[ronald]

Originally Posted by lmfc saints

[email protected]I refer to such as a complex wherein one feels they can do no wrong therefore they can never accept responsibility and accountability that they were wrong about something. I see it at times in all of sports - particularly youth sports. I realize nobody wants a referee/umpire etc. that "flip/flops" his/her position on calls, but when the evidence is clear that a call was blown - own up instead of defending oneself at the expense of fair play. In this instance, even after seeing the video and what I believe was clear evidence of a flagrant foul, the officials for the game, the director of those officials (a gentleman who effusively claimed his professionalism: I have been in this position for over 5 years an active official for over 25 years and worked at just about every level of basketball you can conceive of - this would include International play, NCAA Division I (what I currently work), the NBA and other professional leagues. The reason I am giving you my five second resume is to lend some credence to what I can tell you about this video. The other point to outlining my own experience is I have watched video of other officials and myself for two decades and can break down tape with the best.), and the league director all continued to vehemently defend their interpretation of the play.

The following was the "expert's" take on the play: "The action which resulted in the injury to the player was a basketball play. The kick is not intentional which would explain why the offensive player was so adamant in denying he did it on purpose. If you are able to look at the footage again with fresh eyes I would contend that the offensive player didn't even realize he kicked the defender until afterwards (this is made clear by the body language of the offensive player and the fact he turns around coming back towards the defender to see what happened) I have viewed hundreds if not thousands of flagrant fouls - flagrant technicals and other unsportsmanlike acts - so I can tell you this with high certainty...When a player does what you contend in this case - a deliberate and intentional act they immediately walk away or stalk away from the the scene of the crime. They never come back to the player they just "fouled" unless it is to stand over them to further try and intimidate or taunt them, which I have witnessed very rarely. When a player throws a deliberate punch/elbow /kick to the head or some other blow with the express purpose of creating injury I have never seen one example in my own experience of the offender coming back to the point of the foul. As I mentioned they simply walk away.
If you watch the video and use the either a slow motion function or pause button to "chop up" the action into a structured time sequence you will see the following...as #15 makes his move into the lane he is trying to force an offensive play on three defenders. Number #4 makes a legal play on the ball and is in the process of tying the ball up [we do end up with a jump ball being called] When #4 is already on the ground you can clearly see that #15 is grabbed (fouled actually) by his elbow by number #24 on the opposing team. It is this contact he is wrenching away from (ripping the ball) which creates the momentum and subsequent kick."

To me, that's a "God complex!" It doesn't serve the good of the program, the officiating profession, the game of basketball and most importantly the boys who were playing - even the boy who committed the infraction.

i question this guys ability to breakdown tape. I can use the stop button on this video and see that the kid has started his kick before he is contacted on the elbow. it was deliberate. furthermore he clearly has is balance established on his left foot and then delivers the kick. when the kid has tied up the ball the white uniformed player is on two feet with balance, wrestle the ball away, goes back on right foot comes to balance on left foot stands straight up and starts kick before contacted on elbow.