I am angry! I am guessing calling the conference to complaint is a big waste of time so I am shouting from the soap-box, 21st century style! As is said, "somebody ought to do something!"
Comments are being made about certain coaches behavior and rightfully so. However, the root of the problem is the officiating!
There are basically two types of teams; finesse teams and physical teams. Every team is somewhere on the continuum which divides the two styles. All regular followers of Big Ten teams know the style of play which follows a particular coach. There are your Ohio States, your Michigan States and your Marylands and, then, there are your Iowa's. After watching a couple games in the last two weeks (you can guess which two, in particular), I am angered by the quality officiating which I have seen. (OK, we lost both games but that does not mean I am wrong to complain!) BTW, what I have said is no great revelation to most readers here!!!
It is often said that players need to adjust their play to the type of game the referees are calling. This truly is part of the game. However, two other things are equally true and this is where poor officiating comes into play. First and foremost, there are rules which are to be applied. That is what makes the game. As practical matter, to some extent judgement enters into officiating- however, the discretion of any official should not dispense with a rule itself. This happens far too often in Big Ten WBB officiating. This is what pi##es me off! Crowd intimidation can be a cause, however, in the games I complain about... such clearly was not the case. Is the cause coach intimidation or ineptness? Hard to say, but it is extremely irritating!!!! Significant improvement has to be made!!!
Secondly, I submit that any officiating done fairly needs to obtain a "balance" between the two styles of play in order to maintain a level playing field for the completion. Without such balance, the style of called by the officials is determinative more often than not. "Let them play" games are won by the rough-house teams--- with (insert cough here!) injuries sometimes occurring! And," ticcy-tac" called games are won by finesse teams. Proof? Watch some replays of Big Ten games where the styles contrast significantly and see the direct correlation!
People say poor officiating is not outcome determinative. This is BS, most of the time. The first of the two games about which I complain was almost certainly determined by poor officiating, albeit a kick of the ball ALMOST as obvious as the kickoff at the start of a football game, aided in determining the outcome. The most recent game? We will not know because the referees did provide the appropriate balancing.
In regard to this last point, I hope the day comes when Bluder breaks the mode and recruits a "hard ass", " bruiser" to retaliate when players get routinely bumped to the ground, knocked off their dribble or are the receiving end of an elbow to the chest! I am not saying our finesse-oriented Hawkeye are totally free of such- however, like I said their two types of teams!
I realize this post would be generally applicable to any board in the conference. But, i am a Hawkeye fan, and i make it here!!!
Comments are being made about certain coaches behavior and rightfully so. However, the root of the problem is the officiating!
There are basically two types of teams; finesse teams and physical teams. Every team is somewhere on the continuum which divides the two styles. All regular followers of Big Ten teams know the style of play which follows a particular coach. There are your Ohio States, your Michigan States and your Marylands and, then, there are your Iowa's. After watching a couple games in the last two weeks (you can guess which two, in particular), I am angered by the quality officiating which I have seen. (OK, we lost both games but that does not mean I am wrong to complain!) BTW, what I have said is no great revelation to most readers here!!!
It is often said that players need to adjust their play to the type of game the referees are calling. This truly is part of the game. However, two other things are equally true and this is where poor officiating comes into play. First and foremost, there are rules which are to be applied. That is what makes the game. As practical matter, to some extent judgement enters into officiating- however, the discretion of any official should not dispense with a rule itself. This happens far too often in Big Ten WBB officiating. This is what pi##es me off! Crowd intimidation can be a cause, however, in the games I complain about... such clearly was not the case. Is the cause coach intimidation or ineptness? Hard to say, but it is extremely irritating!!!! Significant improvement has to be made!!!
Secondly, I submit that any officiating done fairly needs to obtain a "balance" between the two styles of play in order to maintain a level playing field for the completion. Without such balance, the style of called by the officials is determinative more often than not. "Let them play" games are won by the rough-house teams--- with (insert cough here!) injuries sometimes occurring! And," ticcy-tac" called games are won by finesse teams. Proof? Watch some replays of Big Ten games where the styles contrast significantly and see the direct correlation!
People say poor officiating is not outcome determinative. This is BS, most of the time. The first of the two games about which I complain was almost certainly determined by poor officiating, albeit a kick of the ball ALMOST as obvious as the kickoff at the start of a football game, aided in determining the outcome. The most recent game? We will not know because the referees did provide the appropriate balancing.
In regard to this last point, I hope the day comes when Bluder breaks the mode and recruits a "hard ass", " bruiser" to retaliate when players get routinely bumped to the ground, knocked off their dribble or are the receiving end of an elbow to the chest! I am not saying our finesse-oriented Hawkeye are totally free of such- however, like I said their two types of teams!
I realize this post would be generally applicable to any board in the conference. But, i am a Hawkeye fan, and i make it here!!!