The Refs

[Dave in Green]

I've done my share of griping about the refs. But they deserve credit for calling two good semi-final games at the Q last night. All four teams played hard but clean, and the refs did their part by not stopping the games every minute with yet another incidental contact whistle. I saw a few plays I thought were called wrong. But it's hard to argue with a few judgment calls that seemed to be evenly spread. The important thing is to be sparing with the whistle unless it's really deserved, and completely neutral about who gets whistled. And that's what the refs did last night.With all the talk about the refs in this forum, it made me think about who complains the most about the refs? It's certainly not the winning team, because winners are too busy celebrating. No, the people who complain most about the refs are the losers. Maybe their team wasn't playing up to its full potential. But if only those darned refs had gotten a few more calls right, our team could have squeaked one out.Of course the flip side is that there have been other games where the team has squeaked one out because a few of the bad calls went their way. Because, unless you believe in a conspiracy theory that the refs mostly make more bad calls against your team than against all the teams you play, bad officiating evens out over the long run and is not a factor in overall won-lost records.I think that obsessing over bad officiating can be interpreted as a sign of a loser. And that makes me change my mind about how I'm going to react to the refs in the future. I don't plan to stop yelling when I see something I think is a particularly questionable call. I mean, you can't just let the refs think the fans are so dumb they can't see something that at least looks like it could be a bad call.But I'm done yelling myself hoarse over every close call and complaining in this forum after every game. I don't want people thinking that Zips fans are a bunch of losers who try to blame everything on the refs. We fans criticize our team when they're heaving up long shots without setting up plays. But that's pretty much what we're doing when we continuously heave insults at the refs.We like it most when our players take selective, quality shots at the basket, and I think that would be a good philosophy for Zips fans to take with the refs.

[RootforRoo44]

did you watch the same Akron/BGSU game i did?There were plenty of questionable calls again to go along with plenty of phantom fouls. Ya know the ones where no one touches the guy with the ball and all three refs blow their whistles?I will not give up complaining or booing these refs until they start getting things right more than they get them wrong. This is DIVISION 1 college basketball and 3 outta 5 of these guys would be too inept to officiate CYA 6th grade girls basketball.

[Valpo Zip]

I totally agree with Dave. Blaming the refs for our losses is childish and a a sign of a loser. After a loss, we tend to ask ourselves:1 - Could we have won if they reversed that certain call, the answer maybe yesBut then ask yourselves:2 - Could we have won if we boxed out, took better care of the ball, etc..., the answer is always yesSo while we have no control over 1, we totally control 2, so let's blame ourselves for losses.

[Buckzip]

I love this stuff.When we win the refs were great. WHen we lose the refs sucked.....LOL

[Dr Z]

There were enough bad calls last night (both ways), the team of refs doesn't deserve any credit.The better team won.

[Let'sGoZips94]

There were enough bad calls last night (both ways), the team of refs doesn't deserve any credit.The better team won.

I second that. We need to keep having our guards drive to the basket and draw fouls. That's the way we're winning right now.

[ZippyTuba11]

No, when we lose the refs suck; when we win the refs still suck. That is MAC officiating.

[RootforRoo44]

No, when we lose the refs suck; when we win the refs still suck. That is MAC officiating.

exactly...any person who watched last night's game so plenty more awful calls by the officials. The MAC refs may truly be the worst group of officials in the country.

[Captain Kangaroo]

With all the talk about the refs in this forum, it made me think about who complains the most about the refs? It's certainly not the winning team, because winners are too busy celebrating.

That's a stereotype, and it is untrue. Plenty of us have groused over absolutely horrid officiating at the JAR in games that the Zips have won. Most MAC officials are absolutely terrible. They assume the fans want to watch a 3 hour free throw shooting contest rather than a basketball game.The officiating for the last two games has been fine. I'd say that whether we won or lost. The one thing I hate regarding the tourney officiating thus far - the hair-trigger, anticipatory whistle on every possible action that might, maybe, somehow be a jump ball. Jesus...let the guys clear a rebound.Hopefully we get a solid crew tonight and I can enjot the game.

[Dave in Green]

I didn't say that losers always complain about the refs and winners never complain. I said that losers complain about the refs more than winners. It's indisputable that losers look for excuses more than winners, and bad reffing is a common excuse. So what I said was true and not a stereotype.I also didn't say the reffing last night was great, just good compared with other MAC games. Go back and look at the stats -- 36 personals in the first game and 34 in the second, and many of those were intentionals at the end of the game. The average for all NCAA basketball games in 2007-2008 was 37.23 personals per game. So both of these games were below average in number of personals called.Yeah, there were some phantoms. Yeah, there were some anticipations. Yeah, there were some missed calls. Always have been and always will be, not just in the MAC, but in the ACC, the Big 10, the NBA and everywhere else that basketball is played. The MAC would be negligent if it didn't try to continuously improve its reffing. But it's probably not substantially different from many other conferences.The refs did not make last night's games unwatchable, and for that they deserve a little positive reinforcement instead of the same pee stream they deserve when they absolutely butcher a game. But it is fun to vent at all refs in all games without discrimination. I should know. I've spent my whole life doing it.

[akronad]

did you watch the same Akron/BGSU game i did?There were plenty of questionable calls again to go along with plenty of phantom fouls. Ya know the ones where no one touches the guy with the ball and all three refs blow their whistles?I will not give up complaining or booing these refs until they start getting things right more than they get them wrong. This is DIVISION 1 college basketball and 3 outta 5 of these guys would be too inept to officiate CYA 6th grade girls basketball.

Until you've been in their position,don't complain.. i see my share of HS & college games every year. I have seen good refs, poor refs and so-so refs. But I will not criticize them, because officiating bb today is much more difficult that it has ever been. If you think it is that easy, go get a whistle and let me know how easy it is.BTW, I am not an official, I have just been around sports all my life and know many offiials in all sports.

[RootforRoo44]

did you watch the same Akron/BGSU game i did?There were plenty of questionable calls again to go along with plenty of phantom fouls. Ya know the ones where no one touches the guy with the ball and all three refs blow their whistles?I will not give up complaining or booing these refs until they start getting things right more than they get them wrong. This is DIVISION 1 college basketball and 3 outta 5 of these guys would be too inept to officiate CYA 6th grade girls basketball.

Until you've been in their position,don't complain.. i see my share of HS & college games every year. I have seen good refs, poor refs and so-so refs. But I will not criticize them, because officiating bb today is much more difficult that it has ever been. If you think it is that easy, go get a whistle and let me know how easy it is.BTW, I am not an official, I have just been around sports all my life and know many offiials in all sports.

i have officiated basketball YES! So i know it's not that hard, it's called being focused and doing your job. I dont make 2500 a game or whatever they make and i do a more respectful job than they do!WHO CARES THOUGH WE ARE DANCING

[Dave in Green]

i have officiated basketball YES! So i know it's not that hard, it's called being focused and doing your job. I dont make 2500 a game or whatever they make and i do a more respectful job than they do!

Why don't you let us know when and where you're going to be reffing a game, and let us come watch and evaluate your officiating for ourselves. If we think you're better than the MAC refs, we could all sign a petition and try to get you a better-paying job.