Moaning and Groaning

There is no doubt that refereeing sports is harder today than ever before.  Basketball was invented to be a shooting game not a game of see who is stronger and can push the best.  It is a game made for beauty not brawn.  Football when I was growing up the defense couldn't touch a receiver at any time he crossed the line until after the pass got to him.  How can any ref make a call when the defender and receiver wrestle the entire way down the field or in basketball all the pushing that goes on the whole game.  Basketball is refereed better by the players on the play ground than in gyms and courts around the world.

In a world where there is no way to enforce the rules the teams that always seemed to get hosed are the want-a-bees. The team that is middle of the pack.  Last week during the Big East tournament and sitting on press row right by the score keeper you can hear all the moaning and groaning that goes on.

Southern Nash and Fike fans lead the way with only seeing fouls when their team has the ball and never when their team is on defense.  In this area NC State falls in that middle section of always seeming to get the bad calls.

We all know that every play could go either way the way games are officiated theses days but good teams can over come a call when it goes against them where those middle of the road teams have a harder time surviving  without falling behind.

All four games this year against Rocky Mount Southern just couldn't get a rebound over the taller Gryphons.  Many times Southern had rebound position but the taller team went straight up over the smaller Firebirds and either got a rebound  or put the ball in the basket.  Of course the Firebird nation exploded that it had to be over the back and every now and then there was a foul but most of the time
no call from the ref crew.

Down at the other end the taller team shoots and a foul is called when the shorter team tries to block the shot of players four to six inches taller.  Out rage from the fans that they call it one way at one end and not the same way at the other.  You know you hear all kinds of comments as people yell at the refs.  Everyone on press row got a chuckle when one  amazed fan yelled "come on ref we were not tall enough to foul them".  That in a nut shell tells you why teams don't get calls.  They simply weren't good enough.

N C State fans they will tell you they got hosed against Carolina again Wednesday night and they probably did, but  look every team has to overcome calls and when you lead by six in overtime and lose you simply were not good enough.

Whether it is a umpire or referee they are in a better position to make the call because they are down there in the action while we only sit in a chair at home or in the stands and moan and groan.  Back in the day when I use to coach little league a parent was upset with me because I took his son out of a game as we were walking to the concession stand and I preceded to hand him the equipment  and told him to coach his son the way he wanted.  Then wait for all the parents moan and groan when their sons were not getting the attention they needed.  I told him I am the one sweating pitching batting practice with everyone's son now you do it.   I have to look out for all of them not just one.  He quickly apologized and told me he was being selfish.

 The ref has to worry about everything going on, on that floor.  If you think you can do better then get down there where they are.  Then we will see if the game is the same than what you saw as a fan wanting your team to win.  Refs don't have a team they are pulling for and that gives them a different perspective than a fan only pulling for his team.