Tuesday, March 2, 2010

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

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

Line - North Carolina -5

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

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

Make The Big Calls At The End

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

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

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

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

Summary

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

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.

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?

Thursday, February 18, 2010

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

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

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

See you soon!

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

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

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

Monday, February 15, 2010

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

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

Line - Villanova - 9 1/2

Result - Connecticut wins outright, 74-85

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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