No homecourt love

[jman2004]

I don't want to complain too much because the McLoed has been pretty friendly to us as a building, but does anyone else feel that we get no love from the officials during home games? It's almost appeared as if the officials have been out to get us during home games. I realize they do their best, but every time we get home from games my wife and I can rattle off about 3-4 obvious calls that officials missed that ended up costing us at the time. I guess it's all a moo point since we've come out on top in most instances, but maybe the officials are making it a little harder than it should be on our Cats.

And for the record, Brooks played pretty good tonight down the stretch, except for those darn free throws. Probably helped that his legs were a little fresher since coach Jake read my earlier posts, right MadCat (Okay, okay, I won't go there).

Great win tonight.

[Marc Wigim]

it's all a moo point

No, Iowa State is a Moo Point.

HAHAHAHAHA

Oh, I kill me.

[igo4uni]

No, Iowa State is a Moo Point.

Moo U.

[UNI Prof]

The calls were as bad as I've seen them this year.

[northwest iowa panther]

People, people, people--basketball officiating is not an exact science. We're not always happy with what they call or don't call, but for a game and a season the calls even out. As spectators, players and coaches you can't dwell on the bad calls that go against our team. Constant negativity only breeds contempt.

On my way home from the game last night, I listened to the end of the Creighton game and then the postgame call in show. Apparently there was a couple of ticky-tack fouls called that led to Oliver fouling out. And of course, SIU was "mugging" the Jays. Didn't we "boo" the officials off the court after we played Creighton last week? It all evens out. I learned long ago that we are not going to change the officials decision making--we can only hope that they are in position to see the play.

[Newsbreaker]

I haven't officiated in years, and obviously not at this level, but let me tell you this...an official isn't out to get anybody, they call what they see, and they have a better angle then you do.

I've done games where I knew I made the right call, and had a chance to see a video of that call later. From the fans perspective it looked AWFUL, yet I knew that from where I stood I could see things they couldn't.

[jman2004]

For example though, last night in the second half, the ball was being tapped around, ISU guys were flying everywhere, eventually the ball made it to around half court when an ISU player (out of control) swatted it out of bounds and the official that was running over to get an angle on the play called it ISU ball. It was very obvious that our closest player (I think it was Brown) never touched the ball. Our entire side of the arena was irate for good reason.

I know that officials 95% of the time get calls right, but it seems like that has happened an awful lot this year at the McLoed and it feels like being the hometeam, we should be getting those calls. I guarantee you that those calls wouldn't go against the Shockers at WS or against the Salukies at SIU.

I know there isn't anything to do about it, it's just rather annoying game in and game out.

[oldcat]

It's been a whole season of strange calls. We must be playing all of our home games under a "full" moon!

[unigriff]

as an official myself at the HS level, (yea i know not college)...its hard to make anyone happy. Thats why we don't play favorites. We call what we see or interpret. The first half last nite i was happy to see that they were letting them play physical. The refs were pretty consistent with their calls. 2nd half it was a little different, you never know. A good ref will always warn a player(s) when they may be pushing a little too much, or holding or handchecking to hard....if the player continues to do this, or in Brooks' case last nite keep riding the player as he drives, the foul will be called. The player is totally forewarned. Newsbreaker is right on the money with fans interpretations and what a ref sees (or lack their of). I always see myself there in the first row on the baseline in the student section and when there is a call that us fans don't like, and I know personally it was a good call even though it was against us, i just tell people around me, it was the right call, sucks, but the rifght call, the player did this, or that. It sucks to agree with the refs, but they do have the upper hand. There are a lot more rules and things the refs have to notice and be aware of then the normal fan sees.
Such as the baseline ref in the south end last nite didn't call a foul in the post, but the ref closest to the benches did on the post player. I nicely yelled at the baseline ref, that that was his call, not the sideline refs, but then i realized, the baseline ref was prob. 1. counting for 3 seconds in the lane and watching the entire paint and could of missed the quick entry pass to the post therefore missing the foul. In this case, the baseline ref isn't to blame, but if he didn't call it, i don't know what the sideline ref saw. Small stuff like that. yea i agree, refs make some pretty dumb calls at times and obvious ones they miss or what not. Its a tough job.

as a student, too pick on the refs i'm making a sign for the WSU game or the Drake game maybe even from a commentator on ESPN from the Florida game a couple days ago where Brewer had a really nice cross over dribble for a layup, breaking his opponents ankles, and the one commentator said, good drive but he traveled...the other guy said something like, if the player falls down, its not a travel...then the 1st guy said

"That was so obvious, Hellen Keller could have made that call!" ....sounds like a good pick on the refs quote to me

[UNI Prof]

I haven't officiated in years, and obviously not at this level, but let me tell you this...an official isn't out to get anybody, they call what they see, and they have a better angle then you do.

I've done games where I knew I made the right call, and had a chance to see a video of that call later. From the fans perspective it looked AWFUL, yet I knew that from where I stood I could see things they couldn't.

There are also cases where the fans see things the officials cannot see. I wouldn't mind seeing an official go to the monitor if they couldn't see the call clearly.

[r54uni]

Get the red flags out???????????? Come on - we don't need instant replay. No going to the monitor!!!! Remember - we are seeing things through Panther goggles when we sit at the MC. You can't tell me that everytime Brooks flops on the ground that it is actually a charge???

['70 Grad]

I had fewer complaints about this crew last night than most others.

For many years I kept the scorebook for H. S. Varsity games. Sitting mid-court, between both benches was instructive. Each coach would be unhappy, depending on which team was charged with the foul. The only way that a coach would remotely agree with a call against his team would be to say "call it that way on the other end!" The coaches don't remember or admit ever getting away with one. It is hard for refs to favor both teams, but usually both coaches will say they were being slighted.

Refs are getting paid. They should have experience. They should hustle & be in position. They should be impartial & not favor the home crowd/team ANYWHERE. They should realize that they are not the show. They can offer explanations & not be arrogant (read this one Ed Hightower).

There were times coaching junior high BB that I would look down at the other coach and shake my head, or maybe apologize at the end of a home game when there were bad calls against the other team with our hometown refs. What I never did was talk about the officiating to the team. If a player started to complain, he was cut off by me. We had too many other things to learn than to take time for this. They didn't need to start this blaming habit at that level.

There was one time that I did say to a ref that we had had many times and who did well, "I have come to expect a better game from you." One other time we were getting killed by a particular kid. I called a time out and explained that he was setting up in the center of the lane and that we had no defense for that. You could call a thousand things in a junior high game, and 3 seconds isn't a big thing. But this was a competitive advantage, and needed to be corrected - which they did shortly.

[BCPanther]

I thought last night was bad. They were too involved and never let the game develop a really good flow.

Explain to me how guards slapping arms on the perimeter is not a foul and then a post player "chests up" and it is a foul?? I just don't get it....

[unigriff]

Brett, simply for the fact that Guards are smaller (exception being Tyler SMith from Iowa who is 6'7) and whine more about getting touch/slapped when dribbling. Post players are bigger and absorb more physicalness...thats why they are the ones int he paint doing the hard work. Thats just a given. I mean unless its quite intentional and so on and so forth, let them play! I mean i understand you may be talking bout last nites game with Brooks getting hacked a lot on the press, i would tend to agree, that is where the official needs to be positioned in the right spot to make the call. A lot of the time, the official on the sideline is the one closest to the "trap" or play and can't get a good look at it if there is a 3-4 bodies around. In the open court one on one, the slap foul is usually called if obvious and it affects the play. Handchecking is not nec. a foul remember. As fans, we complain way to much about the tinieswt of things to give our team the slightest of edges possible. The players are playing higher level basketball, college ball, let them learn and improve without the fan, refs bailing them out because they can't handle a little touching.

[NorthernIowaBacker]

(exception being Tyler SMith from Iowa who is 6'7)

Self described "super fans" do not mention the rivals unless it is warranted. In this situation, it clearly is not. There were about 10 other people you could have easily named off the top of your head that dont play there. C'mon now. Gotta do work, son!