Is Tony Greene On The Take?

Game 14 - #5 North Carolina @ #1 Kentucky - December 3, 2011

2011-12-03T09:19:00.000-08:00

Game - #5 North Carolina @ #1 Kentucky - Sunday, December 83, 2011

Line - Kentucky -5

Result - Kentucky wins 73-72, but North Carolina back-door covers the 5-point spread

Today's game is the first Tony Greene-officiated game of the 2011-2012 season that ITGOTT has been able to watch and analyze with a discerning eye. Kentucky fans LOVE to criticize Tony Greene for his poor officiating, and some (perhaps rightly) claimed that Greene definitely did NOT have a friendly whistle for former Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie. But ITGOTT isn't about Tony Greene favoring, or disliking, any certain team - it's raising the question of whether Tony Greene is "on the take." If you read ITGOTT regularly, you know that there are just as many Tony Greene-Kentucky games where Tony Greene appears to favor Kentucky as their opponent.

And today's game wasn't about Tony Greene. It was about Ron Groover and his horrendous officiating in both directions. Groover isn't a good enough official to even BE "on the take." He's just a disgrace to officiating and the SEC.

To the game: After a frenetic first 6 minutes that saw Kentucky sprint to a lead, and UNC sprint right back, the first questionable call of the game was made.

The Charge/Block Call. It Can Go Either Way So Make Sure It Goes Your Way

Although it appeared that Ron Groover made the call (Tony Greene was the trail official and out of camera range), Groover made an atrocious-at-best charge call on Kentucky, wiping off a basket and handing the ball to the Tar Heels. It should be noted that Ron Groover, in officiating circles, is often considered the worst official in the SEC - and also, oddly, given the charge/block call he made here, an blatant Kentucky homer.

Then with 8:48 to go in the first half, Ron Groover - irrespective of if he's favoring a team or not - eschews making a call on North Carolina's PJ Hairston when he obviously rakes the arm of a driving Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The force of Henson's arm on Kidd-Gilchrist's arm, seen clearly on replay, is so great that Kidd-Gilchrist immediately grabs him shoulder in pain, even though Hairston was clearly NOT trying to injure Kidd-Gilchrist. Attention SEC: this is why you can't have terrible officials like Ron Groover working your games. With the size, speed, and talent playing in a major league, Groover's inability to keep up will eventually result in a player getting seriously hurt. Fortunately, it appears that Kidd-Gilchrist wasn't seriously hurt here.

Swallow Your Whistle When Things Are Going Your Way

Use Calls (and Non-Calls) To Change The Momentum in Favor of the Team You Are Helping

After Kentucky had sliced a 9-point UNC lead to just 4 and seemed to have the momentum, with the capacity Rupp Arena crowd roaring its approval with just over 5 minutes to go in the first half, a scrum occurred under the Kentucky basket. Although the Cats got off 4 shots (and appeared to have been fouled on at least 2 of them), it was the Tar Heels who eventually ended up with the ball. The officiating crew of Tony Greene, Mike Nance, and Ron Groover, watching closely, chose not to call ANY of the fouls. UNC's ensuing three pushed their lead back to 7 and quelled the momentum the Wildcats had.

The Charge/Block Call. It Can Go Either Way So Make Sure It Goes Your Way

With just over a minute to go in the first half and UNC enjoying a 7-point lead, Ron Groover makes what will certainly be the worst charge/block call any official makes all year. Kentucky's Doron Lamb drives the baseline and releases a floater over UNC's Tyler Zeller, which drops through the hoop. Zeller slides in and makes contact with Lamb AFTER Lamb has not only released the shot, but also landed on his feet! Yet Ron Groover makes a charge call so egregious that even the officiating sycophant Clark Kellogg proclaims it a bad call. Again, attention SEC: Ron Groover is not a good enough official to work your games!

Then with 6:08 to go, and with a Kentucky spurt giving the Wildcats a 3-point lead, Ron Groover - sitting RIGHT under the basket and looking RIGHT at the contact - does NOT call a charge on Tyler Zeller, who charged directly into Kentucky's Darius Miller as Zeller drove down the lane. This was yet another no-doubter under any circumstance, and given Groover's charging call AGAINST Kentucky earlier in the game that was absolutely laughable, this non-call makes Groover himself just absurd.

Make The Big Call(s) At The End

With 4 minutes to play, Kentucky led by 5 - right on the number Vegas provided us.

And with 2:16 to play and Kentucky leading by 4, Ron Groover steps in with a big call on a push-off against Kentucky. Was it a bad call? No. Was it a BIG call? Yes. Did it help North Carolina? Yes. The only "on the take"-worthy comment to make is that it COULD have been ignored were Groover helping Kentucky.

Sure enough, Kentucky went on to win 73-72, but failed to cover the 5-point Vegas spread, giving UNC a back-door cover their fans will hate but bettors will love.

Summary

Kentucky wins the game. North Carolina covers the spread. Tony Greene's officiating not particularly suspicious. Ron Groover's officiating disgraceful.

The Curtis Shaw Effect

2011-02-24T07:56:00.000-08:00

Back to the chronicles of Tony Greene when ITGOTT has more time, but an officiating incident must be noted from last night's little-seen Conference USA game in Greenville, NC, between the homestanding East Carolina Pirates and the visiting UTEP Miners, coached by former big-time (Iowa State, Southern Cal, and the NBA) coach Tim Floyd.

Floyd, who, given his previous stops, probably feels like he's slumming it in rural eastern North Carolina, was ejected in what the usually-spot-on blog Ballin Is A Habit called "one of the uglier incidents" of the college basketball season, when he was ejected by Jeb Hartness. The low-quality video, and the commentary of Ballin Is A Habit, is linked here:

http://www.ballinisahabit.net/2011/02/video-tim-floyd-ejected-escorted-off.html

Here's why this is significant:

1. While the video doesn't show what Tim Floyd did to earn the first technical from Jeb Hartness, we see veteran official Steven Pyatt working to both reclaim the control that Hartness's call had removed and to calm an irate Tim Floyd. Then, as Floyd voices his frustration to Hartness as the technical free throws are administered, Hartness T's Floyd up again and runs him, clearly inciting more difficulty in a situation where it wasn't necessary. Then to top it off, the incensed UTEP assistant Phil Johnson is ALSO run. The video also shows that Steven Pyatt (working with another veteran, Bryan Kersey) position themselves between the UTEP coaches and Jeb Hartness, in what looks like an unstated message of, "Yeah, we know he messed up, but guys, just let it go..."

2. So who is Jeb Hartness? Well, we know two things.

First, from the video, we know that he appears, at least last night, to be a small man who takes umbrage at petty grievances - especially by coaches who are relatively well-known (Floyd is probably THE most well-known coach in Conference USA) - and then demonstrates that he is in charge by issuing quick, unnecessary technical fouls that do more to incite the ire of a coach than to calm an overheating in-game situation or elicit a higher level of game decorum.

Second, we know that Jeb Hartness is a relatively young official who is working his way up through the ranks to the highest levels of college basketball officiating. He has worked more games in the Ohio Valley Conference than any other conference, the conference where Curtis Shaw had been the game assignor until Shaw took the position of Director of Officials for the Big XII Conference this season. Guess what? Hartness has, for the first time, been working Big XII games. The inimitable Curtis Shaw apparently takes care of his own.

And by demonstrating rabbit ears, a thin skin, a need to visibly demonstrate his control in a game where restraint would have been better served, and issuing unnecessary technical fouls that incite problems rather than restore order, Jeb Hartness has proven that he's not only one of Curtis Shaw's "own," but that he's cut from the same unfortunate mold.

Game 51 - Tennessee @ #18 Kentucky - February 8, 2011

2011-02-09T08:15:00.000-08:00

Game - Tennessee @ #18 Kentucky - Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Line - Kentucky -9 1/2

Result - Kentucky wins 73-61 and covers the spread

Tony Greene is confounding. Although a series of calls in the first half would have CONVINCED a viewer that the crew working tonight's game - including Tony Greene, Ted Valentine, and Mark Whitehead - were totally in the bank for Tennessee, when it came to crunch time and calls COULD have tipped the spread to Tennessee without affecting the outcome, the officials stood down and allowed the game to (apparently) end without interference.

To wit:

The Charge/Block Call. It Can Go Either Way So Make Sure It Goes Your Way

Make Calls From Out Of Position

So TWICE early in the game - with about 13 to play in the first half, and with 11 1/2 minutes to play in the first half - Tony Greene did BOTH of these things. TWICE !!! It's almost hard to believe, but within 90 seconds, Tony Greene TWICE stepped in from out of position to whistle a Kentucky player for a questionable charge.

Further, with 7:43 to play in the first half, Ted Valentine did the SAME THING, but this time he stepped in, drew attention to himself as only TV Teddy can do, and called Kentucky for a terrible - and I mean truly terrible - blocking foul. In fact, during his SEC-contract-mandated in-game interview with ESPN's Shannon Spake during the ensuing time-out, Kentucky coach John Calipari backhandedly criticized Valentine's absurd call by saying that what his team needed to do to be successful was to continue to "take charges" like they just did. A good laugh, and well-played, Coach Calipari.

Watching the game, ITGOTT was convinced that this officiating crew - if they were, in fact, "on the take" - was in the bag for Tennessee.

Yet, as Kentucky's huge 19-point first half lead dwindled to just 5 after halftime, and then ballooned back up to double digits to cover the spread, the officials didn't seem to do anything out the ordinary. No late calls to tip the spread to Tennessee. No questionable calls to alter the momentum. No calls from out of position. Not even any terrible calls, Mark Whitehead's ludicrous blocking call on Kentucky's DeAndre Liggins with about 12 minutes to play in the game and with the Wildcats leading by 16... hardly "crunch time". It was strange, and while the officials did NOT appear, in the end, to tip the spread or ultimately be "on the take," it certainly raised two important questions:

1. If Tony Greene is NOT "on the take," is he just a TERRIBLE official?

2. Must TV Teddy Valentine always preen and draw attention to himself with his officiating?

Game 39 - Auburn @ Mississippi State - January 15, 2011

2011-02-01T10:35:00.000-08:00

Game - Auburn @ Mississippi State - Sunday, January 16, 2011

Line - Mississippi State -10 1/2

Result - Mississippi State wins and covers easily, 85-66

Just like yesterday's game, we saw an obvious, heavy favorite get off to a great start and sprint to an easy victory, and easy cover. Mississippi State is just a far better team, especially at home in Starkville, than Auburn. Frankly, this was an easy call and not a very interesting game to watch.

When Helping A Big Favorite, Get Off To A Good Start

The officiating crew of Tony Greene, Antinio Petty, and Mike Nance wasted no time making sure Mississippi State, a double-digit favorite, spurted to an early lead when the game was just 2-0 and Antinio Petty called the always-there-but-rarely-called moving screen on Auburn's Josh Langford just 90 seconds into the game. The moving screen is a GREAT call for an official, or an officiating crew, on the take because it occurs away from the ball and most eyes are not focused there, rather focusing on the ball. Further, the physical nature of interior play in college basketball dictates that screens move often... they just aren't called often. But Antinio Petty, working with Tony Greene, called one here.

Then with Mississippi State leading 4-2 early, Tony Greene steps in with the always-fun and always-momentum-swinging "and one" play, which Dee Bost converted to extend the Bulldog lead to 7-2.

Then with the Bulldogs leading 9-3, Tony Greene calls ANOTHER "and one" call, this time converted by the Bulldogs' Kodi Augustus. Dave Neal, working for the SEC Network, openly questions the call, but it doesn't matter. Mississippi State is, as they say, much the best, and quickly that 9-3 lead is a 22-3 lead, and the Bulldogs cruise to an 85-66 victory, easily covering the 10 1/2 point spread.

Game 38 - #10 Connecticut @ DePaul - January 15, 2011

2011-01-15T16:10:00.000-08:00

Game - #10 Connecticut @ DePaul - Saturday, January 15, 2011

Line - Connecticut -9

Result - Connecticut wins 82-62 and covers the spread

First of all, while ITGOTT doesn't advocate sports gambling, there are people who do it. And those who are in the know almost certainly snapped up Connecticut, just a 9-point favorite at desultory DePaul. Frankly, Kemba Walker and four random strangers could probably have beaten DePaul by more than 9, even if Joey Meyer, Mark Aguirre, and Oliver Purnell's wife were officiating.

But, Tony Greene was officiating - this his 38th Division 1 basketball game of the year - along with Jeff Clark and Mike Roberts.

Here's the thing on the UConn 9-point spread. Vegas lines are made to attract equal action on each side, and if there had been a TON of action on UConn at 9 (they opened as either a 10 or 10 1/2 point favorite, depending on the sports book), the spread would have gone way UP to attract more money on DePaul, such that there was an even amount of money on each team. It is believed that as little as a $3000 difference in money wagered could move a regular season college basketball line 1 point, so it's unlikely there was a rush of smart money on UConn in this game, even if there should have been.

There were two officiating moments to note in today's game.

When Helping A Good Favorite, Get Off To A Good Start

Things got off to a GREAT start for 9-point favorite UConn today when less than 5 minutes into the game, Tony Greene awarded UConn's Kemba Walker an "and one" opportunity that extended their lead from 6-2 to 9-2. First, Tony Greene was the wing official on this call, signaling the foul from out of position (which he LOVES to do). Second, Tony Greene whistled the call VERY late, seeming watching the result of the play before deciding to blow the whistle... yet ANOTHER of Tony Greene's commonly seen officiating characteristics.

Following that "and one", UConn went on a series of defensive stands involving blocked shots that could EASILY have been called fouls. The officials eschewed the whistle each time (three total blocked shots in about a minute), but DID whistle a ticky-tack foul on Jimmy Drew of DePaul about 6 1/2 minutes into the game. That series of calls and non-calls not only earned the raised eyebrow from ITGOTT, it also earned a vociferous enough reaction from DePaul Coach Oliver Purnell that he was tacked with a technical for his protests. 6 1/2 minutes into the game, and the free throws gave UConn a 17-7 lead, covering the 9-point spread early.

Then a funny thing happened. DePaul played some plucky basketball, and for the next 20 minutes of basketball, neither club was able to make a run. Neither team had momentum, but organically (without the interference of the officials), it did not appear that Connecticut was going to go on a run and break open a 10-point game and comfortably cover the 9-point spread.

Use Calls To Give Momentum To The Team You Are Helping, If They Need It

Then with 15:28 to go in the game, Tony Greene's crew went to work. Although Tony Greene did not make the call himself, a DePaul offensive possession was stifled with the phantom "moving screen" call. John Celestand, working for the Big East Network, cited the call (or the action which resulted in the call as "extra-curricular," adding absolutely nothing to the telecast other than the clarification that John Celestand is an idiot who doesn't know the definition of the work "extra-curricular."

Nonetheless, UConn did as expected, and capitalized on this momentum-shifting call. Before anyone knew it, the Huskies had extended a 13-point lead to 25 with 10 to play, and all the way to 30 with 5 minutes to play, easily covering the 9-point spread. A brief DePaul run at the end cut the margin to 20, but UConn still easily covered.

Game 37 - #18 Louisville @ #7 Villanova - January 12, 2011

2011-01-12T16:16:00.001-08:00

Game - #18 Louisville @ #7 Villanova - Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Line - Villanova -3.5

Result - Villanova win 88-74 and covers

Tony Greene officiated his 37th NCAA Dividion 1 basketball game tonight in Philadelphia, an exciting Big East Conference match-up featuring ranked teams. #18 Louisville headed to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the #7 Villanova Wildcats. Tony Greene was working with Tim Higgins, whose officiating will be discussed in an ITGOTT entry later this week.

Keep 'Em Guessing - Make Bizarre Calls That Confuse Everybody

After Louisville spurted to leads of both 7-0 (then the Wildcats tied it up) and 16-9, it was clear that this game was going to be a frenetic, tight contest. Tony Greene made a bizarre illegal screen call against Louisville's Stephan van Treese with about 13 minutes to go in the first half. While the reason for this call was unclear (it certainly didn't look like a foul on the TiVo replay), it was nonetheless a bizarre Tony Greene call against Louisville.

The game remained an exciting, back-and-forth affair the rest of the first half, with Villanova taking a 1-point 42-41 lead into the locker room.

As the second half began, it became obvious that neither Louisville nor official Tim Higgins could keep up with the up-and-down pace, and the Wildcats began to pull away. Quickly, the 1-point halftime lead extended to 7 (with no apparent help from the officials) then to 13 halfway through the second half.

A brief Cardinal run couldn't reduce the 13-point Villanova lead enough to threaten the 3.5-point spread, and Villanova cruised to an 88-74 victory, easily covering the 3.5-point spread.

Game 37 - #18 Louisville @ #7 Villanova - January 12, 2011

2011-01-12T16:16:00.000-08:00

Game - #18 Louisville @ #7 Villanova - Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Line - Villanova -3.5

Result -

Tony Greene officiated his 37th NCAA Division 1 game of the 2010-2011 season, a Big East Conference tilt featuring two ranked teams. Working alongside Tim Higgins - look for some Tim Higgins information in another ITGOTT post later this week - Tony Greene was working what many considered the game of the night. Villanova entered the game at a 3.5-point favorite over the Louisville Cardinals.

When Helping An Underdog, Get Off To A Good Start

The underdog Louisville Cardinals helped themselves by shooting to a quick 4-0 lead less than a minute into the game and forcing Villanova's Jay Wright to call a time-out. Then Tony Greene helped the Cards when he called a phantom foul on a Villanova player as Louisville's Giorgui Dieng drove for a bucket just over a minute into the game. Dieng converted the bucket AND the free throw, and the Cards were out to an early 7-0 lead on the road, and the Cards were off to a GREAT start on the road against a Top 10 team.

Louisville withstood a brief Villanova run and extended their lead back to 7 at 16-9 before a Villanova spurt allowed the Wildcats to take a brief lead. Back and forth they went until halftime, neither team able to take a significant lead (remember, Louisville was a 3.5 point underdog) and halftime saw the game nearly even, with Villanova holding a scant 1-point lead, 42-41, but Louisville covering the spread considering their 3.5 point underdog status.

As the second half began, it became obvious that neither Louisville nor official Tim Higgins could keep up with the frenetic pace. With no apparent officiating bias, the Wildcats were able to turn their 1-point halftime lead into a 7-point lead, then a spurt midway through the second half stretched the Cats' lead to 13.

Game 35 - Tennessee @ Arkansas - January 8, 2011

2011-01-11T09:08:00.000-08:00

Tony Greene worked his 35th NCAA Division 1 game of the 2010-2011 season Saturday in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where the Arkansas Razorbacks topped the coach-less and turmoil-filled Tennessee Volunteers 68-65.

Although the game was televised, the ITGOTT crew was actually in person at ANOTHER college basketball game and was unable to review Tony Greene's performance.

Game 34 - #5 Pittsburgh @ Providence - January 4, 2011

2011-01-04T16:18:00.000-08:00

Game - #5 Pittsburgh @ Providence - Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Line - Pittsburgh -6

Result - #5 Pittsburgh wins 83-79, but Providence gets the back-door cover of the 6-point spread

After a month-long break, ITGOTT is back on the officiating prowl, and the indefatigable Tony Greene was also working, officiating tonight's Pitt-Providence match-up in Providence, his 34th Division 1 game of the 2010-2011 season.

Use Calls (And Non-calls) To Stop The Momentum Of The Team You Are Not Helping

Although hot-shooting Pitt has sprinted to a 15-6 lead, Providence went on a 7-0 run (aided by a couple of inconsequential calls against Pitt) to cut the Pitt lead to 15-13. The momentum was clearly on the side of the Friars.

Then, with just over 11 minutes to play in the first half, Providence had pounded the ball under the basket in an attempt to score easily and tie the game. A Pitt player hacked Providence's Marshon Brooks as Brooks attempted a lay-up, but Tony Greene, working the baseline made no call. Even Don Orsillo, working the game for the Big East Network, noted that there was "a lot of contact; no call" as Pitt took the rebound and headed to the other end of the floor.

On their own, this Greene no-call, and Barbar's comment, may have been innocuous. But, when, 2 possessions later after Providence had extended its run to 9-0 and tied the game (and still CLEARLY had the momentum), the SAME THING HAPPENED !!! This time, with just over 10 minutes to go in the first half, Providence's Vincent Council drove the lane and AGAIN Pitt appeared to hack him and AGAIN Tony Greene, working the baseline, made no call. Amazingly, AGAIN, Don Orsillo commented that there was a "lot of contact." Yet there was no call. Orsillo then gratuitiously adds that the officials are "letting them play at the moment... lot of contact down there."

When an official makes two no-calls on the same situation within one minute (of gametime), and when the announcer comments BOTH TIMES... and when MAKING calls there might add to a teams' momentum, well the eyebrows at ITGOTT are raised.

Use Calls To Stop The Momentum Of The Team You Are Not Helping

After Pitt's shooting warms up - mostly Gilbert Brown, who seeming can't miss from distance - the Panthers turn their scant 2-point deficit into a 9-point lead with just over 2 minutes to go in the game. When Marshon Brooks drains a 3-pointer with about 90 seconds to go in the half, an official (not Tony Greene, either Gene Steratore or Ray Perone - ITGOTT couldn't tell which) whistled Pitt's Gilbert Brown for what Big East TV color commentator Ron Perry called a "touch foul." As Brooks completed the momentum-shifting 4-point play, Perry went further and branded the call "a bit of a cameo," which we think means that Brooks was acting when he fell to the ground as Perry barely touched him.

If You Need Control To Affect The Spread, Call It Tight After Halftime

With Pitt a 6-point favorite and with the Panthers having a 7-point halftime lead, officials "on the take" may want to take control of the game in the second half to affect the outcome with regards to the spread. And as the second half began, the crew of Tony Greene, Ray Perone, and Gene Steratore officiated with a much tighter whistle - both ways, although the FOUR early fouls on Pitt were noted by ITGOTT.

The LATE Whistle - Watch The Play Unfold Before Making The Call

A quick early second half spurt by the Providence Friars had cut the Pitt 7-point halftime lead to just one when the Panthers responded with basketball's great momentum-shifter... the "and one." The Panther lead was extended to 4, and the 6-point spread was once again threatened.

However, as Providence's Kadeem Batts missed an inside shot with just under 13 minutes to go in the second half, Tony Greene - working the baseline - appeared to WAIT to see if the ball went in before making the foul call against Pitt. Whether "on the take" or not, waiting to see the result of a play before making a foul call is just bad officiating, and Tony Greene was guilty of that on this call tonight.

Get Major Players On The Team You Are Not Helping In Foul Trouble

In addition to calling the game much tighter in the second half, Tony Greene called Pitt's Gilbert Brown - the Panther whose hot shooting had been such an impact on the game so far - for a hand check - his FOURTH foul - 20 feet from the basket with 12 1/2 minutes to go in the game. The potential impact of losing the game's hottest shooter was huge, and Brown was immediately pulled from the game. Given that Providence had played well, with intensity, and was playing very good defense, this call could affect not only the game but also the spread. At this point, Pitt had a 4-point lead (the spread, remember, was Pitt by 6), which although they extended their lead to 10 with 8 minutes to go, there were notable Pitt players in foul trouble for the stretch of the game.

And having so many players in foul trouble down the stretch - especially Gilbert Brown - proved to be the Panthers' undoing. Although they had a 10-point lead with 8 minutes to go (covering the 6-point spread) the tenacious Providence Friars came all the way back to take the lead - aided by some amazing offensive foul calls against Pitt.

Make The Big Call(s) At The End

An offensive push-off on Pitt's Ashton Gibbs with about 6 minutes to play resulted in a Providence three-pointer which cut the lead to 3. But then after back-to-back fouls on the Friars at the Pitt end of the floor allowed Pitt to extend the lead BACK to 6 via free throws, yet ANOTHER Friar three sliced the lead back to 3. A SECOND offensive foul call on Pitt's Ashton Gibbs - this time with about 4 minutes to and with Pitt clinging to a 4-point lead... within the 6-point spread. A THIRD offensive foul call on Pitt - this time on Brad Wanamaker with about 2 minutes to go - allowed the tenacious Providence Friars, who had cut the Pitt lead to one, to actually take the lead 73-72 with just more than 2 minutes to play. And, believe it or not, a FOURTH offensive foul call on Pitt - this one fouling Brad Wanamaker out with 2 minutes to play.

An amazing 4 offensive foul calls were called on Pittsburgh in the last 6 minutes of the game, and the 10-point Pitt lead turned into a 4-point deficit in that time period, as the Friars took an improbably 76-72 lead with 1:13 to play. It should be noted that NONE of the amazing FOUR offensive foul calls against Pitt down the stretch were called by Tony Greene.

At this point, the game's outcome was in doubt... but the 6-point spread was not. Win or lose the actual game, the Providence Friars would either win outright as an underdog or get the elusive backdoor cover for its bettors.

A couple of Providence turnovers down the stretch, a couple of big Pitt buckets, and a couple of Panther free throws at the end resulted in a 83-79 Pitt win... but a Providence back-door cover considering the 6-point spread.

Game 14 - #9 Missouri vs #16 Georgetown in Kansas City, MO

2010-11-30T20:17:00.000-08:00

Game - #9 Missouri vs. #16 Georgetown in Kansas City, MO

Line - Pick 'Em

Result - Georgetown wins 111-102 in OT in a GREAT game

Great game between two great teams - one of which, Georgetown, is an ITGOTT favorite - that saw the Hoyas get way up early, blow the lead and be nearly beat, only to hit a last second three to tie at the end of regulation and then drain threes to win easily in overtime.

However, there was one VERY VERY suspicious call in this game... a call that almost certainly made a difference in the outcome of the game. And it occurred in the first half... and it was a 100& correctable error that went uncorrected.

With less than a minute left in the first half, Georgetown had the ball as the shot clock wound down. Even though the shot clock clearly expired before a Hoya got a shot off, the post-shot clock three-point attempt hit nothing but net, and the Hoyas were awarded three points that should NOT have counted. Without any question, replay showed that the shot clock had expired before the ball left the shooter's hand. (Note: ESPN's Dan McLaughlin and the unethical Doug Gottleib pointed out that the arena was perhaps too noisy to HEAR the shot clock expiration indicator in real tim).

But the officials, despite the protests from Mizzou's coach Mike Anderson, refused to review the play. And there was indisuputable visual evidence of a shot clock expiration.

Three points fewer, and presumably, this game never goes into overtime. Missouri wins by 3, and Missouri bettors win also. Instead, Georgetown, and those who placed wagers on Georgetown, are winners tonight.

PREDICTION: there will be an official apology for the refusal by the officiating crew of "Hollywood" John Higgins, Tony Greene, and James Breeding to review the replay of the obvious shot clock violation. Since the officials assigned to tonight's game were presumably assigned by the Big East (visiting team usually provides officials in out-of-conference games, and Missouri was the technical host in Kansas City - and the three officials, "Hollywood" John Higgins, Tony Greene, and James Breeding, are usually Big East officials), even a suspension is not out of the question. Remember, it was the Big East who suspended 2009 Official of the Year Mike Kitts during the 2009-2010 season... so wouldn't it make sense for 2010 Official of the Year Tony Greene to serve a suspension during the 2010-2011 season?

Thoughts?

Game #6 - North Carolina State v. George Mason from Charleston, SC - Nov. 19, 2010

2010-11-19T15:10:00.001-08:00

Game - North Carolina State v. George Mason from Charleston, SC - Friday, November 19, 2010

Line - NC State -3

Result - NC State wins 78-65 and covers.

When The Team You Are Helping Is Playing Aggressive Defense, Swallow Your Whistle

With NC State as a 3-point favorite, the game stayed near that mark for the first 15 minutes of the game. However, when George Mason had a 3-point lead at 28-25, NC State began a run of play uninterrupted by any calls against the Wolfpack, their aggressive D creating turnovers and their team scoring in transition to change a 3-point deficit into a 10-point lead, covering the spread.

After a brief George Mason run to begin the second half reduced the NC State lead to 3, exactly on the spread line, the game was a back-and-forth affair of great basketball.

Swallow Your Whistle When Things Are Going Your Way

It was also uninterrupted as NC State went on a 12-0 run to take a 10-point lead with 6 minutes to go. Apparent hand-checks on NC State went ignored, and the clearly more athletic team, the NC State Wolf Pack, were able to build a lead during this period. The only two fouls called during this period was on George Mason, of course.

NC State continued to just extend that lead with no fouls called on them, and by the 4-minute mark, the Wolfpack were in control of the game, if not the spread, and enjoying a 15-point lead.

There wasn't a single foul called on NC State from 13 minutes to play until 30 seconds to play, an unbelievable 12 1/2-minute foul-free period which included their entire end-of-game run. Naturally, the Wolfpack were able to turn a tie game with 10 minutes to play into a blowout that covered the 3-point spread, 78-65.

Comments?

Game 5 - #20 Georgetown vs. Coastal Carolina from Charleston, SC

2010-11-18T10:13:00.000-08:00

Game - #20 Georgetown vs. Coastal Carolina from Charleston, SC

Line - Georgetown -14

Result - Georgetown wins 80-61, and covers the 14-point spread

Tony Greene is finally working a televised game with a spread, this time in the Opening Round of the Charleston Classic tournament from Charleston, SC. Working with James Breeding (an ITGOTT favorite) and TV Teddy Valentine (who Nate Ross points out lives in the Charleston area), Tony Greene began his reviewable 2010-2011 work with a game that saw Georgetown as a big favorite, favored by 14 points.

During the first half, the game appeared to be allowed to unfold organically, and Georgetown slowly built a lead using its skill and size - Georgetown is going to be bigger than nearly all of its opponents this year and looks to make noise in the Big East under the excellent leadership of John Thompson III - and the Hoyas took a 6-point lead into the locker room. Nearly halfway to the 14-point spread, the spread of this game (if not the game itself) would be decided in the second half.

Make The Big Judgment Call In Favor Of The Team You Are Helping

Coastal Carolina, led by former Auburn coach Cliff Ellis, had shown some inspired play with tenacious defense at the end of the first half and some enthusiasm to begin the second half. Not one to let a tenacious underdog stick around while ostensibly aiding the favorite toward a cover, Tony Greene and his crew took over just 2 1/2 minutes into the second half when a Georgetown player drove to the hoop and was fouled. Even though official James Breeding made the blocking call against the Coastal Carolina player well before Hoya Jason Clark scored, when Tony Greene administered the free throw, he indicated that Clark would only shoot one... that the basket counted. A conference occurred, and guess which official's opinion ruled. Yep, that of Tony Greene, and the Hoyas were awarded a bucket "and one" free throw.

Of course, this call is followed up within a couple minutes of on-court action by Tony Greene with the phantom moving screen against Coastal Carolina. The 6-point halftime lead Georgetown enjoyed, just 4 minutes into the second half, had been extended to 12 at 41-29 and was nearing the 14-point spread.

Sure enough, the Hoyas had the momentum and quickly spread its lead to 18, at 51-33, with 13 1/2 minutes to go, and despite a brief Coastal Carolina run, the Hoyas managed to keep the lead at about 18 point for the remainder of the game, ultimately winning 80-61 and safely covering the 14-point spread.

Summary

When Georgetown was clearly winning the game in the second half, but not by enough to cover the 14-point spread, the officiating crew, led by Tony Greene, made two big judgment calls in a row that favored the Hoyas, and the lead was extended beyond the spread. With just these two calls, a 10-point game became a 20-point game, and the Hoyas covered the spread, winning 80-61. Interesting how these things happen, isn't it?

Comments?

Game 4 - VCU @ Wake Forest - Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010

2010-11-18T10:07:00.000-08:00

VCU took Wake Forest to the woodshed 90-69 in a non-televised game from Winston-Salem, NC.

Wake Forest is off to a bad start - first-year coach Jeff Bzdelik has now lost at home to Stetson in his opener and failed to reach the Pre-season NIT semi-finals at Madison Square Garden by getting blown out at home by VCU.

But, no Tony Greene review possible with no TV.

Game 3 - St. Francis (NY) @ South Florida - Nov. 15, 2010

2010-11-15T16:59:00.001-08:00

For the first time during the 2010-2011 season, Tony Greene worked a televised game.

However, there was no betting line for this game, so there is no need for ITGOTT to review the 74-71 South Florida victory over St. Francis (NY).

That being said, ITGOTT will make this prediction: South Florida coach Stan Heath better be working on his resume. We just don't think he's going to cut it in the Big East.

Game 2 - Talladega @ Alabama A&M - Nov. 13, 2010

2010-11-15T16:36:00.000-08:00

Proving that he will work any game at any time, Tony Greene worked his second game of the 2010-2011 season Saturday in Normal, IL (and, yes, we had to look up where Alabama A&M was located).

The game featured Alabama A&M beating Talladega College 93-77, and was of course, not televised.

Game 1 - Northwestern State @ LSU - Nov. 12, 2010

2010-11-15T16:29:00.000-08:00

Tony Greene's first NCAA Division 1 game of the 2010-2011 season occurred on Friday night in Baton Rouge, LA.

Working with Bert Smith (one of ITGOTT's favorite officials, and one that ITGOTT thinks does the best job), Tony Greene officiated a 9-point, 87-78 LSU victory.

There was no television for this game, so there will be no ITGOTT review.

Tony Greene Named 2009-2010 National Official of the Year

2010-11-15T16:22:00.000-08:00

SAY WHAT???

Yes, it's true. The bane of the existence of IsTonyGreeneOnTheTake, Mr. Tony Greene himself, was named the 2010-2011 Naismith Men's College Official of the Year by the Atlanta TipOff Club.

Supposedly, this award is given to officials display "character, integrity, and dignity, and who have contributed mightily to the growth, success, and viability of college basketball." Yeah, right. Since the award was first given in 1988, it has gone to a different official EVERY SINGLE YEAR and no one has won it twice. Thus, this is much more an award of longevity and "who hasn't won it yet" than it is anything to do with officiating, dignity, character, or any other nebulus characteristic that can be used to describe anyone who hasn't been indicted.

In reality, it is likely that the awarding of the Naismith Official of the Year title, much like the game assignments for NCAA Division 1 officials, is mysterious and left to a cadre of fuzzy folks who enjoy basketball and are part of the Atlanta Tipoff Club.. Further, it is likely that this award is as much (or more) about politics than it is about actual officiating ability, just like game assignments. As such, it can't be too much of a surprise that the Atlanta Tip-Off Club named Tony Greene its Official of the Year for 2009-2010, considering that Tony Greene lives in the Atlanta area, does 60+ games a year, many of them on TV, and has been around for many years... and has never won the award before.

But what is the history of this award? Well, there is really only one thing that needs to be explained.

The 2008-2009 winner of this award, Mike Kitts, was the reigining award winner when he was suspended by his primary conference, the Big East, for poor officiating during February of this year: http://istonygreeneonthetake.blogspot.com/2010/02/mike-kitts-suspended-by-big-east-for.html

Clearly, the Atlanta Tip-Off Club doesn't know the first thing about quality officiating, since its most recent winner was ACTUALLY SUSPENDED for POOR OFFICIATING !!! Perhaps the Atlanta Tip-Off Club names winners based on on-court preening and multiple high-profile assignments rather than effective officiating and quality game management. Could Ted Valentine follow Tony Greene as the club's absurd award winner, if this is the criteria?

Oh wait. TV Teddy already WON this award, apparently, in 2005. Notably, Larry Rose won the award in 2002, just a few years before he was DEMOTED from ACC assignments by new ACC Supervisor of Officials John Clougherty, himself a 1989 Award Winner.

Since the award apparently goes to a visible official who has never won it before, ITGOTT nominates David Hall for the 2010-2011 award. But since it apparently ALSO goes to an official who works primiarly in the south or east, we predict the 2010-2011 award winner will be one of these three folks: Karl Hess, Tom O'Neill, or Mike Stuart.

Additionally, if history is any guide, look for Tony Greene to be suspended this season due to his officiating. As we are sure you know, this wouldn't surprise us.

Game 64 - Miami (FL) @ North Carolina - Mar. 2, 2010

2010-03-02T17:10:00.000-08:00

Game - Miami (FL) @ North Carolina - Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Line - North Carolina -5

Result - North Carolina wins 69-62, covering the 5-point spread

Tony Greene worked his 64th Division 1 game of the 2009-2010 season tonight when he was in Chapel Hill, NC, for the match-up between the Miami Hurricans and the North Carolina Tar Heels. North Carolina entered the game as a 5-point favorite, according to the Las Vegas Hilton. Early on it seemed like Tony Greene must have had dinner reservations at one of the Triangle's finer restaurants (Magnolia Grill in Durham, perhaps?) as ITGOTT seriously didn't notice him making calls one way or the other. There certainly didn't seem to be any questionable calls that could have been interpreted as an attempt to influence the spread. As for the game itself, which is one of the most boring and irrelevant games ITGOTT has reviewed all year long, see below.

Make The Big Calls At The End

The Charge/Block- It Can Go Either Way, So Make Sure It Goes Your Way

After 35 minutes of excitement-free basketball and minimal officiating, North Carolina led by 5 points - EXACTLY the spread - with 5 minutes to play. Then came a charge/block call, only the second one ITGOTT noticed the entire game (a stark contrast to Saturday's Tony Greene game, in which there were 8 or 9 charge/block calls). Tony Greene made a blocking call against Miami's Reggie Johnson (his fifth foul) as North Carolina's John Henson careened into the lane.

Even though the Hurricanes drained a couple of threes and cut the lead to one, it was the Tar Heels who executed at the end, getting a couple of key offensive rebounds and converting some second chance points.

Still, with just one minute to go, the Tar Heel lead was four - within one point of the 5-point spread. After Miami scored with 38 seconds to go, the officials step in to call a ticky-tack foul on Miami's Durand Scott 75 feet from the basket and send North Carolina's Will Graves to the line. The free throws push the Tar Heel lead to 4. After Miami missed an ill-advised, rushed three-point attempts, the Hurricanes were forced to foul. The Tar Heels converted their free throws during the last 30 seconds of the game and were able to win 69-62, barely covering the 5-point spread

Summary

In a game where the spread (not the outcome) came down to whether Miami could hit late shots and North Carolina made late free throws as Miami intentionally fouled, it would be tough to see that the officiating affected the spread. Nonetheless, ITGOTT was dedicated and watched a March regular season match-up of ACC bottom-feeders. Aren't we dedicated?

Mike Kitts Suspended By Big East For Poor Officiating

2010-02-28T16:23:00.001-08:00

Mike Kitts, who worked yesterday's "On The Take" Alert game with Tony Greene and Doug Sirmons (http://istonygreeneonthetake.blogspot.com/2010/02/game-63-2-kentucky-19-tennessee-feb-27.html), has been suspended, along with Jim Haney, by the Big East and will be unable to work its conference tournament, for officiating errors during a game between West Virginia and Louisville earlier this year. Apparently the third official from that fateful game, Les Jones, wasn't scheduled to work the Big East tournament anyway, so no suspension was possible.

Here is a link from today's New York Post about the suspensions: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/big_east_benches_refs_for_bad_calls_k7melwcXX1VvSWXFub5cuL

There are a few reasons why this is interesting to us at ITGOTT:

1. Mike Kitts worked yesterday's Tony Greene game, which has generated quite a bit of internet chat and even a few really good comments on our site. Although ITGOTT noted several officiating actions by Tony Greene and Doug Sirmons that could fall into the categories of officials being "on the take" that we have described all season, it should be noted that Mike Kitts did NOT appear to be making calls favoring Tennessee against the spread.

2. The New York Post article quotes Rick Pitino, coach at the University of Louisville, and implies that his complaints may have led to the suspensions of Kitts and Haney. It should also be noted that Pitino's Louisville Cardinals were absolutely jobbed by a ridiculous Tony Greene call in a game at Seton Hall back in January... a call that COULD have affected the spread, considering that an overtime period in that game could have flipped the spread. (http://istonygreeneonthetake.blogspot.com/2010/01/game-41-lousville-seton-hall-jan-21.html)

3. One of ITGOTT's biggest complaints about college basketball officiating is the reticence of announcers, commentators, and most importantly, supervisors of officials to openly and publicly criticize officials who are doing a poor job. While the Big East's Art Hyland didn't EXACTLY do this with regards to Kitts and Haney, ITGOTT feels that this suspension being made public accomplishes the same goal. Everyone now knows that there are ramifications for making officiating errors - or at least procedural errors - and everyone now knows that Mike Kitts and Jim Haney have received punishment for poor officiating - or at least failing to follow procedural errors.

Game 63 - #2 Kentucky @ #19 Tennessee - Feb. 27, 2010

2010-02-27T09:39:00.000-08:00

Game- #2 Kentucky @ #19 Tennessee - Saturday, February 27, 2010

Line - Kentucky - 2 1/2

Result - Tennessee wins 74-65 and covers the spread

There has not been a game all year where it more appeared like Tony Greene, and his crew, were more "on the take" than today's match-up between #2 Kentucky and #19 Tennessee from Knoxville, TN. Tony Greene, working with Doug Sirmons and Mike Kitts, seemed to follow EVERY "On The Take Rule" established on this site, as if they are actually reading and learning from this site! Here are the examples:

With A Small Spread, Help Your Team Early So They Get Off To A Good Start

Kentucky was a slight 2 1/2 point favorite at Tennessee, so Tony Greene, working with Mike Kitts and Doug Sirmons, made sure that the early Kentucky 4-0 lead didn't expand. With the obvious help of the officials' calls, both making questionable calls against Kentucky and eschewing obvious foul calls against Tennessee, the Volunteers were able to run off 18 straight points against the #2 team in the nation and build a 14-point lead. Here are some of the specifics of how the officials aided Tennessee's run.

Get The Star Of The Team You Are NOT Helping In Early Foul Trouble

The Charge/Block Call - It Can Go Either Way, So Make Sure It Goes Your Way

Use Calls To Change The Momentum Of The Game And Help The Team You Are Helping

All year, we have seen on ITGOTT that the charge/block call is the biggest weapon of an official who might be on the take. Those calls are rarely obvious, almost always questioned, and a n official who would be good at rigging the spread of a game would know to use a charge/block call to change a game momentum, get a player in foul trouble, or even wipe off/allow a key basket. Sure enough, 1 1/2 minutes in, Doug Sirmons makes an AWFUL charge call on Kentucky superstar DeMarcus Cousins. This is particularly important because Cousins' play has been the engire that has driven Kentucky all year - when Cousins does well, so do the Wildcats. So Doug Sirmons, 1 1/2 minutes into the game, makes a horrendous charge call on Cousins that was ABSOLUTELY not a charge, and the momentum begins to change. Three ITGOTT rules obeyed with ONE single call, and Tennessee had some obvious help from the crew to begin its run.

Make Calls (or Non-Calls) To Aid The Team You Are Helping - And Do It Over And Over Again During A Run

At least TWICE during Tennessee's 18-0 run, ITGOTT saw OBVIOUS fouls on Kentucky players as they drove to the hoop. But Tony Greene's crew, and especially Doug Sirmons, were not ABOUT to interrupt the Vols' momentum with a call. So at least TWICE during the 18-0 Tennessee run, the Cats COULD (and should) have gone to the free throw line, but didn't, because the officials appeared to be helping Tennessee.

Additionally, in the midst of this 18-0 run, with 14:25 to go in the first half, Tony Greene makes an absurd foul call on a play where Tennessee's Scotty Hopson was driving to the hoop. Even though Hopson was past two Kentucky defenders, and even though both Mike Kitts and Doug Sirmons were closer to, and in better position to make calls on, the play, Tony Greene stepped in from NEARLY MID-COURT to make a phantom foul on Kentucky to aid Tennessee in its run.

Then the obvious one. With 12:25 to go in the first half, and in the middle of Tennessee's 18-0 run, Kentucky John Wall drove to the basket and was OBVIOUSLY fouled. Tony Greene stood right there and called NOTHING (even though 2 minutes before he could see a Kentucky foul from 45 feet away) as John Wall was hacked and driven to the ground. This non-call was a HUGE factor in helping Tennessee with its crucial 18-0 run, and was one of the worst, and appeared to be one of the most biased, non-calls ITGOTT has seen all year.

So there you have it. An 18-0 run by Tennessee turns a 4-0, close game early, into a 18-4 rout. This run was helped by nearly a half-dozen (that ITGOTT noticed) calls against Kentucky or non-calls that favored Tennessee. There has not been a time this season where ITGOTT has seen an officiating crew that appeared to be more obviously "on the take" than during that 9 minute segment that aided Tennessee to an 18-4 lead early.

Tennessee took an 11-point lead, 40-29, into halftime. But the damage, or work, depending on how you look at it, had already been done.

The Charge/Block Call - It Can Go Either Way, So Make Sure It Goes Your Way

Second half, same thing. After a couple of minutes of back-and-forth play with neither team making a run, Tony Greene steps in again with 16:14 to play when he makes a TERRIBLE blocking call on Kentucky's DeAndre Liggins from 35 feet away, even though Mike Kitts was standing right under the basket looking right at the play. Perhaps this is another "On The Take" rule that ITGOTT has not noticed but that Tony Greene follows - make a big call from out of position. We have not noticed any official in basketball who makes more calls from WAY out of position than Tony Greene, which perhaps is another reason we think he may be "on the take."

The Charge/Block Call - It Can Go Either Way, So Make Sure It Goes Your Way

Get Major Players On The Team You Are NOT Helping In Foul Trouble

Doug Sirmons made an early charge foul on Kentucky's DeMarcus Cousins to set the tone for Tennessee's 18-0 first half run that defined this game, and he now does the same thing in the second half... but in reverse. Just over 5 minutes into the second half, Doug Sirmons NOW makes a BLOCKING call against Cousins, giving him his third foul on yet another play that could go either way.

When ALL THE CALLS that could go either way are going against one specific team, it sort of made it look obvious to ITGOTT that the officials could be "on the take" and were DETERMINED that Tennessee cover the spread in this game.

Use Calls To Change The Momentum And Help The Team You Are Helping

After a quick 9-0 Kentucky spurt reduced the Tennessee lead to 10 and John Wall was shooting a free throw to cut the lead to nine, it was obvious that Kentucky had seized the momentum of the game and was threatening to cut the deficit to manageable levels just under 12 minutes to go in the game.

For the third time THIS GAME, Tony Greene made a call against Kentucky from at least 30 feet away, this time an over-the-back call against Kentucky's Patrick Patterson on the Wall missed free throw. Tony Greene's ability to see things from 30+ feet, while missing things that occur right in front of him, is amazing and should be investigated.

The Charge/Block Call - It Can Go Either Way, So Make Sure It Goes Your Way

On the ENSUING possession with 10:47 to go, Doug Sirmons calls a charge call (remember how important those are?) against Kentucky's Eric Bledsoe in another apparently attempt to stem the momentum that Kentucky was seizing. Note that although this call wasn't as bad as the others (and was, in fact, probably the right call), the fact that Doug Sirmons had now made THREE charge/block calls, all of which went against Kentucky, brings his calls into question.

Then, with 7:35 to go, Mike Kitts makes ANOTHER block call against Kentucky, this time against John Wall. Again, this is probably the right call, but given this crew's penchant for making BAD charge/block calls against Kentucky during the game, the call must be noted. Charge/blocks can go either way, and it seemed today like, whether the right call or the wrong call, they were going against Kentucky in a disporportionate amount.

Kentucky continued with its momentum and cut the lead to 4 with less than 5 minutes to play. Then 2 points with 2 1/2 minutes to play. Then tied it with 2:10 to play. This amazing run was a product of momentum, momentum that was attempted to be seized, but unsuccessfully, but this Tony Greene-led crew.

But then Tennessee pulled ahead at the end to win. An "and one" basket (the Vols missed the free throw), a no-call on a John Wall turnover, then a Vol three-pointer pushed the lead to 5 with 30 seconds to go, and the Vols went on to win.

Make The Big Call At The End

But to make sure that Kentucky was not about to make a miracle comeback, Tony Greene stepped in to make ANOTHER charge call against Kentucky, this time against John Wall. The number of charge/block calls that went against Kentucky this game is stunning.

Summary

Given that the game was tied with 2 minutes to play, Tennessee deserved to win. From two minutes to go until the end of the game, the Vols executed and the Wildcats didn't.

However, there is no reason this game should have been tied with 2 minutes to play. The officials clearly aided the Vols' 18-0 run early in the first half, and that run was all the difference this game needed.

Additionally, when Kentucky began making a run in the second half, the officials stepped in multiple times with bizarre and bad calls to attempt to stop Kentucky's momentum.

And most telling, Kentucky was called for SO MANY more charges or blocks on calls that ITGOTT identifies af 50/50 calls that can go either way. Officials "on the take" can make these calls help the team they are helping, and it looked like they did today.

If there has ever been a game all season where it appeared more obvious that Tony Greene (and Doug Sirmons) were "on the take", ITGOTT didn't see it. It looked very obvious to us that Tony Greene was determined, from early on, for Tennessee to cover the spread today.

And guess, what? They did. But what do we know?

Game 57 - Georgia @ #20 Tennessee - Feb. 17, 2010

2010-02-18T06:35:00.000-08:00

Although Tony Greene's 57th game of the 2009-2010 basketball season WAS televised, the fine folks here at ITGOTT are away on another assignment and were unable to review his performance.

Tennessee beat Georgia 69-60 in a game that featured very few calls by the officiating crew of Tony Greene, Joe Lindsey, and Roger Ayers.

See you soon!

Game 56 - James Madison @ Georgia State - Feb. 16, 2010

2010-02-18T06:33:00.000-08:00

Tony Greene continues his workhorse schedule, working the James Madison game at Georgia State on Tuesday, February 16.

The game, won 77-72 by Georgia State, was not televised and as such there will be no ITGOTT review.

Game 55 - Connecticut @ #3 Villanova - Feb. 15, 2010

2010-02-15T16:37:00.000-08:00

Game - Connecticut @ #3 Villanova - Monday, February 15, 2010

Line - Villanova - 9 1/2

Result - Connecticut wins outright, 74-85

This game was interesting, if only because Sean McDonough and Jay Bilas were VERY critical of the officials throughout the game.

Also interesting was the fact that Bill Raftery tended to clam up whenever McDonough and Bilas were bashing Tony Greene and Jim Burr.

But even with the bad officiating - which seemed to favor Villanova and repeatedly earned the ire of Jim Calhoun - Connecticut was able to upset Villanova and win outright,

Game 54 - #9 Georgetown @ Rutgers - Feb. 14, 2010

2010-02-15T16:34:00.000-08:00

It was Valentine's Day, but that didn't stop the presumably-unmarried Tony Greene from working a game in New Jersey between Rutgers and Georgetown.

Remember, he had worked LATE the night before in KENTUCKY, so Tony Greene really had to hustle to get to New Jersey for this Sunday afternoon match-up.

In fact, ITGOTT didn't even realize that there was a game on Valentine's Day, and was shocked to be channel-flipping and see that, not only was Rutgers hanging with the double-digit favorite Georgetown, but our pal Tony Greene was working the game, along with Doug Sirmons and Bernard Clinton (who ITGOTT thinks is a GREAT referee).

So, no review of the game or performance of the officials.

Game 53 - #12 Tennessee @ #2 Kentucky - Feb. 13, 2010

2010-02-13T18:19:00.001-08:00

Game - #12 Tennessee @ #2 Kentucky - Saturday, February 13, 2010

Line - Kentucky -10

Result - Kentucky wins and covers, 73-62

Tony Greene's 53rd outing of the season was a big one - #12 Tennessee in Rupp Arena in Lexington to face the #2 Kentucky Wildcats on ESPN's Gameday.

This game ended with Kentucky covering the spread by ONE point, and there were really a couple of major calls that ITGOTT felt were made that actually appeared as if the officials could have been "on the take"... for Tennessee

First, with the emotion of ESPN's Gameday (which had been attended by a record 22,000 Kentucky fans earlier in the day), the highly-rated Wildcats quickly shot to a 6-0 lead. Just a minute or so into the game, it looked like Kentucky was poised to blow the game open and thoroughly destroy an over-matched, especially emotionally, Tennessee team. Unless something happened early to change the game's momentum, this thing looked like it could get ugly early.

Use Calls To Change The Momentum And Hurt The Team You Are Not Helping

The Charge/Block Call - It Can Go Either Way, So Make Sure It Goes Your Way

Then wouldn't you know, Tony Greene steps in with a blocking call on Kentucky's DeMarcus Cousins when a charge call EASILY could have been called. That single call changed the momentum of the game, and the ensuing 12-1 Tennessee run gave them a 5-point lead.

Then, Kentucky goes on an IMMEDIATE 13-2 run to push lead to 20-14. Again, the game was on the verge of becoming a blowout - remember the amped up crowd, the emotion of Gameday, etc. - until a charging call is made against Patrick Patterson of Kentucky. This time, that change in momentum resulted in an 8-2 run and a game tied at 26.

These two calls - one a block and one a charge - each CERTAINLY changed the momentum of a game that was on the verge of blowout. The charge/block call can almost always go either way, so when TWO momentum changes occur in a big game due to charge/block calls, ITGOTT takes note.

The game is EVEN for a long time, until about 9 minutes to go when a defense-fueled 10-0 UK run puts Cats up 8. A bizarre goal tending call by Antinio Petty ends run and cuts lead to 6 with 6 1/2 min to go and changes momentum. UT 5-0 run cuts lead to 4.

After UK run pushes lead to 12 (and surpasses the spread) with 3 1/2 minutes to go, Tony Greene calls a moving screen on Kentucky's Daniel Orton. Greene was across the court, the farthest official from the play, and he was also the only person in Rupp Arena to see a foul on that play. Unbelievable.

Yet with all these calls, Kentucky was able to cover the spread. But in the eyes of ITGOTT, it looked like if the officiating crew WAS "on the take," they were favoring Tennessee.

Who knows?

Game 52 - Florida @ South Carolina - Feb. 10, 2010

2010-02-10T17:07:00.001-08:00

Game - Florida @ South Carolina - Wednesday, February 1o, 2010

Line - South Carolina - 1 1/2

Result - South Carolina wins 77-71 and covers the 1 1/2 point spread

Tony Greene continued his work in the 2009-2010 NCAA basketball season when he worked his 52nd game of the year in Columbia, SC. Just two weeks ago on the same floor, South Carolina had defeated #1 Kentucky, but tonight the Gamecocks were just a 1 1/2-point favorite on visiting and unranked Florida. With such a small spread, it was likely that any officiating that demonstrated the possibility of an official "on the taek" would also affect the outcome.

Use Calls To Stop The Momentum Of The Team You Are Not Helping

After Florida had built an 8-point lead with about 5 minutes to go in the first half and was threatening to push their lead to double digits, the officiating changed. Only FOUR total calls had been made on either team throughout the first 15 minutes of the game, and with that style of officiating, Florida had taken an 8-point lead and clearly had the momentum. When South Carolina's Brandis Raley-Ross drives into the lane, out of control, and crashes into Florida's Dan Werner, not only is the foul called on Warner, but Raley-Ross is awarded free throws, as well. On the VERY NEXT possession, Devan Downey does the SAME THING, driving into the lane and crashing into Florida's Erving Walker. SAME CALL - free throws for Downey, and suddenly the Florida lead is whittled to two, and their momentum is stemmed. The Florida lead stood at four at halftime.

Use Calls (Or Non-Calls) To Seize The Momentum For The Team You Are Helping

Halfway through the second half, Florida STILL lead by 4, and it appeared this margin was pretty static. Unless something external happened - such as a big call by the officials - neither team looked like it could make a run. So with just under 10 minutes to go in the second half, Florida's Dan Werner is called for a mystery travel, and on the ensuing possession, South Carolina's Brandis Raley-Ross drains a three, and the momentum had switched.

A minute later, Florida's Chandler Parsons was OBVIOUSLY fouled on a lay-up attempt, but Tony Greene - staring RIGHT at the play - didn't call a foul. Of course, South Carolina scored on its ensuing possession, and took its first lead since the opening minutes of the game. The momentum in this game had CLEARLY changed on two calls (actually, one call and one no-call), and South Carolina, just up 1, was now in control of the game.

The Gamecocks extended their lead to 7 with 4 minutes to go, then with Florida missing free throws, South Carolina lead by 10 with one minute to go. The Gamecocks eventually won 77-71, covering the 1 1/2 point spread. The ENTIRE outcome of this game hinged, in our eyes, on a couple of calls (and a huge no-call by Tony Greene) in the middle of the second half.

One other thing. Joe Dean, Jr., calling this game for the SEC Network, referred on-air to the officiating crew of Tony Greene, Mike Nance, and Bert Smith as the "A-Team" of SEC officials. While this point is clearly debatable, what bothers ITGOTT is the fact that Joe Dean says that he also made this comment TO the officials before the game. Why is this a problem? Because it indicates a familiarity between the color commentator and the officials. That familiarity almost certainly precludes Joe Dean from criticizing the work of this officiating crew, if necessary, and thus Joe Dean is CLEARLY not calling the game with a pair of totally objective eyes. ITGOTT wants to hear announcers who criticize officials when necessary as well as praising them when warranted. The familiarity that many announcers, including Joe Dean, Jr., have with officials prevents this objectivity.

Game 51 - Mississippi State @ Florida - Feb. 6, 2010

2010-02-06T11:12:00.001-08:00

Game - Mississippi State @ Florida - Saturday, February 5, 2010

Line - Florida -3

Result - Florida wins 69-62, covering the spread

Tony Greene worked his 51st game of the college basketball season today in Gainesville, Florida, when the Mississippi State Bulldogs traveled on the road to play the Florida Gators. Neither team was ranked, and the gametime spread saw Florida as a 3-point favorite.

Make Call To Further The Momentum Of The Team You Are Helping

The Charge/Block Call - It Can Go Either Way, So Make Sure It Goes Your Way

For 30+ minutes of basketball, this game was close, neither team able to build much of a lead, and neither team able to gather much momentum. With about 8 minutes to go, Florida began to get some momentum, and hit a three-pointer and made a couple of quick steals in succession to build a 10-point lead. With 4 minutes to go and the lead cut to 6, Mississippi State appeared ready to seize the momentum and challenge for the win, which would clearly put them within the 3-point spread. When the Florida lead was at 8, a Mississippi State player drove the baseline and was called for a bizarre charge, stemming the Bulldog momentum. On the ensuing possession, Mississippi State was called for a foul that sent Florida to the line, where they extended the lead to 10. Those two calls, perhaps more than anything else that happened in the game, broke Mississippi State's attempt at seizing the momentum, and allowed Florida to extend its lead to double digits, a lead they held until the end of the game.

This entire game - outcome AND spread - hinged on one run that Florida was able to make in the latter part of the second half. The Gators, after playing 30 minutes of even basketball with Mississippi State, seized the momentum for just enough time to take a double digit lead in what had been a nearly totally even game. And when Mississippi State threatened to seize back this momentum and make a run at the end, two quick calls stemmed that momentum and led to a Florida victory... and cover of the spread by 7, 69-62, even considering a brief Bulldog run (with multiple long three-pointers) at the end of the game.

It can never be overstated how important momentum is in the game of basketball; and it can never be overstated how much control the officials - via their calls - have over the momentum. It was evident in today's game.

Game 50 - North Carolina @ Virginia Tech - Feb. 4, 2010

2010-02-04T18:27:00.000-08:00

Game - North Carolina @ Virginia Tech; Thursday, February 4, 2010

Line - Virginia Tech -4

Result - Virginia Tech wins 74-70. A push against the spread

Tony Greene popped up in Blacksburg, VA, to work his 50th Division 1 college basketball game of this season. The collapsing North Carolina Tar Heels were a 4-point underdog to the homestanding Virginia Tech Hokies when Tony Greene threw up the ball for the opening tip.

When a game ends EXACTLY on the spread, there really isn't any argument you can make that the officials are "on the take." Tonight's game was a great game, and kind of fun to see Virginia Tech beat UNC.

By the way, it was a 4-point game with less than 20 seconds to go when a UNC 3-pointer went in and out. And it was a 7-point game until UNC nailed a meaningless three at the buzzer.

Game 47 - #25 Mississippi @ #4 Kentucky - Feb. 2, 2010

2010-02-02T16:13:00.001-08:00

Game - #25 Mississippi @ #4 Kentucky - Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Line - Kentucky -11

Result - Kentucky wins 85-75, but Mississippi covers the spread

Tony Greene seems to work more games involving the Kentucky Wildcats than any other team, and tonight was no exception. Tony Greene's 47th game of the season was a match-up of the Ole Miss Rebels and the Kentucky Wildcats from Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington. The Wildcats entered the game as an 11-point favorite.

Use Calls To Keep The Team You Are Helping Close Early

The Charge/Block Call - It Can Go Either Way, So Make Sure It Goes Your Way

Less than 2 minutes into the game, the Kentucky Wildcats had sprinted to a 7-0 lead before anybody knew was was happening. Since Ole Miss was an 11-point underdog, the spread was being threatened early, and Tony Greene and his crew couldn't let this happen. After awarding Ole Miss a couple of free throws, Tony Greene stepped in on a Kentucky drive to the hoop to make a questionable charge call (aren't they all?) and give the ball to Ole Miss. The call could easily have changed momentum, and kept Ole Miss from being blown out.

Don't Let The Game Get Away From You In The First Half

Use Calls To Stop The Momentum Of The Team You Are Not Helping

After Kentucky dominated its way to a huge 18-point lead less than halfway through the first half, the game was on the verge of becoming a blowout. On the VERY next possession, the officials called Kentucky for a very questionable "and one" foul, giving a little momentum to Ole Miss. The Rebels capitalized on this big call, executed a 7-0 run, and cut the Wildcat lead. Perhaps more important than the fact that Ole Miss cut into the lead was the fact that the Wildcats' momentum was effectively stopped with this single, crucial call.

With this newfound momentum, Ole Miss was able to slowly, but surely, eat away at the Wildcats' lead, and with under four minutes to go in the first half, the Rebels had cut the lead to 5 with just 3 minutes to go in the first half. A brief Kentucky run at the end of the first half made the halftime Rebel deficit 9.

Use Calls To Stop The Momentum Of The Team You Are Helping

After Kentucky began the second half just like they did the first half - a hot streak that quickly pushed their lead to 15 - it seemed like the Wildcats had seized all the momentum. In quick succession, Kentucky's Eric Bledsoe converted an athletic, tipped-pass alley-oop lay-up and then Kentucky's DeMarcus Cousins stole the ensuing inbounds pass and converted the lay-up to push the Wildcat lead to 17. But wait... enter Tony Greene, seemingly determined NOT to lead Kentucky blow this game open. Tony Greene claimed (in an off-camera comment to ESPN's Brad Nessler during the time-out) that Ole Miss had somehow sneaked in a time-out BEFORE the Cousins steal of the inbounds pass. VERY bizarre, and a very obvious momentum-changer. The call not only took 2 points off the board for Kentucky, it also allowed Ole Miss to make a run and cut the 15-point Wildcat lead to 3, safely inside the 11-point spread. A single, momentum-changing call that incited a 14-point swing in the game.

Use Calls To Stop The Momentum Of The Team You Are Not Helping

When Kentucky began ANOTHER run and pushed its lead back to 12, covering the 11 point spread, halfway through the second half, the officials stepped in again. This time, it was in the form of an "and one" foul against Kentucky, awarding Ole Miss a free throws after a bucket. Although the free throw was missed, Kentucky's momentum was stemmed, and the game remained about a 12-point contest, back and forth, for several minutes. Although Kentucky was likely to win the game, the 11-point spread was definitely in doubt.

Make The Big Call At The End

With 1:16 to go, Kentucky led by 12, against an 11-point spread. Neither team was fouling and forcing free throws, and Kentucky was draining clock on its possessions, so something external was going to have to flip the spread. Enter this Tony Greene-led officiating crew, which called two quick fouls on Kentucky in SIX seconds - this when nobody was fouling or playing aggressive defense! Sure enough, the Kentucky lead was cut to 9 at the buzzer, and the Cats won 85-75. But Ole Miss covered the spread.

There are a couple of important things to note in this game. Each time Kentucky made a run and threatened to blow the game open, it was an official's call that stopped that momentum. The call Tony Greene made about 5 minutes into the second half, as Kentucky was threatening to blow open the game and push the lead to 17, absolutely changed the momentum of this game, and thus the spread. A good official "on the take" can do this - use BIG calls to change a game's momentum.

And when the spread was in question at the end, with both teams just draining clock to end the game, it was Ole Miss who was awarded free throws that flipped the spread.

Game 46 - Florida @ #14 Tennessee - Jan. 31,2010

2010-01-31T10:15:00.001-08:00

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.

Game 45 - LSU @ Mississippi State - Jan. 30, 2010

2010-01-30T11:03:00.000-08:00

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.

Game 44 - North Florida @ South Carolina - Upstate - Jan. 27, 2010

2010-01-30T11:01:00.000-08:00

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.

Game 43 - Georgetown @ Syracuse; Jan. 25, 2009

2010-01-29T07:13:00.000-08:00

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.

Game 42 - Auburn @ Vanderbilt - Jan. 23, 2010

2010-01-29T07:08:00.000-08:00

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.

Game 41 - Louisville @ Seton Hall - Jan. 21, 2010

2010-01-21T18:43:00.000-08:00

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?

Mainstream media calls out Big 12 officials

2010-01-19T09:18:00.001-08:00

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?

Game 39 - Maryland @ Boston College - Jan. 16, 2010

2010-01-19T09:16:00.000-08:00

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

Game 38 - Arkansas @ Mississippi State - Jan. 14, 2010

2010-01-14T16:17:00.000-08:00

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.

Game 37 - Marshall @ Central Florida - Jan. 13, 2010

2010-01-14T16:14:00.000-08:00

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.

Game 36 - Kentucky @ Florida - Jan. 12, 2010

2010-01-14T16:12:00.000-08:00

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).

Game 35 - NC-Greensboro @ UT-Chattanooga - Jan. 11, 2010

2010-01-14T16:10:00.000-08:00

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

Game 34 - Connecticut @ Georgetown - Jan 9, 2010

2010-01-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

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.

Game 33 - Campbell @ Mercer - Jan. 7, 2010

2010-01-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

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

Game 32 - DePaul @ Villanova - Jan. 6, 2010

2010-01-06T21:36:00.000-08:00

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.

Game 31 - McNeese State @ LSU - Jan. 4, 2010

2010-01-06T11:53:00.000-08:00

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...

Game 30 - Florida @ North Carolina State; Jan. 3, 2010

2010-01-04T19:01:00.000-08:00

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.

Game 29 - Louisville @ Kentucky - Jan. 2, 2010

2010-01-02T12:07:00.000-08:00

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.

Tony Greene to work Louisville @ Kentucky tomorrow, 1/2/10

2010-01-01T13:55:00.000-08:00

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.

Game 28 - Tennessee @ Memphis - Dec. 31, 2009

2010-01-01T08:06:00.000-08:00

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).

Game 27 - Bethune-Cookman @ Miami (FL) - Dec. 30, 2009

2010-01-01T08:05:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-01T08:03:00.000-08:00

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.

Game 25 - Harvard @ Georgetown - Dec. 23, 2009

2009-12-23T13:40:00.000-08:00

Tony Greene was on the move; after working a game last night in Starkville, MS, he hurried to Washington, DC, for an afternoon game today. Harvard (better than the average Ivy League team) was facing Georgetown (a worse than average Big East team, and a team that seems to be in turmoil, at that).

Georgetown was a 14-point favorite and barely covered, winning 86-70. However, this game was not televised, so while ITGOTT would have loved to review a game that concluded so close to the spread, that's not possible.

Maybe next time!

Game 24 - Centenary @ Mississippi State - Dec. 22, 2009

2009-12-23T13:39:00.000-08:00

After a couple days off, Tony Greene showed up in Starkville, MS, to work Mississippi State's blowout of the Centenary Gentlemen.

This game was not televised, so there can be no ITGOTT review of Tony Greene's performance

Game 23 - South Carolina @ Wofford - Dec. 19, 2009

2009-12-19T16:04:00.000-08:00

GAME - South Carolina @ Wofford; Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009

LINE - South Carolina - 3

RESULT - Wofford wins outright, winning 68-61.

Review coming later this week (game on TiVo).

Game 22 - Richmond @ South Carolina - Dec. 16, 2009

2009-12-16T16:14:00.000-08:00

GAME - Richmond @ South Carolina; Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009

LINE - South Carolina - 4 1/2

RESULT - South Carolina covers, winning 76-58

Tony Greene showed up in Columbia, SC, tonight, to work the match-up between the Richmond Spiders and the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Gamecocks entered the game as a 4 1/2 point favorite, according to the Las Vegas Hilton.

If The Team You Are Helping Has Bigger Players, Let The Game Be More Physical

South Carolina entered the game knowing it was the bigger, more physical team. Richmond played the role of the savvier, ball movement specialists who would work to get good shots and play very smart defense, preventing fast breaks and easy buckets. A more physical game would CLEARLY help the Gamecocks.

As the lead official, Tony Greene would be likely to set the officiating tone that this ballgame took. That tone was set early when there was simply nothing being called by any official.

Unbelievably, the first 5+ minutes were played without a single foul call. On one possession, South Carolina was crashing the offensive glass and two fouls could be HEARD when Richmond players were slapping the arms of South Carolina players. Going the other way, Richmond saw two players hit the floor with no call. Before a single call was made by any official, a hot-shooting Richmond team had taken a 12-4 lead.

The Charge/Block Call - It Can Always Go Either Way, So Make Sure It Goes Your Way

Then Tony Greene stepped in, whistling a Richmond player for a charge on a clear 50/50 call with about 12 minutes to go in the half. The Spiders were unable to gain any momentum, and a 7-0 South Carolina run reduced an 8-point Richmond lead to a single point advantage halfway through the first half.

Use Calls (And Non-Calls) To Stop Momentum Of The Team You Are Not Helping

Richmond wouldn't be denied, and some aggressive defense and some smart passing led to some easy Spider baskets, and their lead quickly ballooned to 9 points as they seized the momentum. But the officials apparently didn't want Richmond to have the momentum, and one of the most ticky-tack fouls ITGOTT has seen all year was called on Richmond, resulting in an "and one" for the Gamecocks.

Yet Richmond STILL wouldn't be denied, controlling the tempo and making efficient, smart passes to earn their players open shots. Other than ignore South Carolina fouls (which they did on two consecutive possessions), there really wasn't anything the officials could do. Not that Tony Greene didn't try, calling YET ANOTHER "and one" foul call on Richmond with just over 4 minutes left in the half, the subsequent free throw reducing the Spider lead to 3.

Richmond's sticky D resulted in a couple of Gamecock turnovers, and the Spider halftime lead was extended to 8. (It should also be noted that JB Caldwell, NOT Tony Greene, called a charge on South Carolina inside of a minute to play in the first half, the resulting Richmond basket representing a 4-point change). For South Carolina to cover, they needed to win the second half by 15 points, a pretty large challenge against a team that controls tempo as well as Richmond.

If You Need Something To Change, Set A Tone Early In The Second Half By Changing The Officiating Style From The First Half

Get Major Players On The Team You Are Not Helping In Foul Trouble

Amazingly, 15 seconds into the second half (remember, it was more than 5 minutes into the first half before a foul was called on ANY team), a foul is called on Richmond. 2 more minutes, and yet another "and one" foul was called on Richmond, and suddenly South Carolina was only down 4. This officiating crew, led by Tony Greene, was clearly officiating this game differently in the second half than they had in the first half.

And oh by the way, that "and one" call was the FOURTH foul on Richmond senior leader David Gonzalvez, so he had to go to the bench VERY early in the second half.

A non-call on a South Carolina block of a Richmond lay-up, then a 50/50 out-of-bounds call that went South Carolina's way, and 3 minutes into the second half, an 11-2 South Carolina run has flipped an 8-point Richmond halftime lead into a 1-point deficit.

The early second-half tone set by the officials really seemed to rattle Richmond, and announcer Dave Neal even claimed that Richmond had gone into a "meltdown situation." With the 4 1/2 point spread COVERED less than 5 minutes into the second half (after South Carolina had an 8-point deficit at halftime), the power that the officials have to change the momentum of a game by changing how they officiate that game has not been more evident in any game ITGOTT has reviewed this season. This game was CLEARLY officiated differently, as relates to Richmond especially, in the first half than it was in the opening minutes of the second half - and that change seemed to make all the difference in the game.

Richmond coach Chris Mooney saw the game slipping away from him, and in desperation, put his senior leader David Gonzalvez back into the game long before the game reached the mid-point of the second half. That change, and the defensive intensity brought by Gonzalvez, helped Richmond reduce the lead to 1 point, and flip the spread. With the game tied with nearly 11 minutes to play, Richmond coach Chris Mooney judiciously put his senior leader David Gonzalvez, laden with 4 fouls, back on the bench. The resulting decrease in defensive intensity allowed the Gamecocks to build back a 2-point lead, demonstrating how a key call (that fourth foul call on Gonzalvez 2 minutes into the second half) can influence a game long after the whistle has finished sounding.

If The Team You Are Helping Has Bigger Players, Let The Game Be More Physical

Then, with the game tied with just under 8 minutes to go, the Tony Greene-led officiating crew once AGAIN changed its style and swallowed their whistles. A couple of possible Gamecock fouls (and an obvious Gamecock traveling violation) were ignored, a 50/50 out-of-bounds ball went South Carolina's way, and without a single foul being called on either team for 3 1/2 minutes, a 15-0 South Carolina run blew the game open. It seemed to ITGOTT that this was how this Tony Greene-led crew wanted it to be at the outset of the game, but Richmond's hot shooting, crisp passing, and intense D didn't allow for that. A simple change of officiating style changed the course of the game, and ANOTHER change of officiating style dictated the ending.

Look at it this way: with the game tied at 52 with 8 minutes to go, the officials simply stopped calling fouls on South Carolina. Shockingly, not a single foul was called on the Gamecocks for MORE THAN NINE MINUTES!!!

With The Spread Easily Covered, Make Calls Favoring the OTHER Team To Draw Attention Away From Yourself

Tony Greene stepped in to call a meaningless reach-in call on South Carolina 30 feet from from the basket - no free throws, of course, Richmond wasn't in the bonus - with a minute and a half to go in the game. That call was the ONLY foul call made on South Carolina during the final 10 1/2 minutes of the game.

No wonder South Carolina covered the 4 1/2 point spread after trailing by 8 at halftime!

Game 21 - Elon @ Wake Forest - Dec. 13, 2009

2009-12-14T08:20:00.000-08:00

Tony Greene traveled cross-country from Anaheim to work yesterday's blowout of Elon by the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (an underrated team, in ITGOTT's opinion).

No TV coverage, however.

A comment on Curtis Shaw

2009-12-13T11:25:00.001-08:00

Curtis Shaw is one of the most respected officials in college basketball, but ITGOTT is not a fan. One might think that because Curtis Shaw has been honored with the privilege or working multiple Final Fours, he could be considered one of the best officials in college basketball. But his officiating in general, and his behavior yesterday in particular, demonstrate why he should no longer be allowed to officiate college basketball games.

In last night's game between #5 Purdue and unranked Alabama from Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, AL, Curtis Shaw was working along with (an ITGOTT favorite) Bert Smith and John Hughes. Behind the emotion and momentum of the Heisman Trophy announcement, when Mark Ingram was able to become the first Alabama player EVER (can that even be possible?) to win the Heisman trophy, the Crimson Tide were able to take a double digit lead on the heavily favored Boilermakers from Purdue. But talent won out, and Purdue quickly closed the gap in the second half, pulling away to win by nearly double digits.

But the story of this game is the unfortunate behavior of Curtis Shaw. One of the most "respected" officials in college basketball, once again, had to make the game about him, ejecting several Crimson Tide students from the students section.

We've seen this sort of petty, childish behavior from Curtis Shaw before. Last season, the thin-skinned bully Curtis Shaw ejected Rice's mascot, Sammy the Owl, for commenting on a Curtis Shaw call with about 8 minutes remaining in a game where Rice was hosting Tulane.

This season, Curtis Shaw took it on himself to inject himself into the game, and even the crowd, last night when excited, boisterous Alabama fans were apparently saying something Curtis Shaw didn't like. The fans were not entering the court; they were not interfering with the game; and they were not throwing items onto the floor - all of those are acceptable reasons for a fan to be ejected. But with the trend of universities placing student sections closer to the floor to create a more intimidating home atmosphere, as Alabama has done, there will be enthusiastic students who loudly support their teams. Who can argue an Alabama student, sitting peacefully in his team's student section on the first day of the academic holiday break and just hours after learning his football team's star had won the school's first Heisman Trophy, getting vociferously involved in the game? Well, apparently Curtis Shaw, who began singling out students for ejection with about 4 minutes left to go in the game.

This game isn't about you, Curtis Shaw! This game is about students! It's about fun! And it's about the thrill of cheering for your team - even the fun of criticizing a lazy, overrated, past-his-prime, ref like you! This sports has so many great officials - like Bert Smith, who was working with Curtis Shaw last night - that it's a shame that a thin-skinned, lazy, bully of a coward like you had to be considered one of the best in the game. You are not, Curtis Shaw. You, because of your attitude, are one of the worst.

And it's not just your attitude. It's your lazy officiating. Here is an example:

Every official in every game is expected to demonstrate a "visible ten-second count" if he's working the backcourt as a team approaches mid-court with the ball. Offensive teams have ten seconds to move the ball into the frontcourt, or it's a turnover. Ten times per possession, each official is expected to demonstrate this with his arm until the offensive team crosses midcourt and enters the frontcourt. To avoid doing so is either the height of laziness or the pinnacle of arrogance - or in the case of Curtis Shaw, both.

ITGOTT watched last night's game. Every single possession, without exception, Bert Smith offered the players (and coaches and fans) a visible ten-second count. Every single time.

Curtis Shaw did not, on any possession that we noticed. He's too lazy, too arrogant, too SOMETHING to do the most basic of officiating duties. Yet he injects himself into games time and time again, ejecting mascots, and even pointing out vociferous students to the police so they can be escorted out.

Watch the next game Curtis Shaw officiates. He will NOT demonstrate a visible ten-second call, an easy way to tell if an official is willing to do the little things as part of his job.

Curtis Shaw is the WORST official in college basketball. He's an arrogant, thin-skinned bully who can't do the basics of his job, yet oversteps his purview repeatedly to show people who's really in charge. Way to go, Curtis Shaw. You truly are an embarrassment to officials, a disgrace to the NCAA, and a humilation to anyone who knows you.

Game 20 - Georgetown vs. Washington @ Anaheim, CA; Dec. 12, 2009

2009-12-13T09:59:00.000-08:00

Tony Green worked yesterday's game between Georgetown and Washington in the John Wooden Classic in Anaheim, CA.

Although the game was televised by Fox Sports Net, ITGOTT was unable to watch the game.

Perhaps there will be a replay of the game this week.

Game 19 - DePaul vs. Mississippi State @ Tampa, FL; Dec. 10, 2009

2009-12-10T15:53:00.000-08:00

GAME - DePaul vs. Mississippi State in Tampa; Thursday, Dec. 12, 2009

LINE - Mississippi State - 12

RESULT - Mississippi State covers easily, winning by 31, 76-45

After a necessary FOUR days off following his Saturday "effort" in Lexington (http://istonygreeneonthetake.blogspot.com/2009/12/game-17-north-carolina-kentucky-dec-5.html), Tony Greene showed up in Tampa, FL, tonight, working the lesser half of the Big East-SEC Showdown match-ups played in Tampa. Drawing the short straw and missing out on the anticipated Florida-Syracuse tilt later in the evening, Tony Greene was forced to sit through the desolate DePaul-Mississippi State match-up, and so were his friends at ITGOTT.

When Things Are Going Your Way, Swallow Your Whistle

Halfway through the first half, ITGOTT hadn't noticed anything egregious by any of tonight's crew, which consisted of Tony Greene, Mike Kitts, and Doug Shows. A questionable charge call on a Mississippi State Bulldog resulted in a DePaul three-pointer, and an additional bizarre rebounding foul on MSU's Kodi Augustus made ITGOTT look at Doug Shows, but he's more of a bad official than an official "on the take."

If Tony Greene was calling anything, ITGOTT missed it in the first half. A Mississippi State run, fueled by 9 first-half three-pointers, was not interrupted by any calls, and a 15-0 run put the Bulldogs up by 19 at the close of the half. The spread was covered 5 minutes before the first half, and MSU never looked back. Tony Greene wasn't going to make any calls to break MSU's momentum, and DePaul coach Jerry Wainwright's repeated time-outs proved futile. FYI - During MSU's 15-0 run, only 2 total fouls were called on either team, and neither were called by Tony Greene.

An easy "and-one" call made by a shockingly out-of-position Tony Greene (ITGOTT had no clue what he was doing in that position when he made the call) with 42 seconds to go in the half allowed MSU to extend its lead to 22, the margin being reduced to 20 at halftime.

(To be fair, this looked like a case of one coach totally out-preparing the other. The underrated Rick Stansbury of MSU totally out-classed DePaul's Jerry Wainwright. Look for Jerry Wainwright to be doing something else other than embarrassing Blue Demon fans next year. In fact, IsTonyGreenOnTheTake boldly predicts that Jerry Wainwright is dismissed before the end of this season.)

Don't Let The Team You Are Not Helping Get Back Into The Game

Following this rule, unbelievably, the first seven personal fouls of the second half were called on DePaul, and Mississippi State was able to extend its 20-point lead to 27, and with 14:21 to go in the game, the Bulldogs were in the bonus while yet to commit their first second-half foul.

It should be noted that this game was SO bad that even Brad Nessler and Jimmy Dykes were having a hard time keeping interested. By the second half, these guys were talking about ANYTHING other than the game, and it was tough to keep watching.

Mississippi State, behind a 9-1 second half foul discrepancy in its favor, extended its lead to 31 with 9 minutes to play, and the rout was on and the spread of 12 was easily in hand.

Mississippi State went on to win 76-45, easily covering the 12-point spread.

Game 18 - North Carolina @ Kentucky; Dec. 5, 2009

2009-12-05T09:41:00.000-08:00

GAME - North Carolina @ Kentucky; Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009

LINE - Kentucky - 4

RESULT - Kentucky 68-66, North Carolina gets a backdoor cover

Tony Greene showed up in Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington, KY, today, to work the highly anticipated tilt between #10 North Carolina and #5 Kentucky.

With A Small Spread, Keep The Team You Are Helping Close Early

And by "early," Tony Greene apparently thought REALLY early. 2 seconds in and it was obvious where this game was headed, if Tony Greene had any say in it. Tony Greene tosses the ball up for the opening tap, Kentucky's John Wall is tripped (an "automatic call" according to CBS's Clark Kellogg) and Ted Valentine has to come from out of nowhere to make the call that Tony Greene was obviously eyeing, yet chose to ignore.

Three minutes later, UNC's Larry Drew II raises his arm to charge into UK's Eric Bledsoe and Tony Greene, never one to miss an opportunity, somehow calls Bledsoe for the block, Bledsoe's second foul.

Two minutes later, after two electrifying plays by Kentucky superstar John Wall cut Carolina's early 7-point lead to 3, Tony Greene looks RIGHT AT at obvious travel by UNC's Tyler Zeller and doesn't blow his whistle. Of course, Ted Valentine (NOT "on the take") instincively blows his whistle even though he's not the official on top of the play. The right call is made, in spite of Tony Greene's efforts.

Use Calls To Stop Momentum By The Team You Are Not Helping

After a 13-0 run stretches UK's lead to 6, Tony Greene senses the game getting away from him. Since UNC's Roy Williams often eschews time-outs to stop his opponent's momentum, Tony Greene must "call" one for him. Thus, 7 1/2 minutes into the game, Tony Greene calls Kentucky's Daniel Orton for some sort of foul when replays show CLEARLY that UNC's Tyler Zeller, battling Patterson for post position, elbows Orton. So far, there has been no game all season where Tony Greene's bias was more on display early than today.

But not even the questionable officiating of Tony Greene (note that Ted Valentine and Mike Eades appeared to be totally "on the level") could stop the Big Blue, and before Tony Greene knew what hit him,the UK lead was stretched to 19 and the rout appeared to be on. Even with North Carolina beginning to hit a few shots, Kentucky was able to take a 15-point lead into the locker room.

And then Tony Greene got a break. John Wall exited the game about a minute into the second half with some sort of leg injury, and North Carolina began a 10-0 run to cut the Kentucky lead to 7, well within striking distance of not only the spread but also the game itself. During the UNC run, Tony Greene was able to avoid an obvious foul call on North Carolina during a DeMarcus Cousins putback. Whereas Tony Greene was willing to call a phantom call on Kentucky in the first half in an attempt to stop a Kentucky run, he was unwilling to call an actual call on North Carolina that could have curtailed a UNC run during the second half. It's these sort sof obviously hypocritical double standards that made ITGOTT actually begin this blog.

When Things Are Going Your Way, Swallow Your Whistle

Even with John Wall on the bench, Kentucky was able to maintain its lead, which was 12 when Wall returned with just under 12 minutes to go in the game. But then a North Carolina run, uninterrupted by any calls, cut the Kentucky lead to 5, and everything - the spread AND the outcome - was back in play. With 8 minutes to play, Kentucky Patrick Patterson was obviously fouled on a drive into the lane, and Tony Greene stood by idly, even extending his arms to the side as the ball trickled out of bounds after the non-call as if to indicate, "I didn't see anything!" in a bad imitation of Sergeant Schultz from Hogan's Heroes.

Then with 5 1/2 minutes to play, Tony Greene looks right at Kentucky's DeMarcus Cousins being fouled on an offensive rebound attempt, and again swallows his whistle. North Carolina is able to continue to chip away at Kentucky's lead, and with 4 1/2 minute to go in the game, Kentucky's lead was only 3. And oh by the way, North Carolina, with the points, was now a successful "back door cover" on a Vegas bet, just like an official "on the take" for North Carolina would want.

Make The Big Call At The End

It's Better To Be Lucky Than Good

An official "on the take" who has to make a big call at the end of a game to ensure the game - or the spread - goes the way he wants has cut it pretty close. Sometimes the big call at the end comes to that official - as it did to Tony Greene three nights ago when he overruled a fellow official on a crucial charge/block call that helped Vanderbilt cover the spread against Missouri (http://istonygreeneonthetake.blogspot.com/2009/12/game-16-missouri-vanderbilt-dec-2-2009.html) - and sometimes the potential big calls simply don't come to the official "on the take."

Today, the opportunity for the big call at the end didn't come to Tony Greene. With Kentucky up by 2 and with the ball inside of 35 seconds to play (so with no shot clock), North Carolina was forced to foul. Kentucky's Eric Bledsoe hit his free throws, and on the ensuing possession, Mike Eades was the official in position to declare that the ball bounced out of bounds after North Carolina touched it. UNC fouled again, Bledsoe hit a free throw to push the lead to 5, but a UNC tip with 7 seconds to go cut the lead to 3.

UNC was still forced to foul, and this time John Wall sank both free throws and pushed the lead to 5.

BUT... a meaningless three at the buzzer by North Carolina flips the spread. UK wins 68-66, and if you took North Carolina and the points, YOU WIN (just like it appeared all game that Tony Greene wanted)!!!

It's better to be lucky than good.

Game 17 - Elon @ Samford; Dec. 3, 2009

2009-12-04T08:56:00.001-08:00

Another night, another non-televised game for Tony Greene.

So no review from ITGOTT.

Game 16 - Missouri @ Vanderbilt - Dec. 2, 2009

2009-12-02T19:07:00.000-08:00

GAME - Missouri @ Vanderbilt; Wednesday, December 2, 2009

LINE - Vanderbilt - 3 1/2

RESULT - Vanderbilt covers, winning 89-83

Tony Greene popped up in Memorial Gymnasium on the campus of Vanderbilt University tonight, working his 16th college basketball game of the season and his first televised game in more than a week. ITGOTT was there to review his performance.

This was the most exciting game Tony Greene has worked all year, and he made a call with 22.2 second to go that almost certainly affected the betting outcome. More on that later.

If The Team You Are Helping Has Bigger Players, Let The Game Be More Physical

Vanderbilt had an enormous size advantage, with Mizzou missing two of its bigger players, and the first half was very physical. The officials let them play early, and Vandy streaked out early; Mizzou came back; then Vandy streaked again to enjoy a 6-point halftime lead.

Tony Greene went largely unnoticed early, but the other two officials - Les Jones and Pat Adams - made several calls that went AGAINST Vanderbilt, earning the ire of the Vandy crowd. A call that went against Vandy was made by an out-of-position Les Jones with 4:53 to go in the first half, and Vandy coach Kevin Stallings was not impressed.

A note on Les Jones: while this blog reviews Tony Greene's work, of course ITGOTT notices other officials. And tonight Les Jones was VERY noticeable. He seemed to be out of position, often trailing the play, all night. It was as if he was out of shape and unable to keep up with the action. And if he demonstrated a visible 10-second count once tonight, ITGOTT never saw it. Truly a bad performance.

When Things Are Going Your Way, Swallow Your Whistle

Missouri's shooting was so poor, and Vanderbilt's size advantage and rebounding so dominant (at games end, Vandy outrebounded Mizzou 45-24) that the Commodores slowly nudged their lead to double digits. With 5 1/2 minutes to play, Vanderbilt led by 14, easily covering the spread.

Use Calls To Stop Momentum Of The Team You Are Not Helping

But Missouri went to work and began hitting their shots and forcing repeated Vanderbilt turnovers. With momentum beginning to swing Missouri's way, Tony Greene steps in and makes a call with 3:54 to go sends Vandy to the line and they push their lead back to 4, where it remains until 2:30 to play. The spread is definitely in doubt, in either direction.

Make The Big Call At The End

The Charge/Block Call - It Can Always Go Either Way, So Make Sure It Goes Your Way

With Vandy clinging to a 3-point lead inside of a minute to play, no calls are made at all during frenetic segment with both teams battling, sttempting steals, making turnovers, etc. With 22 seconds to go and Mizzou STILL down three and with the ball, Mizzou guard JT Tiller drives to the hoop and his shot is swatted out of bounds.

Whistles blow. A foul is called. Tony Greene signals charge on Tiller, giving Vanderbilt the ball with a 3-point lead and 22 seconds to play. According to Jay Williams, working color commentary for ESPNU, Pat Adams signals a block on Vanderbilt, giving Tiller free throws.

Guess who wins this battle. Our man Tony Greene. Even though Jay Williams says clearly that the Vandy player was "moving" and the call should have been a block, Tony Greene prevails. Mizzou is forced to foul, and Vandy's free throws result in a 6-point win. Vandy covers the spread, and Tony Greene's big call with 22.2 seconds to go preserves that cover.

Game 15 - Louisiana-Lafayette @ LSU; December 1, 2009

2009-12-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

December opens with a 5th consecutive non-televised game worked by Tony Greene.

So, as the pattern is becoming, Tony Greene toils in relative obscurity, and no review of his work is possible.

Just like a man "on the take" would like it.

Game 14 - Troy @ Georgia Southern; November 29, 2009

2009-12-01T16:38:00.000-08:00

For the fourth consecutive game, Tony Greene worked untelevised action. This time, it was when Troy visited Georgia Southern in Statesboro, GA. The game was won 80-77 by the homestanding Georgia Southern ballclub, so apparently ITGOTT missed exciting action by not being in the building.

Thus, Tony Greene's work, for the fourth consecutive game, cannot be reviewed.

Game 13 - Rhode Island @ Davidson; November 28, 2009

2009-12-01T16:36:00.000-08:00

Tony Greene was back in Davidson, NC, on Saturday, November 28, 2009, working the game between Rhode Island and Davidson.

This game was not televised, and although Davidson, NC, is a lovely burg, ITGOTT wasn't in the gymnasium, so we cannot review Tony Greene's work for the game.

Game 12 - Florida Atlantic @ South Florida; Nov. 27, 2009

2009-12-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

Well, ITGOTT was wrong in our prediction that Tony Greene would turn up at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando.

Apparently avoiding all those pesky multi-team pre-conference tournaments, Tony Greene worked the Florida Atlantic at South Florida game on Friday, November 29, 2009.

The game was not televised, so we are unable to comment on Tony Greene's officiating.

Game 11 - Fredonia State @ Davidson; Nov. 25, 2009

2009-11-26T09:39:00.001-08:00

Davidson, NC, is a lovely, quaint little town just north of Charlotte.

It's also where Tony Greene officiated last night, in a totally irrelevant game between Fredonia State and Davidson. No televison, obviously, so no review from ITGOTT.

ITGOTT predict that Tony Greene will be in Orlando this weekend, officiating games at the Old Spice Classic tournament.

Interesting comments on Karl Hess by Sean McDonough on ESPN

2009-11-25T18:15:00.001-08:00

During tonight's Maui Classic 5th place game between Vanderbilt and Arizona, Karl Hess called a bizarre technical foul on Arizona coach Sean Miller while Vanderbilt held a scant 2-point lead with about 6 minutes to play. Miller appeared to be simply calling for a "three-second call" on Vanderbilt, and spent much of the rest of the game claiming this to the officiating crew.

Vanderbilt, a 5-point favorite, used the momentum generated by that technical foul call to pull away and secure a 12-point victory, covering the spread.

ESPN play-by-play man Sean McDonough, working with Bill Raftery and Jay Bilas, excoriated Karl Hess for injecting himself into the game, apparently something McDonough feels is unnecessary from college basketball officials. McDonough identified that Hess has a tendency to do this and called Hess's actions "unfortunate." Further, McDonough piled on as Hess explained some call to Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings, going so far as to say something like "and here comes Karl Hess now, injecting himself into the game even more as he approaches the press table."

Karl Hess appears to be a thin-skinned guy who rubs everyone the wrong way, and McDonough simply pointed out, by name, an official with a prima donna temperament and a need to control others when they balk.

Later, with the game securely in hand and the spread no longer close, another official called a terrible foul call on a clean block by Vanderbilt's AJ Ogilvy. Both Bill Raftery and Jay Bilas began piling on, but never naming the official, about how NBA referees are full-time refs and college officials are not. Further, Bilas espoused the theory that, since NBA referees are quicker to eject complaining coaches, more decorum exists in the NBA game and college coaches are too "demonstrative." Not sure whether we agree with this at ITGOTT, but we like that two respected ESPN analysts such as Raftery and Bilas were willing to discuss the officiating in a negative light.

But what we really like here at ITGOTT is that Sean McDonough singled out Karl Hess for his need to inject himself into the flow of the game, thus drawing attention to himself. McDonough is exactly right - watch how Karl Hess finds a way to be in the spotlight as the season progresses.

And while you're at it, watch to see if Karl Hess might be on the take. His technical foul call tonight definitely helped Vanderbilt cover the spread.

Game 10 - Florida State @ Florida; Nov. 24, 2009

2009-11-24T16:10:00.000-08:00

GAME: Florida State @ Florida; Gainesville, FL; Tuesday, November 24, 2009

LINE: Florida -2 1/2

RESULT: Florida covers, winning 68-52

Just like Huey Lewis and the News, Tony Greene apparently needed a "couple days off." ITGOTT half expected to see Tony Greene turn up in one of the pre-conference tournaments like Maui or Cancun after his brief respite, but instead he turned up officiating a vanilla inter-conference, intra-state match-up in Gainesville, FL.

Perhaps the most easily followed adage ITGOTT can imagine for an official “on the take” is:

When Things Are Going Your Way, Swallow Your Whistle

With just a 2 ½ point spread favoring the home-standing Gators, it was easy to imagine the crowd getting behind their team vs. their rivals, and momentum swinging strongly toward the Florida side. And it did.

Of course, they had to have a little help from the men in stripes.

Get Major Players On The Team You Are Not Helping In Early Foul Trouble

Florida State's Chris Singleton scored his team's first 10 points, and Florida State led 10-8. Then the officials intervened, and called two quick fouls on Singleton, neutering him for the rest of the half. But back to the overall theme.

As soon as the game began tonight, Florida State began making turnovers. And more turnovers. And more turnovers. And tonight’s officiating crew of Tony Greene, Mike Kitts, and Ted Valentine certainly weren’t going to step in and call a hand check or something away from the ball to stop the carnage. They had a lot of opportunities, what with physical play on both ends resulting in 16 Florida State turnovers in the first half, but they only called 7 total fouls during a lightning fast half of basketball (only 3 on Florida).

An 11-0 Florida run, uninterrupted by any calls, broke open the game early and Florida eventually took a huge 20-point lead into the halftime break.

With the 2 ½ point spread easily covered, this game could simply have been a matter of running out the clock. But with Singleton back in the game, and playing aggressively, the Seminoles cut the lead to 12 within the first 5 minutes of the second half and all the way down to a 5-point lead with 12 minutes to play.

The Charge/Block Call - It Can Always Go Either Way, So Make Sure It Goes Your Way

Use Calls To Stop Momentum Of The Team You Are Not Helping

So the men in stripes stepped in, with Ted Valentine calling a key charge call on FSU as they drove for a bucket that would have cut the lead to 3, and then with Mike Kitts calling a push on a Florida player as he snagged a key rebound. These two calls definitely changed the momentum of the game, and the ensuing 6-0 Florida run pushed the lead to double digits.

Then Ted Valentine called Chris Singleton's third call on a great block that should have been a no-call. Even the TV commentators called this a "late call by Ted Valentine" and additionally said that Florida was the "beneficiary" of said call. Tack on a free throw and another bucket, and the Florida lead was back to 14. Then tack on yet another bucket and one, and Florida's 12-0 run after the momentum-changing charge-block call extended the Gator lead to 17. Florida maintained this advantage for the last 7 minutes and went on to win by 16, 68-52.

A stat fact: in the first half, with Florida pulling away, the officials made only 7 total foul calls (4 on FSU, 3 on Florida). In the second half, with Florida State making a run to threaten the spread, the officials asserted themselves much more and made an unbelieveable 24 total foul calls (14 on Florida State, 10 on Florida). And Florida's cover of the spread, in fact, was preserved.

What's interesting here is that Tony Greene wasn't involved in any of the calls we detailed, which stopped Florida State's second-half momentum and sealed up the cover for Florida. Is anyone else on the take? Perhaps multiple officials in cahoots? We'll see how many more games involve both Tony Greene and Ted Valentine or both Tony Greene and Mike Kitts, but ITGOTT can only effort to monitor Tony Greene completely (and undoubtedly we'll miss a few games as the season unfolds).

Game 9 - Florida State @ Mercer - Nov. 21, 2009

2009-11-21T14:01:00.001-08:00

Tony Greene worked his 9th game of the 2009-2010 basketball season this afternoon in Macon, GA. The ACC's Florida State Seminoles traveled to Macon to play the Mercer Bears of the Atlantic Sun Conference. There was an obvious talent differential in this game, with Florida State just being much larger, much faster, and much more talented than Mercer.

ITGOTT couldn't find a betting line on the Mercer-Florida State game anywhere, so a review of Tony Greene's officiating in that light is sort of pointless.

However, there were two officiating trends that ITGOTT noticed, both of which are possible strategies used by an official "on the take."

If The Team You Are Helping Has Bigger Players, Let The Game Be More Physical

This was certainly the case today, as Florida State was just MUCH larger than Mercer. Early on, the play was very, very physical, and Florida State was blocking shot after Mercer shot inside the three-point arc. Pretty quickly, a 6-4 Mercer lead turned into a 21-7 Florida State advantage, and the Seminoles had a commanding lead early. In addition, the physical play allowed by the officials seemed to rattle Mercer, and they were unable to hit many shots at all; the TV commentators repeatedly claimed that "the size of Florida State is intimidating." Had the play been called tight, for example, early on, clearly Mercer would have been favored, but this was not the case.

If You Are Favoring A Heavy Road Favorite, Don't Let The Home Team's Fans Get Into The Game And Motivate Their Team

Mercer has a history of upsetting major conference teams, and this was perhaps their most obvious chance to do that in recent memory. An NCAA-tournament team in Florida State comes to Mercer's little on-campus gym on Homecoming weekend... the game had been sold out for a while... just a LITTLE run by the Mercer Bears could have resulted in a flood of emotion from the partisan crowd. Instead, there was no emotion at all from the crowd, and the Florida State rout was on. Florida State eventually won 89-50.

Game 8 - Syracuse vs. North Carolina - Nov. 20, 2009

2009-11-20T14:03:00.000-08:00

GAME - Syracuse vs. North Carolina in New York, NY; Friday, November 20, 2009

LINE - North Carolina -1

RESULT - Syracuse covers, winning 87-71

Tony Greene's 8th officiating outing of the 2009-2010 basketball season occurred tonight in the finals of the 2K Sports Classic in New York City. Since he worked last night's semi-finals, ITGOTT was confident he would be working either the championship or consolation tonight, and we were prepared to watch closely.

North Carolina, according to the Las Vegas Hilton Sportsbook, was a 1 point favorite in this match-up. The game opened as a pick-em, so there wasn't a lot of movement of the line.

With A Small Spread, Keep The Team You Are Helping Close Early

Use Calls To Stop Momentum Of The Team You Are Not Helping

Get Major Players On The Team You Are Not Helping In Early Foul Trouble

The game opened with a quick Syracuse run, as they pretty efficiently (and without any close calls) opened an 8-0 lead in the first 3 minutes. Tony Greene then asserted himself, calling a very questionable blocking call on Syracuse's Andy Rautins as North Carolina's Will Graves lowered his shoulder driving to the hoop. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim was incensed, and after North Carolina took a 13-11 lead on an "and one" by Ed Davis with 15 minutes to go, the early momentum that Syracuse had was totally evaporated... and it all started on that questionable blocking call on Andy Rautins.

This call served two masters: 1. The call stopped Syracuse's early momentum, preventing them from running away with the game. 2. The call put an early foul a good Syracuse player, Andy Rautins. When Rautins was called for a legitimate charge with 16 minutes to go, he was thusly in early foul trouble. Getting a star in early foul trouble is a great strategy for officials who may be on the take, and Tony Greene did this without even making the second call, made by the execrable Mike Stuart when Rautins legitimately charged!

(Note: Mike Stuart's absurd histrionics in making that call with 15:55 to go in the first half - blowing the whistle multiple times to draw attention to himself before making his indication, and then running in to flamboyantly point at Rautins, laying supine in the lane, is VERY bad officiating form. Stuart should know better, and this peacock-esque preening for attention not only has no place in college basketball, it should cost him post-season assignments if he continues to do it throughout the season. Consider yourself warned Mike Stuart: ITGOTT will have its eyes on you, too, from now on.)

With 14:11 to go, Tony Greene called a second foul on Syracuse's Wesley Johnson, meaning that TWO Syracuse stars were now in early foul trouble.

Use Calls To Stop Momentum By The Team You Are Not Helping

Syracuse went on another quick run, with Rautins and Johnson each draining threes, to take a 10 point lead midway through the first half. But Tony Greene went to work again, first giving a 50/50 ball out-of-bounds under the North Carolina basket to Syracuse, then calling a cheap foul on Syracuse that ESPN's Dan Shulman actually called a "late whistle" and that Shulman also said had "incensed" Jim Boeheim. The subsequent North Carolina run, uninterrupted by Tony Greene, erased the Syracuse lead and the Tar Heels actually led by 2 at the half.

For clarification, North Carolina attempted 15 free throws in the first half; Syracuse only attempted 4.

The second half began with a quick Syracuse spurt, and within 90 seconds, that 2 point North Carolina halftime lead became a 4-point Syracuse advantage, which the Orange extended to 12 following an "and one" call, made by Roger Ayers, on North Carolina about 6 minutes into the second half. Having stopped Syracuse's momentum twice in the first half, it appeared now that a Syracuse rout was inevitable.

As Kenny Rogers Said, "Know When To Fold 'Em" and Swallow The Whistle

Syracuse's 22-1 run to open the second half made it totally clear that this was not the Tar Heels' night. The Tar Heels didn't make a single shot until 8 minutes into the second half, they made repeated turnovers, and they were absolutely out of the game before the second half reached its midway point. Even though the Tar Heels made a brief run to cut the Orange lead to single digits, Syracuse pulled away to win by 16, 87-71.

There is no way to know whether Tony Greene is "on the take" or not. But ITGOTT noticed odd officiating patterns by Greene during the 2008-2009 season, and has chosen to monitor his games throughout the 2009-2010 campaign, seeing how many calls he makes that fit the profile of an official as we'd imagine if that official were "on the take." Tony Greene didn't make any calls to help Syracuse tonight, but he did make a few early calls that helped North Carolina - attempts to stop Syracuse momentum, early fouls on Syracuse stars, etc. But tonight was clearly not North Carolina's night, and additional questionable calls to stop more Syracuse momentum could only draw attention to Tony Greene, and if he were "on the take", the last thing he would want is attention.

So, as Kenny Rogers said, "Know when to fold 'em." When you're an official "on the take", sometimes there is just no helping a team cover the spread, so just throw in the towel and be comfortable in the knowledge that you can only turn the tables so often and you did your best.

Perhaps that's what we saw tonight.

Game 7 - Syracuse v. California - Nov. 19, 2009

2009-11-19T16:17:00.001-08:00

GAME - Syracuse vs. California in New York, NY; Thursday, November 19, 2009

LINE - California -2

RESULT - Syracuse covers as an underdog, winning by 22

Tony Greene worked his 7th game of the year tonight, but only his second televised game of the year. Thus, this is ITGOTT's second opportunity to monitor Tony Greene's officiating.

The game, part of the 2K Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic from Madison Square Garden in New York City, featured two ranked teams - perhaps Tony Greene's highest profile game of the short season. The game, which opened as a pick'em (no favorite), went off with Cal as a 2 point favorite according to the Las Vegas Hilton Sportsbook. Officiating a game with a short spread, like this game, is very different than officiating a game with a large spread for an official who might be "on the take."

With A Small Spread, Keep The Team You Are Helping Close Early

With a short spread like tonight's game, an official "on the take" has more options. First, he could work to keep the team he's not favoring from running away early, counting on his ability to make close calls at the end, thus helping the team he's favoring as time winds down. Sometimes just "keeping it close" early may result in the team he's expected to help gain some momentum, and build themselves a lead that helps them cover the small spread.

If The Team You Are Helping Is Doing Well On Their Own, Lay Low

Additionally, an official "on the take" could help the team he's helping to build an early lead, then let the game progress pretty uneventfully with that large lead maintained throughout the game and the team covering its short spread.

This game provides an example of how both of these scenarios could happen in the same game.

Early in tonight's matchup, California streaked to a 5-0 lead, but the officials appeared to want to stop that runaway from happening. A few early calls went against Cal, and Syracuse reversed course to turn that 5-point early deficit into a 13-point lead. Pretty quickly, Cal was in foul trouble and Syracuse was not. As an example of this discrepancy, Syracuse shot 11 free throws (as a typical Syracuse team, they only made 6), before Cal went to the line even once. With that kind of early free throw differential, Tony Greene and his officiating colleagues (Bernard Clinton and Roger Ayers) were able to see Syracuse build a big lead, something an official "on the take" for Syracuse would want to happen.

After Syracuse built its lead, the half wound down with little change in the margin and little noise from the officials, and Syracuse took an 11-point lead to the locker room. An uneventful end of the first half.

In an uneventful second half, Syracuse extended its 11-point halftime lead organically (with no apparent officiating help), to 19 with about 13 minutes to go.

With The Spread Easily Covered, Make Calls Favoring the OTHER Team To Draw Attention Away From Yourself

At one point, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim was yelling about a call at Tony Greene, but with a 19 point lead for the 2 point underdog, an official on the take for Syracuse can afford to make a couple of close ones go against the Orange, which could draw attention away from his bias, if it existed.

The remainder of the game was simply an exercise in Syracuse running out the clock. Even with a brief Cal run in the final minutes, the final score was 95-73, and all the while, the officials laid low.

SUMMARY

There is never any way to know if officials are "on the take", but from early on in this game, it's clear that if these officials, including Tony Greene, WERE on the take, they were favoring Syracuse. Cal spurted early, and foul trouble stopped them. Syracuse extended its lead, and the officials never stopped their momentum. And once Syracuse had the game (and spread) in hand, the officials laid low, except for one call AGAINST Syracuse that got the ire of Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim. Lots of "on the take" rules were followed here, whether intentionally or not, and Syracuse easily covered the spread, their 22 point victory meaning that the 2-point underdogs covered the spread by 24 points.

Game 6 - Stetson vs. Florida State - Nov. 18, 2009

2009-11-18T16:07:00.000-08:00

Well, Tony Greene worked his 6th game of the season tonight, a thrilling tilt between Stetson and Florida State in Tallahassee, FL. Florida State trounced Stetson, 80-38.

And for the 5th time in 6 games, Tony Greene's game was not televised. Unless you were in the arena in Tallahassee, which ITGOTT was not, you can't review Tony Greene's work.

On to Game #7, presumably tomorrow night.

Game 5 - Western Kentucky v. LSU - Nov. 17

2009-11-17T22:16:00.000-08:00

Tony Greene worked his fifth game of the year tonight, a non-televised tilt between LSU and Western Kentucky.

This is the 4th non-televised game in 5 games Tony Greene has worked this season. And undoubtedly we will miss some of his televised games here at ITGOTT, but when 80% of his games are not televised, it's difficult for an outsider to review his work.

On to tomorrow night's games!

Game 4 - Alabama State v. Mississippi - Nov. 16

2009-11-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

Tony Greene worked the Alabama State vs Mississippi game tonight in Oxford, MS.

The game was not televised, so a review of Tony Greene's work is not possible for ITGOTT.

Game 2: Elon v. Lipscomb - Nov 14, 2009

2009-11-16T16:31:00.001-08:00

Tony Greene worked the Elon vs. Lipscomb game from Nashville, TN, on Saturday, November 14.

This game was not televised, nor is ITGOTT aware of any line on this game.

Game 3: Tony Greene works East Carolina-Wake Forest - Sunday, Nov. 15

2009-11-15T12:21:00.000-08:00

GAME: East Carolina vs. Wake Forest at Greensboro, NC; Sunday, November 15, 2009

LINE: Wake Forest -16 1/2

RESULT: Wake Forest covers, winning by 31

Tony Greene worked his third game of the 2009-2010 college basketball season today in a match-up of East Carolina and Wake Forest from the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC.

Although technically a home game for East Carolina, there were very few fans of either team in the venue, which is much closer to Wake Forest's campus in Winston-Salem, NC, than it is to East Carolina's campus in Greenville, NC. Those are the things "mid-majors" must do to get big-time teams to play them; the mid-major has to agree to play it's "home" game in a "neutral" location that favors the big-time team.

It is important to note the betting line for today's game. Wake Forest opened as a 9 1/2 point favorite, yet at game time, the Demon Deacons were 16 point favorites. In other words, so much money came in on Wake Forest that casinos had to adjust their line by a whopping 6 1/2 points, trying to entice bettors to bet on East Carolina. For a point of reference, there was no other line in today's college basketball games that moved as much - apparently, there was a disproportionate amount of money on Wake Forest.

During the game, it was obvious that Wake Forest was the better team. 16 points better? Maybe, maybe not. But it seemed to ITGOTT that the officials, including Tony Greene, were intent on allowing Wake Forest, clearly a bigger and stronger team, to be must more physical on the defensive end than they were allowing East Carolina. (Note: the other officials were Mike Stuart and Les Jones).

This was so egregious to East Carolina coach Mack McCarthy that he actually received a technical foul during halftime. His protests of some no-calls on Wake Forest's defense earned him the ire of the officiating crew, and thus a technical foul call. ITGOTT always notes technical fouls on coaches for protesting calls, because we believe an official "on the take" could easily use a technical foul as a TRIPLE whammy, favoring the team he needs to cover.

The technical foul triple whammy:

First, the technical foul silences the coach of the team being cheated. Fearing getting a second technical foul and being ejected, the coach is likely to protest LESS after the technical foul, thus drawing less attention to the official on the take.

Second, it gives "free" points to the team being helped. In a game where the outcome is not in doubt but the point spread is, a couple of free points here and there can go totally unnoticed by everyone other than bettors.

Third, officials are most likely to assess technical fouls when their integrity is questioned. All officials know they will miss calls here and there, and usually are OK with coaches yelling at them about that. But question their integrity? Officials are much more likely to be offended by this if they really ARE on the take, don't you think?

During the early portion of the second half, Wake Forest extended its lead to 28 points, but a spurt by East Carolina, aided by several three pointers, pulled the lead back to 20 points. The point spread was threatened, and on two of the next three East Carolina offensive possessions, obvious fouls on Wake Forest were ignored by Tony Greene. As the TV commentators pointed out that Wake Forest was pulling away, a shot of an incredulous East Carolina coach Mack McCarthy lingered on the TV screen. Apparently afraid to questions the officials, perhaps due to the technical he received at halftime, Coach McCarthy stood silently bemused, appearing to be defeated by not only the superior talent of the Demon Deacons but also the officiating crew.

(Note: Mike Stuart also contributed to the Wake Forest run, calling a three-second call on an East Carolina offensive possession.)

It should be noted that, with 13:17 left in the game, a shot by East Carolina that was "clearly tipped", according to the commentators, out of bounds by Wake Forest was ruled to be Wake Forest's ball. "All three officials clearly missed that one," the commentators said, "Mack McCarthy can't even get the officials to meet to talk about it." Wake Forest scored on the ensuing possession to increase its lead to nearly 30, safely above the 16 1/2 point spread. It should be noted that refusing to work as an officiating team could be an easy tactic for an official on the take, preferring to stick to what HE claims he saw rather than asking his fellow officials for help in case he missed something.

An official on the take dealing with a large spread needs to be careful to get the spread "covered" before the end of the game. As in many games with large spreads, Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio was unconcerned with the spread and spent the last 10 minutes of the game getting playing time for his reserves. As such, the 30 point deficit Wake Forest obtained with about 10 minutes to go was steady until the end of the game, which Wake Forest won by 31, easily covering the 16 1/2 point spread.

Game 1: Tony Greene works Georgia-New Orleans - Fri, Nov. 13

2009-11-13T20:23:00.000-08:00

Tony Greene worked his first game of the year tonight, working a game at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens. The Georgia Bulldogs defeated the New Orleans Privateers 67-59.

Georgia was a 15 1/2 point favorite, so the Privateers achieved a back-door cover in this game.

Since this game was not televised, ITGOTT can't review Tony Greene's work.

Was anyone at the game in Athens? Were there any suspicious Tony Greene calls that might have favored the eventual money winner, the University of New Orleans?

On to Game 2...

The 2009-2010 college basketball season is here! (No Tony Greene sightings yet...)

2009-11-12T12:12:00.000-08:00

Official games began on Monday, November 9, and so far, there have been 7 games played.

4 games were played Monday, November 9; 3 games were played Wednesday, November 11. And 2 games (James Madison visiting Ohio State and Georgia State visiting North Carolina State) will be played tonight. While it's unlikely Tony Greene will be in Value City arena tonight, ITGOTT will be watching nonetheless! The NC State-GA State game, a Tony Greene possibility, will not be televised.

So far, there have been no Tony Greene sightings. Some ITGOTT favorites - Mike Littlewood, Bernard Clinton, and Dick Cartmell - have been seen blowing the whistle, as well as another official ITGOTT thinks doesn't belong working at the D-1 level (Raymie Styons).

But our man Tony Greene? He will almost certainly get his first action tomorrow night when there are no fewer than 126 Division 1 games! Where will Tony Greene be? We don't know, but hopefully the game he works will be televised so we will be able to monitor him.

Stay tuned...

First post!

2009-03-23T16:25:00.000-07:00

College basketball official Tony Greene makes some VERY questionable calls.

Is he on the take?

Please post instances you see where you think Tony Greene is making calls because of something OTHER than what's occurring on the court.