My Brain Locked

[mplagrow]

Blowout game tonight, halfcourt, a kid on the visiting team with the big lead takes a high dribble, right by the bleachers. Everyone screams for the carry. Then he picks up the dribble, he pivots, steps across halfcourt and back, and I'm thinking I've got an over-and-back call. Except he was in the backcourt, and never had all three points across. Too late, I'd already blown the whistle. So I took the weenie way out and called the carry--a few seconds late--rather than admit that I blew the whistle for no good reason. The fans all laughed, and a guy said, "We talked you into that one!" All I could think was, two wrong calls don't make a right! What would I have done if the game was on the line? Inadvertent whistle, I guess.