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MAC Officiating


zipfan84

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This subject seems to transcend any one game. Therefore, I want to start a dedicated, honest, and open discussion. The nature of the calls/non-calls going against us in the last few games have been particularly troubling.

 

Miami - the non-call on the mugging of Lucas Smith near the end of the game really made an impression on me. It was so bad, the ESPN3 announcers commended the Miami players for not giving up on their run-out dunk. Everyone in the house (save 3), coaches, players, media announcers, & fans expected the foul to be called and play to be rightfully stopped. Unbelievable.

 

In addition, when our guards did make strong drives to the hoop, obvious fouls were rarely, if ever, called. One on Jimond sticks out in my mind. Very one-sided in this regard.

 

Ball State - These issues were obvious to anyone who watched the game. The 2 most egregious incidents being the defensive call on Malcolm at the end of regulation and the call on Vershon in OT for leaping over a fallen Cardinal when both were going for a loose ball. One could claim that either of which likely cost us the game

 

I will concede that our depleted roster has limited us to mostly a perimeter game. This will, by nature, reduce the number of calls on the opposing defense. However, this does not account for the sheer quantity of terrible calls going against us in the last 4 or 5 games. Home or away, it doesn't seem to matter. Look at the BSU game. 33 to 19 on total foul calls. Seriously? No wonder we have players now fouling out of seemingly every game. This issue is having a tangible impact, and I fear for the psyche of our players.

 

Is there some sort of systemic problem? An unknown issue between the MAC conference and our coaching staff or athletic department? This seems bigger than any one game or our style of play. If it were just plain poor officiating, we should have seen it should swing both ways by now.

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Last night I posted a link to the Buffalo Bull Run blog.  They were also all over the refs in their loss.   Are we both sore losers looking for an excuse or are the refs making a difference in outcomes?  I thought the Ohio U game was called fairly but then again...we won.   We also won against Bowling Green but the officiating there was atrocious.   I respect our ESPN announcer Jackie Winding (sp).  If I watch the replay after the game, I look for the bad calls and get her take on it.   In the BG game, she was about 50/50 on the refs.   Also, if you read up on these guys and their working conditions and the amount they are paid it's amazing we get any competency from them.  I think the below sequence tells us all we need to know.  I just hate Ball State.

 

https://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2016/1/23/10819806/ball-state-eastern-michigan-refs-buzzer-beater

 

Edited by NWAkron
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I hate to whine about refs and usually try to avoid it.  Games are generally won by the players and coaches, not lost by the refs.

 

That being said, MAC officiating has been awful and inconsistent. 

 

To put it in the simplest of terms, a half-assed conference is likely to have half-assed officiating.

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I understand that refs are going to miss a few calls here and there but this year has been terrible. Against Ball State,  when we needed a play in crunchy time, we ( Ivey) came up with a big play. When Ball State needed a play the refs bailed them out. Let the players decide the game. Also, I really feel that even in past years when we were clearly the top team in the conference, we still didn't get favourable calls. It was as if the refs wanted to even the playing field.  If I am just being a whiny homer fan then someone please check me on this one. 

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2 minutes ago, feetg10 said:

I understand that refs are going to miss a few calls here and there but this year has been terrible. Against Ball State,  when we needed a play in crunchy time, we ( Ivey) came up with a big play. When Ball State needed a play the refs bailed them out. Let the players decide the game. Also, I really feel that even in past years when we were clearly the top team in the conference, we still didn't get favourable calls. It was as if the refs wanted to even the playing field.  If I am just being a whiny homer fan then someone please check me on this one. 

I don't think our team is targeted by the officials.  But I like what you said about the Ball State game.  If you look at the link above, you will see that the refs bailed out Ball State last year in a double OT game as well.   Going back to the BG game, we came up with the big play after all those bad, touchy fouls.  Then when BG had it at the end and everyone was flailing around the refs swallowed their whistles.  Then Malcolm gets the bad call at Ball State at the end.  It's the inconsistency that is frustrating.

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Was it the Bowling Green game at the very end where the Zips were the beneficiary of a bad out of bounds call? They reviewed it, turns out it was out of bounds on Akron because the opponent slapped across the arm causing the ball to go out. Possession goes the other way, but no foul because you can't review that!?! How does that scenario of events make the game better?

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3 hours ago, NWAkron said:

I don't think our team is targeted by the officials.  But I like what you said about the Ball State game.  If you look at the link above, you will see that the refs bailed out Ball State last year in a double OT game as well.   Going back to the BG game, we came up with the big play after all those bad, touchy fouls.  Then when BG had it at the end and everyone was flailing around the refs swallowed their whistles.  Then Malcolm gets the bad call at Ball State at the end.  It's the inconsistency that is frustrating.

There's a reason why it usually takes a blatant foul to get a whistle in a single possession game with time nearing expiration. Most times you watch a game you won't see an instant whistle just because a guy falls down. I can take bad calls here and there, because generally they even out. Calls that help decide games? Those are frustrating.

Edited by RowdyZip
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My old high school football coach used to have a favorite saying when asked about officials: "Referees aren't biased, they just all suck. If they were any good they would be giving up their Sundays instead of Fridays." Obviously this is another level up, but it still applies. The "good" officials are in the NBA and there is a whole lot of complaining about them even at that level. Referees at this level get minimal training, terrible pay, and bad travel schedules. I have always respected officials because there is no way that I would put myself through what they do. 

 

If it really was an issue to the NCAA, there are many solutions but they would all require more money to be spent, so they won't happen.

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2 hours ago, UAZippers said:

My old high school football coach used to have a favorite saying when asked about officials: "Referees aren't biased, they just all suck. If they were any good they would be giving up their Sundays instead of Fridays." Obviously this is another level up, but it still applies. The "good" officials are in the NBA and there is a whole lot of complaining about them even at that level. Referees at this level get minimal training, terrible pay, and bad travel schedules. I have always respected officials because there is no way that I would put myself through what they do. 

 

If it really was an issue to the NCAA, there are many solutions but they would all require more money to be spent, so they won't happen.

 

The NCAA worrying about something that would make the game better? Ha! 

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1 hour ago, ZippyRulz said:

Until the pay goes way up, it's going to be mediocre at best.

 

 

I don't know if that has anything to do with this. Half of the MAC refs also officiate Big Ten games and such. To me, it starts with the commissioner of the MAC. He has to set a higher standard for officiating (and the conference in general). 

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1 hour ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

I don't know if that has anything to do with this. Half of the MAC refs also officiate Big Ten games and such. To me, it starts with the commissioner of the MAC. He has to set a higher standard for officiating (and the conference in general). 

Wouldn't you think if they're also officiating Big Ten games they'd be some of the better college officials in the country?

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5 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

Wouldn't you think if they're also officiating Big Ten games they'd be some of the better college officials in the country?

 

If they're held to that standard, sure. If the expectations and standards in the MAC are lower and allow them to be "the show", they're probably going to take advantage of that to fill their egos. Jon Steinbrecher doesn't exactly strike me as a guy that understands what it means to hold the MAC as a whole to a higher level, let alone basketball officiating. 

Edited by Let'sGoZips94
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The "MAC basketball officials suck"  logic is so flawed.  You guys are dreaming up false reasons for losing.  Do officials make mistakes.....yup....every game.  Are the MAC officials worse than B10 officials...not possible.

 

The two big basketball official organization in the eastern part of the country make the game assignments, grade their employees accuracy and proficiency, fitness for the profession, etc.  The leagues provide grading and training suggestions but the official's organizations do the work.

 

On the east coast the D1 basketball officials work for the MEN'S BASKETBALL OFFICIATING ALLIANCE.  The alliance started with coverage of  BigEast,  ACC , A10 and Colonial conferences.  In 2017 the alliance began providing officials for the Big South, Ivy, Northeast and Patriot conferences.

 

In the Midwest the basketball officials work for the MEN'S BASKETBALL OFFICIATING CONSORTIUM.  This group has been providing officials to the Big10 and MAC for several years.  in 2017 the consortium began providing  officials to the Horizon, Metro Atlantic, Summit and Norther Sun conferences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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20 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

If they're held to that standard, sure. If the expectations and standards in the MAC are lower and allow them to be "the show", they're probably going to take advantage of that to fill their egos. Jon Steinbrecher doesn't exactly strike me as a guy that understands what it means to hold the MAC as a whole to a higher level, let alone basketball officiating. 

I agree with this. I've watched a few Big Ten games recently where I've recognized a few of the refs from our games and either the B1G teams foul a lot less than the MAC, or the officiating is being held to a different standard, and I don't think it's the former.

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39 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

All fans in the country feels their conference has the worst officials. All fans also feel their team comes up on the short end of calls. 

 

...and the more they lose, the worse the officiating becomes...                                      Funny how that works.

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25 minutes ago, jupitertoo said:

Akron fans seem to complain more about officials than any other MAC school.  But they have a legitimate reason: they listen to Steve French, the biggest ref-baiter in  the history of sports broadcasting.

Ugh.  Sort of true.  But this does give us something to do in between games.

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  • 3 weeks later...
6 hours ago, NWAkron said:

 

"Officials want to be part of the game, but they don't want to be the part to the game that has to answer. Why aren't they here answering your questions?"  - Huggins. 

 

"Kansas took 35 free throws, while West Virginia took two."   26 to 14 foul disparity.  Of Kansas' 14 fouls, only 1 came on West Virginia's 61 shot attempts. That is crazy. If this is Big 12 officiating and the MAC gets worse officials...

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