What do you expect from refs?

[housekeys]

Every sport that I follow has video replay (either a challenge or as part of a rule). The NBA has a coaches challenge, that for the most part, works. College basketball is the exception (not talking about last minute - out of bound etc). A coach's challenge on a foul, or travel, or even a 3 second call. Such a challenge on Diarra's last second drive in the Kansas game, may have won it for UConn. Samson Johnson travel vs St John's etc. Just a thought.

 

[Kowalski]

I actually agree with Chief on this. It's the commissioner's job. A few years back a ref made a horrible call and I yelled "Horrible call!" It just happened to have the right timing because I swear the ref whipped around and gave me the hairy eyeball. And I was sitting way back at the XL. The ball gets inbounded and seconds later it's the same guy with an even worse call. After motioning to the desk, he makes it a point to look up me and virtually say "How do ya like dem apples?" That's a bad ref.

Totally agree. Refs like that are probably also eager T up coaches who dare to voice complaints about bad calls.

Not defending excessive berating or complaints at youth sport levels. But complaints about bad officiating has always just been part of college (& pro) sports, and for good reason because incompetent officiating affects outcomes.

The better refs acknowledge and understand that & do an effective job of filtering the complaints out. But the “don’t question me” attitude of some refs is supreme arrogance & what I found most annoying.

 

[JMick]

Here’s the thing. The OP is 100% right in response to youth sports and high school.

Eh. I reffed youth football for a bit and have a lot of friends who umpired for baseball in the summers during college.

Some of these refs should not have been doing games. There were guys who would show up drunk. There were guys who would talk about grudges they had against coaches. They shouldn't have jobs.

It's a fairytale to believe the people doing youth sports are doing it for the kids. 90% of them are doing it for money and 10% are doing it to help their ego. If you're getting paid for something, you're a professional

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Eh. I reffed youth football for a bit and have a lot of friends who umpired for baseball in the summers during college.

Some of these refs should not have been doing games. There were guys who would show up drunk. There were guys who would talk about grudges they had against coaches. They shouldn't have jobs.

It's a fairytale to believe the people doing youth sports are doing it for the kids. 90% of them are doing it for money and 10% are doing it to help their ego. If you're getting paid for something, you're a professional

Fair. I used to ref travel soccer and I can say the pay is not amazing. Barely covers the cost of travel and a burger.

 

[prankster]

IDK, either, but it may have to do with BE history. The glory days of the BE were in the 80's and 90's, when the Rodman and Laimbeer's of the NBA world dominated. Basketball has changed, but perhaps, some refs and the BE HQ still yearn for the glory days? IDK.

That was back in the days that the BE tried to be a more physical, more NBA type game.

They had 6 fouls in league games.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I actually agree with Chief on this. It's the commissioner's job. A few years back a ref made a horrible call and I yelled "Horrible call!" It just happened to have the right timing because I swear the ref whipped around and gave me the hairy eyeball. And I was sitting way back at the XL. The ball gets inbounded and seconds later it's the same guy with an even worse call. After motioning to the desk, he makes it a point to look up me and virtually say "How do ya like dem apples?" That's a bad ref.

They definitely get sensitive if you get on them.

 

[cordeodato]

Stop anticipating calls. Also just because a player falls down it doesn’t mean he was fouled. Those two things really bother me. I find them to be lazy. To me it means that you are not really watching the game.

 

[Waquoit]

Stop anticipating calls. Also just because a player falls down it doesn’t mean he was fouled. Those two things really bother me. I find them to be lazy. To me it means that you are not really watching the game.

It can be done. I was at the women's game yesterday where they didn't blow the whistle everytime someone fell down. What a treat.

 

[jdk1047]

I’m just wondering what Newton’s free throw average out of conference is and why it’s different then out of conference if the refs aren’t a problem?

 

[Sibeerian]

The Big East referees have a problem with allowing too much physicality early, then trying to regain control later if/when it gets chippy. Fans, players, and coaches don't react well to that because they feel they're being treated unfairly.

In other conferences, you see a tighter game called on both teams through the first bit of the game, but the zebras let more slide later to not affect the outcome of the game.

this sums it up for me. I don't know how players deal with it. It's wrestlemania in the first half, then in the second half the phantom fouls begin, and an obvious no-call sends someone to the bench with three or four fouls.

 

[90BSEE]

I’m just wondering what Newton’s free throw average out of conference is and why it’s different then out of conference if the refs aren’t a problem?

All you need to do is look at the difference in trips to the line for both us and our opponents in and out of conference last year to see that there is a problem with Big East refs and Hurley. People have brought up lots of good points. I want to see consistency between in and out of conference, consistency from game to game, consistency from half to half, more fouls called for grabbing and pushing, less fouls called for breathing on another player and less bias against certain coaches.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

1) Get rid of replay
2) Technical fouls should be exceedingly rare
3) Get rid of replay

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

It can be done. I was at the women's game yesterday where they didn't blow the whistle everytime someone fell down. What a treat.

I mostly agree, but want to highlight a distinction I saw, and apply it to this thread.

In the second quarter, as Marquette tried to get back in the game, the players were clearly coached to converge on Aaliyah Edwards. They fouled her on nearly every play, and the refs simply called the fouls. If the fouls hadn't been called, it would have affected Edwards and the game. But that strategy didn't work, so Marquette had no chance to compete successfully. At the time, it was their only chance, and seem worth trying.

It reminded me of the St John's game, in which Pitino kept testing the limits to the refs' willingness to allow his team's roughness. He got some play, but when the limits were reached, his team didn't fare so well.

Just as any parent knows that kids will test limits, I expect many coaches to make this a part of game-planning and management. If coaches and players have to make adjustments in response to what is happening on the court, why is there great mystery or concern when referees do similarly?

In such a context, consistency can have several meanings, some of which have been touched on by others.

 

[REB1094]

I’d like more consistency. Maybe this is just because I watch more BE games than other conferences, but BE refs are REALLY inconsistent. They’ll call the first half one way in terms of physicality, and then call the second half completely different. Once an officiating crew sets the tone, they should stick with it. Let the players and coaches adjust to the style.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I expect each team to show up with a game plan, and adjust to the game as it's played. I'm not surprised to see that refs sometimes adjust.

Any parent knows that children like to test limits, and often push until the limits are located and enforced. If a coach prepares his team to test limits, both the opponents and refs have to respond, and it happens in real time.

Consustency seems to be the consensus desire, but not all consistency is the same, as we can see from the variety of comments by others in this subject.

 

[Husky68]

Would like to see foul call when player posts up by continually banging shoulder into chest of defender.

 

[coachn]

UConn get ready for 5 vs 8 every game. Don't do anything to cause the ire of the refs like having shirts untucked.
No matter what be a gentleman and don't beg for trouble.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I expect each team to show up with a game plan, and adjust to the game as it's played. I'm not surprised to see that refs sometimes adjust.

Any parent knows that children like to test limits, and often push until the limits are located and enforced. If a coach prepares his team to test limits, both the opponents and refs have to respond, and it happens in real time.

Consustency seems to be the consensus desire, but not all consistency is the same, as we can see from the variety of comments by others in this subject.

Oops, this was a draft or clumsy recreation of what's above. I got distracted by a toddler somewhere along the way.

 

[Viet Vet]

Call it even. Call fewer fouls. Let ‘em play down the stretch.

Let ‘em play “down the stretch” implies calling the game differently at the end than at the beginning.

That’s the antithesis of consistency.

 

[housekeys]

Oops, this was a draft or clumsy recreation of what's above. I got distracted by a toddler somewhere along the way.

I think your toddler was just testing your limits.

 

[imno1]

Every sport that I follow has video replay (either a challenge or as part of a rule). The NBA has a coaches challenge, that for the most part, works. College basketball is the exception (not talking about last minute - out of bound etc). A coach's challenge on a foul, or travel, or even a 3 second call. Such a challenge on Diarra's last second drive in the Kansas game, may have won it for UConn. Samson Johnson travel vs St John's etc. Just a thought.

I like the idea of a challenge but not in the Samson example because nothing was called.

 

[prankster]

I’d like more consistency. Maybe this is just because I watch more BE games than other conferences, but BE refs are REALLY inconsistent. They’ll call the first half one way in terms of physicality, and then call the second half completely different. Once an officiating crew sets the tone, they should stick with it. Let the players and coaches adjust to the style.

BTW, unsaid so far, is the fact that the disparities created by calling foules one way and then another can never be sorted out. Refs have a nasty habit of getting certain players in foul trouble early, then try to "even things out" by calling "make up fouls " later.

The disparity created early can never be absolved by fouls called in the final 5 minutes.

 

[REB1094]

BTW, unsaid so far, is the fact that the disparities created by calling foules one way and then another can never be sorted out. Refs have a nasty habit of getting certain players in foul trouble early, then try to "even things out" by calling "make up fouls " later.

The disparity created early can never be absolved by fouls called in the final 5 minutes.

Yep, I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve thought to myself “they’re just evening out the calls now” in the last 5-7 minutes of a decided game

Again, maybe this happens in other conferences too. But I’ve noticed it a lot more in BE games

 

[jake14mw]

Interesting responses. Most of the answers were either about how Big East refs call games differently, or talking about wanting consistency. Most of the rest were either posts about refs being anti-UConn or generally bad and deserving criticism. Almost none of them acknowledged that "mistakes" will be made by human referees, and that's life.

Seventy responses, and I think only one made the key point - People as fans are so biased that when things don't go their way, they blame the refs. You guys do realize that most of you aren't objective at all, right? Or do you think that after most UConn games, fans of the other teams are saying "Wow, poor UConn, those refs really hosed them tonight"? Will you even admit that you see things through National flag blue glasses?

I think the vast majority of referees are simply people trying to do the best job that they can. Just like any of us doing our jobs. Most calls people get upset about are not black and white. They're judgement calls. I think most organizations hiring referees hire the best referees available. Those referees happen to be human beings that have to make calls as they see them from their angle with no closeups or instant replay. They want to make the right call.

 

[Jaydumo20]

I was in the middle of writing a rebuke thread to the notion of an anti-uconn bias on ESPN- but I stopped in order to gain more perspective.
I've heard more than whispers about an anti-uconn bias in the media (mainly on the BY)

Is there are any real concrete reason why a media outlet would uniformly choose to pursue an anti-uconn sports policy in their programming? It would have to be intentional not coincidental for such a bias to exist.

Could it be merely the plight of the every-fan who feels that anything less than a gushing for their program is an exclusion?

Is there proof to this supposition?