TV Announcers Blasting Officials
 

Today during the Florida State-Virginia game, ESPN commentator Sean McDonough took the time to blast Jamie Luckie, saying that "he is one of those officials who finds a way to insert himself into the game" and referenced how many times Luckie goes to the monitor. McDonough has made his fair share of critical comments about certain officials over the years. It got me thinking, shouldn't there be a policy against commentators personally criticizing officials on air? I wouldn't think anyone would be okay with a commentator making personal comments about a coach or player on TV, so why is it acceptable to do so about an official?

I happened to be watching this game. I thought it was pretty tacky.

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After Luckie whistled Florida State for an elbow-clearing player-control foul with 5:33 left, and Leonard Hamilton got whacked at 5:29, McDonough questioned why the officials didn't go to the monitor, sarcastically stating that "we've seen Jamie Luckie wear out the monitor."

Commentators make comments about players and coaches all the time....this is tilting at windmills.

Well played.

Others need to stop lamenting comments on NCAA and professional officials. They don't care about them. If there is a problem with their performance, they will hear about it through the channels that they care about...

I don't know the extent of what McDonough said, but extended, personal ranting about anyone, including officials, is wrong and tacky. It sounds like McDonough shared his personal feelings on air rather than doing his job and focusing on the game. In reality, who cares? Fans and commentators think that their opinions on officials somehow carry weight. We can just laugh at it while they continue to be assigned big games despite what idiotic people think.

I think the reason Luckie is loathed is his demeanor. He kind of has that "scowl" on his face which is just always there, and that's what people see whenever the camera cuts to him. He also rarely takes his whistle out of his mouth and seems to have that "drill sergeant" mentality. Nothing wrong with that. Does he go to the monitor any more than the typical official? Doubt it. He's a great official who has worked the Final Four before. Announcers will never acknowledge that, though.

From the "Credit Where Credit is Due" department, I heard one Jay Bilas actually give a reasonable definition of legal guarding position and how it was maintained by a (moving!) defender in the Notre Dame/Duke game last night. Now he officially has no excuse for complaining about defenders "not being set" during his analysis.

As for McDonough, he did the same smarmy, tired crap when he was calling games on cable for the Red Sox. He had a few umpires he would pick out and trash. Just how he is.

Bilas has long had an intellectual understanding of the rules. That's why I find his act even more tiring than the others.

I don't doubt this for a minute, very intelligent and well spoken individual. I've just never heard him accurately describe a rule before without saying how the officials made a mistake first.

Sean McDonough
 

Several years ago, following an NIT game, I was in such disagreement with some of his comments about the officiating, I handwrote a letter (snail mail) to him. Just sent it straight to ESPN and low and behold a few weeks after the basketball season ended, I received a hand written response on network letterhead. He was quite congenial and thanked me for writing. He stood by his point that the officiating in the NIT was horrible that day, mostly because he felt the better refs were elsewhere in NCAA tourney. (He was probably miffed that he had to stoop to that level.) I thought at least it was good of him to respond, and no, I did not debate a block/charge call with him:cool: