Refs and Announcers

[psconn]

No big game commentary would be complete without ref and announcer gripes, amirite?

Both were pretty bad.

The announcers apparently went to the Andy Landers pronunciation guide for Liv's name. The "color" person repeatedly shared an insightful "mmmmmm" in response to the action. I have not bothered to look her up but she was also WAY more familiar with SC than UConn. As usual, basic game-calling skills like identifying who the foul was on and how many they have was lost in the chat-fest most times. Makes me appreciate the Celtics' Mike Gorman all the more. A true pro who DOES do his homework, he did a few Sun games with Rebecca years ago and was great.

There were some calls and no-calls both ways that were inexplicable. In general Boston got away with a lot. Travels, high elbows, charges, you name it. In retribution, with SC up by 1, about a minute left to go in OT, and 15 seconds on the shot clock, the basketball gods whispered in her ear, "Aliyah, time for the big girl to launch that killer step-back three".

Dawn was like...

 

[BBallF]

Both were pretty bad. The announcers apparently went to the Andy Landers pronunciation guide for Liv's name. The "color" person repeatedly shared an insightful "mmmmmm" in response to the action. I have not bothered to look her up but she was also WAY more familiar with SC than UConn. As usual, basic game-calling skills like identifying who the foul was on and how many they have was lost in the chat-fest most times. Makes me appreciate the Celtics' Mike Gorman all the more. A true pro who DOES do his homework, he did a few Sun games with Rebecca years ago and was great.

There were some calls and no-calls both ways that were inexplicable. In general Boston got away a lot.

Travels, high elbows, charges, you name it. In retribution, with SC up by 1, about a minute left to go in OT, and 15 seconds on the shot clock, the basketball gods whispered in her ear "Aliyah, time for the big girl to launch that killer step-back three".

Dawn was like...

Funny. You nailed it but as to the announcers I think there is a larger problem that happens when we and others play on national networks. I think there is a systemic and insulting perspective that the women's game isn't entertaining or interesting enough stand alone. In other words, a pervasive belief that we need moronic, irrelevant monologue so we won't get bored. In my mind, it is a subtle form of prejudice. That game wasn't enough to keep you tuned in? Are you kidding me? As to the refs, they usually have to show they are so good by calling absurd fouls like the one on Aubrey because her feet were too far apart on a screen. Not that she was moving, just that her feet were too open compared to her shoulders. I guess the refs have special training for judging distances and points of comparison in the human anatomy visually. They need however a primer on what constitutes a foul as well on a shot. Geno was pretty pointed in his usual roundabout way in his presser about the calls.

 

[GiladKatzDeli]

Both were terrible. I thought the refs were inconsistent with the whistles and there were several terrible calls (and non-calls) that affected both teams.

 

[Kaizen]

Boston should be fouled out, instead refs give her 2 FTs.

 

[Waquoit]

I enjoyed them. OTOH, Culmo has me hitting mute more and more each game.

 

[borninansonia]

Funny. You nailed it but as to the announcers I think there is a larger problem that happens when we and others play on national networks. I think there is a systemic and insulting perspective that the women's game isn't entertaining or interesting enough stand alone. In other words, a pervasive belief that we need moronic, irrelevant monologue so we won't get bored. In my mind, it is a subtle form of prejudice. That game wasn't enough to keep you tuned in? Are you kidding me? As to the refs, they usually have to show they are so good by calling absurd fouls like the one on Aubrey because her feet were too far apart on a screen. Not that she was moving, just that her feet were too open compared to her shoulders. I guess the refs have special training for judging distances and points of comparison in the human anatomy visually. They need however a primer on what constitutes a foul as well on a shot. Geno was pretty pointed in his usual roundabout way in his presser about the calls.

Many of the announcers babble continually during the mens' games as well. Until this game, I thought the women's announcers were more in tune with the game than the men's announcers.

 

[Huskee11]

When Kantner shows up for a big UConn game, I feel a bit more nervous. I replayed the segments where illegal screens were called and they were bogus calls, in my opinion. From a coach`s perspective, how do you teach a player to set a screen now - what are the rules, exactly? Too wide??? That would have put an end to Wayne Embry`s career. Maybe Wes Unseld too.

The announcers last night were not good. The second announcer droned on and on in a monotone and did not say one thing that was at all interesting. At least I don`t think she did, after a while it was just background noise. She also didn`t do a very good job of hiding a pro South Carolina bias. (Why exactly would she be "worried" about a foul call on Boston?)

Here`s the rule, announcers - when a foul is called, at least interrupt your boring story long enough to tell us who the foul is on, how many fouls on that player, and how many team fouls for the quarter. In fact, if that is all you do, I would be very happy.

 

[chrissaran]

How did that foul on Boston disappear? When did the refs have time to look at the monitor and decide it wasn't her foul?

No big game commentary would be complete without ref and announcer gripes, amirite?

Both were pretty bad.

The announcers apparently went to the Andy Landers pronunciation guide for Liv's name. The "color" person repeatedly shared an insightful "mmmmmm" in response to the action. I have not bothered to look her up but she was also WAY more familiar with SC than UConn. As usual, basic game-calling skills like identifying who the foul was on and how many they have was lost in the chat-fest most times. Makes me appreciate the Celtics' Mike Gorman all the more. A true pro who DOES do his homework, he did a few Sun games with Rebecca years ago and was great.

There were some calls and no-calls both ways that were inexplicable. In general Boston got away a lot.

Travels, high elbows, charges, you name it. In retribution, with SC up by 1, about a minute left to go in OT, and 15 seconds on the shot clock, the basketball gods whispered in her ear "Aliyah, time for the big girl to launch that killer step-back three".

Dawn was like...

l

 

[Essexdave]

I really enjoyed the color commentator. Monica Mcnutt ? Thought she was funny and her reactions spontaneous not cliche. Wasn’t it her that said “wha, WHAT????” In response to Paiges 3 pointer.

 

[Waquoit]

How did that foul on Boston disappear? When did the refs have time to look at the monitor and decide it wasn't her foul?

Exactly. But it was sure nice of Boston to give it right back in seconds with one of the silliest fouls ever.

 

[Ralph]

so what exactly is the rule on screens and feet too wide. My understanding is Geno teaches the players to defend you need to keep your feet wide apart and slide them. You can't have your feet next to each other and be balanced so you can defend well. I would assume similar kind of thought on offense, keep your feet wide so you can move as part of the play. But if you see the person with the ball coming at you to use you as a screen do you have to pull your feet together? Or are they calling it because you have your feet together and you move them apart?

 

[hardcorehusky]

This was a missed opportunity by Fox to show that they care about women's basketball. Instead of McNutt talking about nothing, replay the screens and show what the foul was. Don't say - my dad was a ref so I won't say anything bad about them.

 

[Monte]

It's fairly easy to fix the announcer problem:

1. Have only ONE announcer

2. Make sure it is an intelligent person

 

[Geew1992]

How did that foul on Boston disappear? When did the refs have time to look at the monitor and decide it wasn't her foul?

l

The foul didn't disappear. It wasn't on her. It was on Littleton. The refs changed it right away.

 

[topogigio]

Both announcers were flat out BAD. They talked nonsense throughout the game, and made numerous errors as to who a foul was called on, what was the call, name of player, etc. They were just not good at their jobs. I replayed the game last night and was able to slow some things down, and damn, the refs were equally as bad. They called ticky-tack contact, but allowed gross banging, pushing and shoving. Regardless, it was a great game, and great win!

 

[psconn]

so what exactly is the rule on screens and feet too wide. My understanding is Geno teaches the players to defend you need to keep your feet wide apart and slide them. You can't have your feet next to each other and be balanced so you can defend well. I would assume similar kind of thought on offense, keep your feet wide so you can move as part of the play. But if you see the person with the ball coming at you to use you as a screen do you have to pull your feet together? Or are they calling it because you have your feet together and you move them apart?

The rule is:

"In establishing and maintaining legal screening tactics, the screener shall: Stay within their vertical plane with a stance in which the inside of the screener's feet are no wider than shoulder width apart. The screener shall not lean into the path of an opponent or extend their hips into that path, even though the feet are stationary...

...No player shall use their arm(s), hand(s), hip(s), or shoulder(s) to force through a screen, or to hold or push the screener. When this type of contact occurs with the torso of the screener, the foul shall be assessed to the opponent even though the width of the screener's feet may exceed the legal limit. If the contact by the opponent is with the screener's leg that is too wide by rule, the foul is on the screener."

 

[Vancat]

(announcers)

 

[PacoSwede]

at least fox sports did not pull the espn stunt (every game, i think) of devoting most of the second quarter to some extraneous interview with someone not, or only peripherally, relevant to the game ... totally ignoring the action on the court AND shrinking the visual of the action in order to provide a big head shot of the interviewee. i'm here to watch the game and hopefully hear relevant commentary, you idiots!

 

[uconnfan68]

The rule is:

"In establishing and maintaining legal screening tactics, the screener shall: Stay within their vertical plane with a stance in which the inside of the screener's feet are no wider than shoulder width apart. The screener shall not lean into the path of an opponent or extend their hips into that path, even though the feet are stationary...

...No player shall use their arm(s), hand(s), hip(s), or shoulder(s) to force through a screen, or to hold or push the screener. When this type of contact occurs with the torso of the screener, the foul shall be assessed to the opponent even though the width of the screener's feet may exceed the legal limit. If the contact by the opponent is with the screener's leg that is too wide by rule, the foul is on the screener."

If that’s the rule, then SC broke it MANY times going past screeners.

 

[freshler40]

The rule is:

"In establishing and maintaining legal screening tactics, the screener shall: Stay within their vertical plane with a stance in which the inside of the screener's feet are no wider than shoulder width apart. The screener shall not lean into the path of an opponent or extend their hips into that path, even though the feet are stationary...

...No player shall use their arm(s), hand(s), hip(s), or shoulder(s) to force through a screen, or to hold or push the screener. When this type of contact occurs with the torso of the screener, the foul shall be assessed to the opponent even though the width of the screener's feet may exceed the legal limit. If the contact by the opponent is with the screener's leg that is too wide by rule, the foul is on the screener."

This rule enforced during a game at different angles and movement is nearly unenforceable but called with great abandum in women's basketball. The rule sounds like many silly golf rules, many of which include the 700 pages necessary to interpret such. Whatever happened to plain language?

 

[Kaizen]

Not sure it is just me or not? From SNY to Fox Sport I see a live game always 20-25 secs late than the actual score. With FS1 direct live stream I don't see this problem and sometime the ESPN score was late than the live stream.

 

[oldhusky]

I thought the announcing was indicative of a network that doesn't cover women's basketball on a regular basis.

 

[Urshurak]

I didn't care for the refs or the announcers. Every time Dee Kantner officiates, I know it's going to be a mess, last night was no exception. I hear she gets a new whistle every game as she plum wears out one per game and it has to be thrown away. Whomever is in charge of this band of idiots needs to start holding them accountable for horrendous officiating. This doesn't seem to happen nearly as bad in the mens game.

As for the announcers, yeah, pretty bad and very biased. One of them continuously said "We need to..." when referring to SC.

But.....still better then Mowin and Antonelli....barf emoji inserted here.....

 

[Bills Fan]

I assume the color announcer was being paid based on the number of time she could say WOW. It had to be in the hundreds. One of the worst I have ever heard!!!! She sounded like an immature teenager who added nothing to the analysis but did tell us how to spell H-O-R-S-E and that she didn't learn something from her 9th grade school teacher, Miss Westfall. Fox Sports should be embarrassed to put them, but primarily the color announcer on any game on TV, but especially a game of this magnitude.

It is hard to comprehend how twice Boston knocked Edwards down, once backing into AE under the basket and once in OT with her arm/elbow with about 2;55 left on the clock. No calls yet in the first half AE barely touched the back of a player, 25 ' from the basket and got called for a foul.

 

[da60]

Re: Refs & Announcers...I too was a nervous & excited viewer anxious to watch a great game with UCONN partiality...I am tired of calls like the foul taken away from Boston & the Aubrey mental measuring ruler.
I think one of the refs was Dee Kantner, the ref who was dismissed by the NBA for obvious reasons...the other female Violet Palmer remained and did a good job.
The announcers continued blabbering obviously knowing or caring about the UConn women.
Is there something going on? Most sound like Andy Landers type clones.
But the kids & coaches hung in there and we won anyway. Thank goodness for Larry Bird, excuse me, oh PAIGE! Go girls!

 

[chrissaran]

The foul didn't disappear. It wasn't on her. It was on Littleton. The refs changed it right away.

Why didn't they call in on Littleton? Why did they have to change it? When did they have time to go to the monitor and review the play? In a game this important, you would think they would be more exact.

 

[kteach]

I'll give Dee Kantner a banner if she retires right now. I agree, the games are always as disjointed mess when she officiates.

 

[bballnut90]

Announcers werent great but they didn't irritate me too much. I will say I prefer when an announcer brings some energy since it does liven the game some. Back in the day Mike Patrick would announce Final Fours and I loved it since he brought great energy to the game and would basically react with how the crowd was feeling. His facts and knowledge weren't always great but I found his games a blast to watch. There is a fine line though between bringing energy and going overboard with it. A lot of announcers fall victim to trying too hard to hype up certain players or plays in general.

Refs last night were definitely inconsistent. I thought more calls went in SC's favor (and this is coming from someone rooting for SC) but it went both ways. Id like to say it hurt the flow of the game, but it really didn't since there just was never much flow at all.

In regards to the 4th foul on Boston that disappeared....watch the replay. Boston didn't foul Griffin. The refs correctly reassigned the foul to the player who did commit the foul. That's a good job by the reffing crew even if it is frustrating when it works against you sometimes.

 

[Buckaroobanzai]

This was a competitive, if poorly played, game. It reminded me of the very physical battles that raged between Rutgers and Uconn in the "old" Big East. I thought that Uconn, particularly Griffin, Muhl and Edwards, played hard-nosed and physically. It was a great win, reflective of how the Freshmen have started to "grow up." BUT, we must also confront the reality that, if Uconn faces South Carolina again, there is absolutely no way that Paige scores 30+ points. That leaves Coach with some work to do.

 

[cabbie191]

This was the first game this season that I was unhappy with the refereeing - don’t know if others feel the same way, but to me, looking at it in retrospect, I think the overall quality of officiating this year in an improvement over past years. And IMO, at least the calls were equally bad and inconsistent for both teams.

I so much prefer Culmo and Bestwick - they actually announce substitutions and who fouls are called against. And they acknowledge good plays and poor plays by both teams - Johnny Most biased they are not!