Blowing the Whistle on the NBA Referees

A recent poll found that 37% of fans think the NBA fixes games. Well take a look at the controversy surrounding NBA referees with former NBA ref Mike Mathis, who worked more than 2,300 games, including 12 NBA finals, and Steve Kyler, Editor and Publisher of HOOPSWORLD Magazine. Then, as you plan your summer vacation, well talk to a roller coaster expert, look back on the golden age of family vacations, and find out how the weather is affecting one of the Midwests top vacation spots The Wisconsin Dells.

Episode Segments:

How Honest is the NBA? Steve Kyler, Editor and Publisher of HOOPSWORLD.com and HOOPSWORLD Magazine, gives his perspective on the allegations of game fixing by former referee Tim Donaghy, and how the NBA has handles the controversy. He also shares his take on the state of officiating in the NBA.
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The Views of a Former Ref Mike Mathis was an NBA referee for twenty-five years. And in his opinion, the NBAs officiating has been heading for a catastrophe for twenty years. He feels its time for the league to take a long hard look at how they are training their officials.
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A New Game Plan for NBA Referees Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson thinks NBA officials should be made independent from the league, and Mike Mathis agrees; he feels officiating has digressed through the years, and refs arent officiating through the games from start to finish.
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The Golden Age of the Summer Vacation Dave welcomes Susan Sessions Rugh, author of Are We There Yet?: The Golden Age of American Family Vacations. Susan remembers the high point of family road vacation from just after WWII through the 1970s, and discusses what factors led to and ended their golden age. And due to economic conditions, are we headed for a new golden age?
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Americas Best Roller Coasters Mark Cole, the President of American Coaster Enthusiasts checks in live from Six Flags Over Georgia, at ACE's annual convention, known as "Coaster Con. Mark talks about what makes a great roller coaster, and lets us know where we can find some of Americas best roller coasters, and roller coaster theme parks.
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Update on Wisconsin Dells This seasons heavy rains have taken their toll on popular Midwest vacation destination The Wisconsin Dells. One of its main attractions, the man-made Lake Denton, was washed away. But Melanie Platt-Dixon, Marketing Director for the Wisconsin Dells, says the area is recovering, and theres still plenty to see and do.
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Links to Related Websites:

Are We There Yet?: The Golden Age Of American Family Vacations Every summer, parents piled the kids in the back seat, threw the luggage in the trunk, and took to the open highway. Chronicling this innately American ritual, Susan Rugh presents a cultural history of the American middle-class family vacation from 1945 to 1973, tracing its evolution from the establishment of this summer tradition to its decline.

Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

Mike Mathis Mike Mathis is a former professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1976 to 2001. Over his career in the NBA, Mathis officiated nearly 2,340 games, including 12 NBA Finals and three NBA All-Star Games. Mathis wore uniform number 13 during his career. Mathis is also the owner and Chief Executive Officer of ProHoop Courts, Inc., which specializes in the installation of basketball goal systems and playing surfaces. Mike and his family formed The Mathis Foundation for Children in 1996 as a labor of love after the Mathis family had a chance to experience the heartfelt rewards of raising a foster child of their own, who became and remains a part of the family. The family has been blessed in their lives and felt the need to use their success and influence to help others help themselves. The Mathis Foundation

Susan Sessions Rugh Susan Sessions Rugh specializes in the history of travel and tourism and in the history of rural America. She earned a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Chicago in 1993, and has taught at BYU since 1997. She teaches courses in nineteenth century America and on the history of travel. Rugh has written two books, Our Common Country (2001) and Are We There Yet? The Golden Age of American Family Vacations (May 2008). Her article on Utah’s promotion of tourism, “Branding Utah: Industrial Tourism in the Postwar America West,” Western Historical Quarterly (Winter 2006) won the Michael Malone Award from the Western Historical Association and a Best Article Award from the Utah Historical Society.