Well, everyone saw it. Tony Greene makes the bad call of the year on an obvious block call at the end of the Syracuse - Duke game tonight, and Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim goes ballistic and is ejected.
Just a brief commentary:
We explored for a few seasons whether Tony Greene was "on the take" and interest waned as Greene worked fewer and fewer high profile games and his officiating became less and less obvious.
But after a couple of years laying low, Greene was back in the spotlight last year when he worked the 2013 Final Four. And tonight, with a typically Tony Greene call, he thrust himself back in the spotlight in a major way.
Folks, this was a typical Tony Greene call. It was absolutely a bad call that enraged Jim Boeheim (Boeheim deserved to be ejected, by the way) and it was a call that decided the outcome of a major game. In typical Tony Greene fashion, we will never hear him explain his call, and everyone in officiating circles will once again cover up for him.
In the end, Tony Greene may not be "on the take"... but he is, without a doubt, a terrible official. Perhaps the game's speed has progressed past where his ability lies... perhaps his officiating success has made him so arrogant that he wants the spotlight... perhaps his skills have diminished as he has aged... perhaps he feels that he doesn't need to learn new rules...
But, without a doubt, Tony Greene is an awful official.
Comments welcome.
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Still fuming over tonight's call, I decided to Google Tony Greene. Low and behold I found your blog. It's all I needed to see and read. Tony Greene needs to be removed from officiating.
ReplyDeleteTonight's should have been a non call too
DeleteI am considering not watching college basketball anymore. Too many bad calls deciding big games. Touch fouls throughout the game, let them play. End of Syr duke game 1 of the worst ever.
DeleteAbsolutely believe he missed the call, but that certainly does not mean he needs to be removed from college officiating. Boeheim himself said very well officiated game...he takes exception to that one call. When there is significant contact and players go to the floor (block/charge scenario)...a NO CALL is not an option. A decision has to be made, almost instantaneously, as to whether it's a block or a charge.What's not being said is that Tony Green was late in rotating to the strong side (ball side) and as a result he was not set to where he could see the entire play develop, thus the reason (I believe) he missed the call. The key in getting a block/charge correct is to focus on the defender and you can see on replay his focus was on the offensive player so all he could do was guess if the defender had established legal guarding position. He guessed wrong, but he's still a very good official. He wouldn't be in that game if he wasn't. That's just part of the game!
DeleteConsidering the CJ call could have went either way, it's not really fair to lable it as "worst of the year" or Greene a terrible ref. I appreciate Greene's conviction to make a call, especially considering the amount contact observed on the C.J. drive.
DeleteTo put it in perspective, if the NCAA had replay review for fouls (challenge flag), the C.J. call would not have been overturned as it's still unclear even in slow motion. Don't allow biases to cloud your judgement.
Did Tony Green also ref the non call on Hood's dunk attempt in the first Duke v Cuse game?
ReplyDeleteThere was no foul there
DeleteNo cause it was a block by Christmas he missed a dunk doesn't mean it's a foul
Deleteyou seriously need a life.
ReplyDeleteWho makes a blog about a ref? LMAOOOOO find a hobby loser.
ReplyDeleteAnd your hobby is reading blogs about refs then? good job hypocrite
DeleteYou even go to duke?
DeleteI've looked for a way to contact "OnTheTake/blogWriterAdmin" but since I cannot, I am going to post a longish response to multiple people here. [Just discovered this blog via a friend after the Syracuse call tonight, and we're not Syracuse fans.] Bullet points, starting general, then more specific:
ReplyDelete1. Trevor: I've long thought that the NCAA Basketball system is quite flawed in several ways, and one way it's flawed is that there is no transparency with regards to the officials. ANY and ALL collected data/input/opinion will be helpful to illuminate possible breaches or flaws in fair play/officiating. I've been "stewing" on this for a while. (thanks also, anonymous)
2. There is a general rule, if unspoken, that the media, coaches, and certainly the players should and/or will not ever blame the officials. This is another part of the problem. It's a Catch-22 of sorts, since the idea is to be able to play despite adversity, but if anyone speaks out, then you're calling into question your own integrity and the integrity of your basketball program/school/team, or simply the official -- a human being who can make a mistake in a very fast-paced game.
3. With no transparency, and this code of silence, how can anyone really address a pattern of malfeasance, or at least questionable decisions?
4. Perhaps you must simply refuse to go to the back of the bus, like Boeheim did tonight. He may have taken away a miniscule chance of winning after a horrible call, but he had the courage to challenge the status quo, and therefor it became a media piece that couldn't just be swept under the rug. Granted, he's getting a lot of flack, but if you know the rules, and look at the call, it's not difficult to determine that it's the WRONG call. Check out the replays and commentary via ESPN: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10504835
5. With current technology and access to video and statistics, it seems clear that some change can be made, and likely it will be from the ground up. Blogs can bring in non-partisan and partisan observers to start. Perhaps enough voices will be heard so that the NCAA takes reviews more seriously. Perhaps the media will show (more than a couple) replays of questionable calls.
6. I started a group on Facebook called "Fix the NCAA", which started in one direction, but may lean towards this issue, along with potential pay/benefits etc. It's been slow as of late, but I'll get back on it after tonight. https://www.facebook.com/groups/NCAAchangeNOW/
7. There are more examples of Tony Greene and other referees making repeated poor calls. The most recent (and blatant) example that comes to mind was in one of the most aggressively and strangely officiated games I've seen in years: UNC versus FSU, 2014-02-17. In particular, there was a third foul called on James Michael McAdoo of UNC, where he was clearly not in contact with anyone. No team was ranked, and nobody got a tech, so no media, except ESPN actually replayed it on the broadcast and the ESPN commentator then stated "There's no foul there at all." You can see this horrible Tony Greene call towards the end of the first half, with 4:24 remaining on the clock. http://espn.go.com/watchespn/player/_/id/1501625/size/condensed/ This call could have been a game-changer, and as it turned out McAdoo had no points this game. The fifth call was questionable as well.
ftr: I don't claim that Tony Greene or any other ref is being bribed, but I do think that this is a worthy effort, despite the limitations. There are serious problems in NCAA Division I Basketball that need to be addressed.
ReplyDeleteThe problem I have with the call is that Mr. Green was on the back line moving toward the Duke bench. He was behind C. J. Fair and could not see the play because Fair blocked his view of the Hood. Why make a call when you don't see the whole play?
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking that we need to stop focusing on how Coach Boeheim reacted, which I believe to be appropriate, and how the call of one incompetent official ended the game. It seems that this official has a past history of making bad calls in big games that in the end change the outcome. Both teams brought it to the court so, either let both teams finish it on the court OR keep your calls consistent. This is unbelievably ridiculous!
ReplyDeleteIt was the Worst call in one of the Biggest games of the Year!
ReplyDeleteHorrible, Greene must have felt like a big man on campus. Game is for athletes, not aref wannabe
ReplyDeleteI believe this should end the debate. Quoted from 25th June 2013. From the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel.
ReplyDelete"Under the revised block/charge call in men's basketball, a defensive player is not permitted to move into the path of an offensive player once he has started his upward motion with the ball to attempt a field goal or pass," according to the new rule. "If the defensive player is not in legal guarding position by this time, it is a blocking foul. Previously, a defender had to be in legal guarding position when the offensive player lifted off the floor."
In other words... you can not step infront of a player when they start their drive. I.E. CJ Fair last night. His drive was in motion and therefore it is a block.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sbnation/SBNation_20130625_NCAA_votes_to_amend_block_charge_rule.html#vcKk6C8LWsCUqcT5.99
A close call w/ 10 seconds left is a no call. Tony Greene won this game.
ReplyDeleteTony greene could go suck a big fat d**k. Someone please tell him to stop sucking coach k off.
ReplyDeleteHe must be best friends with Jim Burr.... he's the Big East version of Tony Greene and didn't like SU either....
ReplyDeleteGrant was fouled twice but finished down the stretch he stood there like nothing happened Christmas was foul off the feed from Tyler 3 and ones he never called
ReplyDeleteGrant wasn't fouled, he was raped in the paint several times without a single foul being called on Duke.
DeleteI don't condone Coach Boeheim's rant but, that was a missed call as were other's. we know through the years Coach K has gotten the calls. i think this official ought to be removed.
ReplyDeleteSU was hacked to pieces all night in the paint and they didn't get a single call. What about the block call against Benijee on Parker's drive or the dunk made by Christmas where he was hit changing his body's direction?? It was painfully obvious SU wasn't getting any calls and Duke was being protected at home. Boeheim doesn't go off like that for no reason. After 30+ years of coaching, that is the first time being tossed in seasonal play. Incidentally, it was a call just like this during the final 4 game against Michigan that screwed SU out of playing for the national championship last year. Greene should never be allowed to call another game ever ... he is a piece of shit.
ReplyDeleteSome new stuff on Tony Greene has surfaced...check it out.
ReplyDeletehttp://johncaliparicheats.tumblr.com/post/80553969036/tony-greene-and-john-calipari-a-winning-pair
The call against CJ Fair in the Duke game was 100% the right call. Arguing otherwise shows how little one knows of the rulebook.
ReplyDeleteThe call against CJ Fair in the Duke game was 100% the wrong call. Arguing otherwise shows how little one knows of the rulebook.
ReplyDeleteThe real isssue in the game was the blocking call on Gbinge,
with a totally unretricted view ( no other players anywhere near the play) Jabari gets away with a full head of steam charge.
Gbinge was a statue and he was called for blocking, A few minutes later CJ is treated like a freshman. You can not give one player the super star service and then screw the other teams star,
Reply
On the bright side, it gave us Syracuse fans a memorable 'dance' by Coach Boeheim.
ReplyDelete