Another NCAA reffing travesty

[Sonoma Muskie]

Texas A & M was the latest victim of the NCAA refs favoring big name programs with non-call when UCLA's Shipp hacks A & M Sloane in final seconds of Sat's game, al a XU-OSU Oden slam of Brandon Cole in 2007. seehttp://tamu.scout.com/2/739916.html

[MuskieFan151]

Don't want to be the nit-picker, but Oden actually slammed Justin Cage.

[wkrq59]

SunnyMuskie,
I don't know which referee was in position to make the call, but you won't believe who the refs were: Tim Higgins, Brian O'Connell and Bryan Kersey.
They are supposedly three of the best the NCAA has to offer. Higgins has worked more final fours than I have seen. Don't know much about O'Connell, but I think Bryan Kersey is the son of former college and NBA ref Jess Kersey, one of the best ever to wear a whistle.
I also know the zebra who overrulled his two partners on the no intentional foul called against Oden in the Ohio State -X game was--get this, working the Xavier-Purdue game Saturday. That SOB John Cahill is so old he ought to be retired. You can almost bet either he and/or Higgins and God knows what other ref will be working at least one FInal Four game.
I'm surprised Higgins didn't make the call. He's usually pretty good. But he's long in tooth and probably too old to keep up with the game today as fast as it is.
You're right when you say the NCAA refs favor the "Name" schools over the lessers. I can tell you for sure Cahill, who was the lead ref, blew at least half-a-dozen calls Saturday, and I watched the entire game. When I saw Cahill was the lead ref, I couldn't believe it. I thought Xavier was a gonner, and damn him he tried, but his partners had more stones than the two guys who worked last year. He should never ever work another game involving Xavier.

[michiganXman]

The refs certainly worked in our favor in round 1. I had great seats for the UGA game, and it seemed like we were getting a very favorable whistle throughout (some of the calls on bliss were just awful). Not sure how it looked on tv though.

But no complaints about the tourney officiating from here.

[muskieman]

SunnyMuskie,
. That SOB John Cahill is so old he ought to be retired.
You're right when you say the NCAA refs favor the "Name" schools over the lessers. I can tell you for sure Cahill, who was the lead ref, blew at least half-a-dozen calls Saturday, and I watched the entire game. When I saw Cahill was the lead ref, I couldn't believe it. I thought Xavier was a gonner, and damn him he tried, but his partners had more stones than the two guys who worked last year. He should never ever work another game involving Xavier.

I laughed when Cahill called a bogus foul on X and within 3 seconds the other ref called a make up foul.

[Sonoma Muskie]

Correct, it was Justin Cage who Oden hurled-it was a good 5 ft from the baseline- into the backboard stand, making Cahill's failure to make the flagrant call so outrageous.
BTW a google search reveals that John Cahill, Siena '74, is an Albany area attorney. Probably can't get over Luther Rackley & Lionel Chalmers going to X.

If you watch a lot of CBB one is amazed at just how often & obvious the bias of ref's & TV commentators is in favor of "Big Name" programs.

In the last few weeks Cal & Stanford were jobbed by refs in favor of UCLA.

So. Cal media led by CBS' Jim Hill, James Worthy & Steve Hartman absolutely gush over the Bruins having canonized Ben Holland.

With the exception of Kevin Love who is fabulous with guts & a big heart as well as very talented, the UCLA team is inconsistent showing the characteristics of a front runner. If Love is injured or in foul trouble & unable to save the day, some team can take the Bruins down.

[finalfourorbust]

The refs certainly worked in our favor in round 1. I had great seats for the UGA game, and it seemed like we were getting a very favorable whistle througout (some of the calls on bliss were just awful). Not sure how it looked on tv though.

But no complaints about the tourney officiating from here.

I don't think the refs worked in anybodies favor in the Georgia game. Bliss committed every single foul that was called on him and then some. Xavier was aggressive on offense and the Georgia players were a half step to slow to defend. The refs actually refrained from calling some technicle fouls on the Georgia players which would probably have been called in a regular season games. The refs just gave warnings and I didn't have a problem with that.