[I'msureofit]

but I've been monitoring it with great interest for quite some time now. With nearly a 1000 officiated games under my belt and a passion for the profession I find this forum extrememly informative- -to the point nothing else gets done sometimes. Enough of all that for now, just glad to be here.

I have to agree first and foremost that the angle of an official is more credible than a live or TV spectator. On the other hand, I've worked with officials that make calls where they had no view of the play, and, furthermore, were too lazy to move thier butts a couple of feet to get a better view. I practice the preaching of don't see it, don't call it, especially when you're not in any position to call it.

On what appears to be the poster's frustration of "nickel and dimers"/touch fouls, it sometimes frustrates me as well while watching some NCAA games,particularly. Replay will certainly point out the quality of any call by any official when there are many cameras available on the big network games. Case in point was the SU UConn game Monday night. Now, as an offical I am quick to forgive a bad call because we all make em'. However, in this game they repeatedly got caught with bad touch fouls by the camera, or what I think is the sin of anticipating a call. I would rather wait that split second more to assure my sighting on the play and be accused of a semi late whistle. The accused we're talking about are repeated and respected Final Four officials who could have just had a bad game, and we all have them too from time to time.

In the end, I believe it's rare that officals decide the game and it's the team that loses the game for them selves; good teams adjust to calls and play through it. Oh, another case in point comes to mind from the Rutgers Seton Hall game late last night. Clock expires in OT and Rutgers launches a 3 and the C from behind calls a foul. Replay showed the shooter wasn't even touched, although the appearance of a touch existed, and that the C was totally screened from the play when he made the call. One of three at the line and game to Rutgers. Ouch, I would have at the very least let that call come from the L where a- -potential- -point of contact could have been seen, or called nothing at all. Now, wouldn't that begin an argument of an official deteriming the outcome of a game? Oh well, I'm an official and I defend his call. All said, game over, learned something new, and onto the next one. Thanks for reading.