 1 and 2 of the series.

The NBA certainly has a checkered past when it comes to officiating, look no further than Tim Donaghy, the supposed rogue official as the league would have you believe, that went off on his own and started betting on and fixing games. Then there's the smaller level stuff, like having an official nicknamed "The Extender" who gets called in seemingly every time a series is near conclusion.

But it's not just the NBA. Angel Hernandez has held MLB hostage with his terrible umpiring for years. The NFL gets plenty of blowback for its own inconsistent officiating. Hockey? That's the one I'm not as sure about. And frankly after watching refs risk life and limb diving into piles to break up the scrums last night between the Bruins and Panthers, those guys seem legit.