[j51969]

I would agree with MyTwoCents that making goods calls will handle this 90% of the time. Also, at no time am I implying that any of the officials on the game had a racial motivation toward the outcome.

JRUT you are spot on…..

All three guys were from Southern IL. Two from Litchfield area and one was near Edwardsville. Total up the population of all three towns they are from and it’s less than 6000. These two teams were 1 and 2 all year and likely to meet in the finals. If not, it just would have been another team similar in social make up. IHSA failed when assigning the officials to this game. The fact that they didn’t have at least 1 African American official on the game was just plain dumb. Top that with three officials who don’t officiate contests with this level of speed, quickness, and athletism and you have a disaster. The basketball they are seeing down in Southern IL (which I did for 3 years) is about as different as high school is to college. I am not saying it’s not good ball, just different. The players, parents, coaches, and environments’ are all different. I grew up playing and officiating basketball in Indianapolis and outlining areas. It is not uncommon to have a game in a gym that seats 5000 (and they fill them). Anyone who says basketball is basketball and you just call the game the same way is just clueless. I can’t for the life of me believe there isn’t 1 African American officials who is not only good enough, but should also be rewarded for his/her contribution to the game. The officials, coaches, and schools were all publicly reprimanded for this absurd display. Sounds like the IHSA should reprimand itself for failing to see the light at the end of the tunnel.