Tide tells what we already know...
Freedom of Speech - the SEC version
Anthony Grant is one of the most restrained coaches I've ever known. In most ways that is a good thing. In one area I think its wrong, and it's time some coach in the SEC tells it like it is regarding SEC officiating. Grant almost did that in his post game comments. When asked about the inequity in the second half officiating he said, "I can't say that". He didn't mean I disagree with the the reporter's conclusion. He literally meant he wasn't allowed to comment on the calls. For the record LSU shot 21 free throws in the second half and Alabama shot 3. That is 700 % more free throws for LSU. In a triple overtime when the margin was 3 points... well, you get the picture.
One of my favorite stories about Coach Dale Brown involved the rob jobs that always occur in Kentucky. Dale once told an SEC official in Lextington to start the game by letting the Wildcats shoot 20 free throws before the game started. AND then call the game fairly. Whether my good friend actually did that remains open to speculation. It sure sounds like Dale Brown though. He won't deny the story. Whether it actually happened doesn't really matter. What happened to Alabama in the second half wasn't really a lot different than what happens in a lot of road games. This time it was just a little more obvious. How does one team get to shoot 18 more free throws in a half than the opponent? The officials cheat. I write this article every couple of years. The ony thing difference in yesterday's game is that the bias usually becomes a little less obvious in meaningful games Big games get better officiating. Here's another truth - big name teams get more calls than lesser known teams.
The SEC doesn't have its own officials. The men you see on Saturday referee all over the nation. Some have called four games earlier in the week and have logged in more frequent flier miles than they could ever use. That's no excuse. That officiating may cost Alabama, and probably will, a trip to the NCAA. If you get jobbed like that in Baton Rouge what chances do you think you have to win in Oxford or Florida? Short answer? None. Officiating in the SEC has become laughable.
I believe it is time to change the cheating. You can call it whatever you choose to call it but the bottom line is that it is cheating, pure and simple. The SEC is in a unique postion to make some changes. There is so much money in the SEC that the conference could employ their own officials and make them subject to strick reviews to eliminate this type of officiating. No more of this allowing the coaches to have a say so in who officiates or who is available. Officials would get graded. If you don't grade out to an A you get fired. I'ved officiated a lot of games myself. It is hard not to get caught up the excitement of the crowd. That's what separates great officials, like Ted Valentine pictured above, from ex-major league players who referee for fun. Another thing that is long overdue is the complete absence in the SEC of females. If we want the best we don't need to make silly distinctions such as gender.
The only way you really win road games is very easy to determine. You have to shoot better than the home team, and hope they shoot really poorly. I will say the three point shot has taken away a lot of the mystery calls. Make the lane three feet wider, and you have less contact. Eliminate scoring off offensive rebounds and that would help. That was John Wooden's biggest hope for college basketball. He thought if you got an offensive rebound you would have to take the ball out past the top of circle. But the biggest thing needed is for the NCAA to say enough is enough. They won't. Too much money is on the line. When you get right down to the nitty gritty would you rather have Kentucky in the NCAA or Alabama? Which team increases the viewers. It's like football only backwards. When a team like Alabama loses a game like the one at LSU I rarely get mad at the coaches or players. Speculation that had Grant taken out Gueye when he had four fouls is good for the office talk on Monday. Whether Gueye stayed in the game wouldn't have mattered. Oh, I know in a perfect world it might have mattered. What happens in the 50X94 foot box is not perfect. It'.s not like wrestling. But it's not too far removed however.
Here's how I think Grant should have handled the matter:
Question: "Coach Grant would you care to comment about the fact that LSU shot 21 free throws in the second half to Alabama's 3?
Grant: "Well Paul, here's what I have to say. Since we don't have freedom of speech in this league my answer is going to cause me a one game suspension and cost me $10,000.00. Here's exactly what happened. We got cheated. The officials intentionally allowed LSU to shoot so many free throws their arms fell off. I told our players that you are going out to play a game today you have no chance to win if it's close in the second half. I think any objective review of the tape will show that LSU (or fill in the home team's name here) was allowed to push, shove, trip, slap, defame our mamas and were rewarded for it. If we touched an LSU player a foul was called. If we 'almost' touched an LSU player a foul was called. I have exactly 27 examples of biased and one sided officiating for the league to review. Notice I'm not holding my breath here. So here is what we are going to do. Until we get written assurance from the SEC that our next game will be officiated fairly and by the rules of ethics followed, we are going to take the floor, and just stand there. We will not move. The SEC is a crappy corporate run company of moneybaggers and whores to Television. Now who do I make my check out to for all this. I bet they would cash instead. As a final aside, I remember when fairness and truth were an American virtue."
Freedom of Speech - the SEC version
One of my favorite stories about Coach Dale Brown involved the rob jobs that always occur in Kentucky. Dale once told an SEC official in Lextington to start the game by letting the Wildcats shoot 20 free throws before the game started. AND then call the game fairly. Whether my good friend actually did that remains open to speculation. It sure sounds like Dale Brown though. He won't deny the story. Whether it actually happened doesn't really matter. What happened to Alabama in the second half wasn't really a lot different than what happens in a lot of road games. This time it was just a little more obvious. How does one team get to shoot 18 more free throws in a half than the opponent? The officials cheat. I write this article every couple of years. The ony thing difference in yesterday's game is that the bias usually becomes a little less obvious in meaningful games Big games get better officiating. Here's another truth - big name teams get more calls than lesser known teams.
The SEC doesn't have its own officials. The men you see on Saturday referee all over the nation. Some have called four games earlier in the week and have logged in more frequent flier miles than they could ever use. That's no excuse. That officiating may cost Alabama, and probably will, a trip to the NCAA. If you get jobbed like that in Baton Rouge what chances do you think you have to win in Oxford or Florida? Short answer? None. Officiating in the SEC has become laughable.
I believe it is time to change the cheating. You can call it whatever you choose to call it but the bottom line is that it is cheating, pure and simple. The SEC is in a unique postion to make some changes. There is so much money in the SEC that the conference could employ their own officials and make them subject to strick reviews to eliminate this type of officiating. No more of this allowing the coaches to have a say so in who officiates or who is available. Officials would get graded. If you don't grade out to an A you get fired. I'ved officiated a lot of games myself. It is hard not to get caught up the excitement of the crowd. That's what separates great officials, like Ted Valentine pictured above, from ex-major league players who referee for fun. Another thing that is long overdue is the complete absence in the SEC of females. If we want the best we don't need to make silly distinctions such as gender.
The only way you really win road games is very easy to determine. You have to shoot better than the home team, and hope they shoot really poorly. I will say the three point shot has taken away a lot of the mystery calls. Make the lane three feet wider, and you have less contact. Eliminate scoring off offensive rebounds and that would help. That was John Wooden's biggest hope for college basketball. He thought if you got an offensive rebound you would have to take the ball out past the top of circle. But the biggest thing needed is for the NCAA to say enough is enough. They won't. Too much money is on the line. When you get right down to the nitty gritty would you rather have Kentucky in the NCAA or Alabama? Which team increases the viewers. It's like football only backwards. When a team like Alabama loses a game like the one at LSU I rarely get mad at the coaches or players. Speculation that had Grant taken out Gueye when he had four fouls is good for the office talk on Monday. Whether Gueye stayed in the game wouldn't have mattered. Oh, I know in a perfect world it might have mattered. What happens in the 50X94 foot box is not perfect. It'.s not like wrestling. But it's not too far removed however.
Here's how I think Grant should have handled the matter:
Question: "Coach Grant would you care to comment about the fact that LSU shot 21 free throws in the second half to Alabama's 3?
Grant: "Well Paul, here's what I have to say. Since we don't have freedom of speech in this league my answer is going to cause me a one game suspension and cost me $10,000.00. Here's exactly what happened. We got cheated. The officials intentionally allowed LSU to shoot so many free throws their arms fell off. I told our players that you are going out to play a game today you have no chance to win if it's close in the second half. I think any objective review of the tape will show that LSU (or fill in the home team's name here) was allowed to push, shove, trip, slap, defame our mamas and were rewarded for it. If we touched an LSU player a foul was called. If we 'almost' touched an LSU player a foul was called. I have exactly 27 examples of biased and one sided officiating for the league to review. Notice I'm not holding my breath here. So here is what we are going to do. Until we get written assurance from the SEC that our next game will be officiated fairly and by the rules of ethics followed, we are going to take the floor, and just stand there. We will not move. The SEC is a crappy corporate run company of moneybaggers and whores to Television. Now who do I make my check out to for all this. I bet they would cash instead. As a final aside, I remember when fairness and truth were an American virtue."
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