Game #54 - #22 Virginia @ Clemson - February 14, 2012

Game #54 - #22 Virginia @ Clemson - Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Line - Clemson -1

Result - Clemson wins 60-48 and covers the spread

It's been a while since ITGOTT has had the time to watch, with a discerning eye, a game officiated by Tony Greene. This was Tony Greene's unbelievable 54th Division 1 game worked this season. Tonight Tony Greene, working along with Joe Lindsay and Ed Corbett, made an appearance in Clemson, SC, and the Virginia Cavaliers paid a visit. Clemson entered the game as a 1-point favorite.

Make the Big Call When It Matters

Use Calls (And Non-Calls) To Change The Momentum In Favor Of The Team You Are Helping

And there it was, with 7 1/2 minutes to go in the game - one of the worst and most obvious no-calls you will see this season. Of course, it was Tony Greene failing to make the obvious and important call.

Clemson, clinging to a hard-earned but scant 3-point lead, was defending the Virginia Cavaliers as the Hoos tried to score and cut the lead to one - exactly on the cut line. In a game marked by FEW foul calls and even fewer free throws (at this point in the game, the Cavaliers had shot literally ZERO free throws), Tony Greene eschewed calling an obvious Clemson foul on Devin Booker under the Virginia basket, and naturally Virginia coach Tony Bennett was IRATE as the game went to the under-8 minute TV timeout.

After the TV timeout, ESPNU commentator Jay Williams actually called Tony Greene out by name for missing the obvious call, which was so clear on replay as there was no disputing that Devin Booker raked his arm across his opponent. Sure enough, on the VERY next play following the TV timeout, Devin Booker scores and is fouled to push Clemson's lead to 7 with 6 minutes to play.

After that egregious no-call by Tony Greene, the momentum was clearly in Clemson's hands based on that one play - an obvious missed call by Tony Greene - and soon Clemson's lead was 50-41 and Virginia was forced to call a timeout to stop the momentum. A few desperation fouls at the end were unable to make a difference, as Clemson won 60-48 and easily covered the 1-point spread.

It should be noted that Clemson was only called for four fouls the ENTIRE second half. Amazing.

It is very rare for an announcer - especially an ESPN announcer - to call out poor officiating by name. Yet here was Jay Williams, totally unafraid to call out Tony Greene while a replay of the obvious foul Tony Greene chose not to call was shown. Jay knew that visual evidence showed Tony Greene failing to call one of the most obvious calls an official will ever see.

When an official make a single terrible call that changes the momentum in a close game, and aids one team to cruise to a spread-covering victory - and when the call is SO bad and SO momentum-changing that even ESPNU's Jay Williams calls the official out by name - it's safe to ask...

Is Tony Greene "on the take"?

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

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

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

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

Game - LSU @ Mississippi State - Saturday, January 30, 2010

Line - Mississippi State - 12

Result - Mississippi State wins 67-51, covering the spread

Mississippi State was a 12 point gametime favorite in their home match-up with the LSU Tigers, and they got off to a great start, blocking shots and playing suffocating D for the first 5 minutes of the game. But with a 12 point spread against a team, LSU, that REALLY struggles to score points and really works to keep the game close (and MSU works to control tempo as well), it might be difficult for the Bulldogs to cover a double digit spread. There just weren't going to be very many points scored in the game, no matter who wins or by how much.

Swallow Your Whistle When Things Are Going Your Way

For the first 5 1/2 minutes of the game, while the Bulldogs built a 7-2 lead, the officiating crew of Tony Greene, Ron Groover, and Pat Adams did not make a single call. NOT A SINGLE CALL! If there has ever been a case of swallowing the whistle, this was it.

And LSU just couldn't put the ball in the basket. It wasn't until Mississippi State built a 10-2 lead nearly halfway through the first half that LSU scored its FIRST field goal! Uninterrupted by the officials, Mississippi State just slowly built its lead against the anemic Tiger offense, and when the Bulldogs took a 17-4 lead with just under 8 minutes to go in the first half, the 12 point spread was covered.

An LSU run cut the 14-point Bulldog lead to only 7 with just over a minute to go in the half, and the Tigers clearly had the momentum. With LSU moving the ball up the court, Tony Greene stepped in with a rarely-seen 10-second call as the Tiger ballhandler crossed half-court, and the subsequent basketbhelped the Bulldogs take an 8 point lead into the locker room at half time, covering 2/3 of the 12 point spread.

If The Team You Are Helping Has More Physical Players, Swallow Your Whistle

The first part of the second half was dominated by Mississippi State's Jarvis Vanardo, the all-time SEC leader in blocks. He came out of the locker room with such effort and physicality that the Bulldogs quickly extended their 8 point halftime lead to 13, even getting away with a "chicken wing" that the officials, of course, ignored, but that the SEC Network's Dave Baker pointed out.

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

Yet even after this run, LSU, now sporting a line-up primarily made up of walk-on players, began hitting a few shots and wasn't allowing the Bulldogs, who were playing pretty well at this point, to pull away. So the game began to be called much more tightly, with Tony Greene stepping in with a hand-check call on LSU, then another couple of fouls called on the Tigers. Making their free throws, MSU capitalized on this change in the officiating style and pulled out to a 16 point lead just 5 minutes into the second half. A couple of additional ticky-tack fouls on LSU, and suddenly the Bulldogs were IN THE BONUS less than seven minutes into the second half. Remember, in the entire first half, the officials didn't call this many calls on LSU.

Continued good free throw shooting by MSU offset some sudden good shooting by the LSU walk-ons, and the Bulldogs were able to maintain a 13 point lead with about 8 minutes to go.

After a few minutes of back-and-forth scoring, the Bulldog lead stood at 13 with 4 minutes to play, almost exactly at the 12-point spread. While the outcome of the game was not likely in doubt, the outcome of the spread definitely was. Exactly the situation an official "on the take" might like, and in which he might thrive.

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

Make The Big Call At The End

After a MSU bucket pushed its lead to 15, Tony Greene stepped in to call an offensive foul on an LSU ballhandler as he extended his off-ball arm during a drive through the lane. Although Joe Dean, Jr., criticized the call by saying it's "a little but of an NBA rule," he and Dave Baker both take up for Tony Greene by saying "you can't do that right in front of the official." MSU quickly extended its lead to 18.

A meaningless basket by LSU at the buzzer cut the margin to 67-51, but Mississippi State won easily and covered the 12-point spread.

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

Game - #7 Georgetown @ #4 Syracuse - Monday, January 25, 2010

Line - Syracuse -6

Result - Syracuse wins 73-56 and covers

Even though it was perhaps the biggest game Tony Greene worked all year, ITGOTT didn't get to watch, unfortunately... or at least watch closely as related to the officiating work of Tony Greene, Bob Donato, and Karl Hess.

Syracuse was a 6 point favorite at home vs #7 Georgetown, and Syracuse proved why. This is a GOOD team.

If there were any officiating oddities or discrepancies, please e-mail ITGOTT.

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

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 16 - Missouri @ Vanderbilt - Dec. 2, 2009

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 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).