That's the point. Barnes may have said something to Valentine after the initial T- maybe asked him a reasonable question- and Valentine decided to stay there and hear him out. Also maybe Valentine WAS 100% wrong in the way that he handled this play, too.But we basically don't know. We can't judge the guy without knowing the whole story. That just isn't fair to him. And, like or hate his style, the guy is still a good official imo.

Exactly!

[/B][/QUOTE]

Ditto.

So maybe I'm missing something here, but for all those "he should have walked away" commenters, at the point he tossed the coach, Barnes was between Valentine and the table, and an assisstant coach was between Valentine and the court...so he was basically boxed in and COULDN'T "just walk away"...add to that the fact that Barnes was unloading on him, and you get to the conclusion that Barnes needed to leave...very similiar to the Eustachy (sp) situation a few years back...

Wrong about red and yellow cards
 

I don't need a card to talk to people and caution them. I don't need a red to send off a player if he needs it.

I ONLY need a card to hold myself above people as if I was some fantastic authority and to humble them.

That is unecessary in an official but many here seem to adore that sort of opportunity and cheer it in other officials.

That is part of the problem.

The best officiated games would result in the official - after changing to street clothes - being unrecognizable by the crowd as they left.

Re: Wrong about red and yellow cards
 

Wrong again. While the above is ideal, it dosen't have anything to do with how the game was officiated. Officials may do a great job and get noticed because they had to take care of business. i.e. T's. I've seen other officials do less than a good job and noone noticed. So, again you don't have a clue. :D

You back? I thought you got laughed out outa here. "Show me in the rule book-show me in the rule book...". Heeheeheehee.... Thick-skinned l'il fanboy, aren't you? Not too bright, but you're a glutton for punishment.

This one has to be part cockroach. Almost impossible to get rid of him.

perfect article
 

Technically, Valentine was out of bounds
Rick Morrissey

March 28, 2004

ATLANTA -- What do you look for in an NCAA tournament game? Suspense? Effort? Performances that rise to the occasion?

Or do you look for a referee to assert himself in the final seconds of a close contest?

Most of us turn on the TV in the hopes we'll see something special in the tournament. We don't fill out our brackets for the office pool and say to ourselves, "I hope Ted Valentine hands out a few technicals when it matters most. There's no such thing as 'too much Ted."' We don't pay attention to March Madness with the expectation a referee might put his mark on a game.

But that's exactly what happened in the final seconds of a regional semifinal game between Xavier and Texas on Friday night. And it was outrageous.

With 3.9 seconds left and Xavier leading by three points, Texas' P.J. Tucker was called for a foul. Xavier's Romain Sato had two free throws. Texas coach Rick Barnes exchanged words with Valentine, who quickly served two technicals to Barnes. Six free throws later, it was over, even though those same 3.9 seconds glowed on the clock.

Nothing says "NCAA tournament" like a coach being escorted off the court by security, does it?

What had been unlikely—Sato missing both free throws and Texas hitting a three-pointer to tie the game—became impossible. A referee made sure of that.

Now, I don't know what Barnes said to Valentine. But short of using a racial insult, I can't think of one thing he could have said that would have deserved two T's at such an important juncture in such an important game. Given that Barnes' teams at Texas primarily have been made up of African-American players and that Barnes is considered one of the classier coaches in college basketball, it's hard to believe he would have said something racially insensitive to Valentine, who is black.

What could Barnes have said to Valentine?

That the game was fixed? Not worth a technical with 3.9 seconds left.

That Ted needed to change his name to Tommy ("Deaf, dumb and blind")? Not worth a technical.

cont'd
 

That Valentine might want to consider wearing a thong off the court too? Not worth a technical.

None of it worth a technical in a game to decide who goes to the Elite Eight. A calm, savvy referee understands he's not bigger than the game he's calling.

"I was not displeased with any particular call," Barnes said after the game. "I had wanted to talk with them the whole game and was just surprised they would finally talk to me. What happened at the end of the game did not need to happen."

No it didn't.

Valentine didn't have much to say about the controversy after the game other than, "The rules speak for themselves." The rules are one thing, common sense is another. A referee shouldn't have this kind of impact in this big a game.

The Dallas Morning News reported that when Texas' Brandon Mouton asked for an explanation on his fifth foul with about two minutes left Friday, Valentine said, "Shut the [expletive] up, you're not in the NBA."

People were a little skittish talking about what happened Friday night, lest they someday feel the wrath of Ted. Even on the broader subject of the role of officials late in big games, there was hardly a peep.

"I have to be careful about that one," Xavier coach Thad Matta said Saturday. "The only thing I can say is, I didn't see what happened. At that point, I really didn't care what happened. I just told Romain, 'You have like 19 tries, man. You just have to make one."'

Valentine has a reputation for a being a tough guy, not such a bad thing for a referee. But he also has a reputation for having skin as thin as tracing paper.

Tough and sensitive is a terrible combination for an official in college basketball, which is filled with coaches who believe it's part of their jobs to argue every call.

Valentine made a name for himself in 1998 by ejecting then-Indiana coach Bob Knight during a game against Illinois. It was seen as Knight getting his comeuppance for bad behavior and Valentine enjoying the come-upping.

The punishment for Valentine should be no NCAA tournament assignments for a long time. A referee has to recuse himself from the possibility of overshadowing the game in the final seconds. On Friday, Valentine asked where the spotlight was.
Copyright © 2004, The Chicago Tribune

really like the thong thing
 

eom

Re: perfect article
 

Swampe:

This is an OPINION piece.

It reflects what ONE person thinks of this incident.

It is not an official NCAA press release saying that what Valentine did was wrong.

In other words, it carries ZERO weight.

i know
 

but it fits my opin perfectly !!!

did
 

u like the thong thing to?

When is somebody gonna unload Judge Royboy's illegitimate son above? This is getting ridiculous- allowing these trolls to go on for this long.

come on
 

you have to admit "the thong thing made u chuckle at least"

Re: come on
 

One wonders why you're so hung up on this thong thing. There are probably better forums for you to discuss the wearing of thongs with other men. Perhaps you'll get the hoped for response on one of them.