Game - Florida @ #14 Tennessee - Sunday, January 31, 2010
Line - Tennessee -8
Result - Tennessee wins 61-60, but Florida covers against the spread
Three major college basketball officials have gone down with season-ending injuries this year - JD Collins, Jim Burr, and Steve Welmer (for the second consecutive year) - but Tony Greene is a workhorse. He worked his 46th game of the season today when he traveled to Knoxville, TN, to officiate a match-up between the visiting Florida Gators and the home-standing and 14th ranked Tennessee Volunteers. The game tipped off with Tennessee as an 8-point favorite.
Swallow Your Whistle When Things Are Going Your Way
It always amazes ITGOTT when we see officials truly allowing a game to flow naturally at the beginning without making any calls. ITGOTT noticed that a Tony Greene-led crew did this yesterday, and they did it again today when they didn't make any call for nearly three minutes. Today, it could have been in an effort to allow Florida, an 8-point underdog, to get off to the good start they were achieving on their own, unterrupted by officials. 4 minutes into the game, Florida led by 3. Their momentum continued uninterrupted by the officials for another three minutes, including a series with about 13 minutes to play where Florida's Chandler Parsons clearly fouled a Tennessee player during a rebound attempt - the Tennessee crowd took time to boo the non-call - and Florida took an early 15-7 lead.
Halfway through the first half, Florida - an 8-point underdog - was clearly in control of this game. The Gators were shooting well, defending well, and rebounding very well. The officiating crew of Tony Greene, John Cahill, and Anthony Jordan didn't appear inclined to interrupt this momentum and halfway through the first half, there had been only TWO fouls called, one on each team. With eight 1/2 minutes to play in the first half, Florida held a 7-point advantage - covering the spread by 15 points.
The Charge Block Call - It Can Go Either Way, So Make Sure It Goes Your Way
Make The Big Judgment Call In Favor Of The Team You Are Helping
Florida was unable to extend its lead, and a brief Tennessee run, which seemed to include a claim of the game's momentum especially on the defensive end, the Florida lead was down to 5. After a Volunteer steal, the Vols were driving to the hoop with a chance to cut the lead to three and definitively seize the game's momentum, which had been all Florida's up to this point. Enter Tony Greene. With 5 1/2 minutes to play, Tennessee's Scotty Hopson makes a runner in the lane that Tony Greene steps in to wave off, calling the play a charge rather than an "and one" situation. Instead of the Florida lead being cut to three, or two with the free throw, the Gators get the ball and immediately score, their lead being pushed back to 7. This was a HUGE call that definitely allowed Florida to maintain the game's momentum and ultimately take a 6-point halftime lead into the locker room.
While 6 points isn't a huge point differential with regards to the game's outcome, the Gators held a 14-point differential against the spread. More of the same in the second half would result in a Florida victory against the spread regardless of the game's outcome.
The Charge/Block Call - It Can Go Either Way, So Make Sure It Goes Your Way
Make The Big Judgment Call In Favor Of The Team You Are Helping
Less than a minute in the second half, Tennessee's Wayne Chism had hit a three to cut the lead to three, and the Vols' JP Prince was driving to the hoop trying to cut the lead to one. Again, amazingly, in steps Tony Greene, just as he did in the first half, calling a charge against Tennessee and challenging the Vols' attempt to seize momentum. While the call was big, the momentum didn't change as Florida was unable to capitalize and Tennessee quickly cut the lead to one.
So Tony Greene makes ANOTHER call, this time on a Tennessee player as Florida attempted a put-back. Less than two minutes in and with Tennessee clearly seizing the momentum, Tony Greene had made TWO calls against the Vols. Yet again, Florida wasn't able to capitalize, missing one of the two free throws.
And then after a streaking Tennessee tied the game with 14 1/2 minutes to play and clearly had the momentum, Tony Greene stepped in YET AGAIN. After a Florida player slipped 40 feet from the basket, Tony Greene, naturally, called the Tennessee defender for a hand-check foul, eliciting groans from the partisan crowd when the replay was shown. On the ensuing possession, John Cahill called JP Prince for a foul on what appeared to be a clean block, and in a period of about 10 second, the officiating crew had made two calls that could have shifted momentum to Florida and away from Tennessee, who was on a very hot streak.
Another note: although there were only 8 total fouls called in the first half (and neither team reached the bonus), Florida reached the bonus with 8 1/2 minutes to go in the second half. As Tennessee was seizing momentum and threatening the spread, the officials were calling them for enough fouls that Florida reached the bonus early and before Tennessee, a clear officiating difference from the first half.
Make The Big Call At The End
With just over 4 minutes to play, Tennessee has streaked to a 5-point lead and was definitely threatening the 8-point spread. So as Florida's Alex Tyus was lightly challenged on a dunk attempt by Tennessee's Skylar McBee, John Cahill called McBee for was appeared to be a phantom foul. The "and one" cut the Tennessee lead to 2 and put a little breathing room between the result and the 8-point spread.
With The Spread Secure, Let The Game's Outcome Occur On Its Own
So with under four minutes to play, the game was nearly even - Tennessee held a 2 point lead. If the game were to unfold organically - without interference from the officials - it was likely that the better team would win the game, but that Florida, an 8-point underdog would win against the spread. As ITGOTT has often said, this is what we think an official "on the take" would like - to influence the spread, but let the outcome occur naturally such that the best team wins.
And that's what happened. Tennessee, an 8-point favorite, squeaked out a 1-point victory. But Florida won vs. the spread, so those who bet on Florida were happy.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Game 45 - LSU @ Mississippi State - Jan. 30, 2010
Game - LSU @ Mississippi State - Saturday, January 30, 2010
Line - Mississippi State - 12
Result - Mississippi State wins 67-51, covering the spread
Mississippi State was a 12 point gametime favorite in their home match-up with the LSU Tigers, and they got off to a great start, blocking shots and playing suffocating D for the first 5 minutes of the game. But with a 12 point spread against a team, LSU, that REALLY struggles to score points and really works to keep the game close (and MSU works to control tempo as well), it might be difficult for the Bulldogs to cover a double digit spread. There just weren't going to be very many points scored in the game, no matter who wins or by how much.
Swallow Your Whistle When Things Are Going Your Way
For the first 5 1/2 minutes of the game, while the Bulldogs built a 7-2 lead, the officiating crew of Tony Greene, Ron Groover, and Pat Adams did not make a single call. NOT A SINGLE CALL! If there has ever been a case of swallowing the whistle, this was it.
And LSU just couldn't put the ball in the basket. It wasn't until Mississippi State built a 10-2 lead nearly halfway through the first half that LSU scored its FIRST field goal! Uninterrupted by the officials, Mississippi State just slowly built its lead against the anemic Tiger offense, and when the Bulldogs took a 17-4 lead with just under 8 minutes to go in the first half, the 12 point spread was covered.
An LSU run cut the 14-point Bulldog lead to only 7 with just over a minute to go in the half, and the Tigers clearly had the momentum. With LSU moving the ball up the court, Tony Greene stepped in with a rarely-seen 10-second call as the Tiger ballhandler crossed half-court, and the subsequent basketbhelped the Bulldogs take an 8 point lead into the locker room at half time, covering 2/3 of the 12 point spread.
If The Team You Are Helping Has More Physical Players, Swallow Your Whistle
The first part of the second half was dominated by Mississippi State's Jarvis Vanardo, the all-time SEC leader in blocks. He came out of the locker room with such effort and physicality that the Bulldogs quickly extended their 8 point halftime lead to 13, even getting away with a "chicken wing" that the officials, of course, ignored, but that the SEC Network's Dave Baker pointed out.
If You Need Something To Change, Set A Tone Early In The Second Half By Changing The Officiating Style From The First Half
Yet even after this run, LSU, now sporting a line-up primarily made up of walk-on players, began hitting a few shots and wasn't allowing the Bulldogs, who were playing pretty well at this point, to pull away. So the game began to be called much more tightly, with Tony Greene stepping in with a hand-check call on LSU, then another couple of fouls called on the Tigers. Making their free throws, MSU capitalized on this change in the officiating style and pulled out to a 16 point lead just 5 minutes into the second half. A couple of additional ticky-tack fouls on LSU, and suddenly the Bulldogs were IN THE BONUS less than seven minutes into the second half. Remember, in the entire first half, the officials didn't call this many calls on LSU.
Continued good free throw shooting by MSU offset some sudden good shooting by the LSU walk-ons, and the Bulldogs were able to maintain a 13 point lead with about 8 minutes to go.
After a few minutes of back-and-forth scoring, the Bulldog lead stood at 13 with 4 minutes to play, almost exactly at the 12-point spread. While the outcome of the game was not likely in doubt, the outcome of the spread definitely was. Exactly the situation an official "on the take" might like, and in which he might thrive.
The Charge/Block Call - It Can Go Either Way, So Make Sure It Goes Your Way
Make The Big Call At The End
After a MSU bucket pushed its lead to 15, Tony Greene stepped in to call an offensive foul on an LSU ballhandler as he extended his off-ball arm during a drive through the lane. Although Joe Dean, Jr., criticized the call by saying it's "a little but of an NBA rule," he and Dave Baker both take up for Tony Greene by saying "you can't do that right in front of the official." MSU quickly extended its lead to 18.
A meaningless basket by LSU at the buzzer cut the margin to 67-51, but Mississippi State won easily and covered the 12-point spread.
Line - Mississippi State - 12
Result - Mississippi State wins 67-51, covering the spread
Mississippi State was a 12 point gametime favorite in their home match-up with the LSU Tigers, and they got off to a great start, blocking shots and playing suffocating D for the first 5 minutes of the game. But with a 12 point spread against a team, LSU, that REALLY struggles to score points and really works to keep the game close (and MSU works to control tempo as well), it might be difficult for the Bulldogs to cover a double digit spread. There just weren't going to be very many points scored in the game, no matter who wins or by how much.
Swallow Your Whistle When Things Are Going Your Way
For the first 5 1/2 minutes of the game, while the Bulldogs built a 7-2 lead, the officiating crew of Tony Greene, Ron Groover, and Pat Adams did not make a single call. NOT A SINGLE CALL! If there has ever been a case of swallowing the whistle, this was it.
And LSU just couldn't put the ball in the basket. It wasn't until Mississippi State built a 10-2 lead nearly halfway through the first half that LSU scored its FIRST field goal! Uninterrupted by the officials, Mississippi State just slowly built its lead against the anemic Tiger offense, and when the Bulldogs took a 17-4 lead with just under 8 minutes to go in the first half, the 12 point spread was covered.
An LSU run cut the 14-point Bulldog lead to only 7 with just over a minute to go in the half, and the Tigers clearly had the momentum. With LSU moving the ball up the court, Tony Greene stepped in with a rarely-seen 10-second call as the Tiger ballhandler crossed half-court, and the subsequent basketbhelped the Bulldogs take an 8 point lead into the locker room at half time, covering 2/3 of the 12 point spread.
If The Team You Are Helping Has More Physical Players, Swallow Your Whistle
The first part of the second half was dominated by Mississippi State's Jarvis Vanardo, the all-time SEC leader in blocks. He came out of the locker room with such effort and physicality that the Bulldogs quickly extended their 8 point halftime lead to 13, even getting away with a "chicken wing" that the officials, of course, ignored, but that the SEC Network's Dave Baker pointed out.
If You Need Something To Change, Set A Tone Early In The Second Half By Changing The Officiating Style From The First Half
Yet even after this run, LSU, now sporting a line-up primarily made up of walk-on players, began hitting a few shots and wasn't allowing the Bulldogs, who were playing pretty well at this point, to pull away. So the game began to be called much more tightly, with Tony Greene stepping in with a hand-check call on LSU, then another couple of fouls called on the Tigers. Making their free throws, MSU capitalized on this change in the officiating style and pulled out to a 16 point lead just 5 minutes into the second half. A couple of additional ticky-tack fouls on LSU, and suddenly the Bulldogs were IN THE BONUS less than seven minutes into the second half. Remember, in the entire first half, the officials didn't call this many calls on LSU.
Continued good free throw shooting by MSU offset some sudden good shooting by the LSU walk-ons, and the Bulldogs were able to maintain a 13 point lead with about 8 minutes to go.
After a few minutes of back-and-forth scoring, the Bulldog lead stood at 13 with 4 minutes to play, almost exactly at the 12-point spread. While the outcome of the game was not likely in doubt, the outcome of the spread definitely was. Exactly the situation an official "on the take" might like, and in which he might thrive.
The Charge/Block Call - It Can Go Either Way, So Make Sure It Goes Your Way
Make The Big Call At The End
After a MSU bucket pushed its lead to 15, Tony Greene stepped in to call an offensive foul on an LSU ballhandler as he extended his off-ball arm during a drive through the lane. Although Joe Dean, Jr., criticized the call by saying it's "a little but of an NBA rule," he and Dave Baker both take up for Tony Greene by saying "you can't do that right in front of the official." MSU quickly extended its lead to 18.
A meaningless basket by LSU at the buzzer cut the margin to 67-51, but Mississippi State won easily and covered the 12-point spread.
Game 44 - North Florida @ South Carolina - Upstate - Jan. 27, 2010
There are obscure games, and then there is this.
Tony Greene toiled in absolute obscurity on Wednesday night, officiating a non-televised and uninteresting college basketball game in Spartanburg, SC.
For the record, North Florida beat South Carolina - Upstate by 2 points.
Tony Greene toiled in absolute obscurity on Wednesday night, officiating a non-televised and uninteresting college basketball game in Spartanburg, SC.
For the record, North Florida beat South Carolina - Upstate by 2 points.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Game 43 - Georgetown @ Syracuse; Jan. 25, 2009
Game - #7 Georgetown @ #4 Syracuse - Monday, January 25, 2010
Line - Syracuse -6
Result - Syracuse wins 73-56 and covers
Even though it was perhaps the biggest game Tony Greene worked all year, ITGOTT didn't get to watch, unfortunately... or at least watch closely as related to the officiating work of Tony Greene, Bob Donato, and Karl Hess.
Syracuse was a 6 point favorite at home vs #7 Georgetown, and Syracuse proved why. This is a GOOD team.
If there were any officiating oddities or discrepancies, please e-mail ITGOTT.
Line - Syracuse -6
Result - Syracuse wins 73-56 and covers
Even though it was perhaps the biggest game Tony Greene worked all year, ITGOTT didn't get to watch, unfortunately... or at least watch closely as related to the officiating work of Tony Greene, Bob Donato, and Karl Hess.
Syracuse was a 6 point favorite at home vs #7 Georgetown, and Syracuse proved why. This is a GOOD team.
If there were any officiating oddities or discrepancies, please e-mail ITGOTT.
Game 42 - Auburn @ Vanderbilt - Jan. 23, 2010
Game - Auburn @ Vanderbilt; Saturday, Jan. 23, 2010
Line - Vanderbilt - 13 1/2
Result - Vanderbilt wins 82-74, Auburn gets backdoor cover
Although this game was, in fact, televised on the SEC Network, ITGOTT was unable to watch. This is unfortunate, because the "backdoor cover" - when a favorite wins, but the underdog covers the spread - is what we think of as the favorite result of an official "on the take."
Additionally, underdog Auburn was able to lead most of the first half and into the second before Vanderbilt took the lead about halfway through the second half and pulled away to win by 8. However, the spread was 13 1/2, so Auburn covered the spread. In these cases, it is always possible that an official "on the take" may have used calls in the first half to keep the underdog close, then allowed the better team to win organically (without officiating interference) in the second half... but not by enough to cover a double digit spread. But... we didn't watch, so we can't comment.
So, unless someone e-mails us about Tony Greene's work in this game - he was working alongside John Hampton and Terry Moore - we are unable to comment on his work.
Line - Vanderbilt - 13 1/2
Result - Vanderbilt wins 82-74, Auburn gets backdoor cover
Although this game was, in fact, televised on the SEC Network, ITGOTT was unable to watch. This is unfortunate, because the "backdoor cover" - when a favorite wins, but the underdog covers the spread - is what we think of as the favorite result of an official "on the take."
Additionally, underdog Auburn was able to lead most of the first half and into the second before Vanderbilt took the lead about halfway through the second half and pulled away to win by 8. However, the spread was 13 1/2, so Auburn covered the spread. In these cases, it is always possible that an official "on the take" may have used calls in the first half to keep the underdog close, then allowed the better team to win organically (without officiating interference) in the second half... but not by enough to cover a double digit spread. But... we didn't watch, so we can't comment.
So, unless someone e-mails us about Tony Greene's work in this game - he was working alongside John Hampton and Terry Moore - we are unable to comment on his work.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Game 41 - Louisville @ Seton Hall - Jan. 21, 2010
Game - Louisville @ Seton Hall; Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010
Line - Louisville -2
Result - Seton Hall wins 80-77, beating the spread outright
WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, TONY GREENE?
Well, ITGOTT didn't get to see all of Tony Greene's 41st D-1 game of the year, but listened to most of it on the radio before catching the last few minutes.
By the time ITGOTT was watching, Seton Hall had a commanding lead (maybe 13 points with about 4 minutes to go) and Louisville was scrambling and fouling at the end of the game, trying to get back into it. Seton Hall obliged, missing a lot of free throws, and with less than a second to go, Louisville pulls within 2.
And then on the ensuing inbounds pass underneath Louisville's basket, the Seton Hall inbounder accepted the ball from Tony Greene and, in the process of attempting to inbound the ball, stepped directly across the endline WITH BOTH FEET !!!
Tony Greene, standing no more than 5 feet away, looked right at this infraction, seemed to indicate that this violation would be called and Louisville would have the ball, under its own basket and with less than a second to play, needed a 2 to tie and a 3 to win.
But then the unthinkable happened. For some undetermined reason - perhaps Tony Greene just could NOT allow Louisville to be in position to tie the game, play an overtime, and win by 3 or more and cover the spread - Tony Greene HANDS THE BALL BACK TO THE SETON HALL INBOUNDER. The violation, which Tony Greene (and everyone else in the building) saw as clear as day, was just totally ignored. Totally. Even ESPN's commentators, Dave Pasch and Doris Burke, who named Tony Greene BY NAME, were unable to explain what they just saw. And not just because Dave Pasch and Doris Burke are incompetent announcers. Because this time, Tony Greene's actions were totally inexplicable.
How is that even possible?
Line - Louisville -2
Result - Seton Hall wins 80-77, beating the spread outright
WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, TONY GREENE?
Well, ITGOTT didn't get to see all of Tony Greene's 41st D-1 game of the year, but listened to most of it on the radio before catching the last few minutes.
By the time ITGOTT was watching, Seton Hall had a commanding lead (maybe 13 points with about 4 minutes to go) and Louisville was scrambling and fouling at the end of the game, trying to get back into it. Seton Hall obliged, missing a lot of free throws, and with less than a second to go, Louisville pulls within 2.
And then on the ensuing inbounds pass underneath Louisville's basket, the Seton Hall inbounder accepted the ball from Tony Greene and, in the process of attempting to inbound the ball, stepped directly across the endline WITH BOTH FEET !!!
Tony Greene, standing no more than 5 feet away, looked right at this infraction, seemed to indicate that this violation would be called and Louisville would have the ball, under its own basket and with less than a second to play, needed a 2 to tie and a 3 to win.
But then the unthinkable happened. For some undetermined reason - perhaps Tony Greene just could NOT allow Louisville to be in position to tie the game, play an overtime, and win by 3 or more and cover the spread - Tony Greene HANDS THE BALL BACK TO THE SETON HALL INBOUNDER. The violation, which Tony Greene (and everyone else in the building) saw as clear as day, was just totally ignored. Totally. Even ESPN's commentators, Dave Pasch and Doris Burke, who named Tony Greene BY NAME, were unable to explain what they just saw. And not just because Dave Pasch and Doris Burke are incompetent announcers. Because this time, Tony Greene's actions were totally inexplicable.
How is that even possible?
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Mainstream media calls out Big 12 officials
It's easy for a couple of basement-dwelling losers to start a blog on any topic, no matter how obscure, and blog away with hundreds or even thousands of posts and opinions that are as evanescent in the mainstream media world as a spritz of Febreze on Rick Reilly's sport coat.
Thus, ITGOTT is able to dedicate an entire blog to the officiating of one guy - NCAA college basketball ref Tony Greene - and do a quasi-in-depth exploration of his work and whether its possible that he is "on the take" - ie. in the pocket of gamblers attempting to tip the gambling odds in their favor with the help of one official. Unthinkable years ago, this possibility goes from "totally absurd" to "absolutely possible" with the revelation that NBA official Tim Donaghy was doing just that - attempting to influence the outcome of NBA game point spreads by making (or ignoring) certain calls just to make some additional money from rogue gamblers.
Sure, our blog may be an absurd "shot in the dark", windmill chase whose windmill (Tony Greene "on the take") is totally unfounded and does not exist. Alternately, it may be the first look into a devastating, and in light of Tim Donaghy an all-too-realistic, scenario of crooked officiating that could bring down the game we love, college basketball. But looking into the work of Tony Greene, the officials he works with, and even other officials in other games, gets us no real, major publicity. The mainstream media is loathe to question the integrity, or even the ability, of officials.
Until this weekend, when respected Boulder (CO) sports columnist Neill Woelk absolutely eviscerated the officiating work of Duke Edsall, Brent Meaux, and Rick Randall (http://www.buffzone.com/ci_14210188) after their work in a Kansas State victory over Colorado in Boulder on Saturday.
When a member of the mainstream media dares to openly criticize - by name - officials working a Division 1 college basketball game, attention must be paid. Woelk is careful to point out that the officiating of this trio was NOT necessarily biased, just lousy. Further, Woelk explains that a potential great game in a packed house was ruined by a game that featured nearly 70 fouls called. No team was ever able to gain traction with regards to tempo, and as one might expect, the game was both won (Kansas State) and lost (Colorado) at the free throw line. Not only that, but the game lasted more than 2 1/2 hours, a disgrace in this age of 2-hour college basketball games.
Here's what ITGOTT finds interesting about this game. Duke Edsall, who based on anecdotal evidence from ITGOTT fans apparently received the majority of the crowd's ire, used to be a big-time ACC official. He worked nearly every ACC tournament and even worked the 2002 Final Four. A staple of ACC officiating, Duke Edsall was often seen working alongside Larry Rose and Reggie Cofer (both since retired) in major ACC games.
But then something happened. John Clougherty, a 30-yr official highly respected by everyone in the industry, retired after the 2005 season and became the Supervisor of Officials for the ACC. In the four years prior to Clougherty's take-over of ACC officiating, Duke Edsall (a Virginia native and brother of UConn head football coach Randy Edsall) worked an average of 19 ACC games per season. In the four complete seasons after John Clougherty's hiring as the supervisor of ACC officials, Duke Edsall has worked a TOTAL of 16 ACC games, all in the first two years of Clougherty's reign.
Why is this significant? Because of an interview John Clougherty gave to the Hampton (VA) Virginian-Pilot in March 2006, at the end of his first season as ACC Supervisor of Officials. (http://hamptonroads.com/2006/03/acc-official-supervisor-relatively-thankless-job). Virginian-Pilot columnist Ed Miller openly notes the diminished ACC officiating appearances of Duke Edsall, then quotes John Clougherty explaining this turnover with the statement, "After 30 years, I think I have a pretty good eve for talent, who can carry the load." The implication CLEARLY was that Clougherty felt that Duke Edsall either did not have the talent to officiate in the ACC, or could not "carry the load".
Statistics bear out Clougherty's assessment and subsequent marginalization of Duke Edsall in the ACC. Edsall only worked 9 ACC conference games in 2006, then just 7 in 2007, and not a single game since.
This apparently means that Duke Edsall's BOSS, ACC Supervisor of Officials John Clougherty, who assigns officials for ACC games, felt that Duke Edsall, simply, wasn't a good enough official to work ACC games. And like a major leaguer demoted to the minor leagues, Duke Edsall found work in subsequent years by increasing his workload in the mid-major Conference USA and Sun Belt conferences.
And, oh by the way, Duke Edsall also increased his work in the Big 12 conference, which is apparently assigning officiating work to guys who were ostensibly "fired" from the ACC. And as was to be expected, when you take someone else's cast-offs who couldn't "carry the load" in their previous job, you get results like Saturday's. A great game ruined by 70 calls. But when the lead official in the game washed out of the ACC, what did the Big 12 expect?
Thus, ITGOTT is able to dedicate an entire blog to the officiating of one guy - NCAA college basketball ref Tony Greene - and do a quasi-in-depth exploration of his work and whether its possible that he is "on the take" - ie. in the pocket of gamblers attempting to tip the gambling odds in their favor with the help of one official. Unthinkable years ago, this possibility goes from "totally absurd" to "absolutely possible" with the revelation that NBA official Tim Donaghy was doing just that - attempting to influence the outcome of NBA game point spreads by making (or ignoring) certain calls just to make some additional money from rogue gamblers.
Sure, our blog may be an absurd "shot in the dark", windmill chase whose windmill (Tony Greene "on the take") is totally unfounded and does not exist. Alternately, it may be the first look into a devastating, and in light of Tim Donaghy an all-too-realistic, scenario of crooked officiating that could bring down the game we love, college basketball. But looking into the work of Tony Greene, the officials he works with, and even other officials in other games, gets us no real, major publicity. The mainstream media is loathe to question the integrity, or even the ability, of officials.
Until this weekend, when respected Boulder (CO) sports columnist Neill Woelk absolutely eviscerated the officiating work of Duke Edsall, Brent Meaux, and Rick Randall (http://www.buffzone.com/ci_14210188) after their work in a Kansas State victory over Colorado in Boulder on Saturday.
When a member of the mainstream media dares to openly criticize - by name - officials working a Division 1 college basketball game, attention must be paid. Woelk is careful to point out that the officiating of this trio was NOT necessarily biased, just lousy. Further, Woelk explains that a potential great game in a packed house was ruined by a game that featured nearly 70 fouls called. No team was ever able to gain traction with regards to tempo, and as one might expect, the game was both won (Kansas State) and lost (Colorado) at the free throw line. Not only that, but the game lasted more than 2 1/2 hours, a disgrace in this age of 2-hour college basketball games.
Here's what ITGOTT finds interesting about this game. Duke Edsall, who based on anecdotal evidence from ITGOTT fans apparently received the majority of the crowd's ire, used to be a big-time ACC official. He worked nearly every ACC tournament and even worked the 2002 Final Four. A staple of ACC officiating, Duke Edsall was often seen working alongside Larry Rose and Reggie Cofer (both since retired) in major ACC games.
But then something happened. John Clougherty, a 30-yr official highly respected by everyone in the industry, retired after the 2005 season and became the Supervisor of Officials for the ACC. In the four years prior to Clougherty's take-over of ACC officiating, Duke Edsall (a Virginia native and brother of UConn head football coach Randy Edsall) worked an average of 19 ACC games per season. In the four complete seasons after John Clougherty's hiring as the supervisor of ACC officials, Duke Edsall has worked a TOTAL of 16 ACC games, all in the first two years of Clougherty's reign.
Why is this significant? Because of an interview John Clougherty gave to the Hampton (VA) Virginian-Pilot in March 2006, at the end of his first season as ACC Supervisor of Officials. (http://hamptonroads.com/2006/03/acc-official-supervisor-relatively-thankless-job). Virginian-Pilot columnist Ed Miller openly notes the diminished ACC officiating appearances of Duke Edsall, then quotes John Clougherty explaining this turnover with the statement, "After 30 years, I think I have a pretty good eve for talent, who can carry the load." The implication CLEARLY was that Clougherty felt that Duke Edsall either did not have the talent to officiate in the ACC, or could not "carry the load".
Statistics bear out Clougherty's assessment and subsequent marginalization of Duke Edsall in the ACC. Edsall only worked 9 ACC conference games in 2006, then just 7 in 2007, and not a single game since.
This apparently means that Duke Edsall's BOSS, ACC Supervisor of Officials John Clougherty, who assigns officials for ACC games, felt that Duke Edsall, simply, wasn't a good enough official to work ACC games. And like a major leaguer demoted to the minor leagues, Duke Edsall found work in subsequent years by increasing his workload in the mid-major Conference USA and Sun Belt conferences.
And, oh by the way, Duke Edsall also increased his work in the Big 12 conference, which is apparently assigning officiating work to guys who were ostensibly "fired" from the ACC. And as was to be expected, when you take someone else's cast-offs who couldn't "carry the load" in their previous job, you get results like Saturday's. A great game ruined by 70 calls. But when the lead official in the game washed out of the ACC, what did the Big 12 expect?
Game 39 - Maryland @ Boston College - Jan. 16, 2010
Tony Greene worked Saturday's game between Maryland and Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA. Although the game was televised, ITGOTT did NOT see or TiVo the affair - won by a commanding 16 points by Maryland - and thus cannot review Tony Greene's work
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Game 38 - Arkansas @ Mississippi State - Jan. 14, 2010
Game - Arkansas @ Mississippi State - Thursday, January 14, 2010
Line - Mississippi State -14
Result - Mississippi State wine 82-80, but Arkansas covers the spread
This is the perfect kind of game for an official "on the take." An official determined to help Arkansas cover the spread (ie. win outright, or lose by 13 or fewer points) can do so either by letting Arkansas win naturally or by making sure Mississippi State doesn't win by MORE than 13. In other words, the official can alter the spread without affecting the outcome.
Use Calls To Stop Momentum Of The Team You Are Not Helping
Even with a 14-point spread, Mississippi State looked like they were going to blow it open early, taking a quick 12-5 lead and seizing ALL the early momentum. When they threatened to make it a 9 point lead less than 4 minutes into the game, Tony Greene stepped in and called a walk on a Bulldog player driving to the hoop.
But no matter what this officiating crew did to help the Razorbacks, it wasn't enough, as MSU couldn't miss and hit 11 of its first 12 shots to take a 14-point lead and cover the spread less than halfway through the first half.
After the Bulldogs took a 17-point lead with 5 minutes to go in the half, the Razorbacks turned up the defense and the shooting, and the officials turned down their whistles. Not a single call was made as the Hogs bumped their way to an 8-0 run and sliced the MSU lead to single digits. The MSU lead was 12 at the half.
Swallow Your Whistle When Things Are Going Your Way
Although Mississippi State had surged to an early spread-covering lead, a couple of momentum-shifting calls had stopped this surge, and the halftime lead was only 12. As Arkansas began to find its second half rhythm, the officials virtually stopped calling fouls on either team and the Razorbacks began chipping away at the Bulldog lead.
Then, as MSU began to push the lead back into double digits, an imagined hand-check call against a Bulldog was followed by ANOTHER call on the same player, and Arkansas was awarded free throws which cut the lead to 9. An eschewed foul call on Arkansas on the next position allowed the Razorbacks to cut the lead to 7.
The Charge/Block Call. It Can Go Either Way So Make Sure It Goes Your Way
After a brief Mississippi State run extended their lead to 13 with about 10 minutes to go, it looked like the Bulldogs might pull away and dominate (and thus cover the spread.) Enter Tony Greene. Even though he wasn't working under the basket on a Razorback drive to the hoop, he swooped in to call a mysterious block on MSU that baffled even the ESPNU commentators.
With Arkansas seizing the momentum, the officials began ignoring Mississippi State fouls (in particular, one obvious one on a Razorback possession with 5 1/2 minutes to go - a possession that ended in a three-pointer), and the Razorbacks cut the lead to 6 with under 5 minutes to go.
At this point, the spread was not as much in question as the game was. Just as an official "on the take" would like it. With the spread taken care of, let the teams battle it out for the win.
And that's exactly what they did. With what appeared to be good officiating the last 5 minutes of the game, Mississippi State was able to pull out an 82-80 victory... but Arkansas covered the spread.
Line - Mississippi State -14
Result - Mississippi State wine 82-80, but Arkansas covers the spread
This is the perfect kind of game for an official "on the take." An official determined to help Arkansas cover the spread (ie. win outright, or lose by 13 or fewer points) can do so either by letting Arkansas win naturally or by making sure Mississippi State doesn't win by MORE than 13. In other words, the official can alter the spread without affecting the outcome.
Use Calls To Stop Momentum Of The Team You Are Not Helping
Even with a 14-point spread, Mississippi State looked like they were going to blow it open early, taking a quick 12-5 lead and seizing ALL the early momentum. When they threatened to make it a 9 point lead less than 4 minutes into the game, Tony Greene stepped in and called a walk on a Bulldog player driving to the hoop.
But no matter what this officiating crew did to help the Razorbacks, it wasn't enough, as MSU couldn't miss and hit 11 of its first 12 shots to take a 14-point lead and cover the spread less than halfway through the first half.
After the Bulldogs took a 17-point lead with 5 minutes to go in the half, the Razorbacks turned up the defense and the shooting, and the officials turned down their whistles. Not a single call was made as the Hogs bumped their way to an 8-0 run and sliced the MSU lead to single digits. The MSU lead was 12 at the half.
Swallow Your Whistle When Things Are Going Your Way
Although Mississippi State had surged to an early spread-covering lead, a couple of momentum-shifting calls had stopped this surge, and the halftime lead was only 12. As Arkansas began to find its second half rhythm, the officials virtually stopped calling fouls on either team and the Razorbacks began chipping away at the Bulldog lead.
Then, as MSU began to push the lead back into double digits, an imagined hand-check call against a Bulldog was followed by ANOTHER call on the same player, and Arkansas was awarded free throws which cut the lead to 9. An eschewed foul call on Arkansas on the next position allowed the Razorbacks to cut the lead to 7.
The Charge/Block Call. It Can Go Either Way So Make Sure It Goes Your Way
After a brief Mississippi State run extended their lead to 13 with about 10 minutes to go, it looked like the Bulldogs might pull away and dominate (and thus cover the spread.) Enter Tony Greene. Even though he wasn't working under the basket on a Razorback drive to the hoop, he swooped in to call a mysterious block on MSU that baffled even the ESPNU commentators.
With Arkansas seizing the momentum, the officials began ignoring Mississippi State fouls (in particular, one obvious one on a Razorback possession with 5 1/2 minutes to go - a possession that ended in a three-pointer), and the Razorbacks cut the lead to 6 with under 5 minutes to go.
At this point, the spread was not as much in question as the game was. Just as an official "on the take" would like it. With the spread taken care of, let the teams battle it out for the win.
And that's exactly what they did. With what appeared to be good officiating the last 5 minutes of the game, Mississippi State was able to pull out an 82-80 victory... but Arkansas covered the spread.
Game 37 - Marshall @ Central Florida - Jan. 13, 2010
Tony Greene worked his amazing 36th game of the season in Orlando, FL, in a game where Marshall beat USF 81-75.
Although the game was televised by CBS College Sports, ITGOTT neither watched nor TiVo'd, so no review is possible.
Although the game was televised by CBS College Sports, ITGOTT neither watched nor TiVo'd, so no review is possible.
Game 36 - Kentucky @ Florida - Jan. 12, 2010
Game - Kentucky @ Florida; Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Line - Kentucky -2
Result - Kentucky wins 89-77 and covers the spread
ITGOTT review pending. (The game is on TiVo).
Line - Kentucky -2
Result - Kentucky wins 89-77 and covers the spread
ITGOTT review pending. (The game is on TiVo).
Game 35 - NC-Greensboro @ UT-Chattanooga - Jan. 11, 2010
Tony Greene worked his 35th game of the season on Monday, January 11, in Chattanooga, TN.
Tennessee-Chattanooga beat North Carolina-Greensboro 58-45, but the game was not televised. Therefore, there is no review by ITGOTT
Tennessee-Chattanooga beat North Carolina-Greensboro 58-45, but the game was not televised. Therefore, there is no review by ITGOTT
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Game 34 - Connecticut @ Georgetown - Jan 9, 2010
Game - Connecticut @ Georgetown; Saturday, January 9, 2010
Line - Georgetown - 5 1/2
Result - Georgetown wins the game 72-69, Connecticut covers the spread
Today provided the perfect opportunity for ITGOTT to review Tony Greene's performance, as he traveled to our nation's capital to officiate a game between #13 Connecticut and #12 Georgetown. Working with Bob Donato and Mike Kitts, Tony Greene was on display today in a nationally televised game between ranked opponents.
Swallow Your Whistle When Things Are Going Your Way
Early on, Georgetown played right into Connecticut's hands. The well-coached, disciplined Hoyas needed to control pace, hit shots, and play controlled basketball to outpoint the long, athletic Huskies. Without any clear officiating bias, the Hoyas made a few mistakes early, missing shots and making turnovers and halfway through the first half, the Huskies held a 4-point lead.
When Teams Have Different Styles, Make Sure the Pace Favors The Team You Are Helping
For Connecticut to win (or cover the spread) they were going to have to control the pace - or more specifically, keep Georgetown from slowing the pace down. By eschewing a lot of potential calls midway through the first half, particularly on fast breaks, this officiating crew was able to ensure that Connecticut won the pace race early and help them take a 34-19 lead. There were at LEAST six occasions where an officiating crew could have made calls to stop the Connecticut run and didn't blow the whistle. These non-calls during a four-minute, frenetic, up-and-down segment of the game helped fuel a 16-0 Connecticut run that resulted in a 12-point UConn lead. The Huskies continued to pour it on, taking a 15-point lead into halftime.
Use Calls (And Non-calls) Top Stop The Momentum of the Team You Are Not Helping
The officials swallowed their whistles early in the second half, especially with regards to Georgetown fouls, and before they knew what had happened, the 15-point halftime lead had been cut to 4 just 5 minutes into the second half. So the officials went to work, first sending UConn to the line on a phantom foul on a drive to the basket (which also broke Georgetown's momentum) and then failing to call an obvious goal-tend on a Georgetown possession. These quick calls (and non-calls) led the Huskies begin to extend their lead again, and when Georgetown began making ANOTHER run and cut the lead to 2, Tony Greene stepped in with an "and one" foul call on Georgetown to break THAT momentum.
Georgetown continued to grab the momentum, and actually cut the lead to 1 with about 9 1/2 minutes to go in the game. So Tony Greene skipped an obvious over-the-back call on UConn's Oriakhi as he made a putback to push their lead to 3. Keeping the game close meant the teams coudl determine the outcome - something all officials like - but Connecticut could win against the spread. So back and forth scores occurred by both teams with no calls made and Georgetown making no extension of its lead, and the game was within a couple of points all the way until 1:11 to play.
Make The Big Call At The End
At that point, Georgetown had 1-point lead, and was battling for a loose ball. A loose ball foul call on Georgetown (lustily booed by the Georgetown crowd and openly questioned by Dick Vitale) gave UConn free throws and a 1-point lead. Even though the game was absolutely in doubt, for Georgetown to win the 6-point spread now would be nearly impossible.
This is how officials want it. Less than a minute to go, the game will be decided by the players. But the spread was, for all intents and purposes, decided before this point. No matter what happens, UConn wins against the spread, which is 5 1/2.
And sure enough, Georgetown makes shots at the end - UConn misses shots - and the Hoyas pull out a 3-point victory, 72-69.
Line - Georgetown - 5 1/2
Result - Georgetown wins the game 72-69, Connecticut covers the spread
Today provided the perfect opportunity for ITGOTT to review Tony Greene's performance, as he traveled to our nation's capital to officiate a game between #13 Connecticut and #12 Georgetown. Working with Bob Donato and Mike Kitts, Tony Greene was on display today in a nationally televised game between ranked opponents.
Swallow Your Whistle When Things Are Going Your Way
Early on, Georgetown played right into Connecticut's hands. The well-coached, disciplined Hoyas needed to control pace, hit shots, and play controlled basketball to outpoint the long, athletic Huskies. Without any clear officiating bias, the Hoyas made a few mistakes early, missing shots and making turnovers and halfway through the first half, the Huskies held a 4-point lead.
When Teams Have Different Styles, Make Sure the Pace Favors The Team You Are Helping
For Connecticut to win (or cover the spread) they were going to have to control the pace - or more specifically, keep Georgetown from slowing the pace down. By eschewing a lot of potential calls midway through the first half, particularly on fast breaks, this officiating crew was able to ensure that Connecticut won the pace race early and help them take a 34-19 lead. There were at LEAST six occasions where an officiating crew could have made calls to stop the Connecticut run and didn't blow the whistle. These non-calls during a four-minute, frenetic, up-and-down segment of the game helped fuel a 16-0 Connecticut run that resulted in a 12-point UConn lead. The Huskies continued to pour it on, taking a 15-point lead into halftime.
Use Calls (And Non-calls) Top Stop The Momentum of the Team You Are Not Helping
The officials swallowed their whistles early in the second half, especially with regards to Georgetown fouls, and before they knew what had happened, the 15-point halftime lead had been cut to 4 just 5 minutes into the second half. So the officials went to work, first sending UConn to the line on a phantom foul on a drive to the basket (which also broke Georgetown's momentum) and then failing to call an obvious goal-tend on a Georgetown possession. These quick calls (and non-calls) led the Huskies begin to extend their lead again, and when Georgetown began making ANOTHER run and cut the lead to 2, Tony Greene stepped in with an "and one" foul call on Georgetown to break THAT momentum.
Georgetown continued to grab the momentum, and actually cut the lead to 1 with about 9 1/2 minutes to go in the game. So Tony Greene skipped an obvious over-the-back call on UConn's Oriakhi as he made a putback to push their lead to 3. Keeping the game close meant the teams coudl determine the outcome - something all officials like - but Connecticut could win against the spread. So back and forth scores occurred by both teams with no calls made and Georgetown making no extension of its lead, and the game was within a couple of points all the way until 1:11 to play.
Make The Big Call At The End
At that point, Georgetown had 1-point lead, and was battling for a loose ball. A loose ball foul call on Georgetown (lustily booed by the Georgetown crowd and openly questioned by Dick Vitale) gave UConn free throws and a 1-point lead. Even though the game was absolutely in doubt, for Georgetown to win the 6-point spread now would be nearly impossible.
This is how officials want it. Less than a minute to go, the game will be decided by the players. But the spread was, for all intents and purposes, decided before this point. No matter what happens, UConn wins against the spread, which is 5 1/2.
And sure enough, Georgetown makes shots at the end - UConn misses shots - and the Hoyas pull out a 3-point victory, 72-69.
Game 33 - Campbell @ Mercer - Jan. 7, 2010
Continuing his trek toiling through obscurity in the South, Tony Greene worked a game Thursday night in Macon, GA, when Campbell traveled there to play Mercer.
In a non-televised, and thus non-reviewed by ITGOTT, game, Mercer was able to pull out a 9-point victory, 82-73
In a non-televised, and thus non-reviewed by ITGOTT, game, Mercer was able to pull out a 9-point victory, 82-73
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Game 32 - DePaul @ Villanova - Jan. 6, 2010
ITGOTT was all ready, schedules printed, popcorn popped, hot chocolate by the easy chair. And we missed Tony Greene's game.
There were too many good games tonight to watch the horrendous DePaul Blue Demons take on Villanova. We were too into Michigan State-Wisconsin, and we became mesmerized by BOTH Cornell-Kansas and Georgetown-Marquette.
And before we knew it, we had missed Tony Greene's game, which was televised.
Oh, by the way, Villanova won in a blowout. DePaul sucks.
There were too many good games tonight to watch the horrendous DePaul Blue Demons take on Villanova. We were too into Michigan State-Wisconsin, and we became mesmerized by BOTH Cornell-Kansas and Georgetown-Marquette.
And before we knew it, we had missed Tony Greene's game, which was televised.
Oh, by the way, Villanova won in a blowout. DePaul sucks.
Game 31 - McNeese State @ LSU - Jan. 4, 2010
Whoops, we missed Tony Greene's 31st game of the year, and so did everyone else.
A meaningless blowout, not televised, with LSU destroying McNeese State in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge.
Where will Tony turn up next? Stay tuned...
A meaningless blowout, not televised, with LSU destroying McNeese State in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge.
Where will Tony turn up next? Stay tuned...
Monday, January 4, 2010
Game 30 - Florida @ North Carolina State; Jan. 3, 2010
Game - Florida @ North Carolina State - Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010
Line - Pick 'em
Result - Florida wins (and covers) 62-61 in OT, on a 65-foot shot at the buzzer
ITGOTT would love to tell you, gentle readers, how Tony Greene was "on the take" in yesterday's game. However, the result of the game (and the spread, since the game was a Pick 'em) turned on a 65-foot buzzer-beating three-pointer by Florida's Chandler Parsons at the end of overtime.
So, no review necessary. If there was ever a game on the up and up, it was this one.
And this was a hell of a game, by the way. Congratulations Florida, and congratulations Chandler Parsons. ITGOTT thanks you for making our Sunday afternoon of Tony Greene-watching truly enjoyable.
Line - Pick 'em
Result - Florida wins (and covers) 62-61 in OT, on a 65-foot shot at the buzzer
ITGOTT would love to tell you, gentle readers, how Tony Greene was "on the take" in yesterday's game. However, the result of the game (and the spread, since the game was a Pick 'em) turned on a 65-foot buzzer-beating three-pointer by Florida's Chandler Parsons at the end of overtime.
So, no review necessary. If there was ever a game on the up and up, it was this one.
And this was a hell of a game, by the way. Congratulations Florida, and congratulations Chandler Parsons. ITGOTT thanks you for making our Sunday afternoon of Tony Greene-watching truly enjoyable.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Game 29 - Louisville @ Kentucky - Jan. 2, 2010
GAME - Louisville @ Kentucky; Saturday, Jan. 2
LINE - Kentucky - 7
RESULT - Kentucky covers, winning 71-62
ITGOTT had advance notice of Tony Greene's schedule, and was able to plan to watch this in-state rivalry game on CBS. With Verne Lundquist and Clark Kellogg working for The Eye, and with Kentucky's John Calipari and Louisville's adulterer Rick Pitino facing one another, much was on the line at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Kentucky was a 7 point favorite.
Surely Tony Greene would let a game of this importance unfold organically and without his interference, wouldn't he? Working with Doug Shows and John Cahill, ITGOTT was ready to watch and review the performance.
This game was SO heated, that the officials just had to take control of the game, or it could have quickly gotten out of hand. 6 fouls in the first 45 seconds, including some assessed after a review of a loose ball scrum, before a point was scored.
Make The Big Judgment Call In Favor Of The Team You Are Helping
During the aforementioned loose ball scrum, Kentucky star DeMarcus Cousins was seen elbowing a defenseless Louisville player in the head. While this call wasn't called on the floor, the retaliation by the Louisville player was. However, the officials - led by Tony Greene - went to the replay to determine if a combative act took place. Although it CLEARLY did and Cousins should have been ejected, he was instead assessed a technical foul. Cousins went on to score the first 6 points of the game.
Then the teams, and the officials, settled in and played/called a clean game. Although neither team exploded out of the gates, Kentucky worked its way to an early 9-1 lead, and the 7 point spread was covered 5 1/2 minutes into the game.
Keep 'Em Guessing - Make Calls That Confuse Everybody
Then Tony Greene called a bizarre call on Kentucky's Daniel Orton (his second foul) on what appeared to be a clean rebound. Additionally, this foul put Louisville in the bonus. Then, IMMEDIATELY (as in on the ensuing inbounds) gave the ball back to Kentucky with another seemingly bizarre call on Louisville. No clue whether Tony Greene is on the take here, but he certainly was making some bizarre calls.
Meanwhile, Kentucky quietly extended its lead to a dozen 8 1/2 minutes into the game. Louisville, at one point, had made 10 turnovers and only one field goal, yet Kentucky hadn't been able to pull away. A couple of missed shots by the Cats here, a couple of non-calls by the officials, there, and a team that should be ahead by 25 was only ahead by 12. An up-and-down remainder of the first half resulted in an 8-point Kentucky halftime lead.
A Louisville run to open the second half cut the UK lead to 4, and the spread (and game) were definitely in question.
Use Calls (And Non-Calls) To Stop Momentum Of The Team You Are Not Helping
Then, with Kentucky clinging to a 4-point lead with about 15 minutes to play in the game, Kentucky throws an errant pass that Louisville picks off. But Doug Shows steps in with a questionable call on a Louisville player, and Kentucky seizes back the momentum and extends its lead to 8.
Keep 'Em Guessing - Make Calls That Confuse Everybody
Then on the ensuing possession, Doug Shows makes a terrible "and one" foul call on Kentucky. ITGOTT believes that Doug Shows is just winging it today, making make-up call after make-up call, none of which get control of the game, none of which help a specific team, and none of which demonstrate even a modicum of officiating intelligence.
The Charge/Block Call - It Can Always Go Either Way, So Make Sure It Goes Your Way
With 12:17, Louisville had cut the Kentucky lead to just 4, and clearly had the momentum. In steps Doug Shows, to make the charge call on a Louisville possession. At this point, ITGOTT has no idea whether Doug Shows is "on the take" or just an incompetent official, but his officiating in this game is more attention-grabbing that Tony Greene's last season. And it was because of Tony Greene's officiating last season that this blog was born.
Nonetheless, Louisville kept the momentum, and despite various fouls sending various Kentucky players to the free throw line, the Cats couldn't seem to buy a free throw and a 9-0 Louisville run gave them a 1 point lead with just under 10 minutes to play. To cover the spread today, as it appeared these officials wanted to happen, Kentucky was going to have to play a strong final 10 minutes.
Doug Shows baffles again with a double technical with about 9 minutes to play. No free throws are shot, so the score didn't directly change, but even Verne Lundquist and Clark Kellogg were baffled on this one. Even Tony Greene and John Cahill seemed to be apologizing to Rick Pitino and John Calipari, respectively, in CBS's video. Seriously, Doug Shows may be the worst official in college basketball.
In the midst of all this Doug Shows strangeness, Kentucky went on a run of its own - well actually John Wall with a 6 point run of his own- re-taking the lead and extending it to 7 with 7 minutes to play. The spread was again covered, and even though Louisville made a quick run, Doug Shows stepped up again with an "and one" for Kentucky with 5:35 to go (a good call, it looked like) and Kentucky extended its lead to 10.
Swallow Your Whistle When Things Are Going Your Way
With about 5 minutes to go, with Kentucky clearly having the momentum, the officials, who had been so visible today, disappeared. When Patrick Patterson of Kentucky had a one-on-none breakaway with a 12-point UK lead with about 3 minutes to go, it looked like the spread was in hand. But Patrick Patterson missed the dunk on the front of the rim (a hugely embarrassing event for a guy 6'9") and the momentum switched to Louisville in a hurry. A three and a 2 and the lead was down to 7, exactly the spread, until Kentucky free throws with 1:14 to go pushed their lead to 9. A Louisville bucket cut it to 7, exactly the spread, with 1 minute to go.
Make The Big Call (Oe Non-Call) At The End
So if these officials are on the take, Tony Greene included, a call at the end would make the difference. In this case, they didn't need to. Louisville was forced to foul, Kentucky hit free throws. Louisville missed shots, and three meaningless fouls on Kentucky (ALL THREE made by John Cahill, by the way) with 30 seconds or less to go were rendered irrelevant. Kentucky won by 9, covering (albeit barely) the 7 point spread.
LINE - Kentucky - 7
RESULT - Kentucky covers, winning 71-62
ITGOTT had advance notice of Tony Greene's schedule, and was able to plan to watch this in-state rivalry game on CBS. With Verne Lundquist and Clark Kellogg working for The Eye, and with Kentucky's John Calipari and Louisville's adulterer Rick Pitino facing one another, much was on the line at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Kentucky was a 7 point favorite.
Surely Tony Greene would let a game of this importance unfold organically and without his interference, wouldn't he? Working with Doug Shows and John Cahill, ITGOTT was ready to watch and review the performance.
This game was SO heated, that the officials just had to take control of the game, or it could have quickly gotten out of hand. 6 fouls in the first 45 seconds, including some assessed after a review of a loose ball scrum, before a point was scored.
Make The Big Judgment Call In Favor Of The Team You Are Helping
During the aforementioned loose ball scrum, Kentucky star DeMarcus Cousins was seen elbowing a defenseless Louisville player in the head. While this call wasn't called on the floor, the retaliation by the Louisville player was. However, the officials - led by Tony Greene - went to the replay to determine if a combative act took place. Although it CLEARLY did and Cousins should have been ejected, he was instead assessed a technical foul. Cousins went on to score the first 6 points of the game.
Then the teams, and the officials, settled in and played/called a clean game. Although neither team exploded out of the gates, Kentucky worked its way to an early 9-1 lead, and the 7 point spread was covered 5 1/2 minutes into the game.
Keep 'Em Guessing - Make Calls That Confuse Everybody
Then Tony Greene called a bizarre call on Kentucky's Daniel Orton (his second foul) on what appeared to be a clean rebound. Additionally, this foul put Louisville in the bonus. Then, IMMEDIATELY (as in on the ensuing inbounds) gave the ball back to Kentucky with another seemingly bizarre call on Louisville. No clue whether Tony Greene is on the take here, but he certainly was making some bizarre calls.
Meanwhile, Kentucky quietly extended its lead to a dozen 8 1/2 minutes into the game. Louisville, at one point, had made 10 turnovers and only one field goal, yet Kentucky hadn't been able to pull away. A couple of missed shots by the Cats here, a couple of non-calls by the officials, there, and a team that should be ahead by 25 was only ahead by 12. An up-and-down remainder of the first half resulted in an 8-point Kentucky halftime lead.
A Louisville run to open the second half cut the UK lead to 4, and the spread (and game) were definitely in question.
Use Calls (And Non-Calls) To Stop Momentum Of The Team You Are Not Helping
Then, with Kentucky clinging to a 4-point lead with about 15 minutes to play in the game, Kentucky throws an errant pass that Louisville picks off. But Doug Shows steps in with a questionable call on a Louisville player, and Kentucky seizes back the momentum and extends its lead to 8.
Keep 'Em Guessing - Make Calls That Confuse Everybody
Then on the ensuing possession, Doug Shows makes a terrible "and one" foul call on Kentucky. ITGOTT believes that Doug Shows is just winging it today, making make-up call after make-up call, none of which get control of the game, none of which help a specific team, and none of which demonstrate even a modicum of officiating intelligence.
The Charge/Block Call - It Can Always Go Either Way, So Make Sure It Goes Your Way
With 12:17, Louisville had cut the Kentucky lead to just 4, and clearly had the momentum. In steps Doug Shows, to make the charge call on a Louisville possession. At this point, ITGOTT has no idea whether Doug Shows is "on the take" or just an incompetent official, but his officiating in this game is more attention-grabbing that Tony Greene's last season. And it was because of Tony Greene's officiating last season that this blog was born.
Nonetheless, Louisville kept the momentum, and despite various fouls sending various Kentucky players to the free throw line, the Cats couldn't seem to buy a free throw and a 9-0 Louisville run gave them a 1 point lead with just under 10 minutes to play. To cover the spread today, as it appeared these officials wanted to happen, Kentucky was going to have to play a strong final 10 minutes.
Doug Shows baffles again with a double technical with about 9 minutes to play. No free throws are shot, so the score didn't directly change, but even Verne Lundquist and Clark Kellogg were baffled on this one. Even Tony Greene and John Cahill seemed to be apologizing to Rick Pitino and John Calipari, respectively, in CBS's video. Seriously, Doug Shows may be the worst official in college basketball.
In the midst of all this Doug Shows strangeness, Kentucky went on a run of its own - well actually John Wall with a 6 point run of his own- re-taking the lead and extending it to 7 with 7 minutes to play. The spread was again covered, and even though Louisville made a quick run, Doug Shows stepped up again with an "and one" for Kentucky with 5:35 to go (a good call, it looked like) and Kentucky extended its lead to 10.
Swallow Your Whistle When Things Are Going Your Way
With about 5 minutes to go, with Kentucky clearly having the momentum, the officials, who had been so visible today, disappeared. When Patrick Patterson of Kentucky had a one-on-none breakaway with a 12-point UK lead with about 3 minutes to go, it looked like the spread was in hand. But Patrick Patterson missed the dunk on the front of the rim (a hugely embarrassing event for a guy 6'9") and the momentum switched to Louisville in a hurry. A three and a 2 and the lead was down to 7, exactly the spread, until Kentucky free throws with 1:14 to go pushed their lead to 9. A Louisville bucket cut it to 7, exactly the spread, with 1 minute to go.
Make The Big Call (Oe Non-Call) At The End
So if these officials are on the take, Tony Greene included, a call at the end would make the difference. In this case, they didn't need to. Louisville was forced to foul, Kentucky hit free throws. Louisville missed shots, and three meaningless fouls on Kentucky (ALL THREE made by John Cahill, by the way) with 30 seconds or less to go were rendered irrelevant. Kentucky won by 9, covering (albeit barely) the 7 point spread.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Tony Greene to work Louisville @ Kentucky tomorrow, 1/2/10
ITGOTT is hearing that Tony Greene is scheduled to work the Louisville Cardinals @ Kentucky Wildcats tomorrow, Saturday, January 2, 2010, in Lexington.
ITGOTT will be watching, monitoring, reviewing, and blogging.
ITGOTT will be watching, monitoring, reviewing, and blogging.
Game 28 - Tennessee @ Memphis - Dec. 31, 2009
In what appears to be an exciting game, featuring some good action and even a couple of technical foul calls, the Tennessee Volunteers traveled across the Volunteer state to take on the Memphis Tigers. A 2-point underdog, the Volunteers pulled out a 7-point victory.
While ITGOTT can't review the game YET, look for a review in the coming days (we've got this one on our TiVo).
While ITGOTT can't review the game YET, look for a review in the coming days (we've got this one on our TiVo).
Game 27 - Bethune-Cookman @ Miami (FL) - Dec. 30, 2009
Tony Greene traveled from Durham, NC, to Miami, FL, to work the exciting action between Bethune-Cookman and Miami (FL). The game was not televised, so there is no ITGOTT review.
Game 26 - Long Beach State @ Duke - Dec. 29, 2009
After a holiday break of nearly a week, Tony Greene was back at work on Tuesday, December 29, when he appeared in Cameron Indoor Stadium to watch (help?) Duke to a nearly 20-point victory over an underrated Long Beach State team.
Even though this game was televised, ITGOTT was busy viewing some other college basketball action in person. Thus, there is no review of Tony Greene's performance.
Even though this game was televised, ITGOTT was busy viewing some other college basketball action in person. Thus, there is no review of Tony Greene's performance.
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