Just once...

[MUfan12]

Just freaking once, I want to hear a coach call out the officiating system.

These guys work way too many games, and a lot of them are way too freaking old to handle it. And it leads to sh*t like that blatant goaltend that was missed. Or the end of the UL-SH game. The level of college officiating has completely bottomed out.

It's one thing for guys like Bilas to say it, but I think it'll take a coach bringing it up after a game to get any coverage.

[NavinRJohnson]

NavinRJohnson likes this.

[Jam Chowder]

Agreed. That goal tend could NOT have been more blatant. Obviously, the team needed to put itself in a position to win and didn't, so you don't blame that call alone, but that was definitely a big one. It was very indicative of the problem you speak of, IMO.

[GGGG]

Just once....I would like MU fans to stop pointing fingers at the refs.

Yeah, they missed a couple calls.  They missed a couple both ways.  That's life.

[MerrittsMustache]

In the Hall-L'ville game there was an inadvertant whistle which led to the confusion...or at least that's what Pitino was told at the time.

[Pakuni]

Just once....I would like MU fans to stop pointing fingers at the refs.

Yeah, they missed a couple calls.  They missed a couple both ways.  That's life.

I just thought he was raising a point - and it's a good one - about officials working too many games.
FWIW ... Bob Knight offered the same concerns in his 2003 autobiography:

http://books.google.com/books?id=BU2rWfOPFvMC&pg=PA179&lpg=PA179&dq=bob+knight+officials+are+allowed+to+book+as+many+games&source=bl&ots=BRXi_nV9hy&sig=yR2GF-8v77E0yViLRVvQo4escks&hl=en&ei=GMRbS9nJLZPANq-X2IoP&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CAoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=&f=false

[GGGG]

I referee a couple of high school games a week.  It isn't really that difficult.  In fact, it is more stress relief than anything.

[GGGG]

In the Hall-L'ville game there was an inadvertant whistle which led to the confusion...or at least that's what Pitino was told at the time.

Yes...I heard the whistle as well.  However it should have been a dead ball situation then.

[MerrittsMustache]

I referee a couple of high school games a week.  It isn't really that difficult.  In fact, it is more stress relief than anything.

No offense but officiating local HS games is not even comparable to officiating major college basketball games - the travel, the environment, the speed of the game, etc.

[The Pickle]

No offense but officiating local HS games is not even comparable to officiating major college basketball games - the travel, the environment, the speed of the game, etc.

I was thinking the same thing, not to undermine officiating at any level as I think it is one of the most thankless jobs there is, but in my mind there is a significant difference between levels.  If there wasn't, they would pay high school officials a lot less to do NBA games. 

Also, I would like to say MerrittMoustache is an awesome name.  Well done.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

The reason it will never change is that the most powerful people in the game itself are the coaches (look, for example, at their ease of transfer versus players). And, the most powerful coaches tend to have the greatest reputation / ability to influence refs.

[NavinRJohnson]

Just once....I would like MU fans to stop pointing fingers at the refs.

Yeah, they missed a couple calls.  They missed a couple both ways.  That's life.

Nobody suggested that is why they lost the game. But the larger point is valid...the level of officiating in college basketball is consistently bad.

[GGGG]

No offense but officiating local HS games is not even comparable to officiating major college basketball games - the travel, the environment, the speed of the game, etc.

I know it's different, but I have another full-time job too.  Flying around and refereeing a few games a week is *not* that difficult. 

[Sheriff]

When was the last time Jim Burr had a day off?  I could be wrong but I think I saw him do at least four or five games last week.  In addition to the miss on the goal tend at Syracuse yesterday, he was in the middle of the Louisville - Seton Hall debacle.

[spiral97]

I agree that we've gotten burned by officiating in a few games but I think we've gotten bailed by officiating in a few games too.  Bottom line in my book is that if you put yourself in the position that officiating determines whether you won or lost the game, you haven't really earned the win so deal with whatever result you get.

[MUfan12]

Just once....I would like MU fans to stop pointing fingers at the refs.

Yeah, they missed a couple calls.  They missed a couple both ways.  That's life.

It's really incredible how you managed to miss the larger point, then respond like a condescending ass.

I was making a point about college officiating in general, and used one egregious example from the MU game. Not once did I put any blame on the officials.

Also, next time you ref 5 HS games in 6 days, in different states, in front of 20,000 people, let me know how that goes. Then you might have a valid point.

[GGGG]

It's really incredible how you managed to miss the larger point, then respond like a condescending ass.

I was making a point about college officiating in general, and used one egregious example from the MU game. Not once did I put any blame on the officials.

Also, next time you ref 5 HS games in 6 days, in different states, in front of 20,000 people, let me know how that goes. Then you might have a valid point.

Did they do five games in six days?  If so, than I do see the difference.

It's still not worth whining about.

[RawdogDX]

Nobody suggested that is why they lost the game. But the larger point is valid...the level of officiating in college basketball is consistently bad.

People say the same thing about NBA and i'm sure HS as well.  I think that out of all sports basketball is the toughest game to ref, and that is the biggest reason there are so many 'mistakes'.

The second biggest reason is that they do it till they are 80.  There should be a mandatory retirement age.  I don't think that people who are almost 70 have the ability to process the speed of the game as well as they did at 40.  Go home and play with your great grandkids.

As for your point that some coach should stand up against it.  I hope it's not buzz, i don't want him telling a ref that he's too old to see plays like he use to and then see him in march.

[Nukem2]

Jim burr always looks like he's about to have a seizure.  Really should not be out there as he often misses calls due to being out of position.

[tower912]

Syracuse is a better team.    But one call can affect a game.   Ooze a few years ago against Wiscy picking up his 3rd early in the second half on a 50-50 loose ball.  DJ's phantom foul on the 3pt shooter against G-town.   I will never forget that kid asking for a jump ball before he realized he was getting that gift.   We were already losing when the missed goaltending call happened, but it energized their team and their crowd and it took a while for us to recover.    If that call is made, the clock is stopped, the momentum is stopped and the crowd doesn't become quite so frenzied.   Of course, Mo hits a wide open layup with 30 seconds left and who knows?  Again, Syracuse is a better team that beats us 98/100 on their floor with these two teams.

[LON]

The second biggest reason is that they do it till they are 80.  There should be a mandatory retirement age.  I don't think that people who are almost 70 have the ability to process the speed of the game as well as they did at 40.  Go home and play with your great grandkids.

Jim Burr shouldn't be allowed to drive a car, much less ref more than 1 game a week.