[canuckrefguy]

Originally posted by BTTB
I'm not an official; I'm a season ticket holder, and a 30+ year college basketball fan.

Translation: I'm a fanatic follower of one of the Pac-10 teams who lost a few days ago - not because they played bad or got outplayed, or had an off day. It was, of course, because Pac-10 officials really suck.

I have a point of view about the quality of basketball officiating in the PAC-10, but I'm not looking to bash the entire industry.

Translation: No offense, but most officials really suck.

First of all, my opinion is that the quality of officiating in the PAC-10 is extraordinarily poor compared to other major D-1 conferences, and that this has been true for a decade or more.

Translation: I think Pac-10 officials really suck

I believe that my opinion is the generally held view among serious fans of our program, and it seems to be the prevailing attitude conference-wide as well. I haven't seen a fan seriously take the opposing view in years. So, regardless of any other rivalry or perceived outrage, we all seem to have that in common.

Translation: Some of my friends think Pac-10 officials really suck, too.

PAC-10 officials call games very "closely" compared to other conferences, but are very inconsistent as well, with infractions and personal fouls called for a certain kind of behavior in one game, or one half, and not called for the same behavior in another game or half. Taken together, the constant injection of the officials into the game, in an apparently subjective way, just sucks the fun right out of the game. And every year we have a couple of games which at first stand out as particularly well played and entertaining; to the point that we don't just guess, but we know, that the game officials just cannot be PAC officials.

Translation: I think Pac-10 officials really suck

So here are my questions:

1) Does the PAC have the same reputation among other conferences and/or within professional refereeing circles that it has with the fans?

Translation: Don't you think the Pac-10 officials suck?

2) Are the PAC officials more or less qualified on average than other officials, and/or are they compensated as well, more, or less than other officials?

Translation: No, really, don't they suck?

3) Does anyone know where the "hyper-strict" officiating style of the PAC comes from, and for what purpose?

Translation: Come on, somebody should be able to tell me why they suck.

4) What can the fans do to focus attention on this subject, if it isn't perceived as a problem by those who should know better?

Translation: Is there any way I can contact the Pac-10 Officials Association, so I can tell them directly that I think they suck?




I think Rut's got it bang on.

BTTB - go scream at the TV or something.