Criticism of officials

[Adam]

Here's a thought for those of you (you know who you are) who think we don't tolerate criticism of officials here. We do, but only when it's intelligent and informed.
I'm watching the NCAA final on ESPN Classic now, and the announcers are aweful. There was an early block on a UConn shot that was called a foul, and the announcer actually says, "He may have got him on the body, but it looks like a great block to me." He follows that later after an GT call on Okofor by saying the GT "evens things up" after the clean block that was whistled on the other end. (The GT was confirmed on replay.)
When the announcers are saying things like, "He may have gotten away with an over the back foul," then any criticism they may send towards the officials is disregarded.
When trolls come in here saying that certain calls were "horrible," and that any experienced official would or would not have called something, I put you in the same category as Raftery and company.
When someone claims to be a ref, and then says he sits in the stands and tells those around him when he thinks the refs aren't doing well, I think he has ego problems. Someone is obviously upset that he never got the big D1 games he thinks he deserves, and blames it on politics, affirmative action, or whatever, and feels vindication from attacking those officials anonymously. Yeah, Baylor fan, I'm speaking of you.

[TravelinMan]

Snaq, I just spent some time reading the thread on the Baylor game. I have one thing to say. Can you imagine the state of affairs in basketball if either caref or Judge actually were officials? It's a frightening thought.
I'd like to see people like that banned from our forum - they are obviously a bunch of argumentative juveniles lacking in intelligence and logic. I know not all our college youth is like them. They give them a bad name.

[BktBallRef]

Having recorded both Final Four games in DVR, I just went back and reviewed the widely criticized, first two fouls on Emeka Okafor.

Foul #1 - 16:51 remaining 1st half
Williams has inside position and goes up for the robound on his own missed shot.
Williams gains possession and as he's coming down, Okafor comes acrossed his left arm and clearly fouls Williams, negating Williams' advantageous inside position and forcing the ball OOB.
The C, Hall, calls the foul.
Jim Calhoun is 4 feet out on the floor and goes trotting up the sideline, prompting a warning from Hall.

Foul #2 - 16:05 remaining 1st half
Luol Deng rebounds his own missed shot.
After he jumps toward the basket, attempting his shot, Okafor moves underneath him, fouls him and prevents the shot from scoring.
While Okafor maintains his verticality and does not foul with his hands, he moves in and clearly blocks Deng's path to the basket after he is airborne.
The L, Hillary calls the foul.
As Hall is standing in the lane, waiting for Hillary to report the foul, Okafor yells over and over again, "What the f**k!?!"
Calhoun stood, facing the press table, yelling at a member of the NCAA Basketball Committee about the calls.

Summary - 3 thoughts
1- Okafor's inability to box out the Duke big men resulted in him picking up both fouls.
2 - My guess is the fact that this was a national semifinal game is the only thing that prevented Okafor from picking up a technical foul, his 3rd foul of the game.
3- How any unbiased person can look at either play and not realize these are fouls is absolutely ridiculous.

Now, I await the biased, invalid, laymen remarks from all the fanboys out there.

[TravelinMan]

On not calling a technical on Okafor due to it being a big game - They should have T'd him up. What kind of a message does ignoring unsportmanlike conduct send to the other team? Players resepct for official has been lost. Natural to feel that if Okafor can cuss, we can too. Poor game management. I've heard some D1 officials say that as long as XXXX rated language is not specifically directed at them, they will not give technical. That is not my philosophy. How say you?

[BktBallRef]

I agree. But I guess it's what's importamt to you. Calling a T in that situation, even though it's very well deserved, would most definitely end an official's D1 career. Officials in that situation are going to be expected to ignore an awfully lot, because of what's at stake. Right or wrong, that's the way it is. So while I agree with what you're saying, I can't pass judgment on that official until I've been in that same situation.

And of course, that won't ever happen.

[TravelinMan]

I'm not so sure it would end a D1 official's career. Perhaps that is just perception. Know of any whose career has been shortened because of that? Don't mean to be a pollyanna, but I just am not aware of such things. Any known cases of officials being berated, demoted, fired?

[PGCougar]

Originally posted by Snaqwells
... There was an early block on a UConn shot that was called a foul, and the announcer actually says, "He may have got him on the body, but it looks like a great block to me." He follows that later after an GT call on Okofor by saying the GT "evens things up" after the clean block that was whistled on the other end...

Even in my early days as a howler monkey (ahem), I could never buy into the "make-up call" bull. I mean, why would any official now piss off a second coach when one is already torqued?

What does amaze me is how the announcers perpetuate the same old story lines and how the fans believe it. I guess it's tough to come up with stuff that's original.

Make up calls? Please say it aint so folks!

[TravelinMan]

I agree with you. Make up calls? Not with these guys, not officials of their caliber. Maybe a new official doing St. Mary's vs Holy Family on a Saturday afternoon in CYOville might feel "darn, I blew that one! Next close call is going to the other team."

[Stat-Man]

Originally posted by TravelinMan
On not calling a technical on Okafor due to it being a big game - They should have T'd him up. What kind of a message does ignoring unsportmanlike conduct send to the other team?

I agree, here. If I remeber correctly, recent NCAA points of emphasis have been on bench decorum and general sportsmanship. To not T someone up who cusses in response to a foul call is dropping the ball (no pun intended) in a big way.


Afterthought (thanks to TravelinMan):
Maybe a new official doing St. Mary's vs Holy Family on a Saturday afternoon in CYOville might feel "darn, I blew that one! Next close call is going to the other team."

I had to chuckle at this since I went to St. Mary's and our CYO Teams have played the nearby Holy Family both when I was a student and when I was on game crew for a few years.


[Edited by Stat-Man on Apr 10th, 2004 at 08:29 PM]

[BktBallRef]

Originally posted by TravelinMan
I'm not so sure it would end a D1 official's career. Perhaps that is just perception. Know of any whose career has been shortened because of that? Don't mean to be a pollyanna, but I just am not aware of such things. Any known cases of officials being berated, demoted, fired?

Aloow me to clarify. I'm not saying he would literally never work another D1 game. I'm saying he would never work in a game of such magnitude again.

For me, I want the big game. That's what I work for, to be the best, to be in the best game. When I get to the point where I'm no longer in a position to work those games, it'll be time to hang'em up.

An official who makes this call has probably put himself in that position. I'm not saying it's right. I'm saying that politically, that's what would happen.

Let me further clarify that the profanity wasn't directed AT anyone. No, that doesn't make it right either but it allows the official an out. Whether Hall warned him or not, the replay didn't reveal.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally posted by BktBallRef

Now, I await the biased, invalid, laymen remarks from all the fanboys out there.

The TarHeels still suck.

[BktBallRef]

And you're still a Richard Cranium.

[caref]

and I don't buy into announcer babble either, but I do stand on my opinion on the Baylor games as do all of the officials in my area I have talked too. Rip me if you want, but this forum is for open opinion and I am entitled to mine as well as anyone else.

Lets see, 7 years officiating, full varsity schedule, a better schedule every year, higher rating, playoff games, tournament championship games and never, ever a major incident. Not to toot my own horn, but something seems to be working.

[ref18]

Its never a good thing when you have to back up your opinions with a resume.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally posted by caref
and I don't buy into announcer babble either, but I do stand on my opinion on the Baylor games as do all of the officials in my area I have talked too.

And my opinion is that if all of the officials in your area agree with you, then they must have a complete lack of integrity also- just like you- and none of you should ever be allowed anywhere near a basketball court.

PS- However, it is also still my opinion that are NOT an official, have NEVER been an official, and that you also lack the necessary attributes to EVER be an official.You're just another whining fanboy. That's obvious from your posts to date.