And The Word For Today Is...

Awful. Used in a sentance it goes something like "the officiating in at least 3 of the 4 games in the NCAA tournament today was awful."

With the caveat that I saw about 7 seconds of the GMU-WSU game (go Pats!), the refereeing was sadly the dominant feature of todays Sweet 16 games. Which is a shame, because it obscured the greatness of Randy Foye and Rashad Anderson among others.

The mouth-watering BC-Nova matchup was sullied by plain inconsistency: touch fouls called one possession while a delivery of the People's Elbow went uncalled the next. Fittingly, the game ended on a call (thankfully correct), Nova scoring their winning basket by way of a clear goaltend (only the second clearest goaltend of the night. More on that later.) Though I do have to take issue with Al Skinner: you have three seconds and can run the baseline. Off of a timeout the best play you can come up with is for a running heave?

Meanwhile, the Florida-G'Town game largely turned on a maybe-a-foul-maybe-a-jumpball which was given continuation that '93 era MJ would have been embarassed to receive.

Finally, the Husky Bowl. If this year has been Coach K's best coaching performance, it has undoubedly been Jim Calhoun's worst. (The fact that they're still in the Elite 8 tells you what you need to know about their talent level.) I suppose you could theoretically do a worse job motivating your team, but the combination of quick substitutions after mistakes, no feel for rhythm, and a habit of public embarrassment must come close. I was thinking to myself "Self, I really hate Rudy Gay's attitude." And self answered "Dude, Calhoun's a dick, I wouldn't want to play for him either." I think myself is right.

And this game had not one, but two moments remiscent of that Kentucky-Umass game from a decade ago, when the game turned on a ludicrous technical fould being called on John Calipari. First there was the T on Calhoun for throwing the ball to the wrong ref. Oh please. Second, the touch 3rd foul on Roy followed by an instantaneous double-T on Roy and Gay. Come on guys, these are big boys. If you are going to let Roy get hammered every time he goes into the lane, how is a little staring worthy of a techinical.

But of course the capper was the non-goaltend call on Armstrong. It could have been more obvious, but only if Armstrong had done a chinup on the rim and headed the ball out of the cylinder.

So instead of focusing on Rashad "ONIONS" Anderson's heroics, I'm left with more bitterness. Least enjoyable Sweet 16 ever.