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.
Showing posts with label Mike Kitts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mike Kitts. Show all posts
Monday, November 15, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Mike Kitts Suspended By Big East For Poor Officiating
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.
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.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Game 63 - #2 Kentucky @ #19 Tennessee - Feb. 27, 2010
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?
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?
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Game 50 - North Carolina @ Virginia Tech - Feb. 4, 2010
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.
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.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Game 34 - Connecticut @ Georgetown - Jan 9, 2010
Game - Connecticut @ Georgetown; Saturday, January 9, 2010
Line - Georgetown - 5 1/2
Result - Georgetown wins the game 72-69, Connecticut covers the spread
Today provided the perfect opportunity for ITGOTT to review Tony Greene's performance, as he traveled to our nation's capital to officiate a game between #13 Connecticut and #12 Georgetown. Working with Bob Donato and Mike Kitts, Tony Greene was on display today in a nationally televised game between ranked opponents.
Swallow Your Whistle When Things Are Going Your Way
Early on, Georgetown played right into Connecticut's hands. The well-coached, disciplined Hoyas needed to control pace, hit shots, and play controlled basketball to outpoint the long, athletic Huskies. Without any clear officiating bias, the Hoyas made a few mistakes early, missing shots and making turnovers and halfway through the first half, the Huskies held a 4-point lead.
When Teams Have Different Styles, Make Sure the Pace Favors The Team You Are Helping
For Connecticut to win (or cover the spread) they were going to have to control the pace - or more specifically, keep Georgetown from slowing the pace down. By eschewing a lot of potential calls midway through the first half, particularly on fast breaks, this officiating crew was able to ensure that Connecticut won the pace race early and help them take a 34-19 lead. There were at LEAST six occasions where an officiating crew could have made calls to stop the Connecticut run and didn't blow the whistle. These non-calls during a four-minute, frenetic, up-and-down segment of the game helped fuel a 16-0 Connecticut run that resulted in a 12-point UConn lead. The Huskies continued to pour it on, taking a 15-point lead into halftime.
Use Calls (And Non-calls) Top Stop The Momentum of the Team You Are Not Helping
The officials swallowed their whistles early in the second half, especially with regards to Georgetown fouls, and before they knew what had happened, the 15-point halftime lead had been cut to 4 just 5 minutes into the second half. So the officials went to work, first sending UConn to the line on a phantom foul on a drive to the basket (which also broke Georgetown's momentum) and then failing to call an obvious goal-tend on a Georgetown possession. These quick calls (and non-calls) led the Huskies begin to extend their lead again, and when Georgetown began making ANOTHER run and cut the lead to 2, Tony Greene stepped in with an "and one" foul call on Georgetown to break THAT momentum.
Georgetown continued to grab the momentum, and actually cut the lead to 1 with about 9 1/2 minutes to go in the game. So Tony Greene skipped an obvious over-the-back call on UConn's Oriakhi as he made a putback to push their lead to 3. Keeping the game close meant the teams coudl determine the outcome - something all officials like - but Connecticut could win against the spread. So back and forth scores occurred by both teams with no calls made and Georgetown making no extension of its lead, and the game was within a couple of points all the way until 1:11 to play.
Make The Big Call At The End
At that point, Georgetown had 1-point lead, and was battling for a loose ball. A loose ball foul call on Georgetown (lustily booed by the Georgetown crowd and openly questioned by Dick Vitale) gave UConn free throws and a 1-point lead. Even though the game was absolutely in doubt, for Georgetown to win the 6-point spread now would be nearly impossible.
This is how officials want it. Less than a minute to go, the game will be decided by the players. But the spread was, for all intents and purposes, decided before this point. No matter what happens, UConn wins against the spread, which is 5 1/2.
And sure enough, Georgetown makes shots at the end - UConn misses shots - and the Hoyas pull out a 3-point victory, 72-69.
Line - Georgetown - 5 1/2
Result - Georgetown wins the game 72-69, Connecticut covers the spread
Today provided the perfect opportunity for ITGOTT to review Tony Greene's performance, as he traveled to our nation's capital to officiate a game between #13 Connecticut and #12 Georgetown. Working with Bob Donato and Mike Kitts, Tony Greene was on display today in a nationally televised game between ranked opponents.
Swallow Your Whistle When Things Are Going Your Way
Early on, Georgetown played right into Connecticut's hands. The well-coached, disciplined Hoyas needed to control pace, hit shots, and play controlled basketball to outpoint the long, athletic Huskies. Without any clear officiating bias, the Hoyas made a few mistakes early, missing shots and making turnovers and halfway through the first half, the Huskies held a 4-point lead.
When Teams Have Different Styles, Make Sure the Pace Favors The Team You Are Helping
For Connecticut to win (or cover the spread) they were going to have to control the pace - or more specifically, keep Georgetown from slowing the pace down. By eschewing a lot of potential calls midway through the first half, particularly on fast breaks, this officiating crew was able to ensure that Connecticut won the pace race early and help them take a 34-19 lead. There were at LEAST six occasions where an officiating crew could have made calls to stop the Connecticut run and didn't blow the whistle. These non-calls during a four-minute, frenetic, up-and-down segment of the game helped fuel a 16-0 Connecticut run that resulted in a 12-point UConn lead. The Huskies continued to pour it on, taking a 15-point lead into halftime.
Use Calls (And Non-calls) Top Stop The Momentum of the Team You Are Not Helping
The officials swallowed their whistles early in the second half, especially with regards to Georgetown fouls, and before they knew what had happened, the 15-point halftime lead had been cut to 4 just 5 minutes into the second half. So the officials went to work, first sending UConn to the line on a phantom foul on a drive to the basket (which also broke Georgetown's momentum) and then failing to call an obvious goal-tend on a Georgetown possession. These quick calls (and non-calls) led the Huskies begin to extend their lead again, and when Georgetown began making ANOTHER run and cut the lead to 2, Tony Greene stepped in with an "and one" foul call on Georgetown to break THAT momentum.
Georgetown continued to grab the momentum, and actually cut the lead to 1 with about 9 1/2 minutes to go in the game. So Tony Greene skipped an obvious over-the-back call on UConn's Oriakhi as he made a putback to push their lead to 3. Keeping the game close meant the teams coudl determine the outcome - something all officials like - but Connecticut could win against the spread. So back and forth scores occurred by both teams with no calls made and Georgetown making no extension of its lead, and the game was within a couple of points all the way until 1:11 to play.
Make The Big Call At The End
At that point, Georgetown had 1-point lead, and was battling for a loose ball. A loose ball foul call on Georgetown (lustily booed by the Georgetown crowd and openly questioned by Dick Vitale) gave UConn free throws and a 1-point lead. Even though the game was absolutely in doubt, for Georgetown to win the 6-point spread now would be nearly impossible.
This is how officials want it. Less than a minute to go, the game will be decided by the players. But the spread was, for all intents and purposes, decided before this point. No matter what happens, UConn wins against the spread, which is 5 1/2.
And sure enough, Georgetown makes shots at the end - UConn misses shots - and the Hoyas pull out a 3-point victory, 72-69.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Game 19 - DePaul vs. Mississippi State @ Tampa, FL; Dec. 10, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Game 10 - Florida State @ Florida; Nov. 24, 2009
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).
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).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)