The Zebra Effect

[BeerPoisoning]

Judgment calls are a matter of opinion and perspective. It’s part of basketball and won’t ever change. This thread isn’t about Zion’s charging fouls being blocks or whether Kyle Guy deserved to shoot 3 FTs to end it vs Auburn, etc. That’s all opinionated stuff. People can argue that until they’re blue in the face.

The problem...
100% fact (via rules of basketball) Indisputable missed calls costing, or potentially costing teams games and/or momentum shift from a wrong call or no call just simply isn’t fair. Every possession counts. Nobody should be punished or benefitted for what didn’t happen.

UVA vs Aub — Kyle Guy committing a double dribble. Had this been correctly whistled, it would have (barring extreme miracle) ended the game making Auburn the winner.
Duke vs VT — Blackshear out of bounds on final possession not whistled. Duke still won, but a correct call would of saved the drama.
TxTech vs Zags — Owens block on Hachimura where he “saved the ball” and Tech got possession. He was out of bounds.
UVA vs TxTech — Tech is up 3 in OT with a couple minutes left. Kyle Guy trips over Diakite, falls out of bounds. Tech was whistled for a foul, Guy was awarded FTs. Momentum swing all Virginia.

(I could continue with examples, there’s more) Had these scenarios (other than Duke/VT) been properly officiated, we could have been looking at a different Final Four. It’s sickening to see a journey for 6 straight altered by a 100% missed call. I’m not sure what the NCAA needs to do to correct this, but nobody’s fate should be determined by error. Maybe rip a page out of football’s book and each coach gets 2 challenges? Heck I don’t know but reform has got to be in order. Refs deserve blame to some degree but at the same time, they’re humans. They can’t always be perfect.

 

[chov1125]

I’ll stick to the UVA Auburn game as it’ll be most remembered.

I believe it was Jerome on the double dribble. I’m not a fan of replay, I think it’s crossed a line from correcting wrong calls to being an active part of any game. It stops play, it disrupts the feel, it steals some of the natural integrity of the game. With that said any pro replay person would use this as co Exhibit A with the Saints Rams game PI as the specific wrong call directly changed the outcome of the game in a high profile playoff game.

The 3 pt shot has to be called, has to. It sucks, you hate to see a game end like that but it’s not the refs fault that the Auburn guy committed the foul. The ref was right there and it easily impacted the shot. If Guy kicked his leg out or phantomed the contact I would agree, but he hit him. And did so at the peak of his jump, not even the landing. And to be honest, it creates its own special ending. Guy still had to stand up there and knock down 3 free throws with the whole country watching. I know RJ was impressed. And that’s not a huge knock on RJ those are tough shots to make when everyone is watching and you are supposed to make them.

Refs are human, they make mistakes, they make big mistakes. Just a part of the game.

 

[2 skerz 3_rivals208847]

I’ll stick to the UVA Auburn game as it’ll be most remembered.

I believe it was Jerome on the double dribble. I’m not a fan of replay, I think it’s crossed a line from correcting wrong calls to being an active part of any game. It stops play, it disrupts the feel, it steals some of the natural integrity of the game. With that said any pro replay person would use this as co Exhibit A with the Saints Rams game PI as the specific wrong call directly changed the outcome of the game in a high profile playoff game.

The 3 pt shot has to be called, has to. It sucks, you hate to see a game end like that but it’s not the refs fault that the Auburn guy committed the foul. The ref was right there and it easily impacted the shot. If Guy kicked his leg out or phantomed the contact I would agree, but he hit him. And did so at the peak of his jump, not even the landing. And to be honest, it creates its own special ending. Guy still had to stand up there and knock down 3 free throws with the whole country watching. I know RJ was impressed. And that’s not a huge knock on RJ those are tough shots to make when everyone is watching and you are supposed to make them.

Refs are human, they make mistakes, they make big mistakes. Just a part of the game.

When coaches continually make monumental mistakes they get fired. When plays continually make monumental mistakes they get benched. What happens to officialls that continually make monumental mistakes?

 

[chov1125]

When coaches continually make monumental mistakes they get fired. When plays continually make monumental mistakes they get benched. What happens to officialls that continually make monumental mistakes?

I’m not saying they shouldn’t be fired if the same ref makes consistent mistakes, they should be held accountable. I’m good friends with John Cahill who has reffed countless title games and is now in charge of referees of multiple power 5 conferences, trust me they are watched and graded.

 

[SwatX1]

When coaches continually make monumental mistakes they get fired. When plays continually make monumental mistakes they get benched. What happens to officialls that continually make monumental mistakes?

Fans trash their business website???

 

[Jnood]

They just need better refs. These ones would of lost to a 16.

 

[BeerPoisoning]

I’ll stick to the UVA Auburn game as it’ll be most remembered.

I believe it was Jerome on the double dribble. I’m not a fan of replay, I think it’s crossed a line from correcting wrong calls to being an active part of any game. It stops play, it disrupts the feel, it steals some of the natural integrity of the game. With that said any pro replay person would use this as co Exhibit A with the Saints Rams game PI as the specific wrong call directly changed the outcome of the game in a high profile playoff game.

The 3 pt shot has to be called, has to. It sucks, you hate to see a game end like that but it’s not the refs fault that the Auburn guy committed the foul. The ref was right there and it easily impacted the shot. If Guy kicked his leg out or phantomed the contact I would agree, but he hit him. And did so at the peak of his jump, not even the landing. And to be honest, it creates its own special ending. Guy still had to stand up there and knock down 3 free throws with the whole country watching. I know RJ was impressed. And that’s not a huge knock on RJ those are tough shots to make when everyone is watching and you are supposed to make them.

Refs are human, they make mistakes, they make big mistakes. Just a part of the game.

It was Jerome on the double-dribble, you’re right. I always get those 2 mixed up idk why.

I don’t disagree about replays disrupting the flow of games but I think it’s imperative to have. It’s sickening to watch teams lose because refs can’t get it right. I know they’re human, we have all made mistakes in our place of work so I’m not directly blaming them... But it ain’t fair to the players. Auburn should have played TxTech and the fact is that they lost due to ref-error. I feel for those guys. I would go ballistic if it happened to Duke.

I’m not disagreeing about the 3pt call. I see both sides of it. I don’t think shooting fouls deserve to be reviewed, or anything controversial by opinion. Just calls (or non-calls) that are 100% incorrect by the rules of basketball. As in... a double dribble, player stepping out of bounds.

 

[skysdad]

If these refs are getting paid by a PTRF from some of these teams fan bases they aren'the doing a good job of being subtle (spelling) about it. OFC

 

[df64]

Let's not forget that the Auburn kid traveled catching the inbounds pass before the Va foul and Aunurn free throws. If called, Auburn has 1 less point, Va inbounds from their end, and the Jerome double dribble never happens.

 

[dukedevilz]

And then there was this game... guess the ref didn't have a good enough angle.

 

[acc hoops]

Jerome was fouled before any double dribble. Auburn player grabbed his arm and then the jersey.

 

[chov1125]

If I recall correctly we received a couple pretty favorable calls in the '15 title game too...Not throughout as Bo was complaining about, but at the end, Justise.

 

[Jnood]

And then there was this game... guess the ref didn't have a good enough angle.

That ref is the epitome of little man syndrome! I dread him!