Seriously.
I mean, it seems like after every loss fans come on here and complain about the referees. I realize that's part of being a fan, but East Tennessee fans take it to a new level.
For instance on Bill Meade's show the other day when I heard Vols fans complain about free throw disparity in the second half. It couldn't have been the Vols actually committed more fouls! Heaven forbid!
That said- Ronell Wooten was clearly the best player on the floor last night and if he doesn't get into foul trouble the Bucs obviously lose last night.
So, do we give the referees credit for the Bucs win? Do we champion their calls that put him on the bench and forced KSU into this nothing half-court game that allowed a seven point lead for the Owls to become a five point lead for the Bucs?
I'm just wondering . . .
Pitt,
I was at the game and the officiating was typical, inconsistent and not very good.
Wooten is good but also agressive and was given the benefit of the doubt on many occasions. He was constantly over the back on many of his offensive rebounds, and sometimes with a hand on the shoulder of the player screeing him out to prevent the defensive rebounder from jumping.
All in all the officiating was not very good, but Wooten really doesn't have a case in my humble opinion.
You know I respect your judgement, BucDoctor, but that's not the point.
You know that I think people who blame referees for losses are absolute yokels.
So I just want to know? Is it a two way street?
You're saying the fouls were just. I buy that.
So do we give credit to the officials for calling a good game and putting KSU's star on the bench to allow ETSU to come back?
Or do we ignore that and then the next time the Bucs lose we talk about the refs as if they had to pass a litmus test showing bias against ETSU to get their job?
The official still miss calls on both ends. I seen several time where Eryk and Reed should have gotten a foul call late into the game. You can't win them all just glad we ended the night with a win.
The refs were bad as usual.
Missed it both ways.
Pitt, to clarify do you feel the refs have no impact on the outcome of a game at all ?
Or do you feel they are too often a scapegoat for bad playing and coaching ?
There you go.
Bucs win the game- but east Tennessee fan still complains about the refs.
Interestingly enough, east Tennessee fan believes Dale Ford was a great umpire, despite constantly grading out at the bottom of the American League for years.
I never thought Dale Ford was a great umpire.
My brother hated him. He thought Dale was a Yankee fan. On and off the field.
You didn't- but enough people did that he was elected to the state legislature.
I once remember Peter Gammons calling out Dale Ford for his work.
Now, Peter Gammons is hardly Steven A. Smith. Peter Gammons doesn't call out umpires.
So you have to ask yourself just how bad Ford was for that to happen.
But did you ever hear "Bad news for Ford" from the locals? No.
You heard them make excuses for him, a la Peyton Manning's lack of big game success, Les Robinson's less than stellar career at NCSU, Morgan McClure's inability to compete on a high level since Ernie Irvan was relevant, Heath Shuler's NFL failures, etc.
Can t say I disagree with a lot of what you just said.
Loyalty is one thing. Blindness is another.