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 Stuart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mike Stuart. Show all posts
Monday, November 15, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Game 36 - Kentucky @ Florida - Jan. 12, 2010
Game - Kentucky @ Florida; Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Line - Kentucky -2
Result - Kentucky wins 89-77 and covers the spread
ITGOTT review pending. (The game is on TiVo).
Line - Kentucky -2
Result - Kentucky wins 89-77 and covers the spread
ITGOTT review pending. (The game is on TiVo).
Friday, November 20, 2009
Game 8 - Syracuse vs. North Carolina - Nov. 20, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Game 3: Tony Greene works East Carolina-Wake Forest - Sunday, Nov. 15
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)