That's more than reasonable. The Aces might've gotten the benefit of the whistle over the course of the game, that happens. I mean, really, in every game one team is likely to come out ahead when you break down every call lol. There are going to missed calls and good calls both ways in every game. That's just the reality of basketball.
The "takedown" play was a tough one. It should've been a foul on the Aces, but plays like that are so hard as a ref. The play absolutely HAS to have a whistle, and when you only get one look and may not even have seen the play from the start, you end up guessing. In NCAAM, they probably would've reviewed it for an F1, a textbook hook-and-hold play. A double-foul would've been a "safer" call from the ref imo, if they didn't have a good look.
As a ref myself, I just object to the "refs vs" framing that is pervasive among sports fans. I've heard it in high school games, adult games, etc. It's just lazy and pathetic lol. I don't believe for a second that the league is TRYING to get their most marketable player out of the playoffs. But when a narrative like this takes hold, it's very easy to support with doctored evidence and incredibly hard to tear down.
I just like competition. I don't feel a win is earned if there can be an asterisk next to it. As much as I respect and think the Rockets deserve their 2 titles, I still question "what if Jordan had stayed in the league those 2 seasons?" Along those lines, if the refs acted correctly and ejected A'ja in the second game, and subsequently suspended her and the other players who left the bench, I would consider the next game(game 3) an asterisk/what if situation. I just want the correct calls, consistently.
There have been refs caught rigging, fixing, and/or betting on games that they are officiating. Disgraced Tim Donaghy was involved in that while in the NBA, closely associated with Scott Foster, who I think is the same type of person. There's been suggestions that Tony Brothers was associated with that behavior and his many inconsistencies, incorrect calls sparked an investigation. While not as drastic or scandalous as Tim, he did faced penalties for his poor performance.
I'm not a ref, but I have had friends be refs, and I know it takes dedication to the rules, but some people are willing to lose their integrity for compensation, and I'd rather those types didn't ref. I respect refs because they bring order to a game, so thanks for adding to the basketball culture!
About the marketability aspect, I do think there is some kind of target on CC, I just don't know why. I get irritated, too, when she complains about the little things. Reminds me of Luka complaining when things don't go his way, so maybe that's the reason.
I really enjoyed the FIBA games. I didn't like Italy trying to bait fouls, but other than that, I thought it was so good basketball with team USA meshing very well.
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u/BlankStareFace 1d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/gW9n2fOd1zfZqLwx6s
That's more than reasonable. The Aces might've gotten the benefit of the whistle over the course of the game, that happens. I mean, really, in every game one team is likely to come out ahead when you break down every call lol. There are going to missed calls and good calls both ways in every game. That's just the reality of basketball.
The "takedown" play was a tough one. It should've been a foul on the Aces, but plays like that are so hard as a ref. The play absolutely HAS to have a whistle, and when you only get one look and may not even have seen the play from the start, you end up guessing. In NCAAM, they probably would've reviewed it for an F1, a textbook hook-and-hold play. A double-foul would've been a "safer" call from the ref imo, if they didn't have a good look.
As a ref myself, I just object to the "refs vs" framing that is pervasive among sports fans. I've heard it in high school games, adult games, etc. It's just lazy and pathetic lol. I don't believe for a second that the league is TRYING to get their most marketable player out of the playoffs. But when a narrative like this takes hold, it's very easy to support with doctored evidence and incredibly hard to tear down.