College Basketball Tournament Officiating

As I sat and watched the games unfold this weekend in the Elite 8, one of the biggest things that jumped out at me was the ridiculous officiating. I wondered if the referees were getting paid by the foul. There was no continuity to the games, and the number of ticky-tack fouls called was absurd. It also makes me think that the tournament committee is trying to dictate who wins and who doesn't. The game that really caught my attention, was the UConn - Mizzou game. The disparity in the fouls called was absolutely alarming, and when I saw Mizzou players ending up on the floor and no fouls called, and Uconn players who were barely brushed get fouls, I was beside myself. When one team more than doubles (actually almost triples) the number of fouls called against, it certainly makes me wonder about the integrity of the officiating crew, its governing body and the tournament committee.

In the Pitt - 'Nova match up, it seemed like there was a foul called on every other possession, and in the second half, there were nine straight trips down the court in which a foul was called. How does this lend to the flow of a game. All it seemed to do was dictate what took place at the end, with a player moving out of the way and giving up a game winning layup instead of trying to take a charge, or at least contesting the shot. This all happened because the officials dictated the flow of the game, instead of letting the players play there game. I believe that this time of year, the players should be given the chance to play there game and not have there dreams dashed by officials, or the powers that be.

What is the ultimate purpose for calling every little touch foul there is? It could be the money. More fouls can certainly lead to more commercials, which of course leads to more advertising money for the NCAA. Maybe it's that the officials actually have bigger egos than the athletes do, and they have something to prove. That may seem far-fetched, but I have certainly witnessed it in my own playing days. Some referees just want you to know that they are the boss, and you are at there mercy. Whatever the reason is, I think that the rules committee really needs to examine the over zealousness of the officiating and try to come to a compromise in how they want to see the games played. I am certainly not implying that there should be the playground rule of "no blood, no foul", but a little less could mean a whole lot more for the athletes.

Hope everyone enjoys the rest of the tournament, and good luck to the four schools still remaining and there loyal fans. I know that I can't wait to see what will unfold.

Just a friendly reminder, baseball season is just six days away.

See you all next time. Look forward to hearing from you