Bad Officiating | Righting The Wrong in Sports Officiating

Blown Call Costs Galarraga Perfect Game

refpolice — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 02:56:46 +0000

Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga pitcher lost a perfect game tonight in Detroit on a blown call by first base umpire Jim Joyce. Indian batter Jaon Donald was rules safe on a play that realys confirmed wasn’t even close. Now, instead of a young pitcher acheiving his lifelong dream of pitching the perfect game, he has to accept the 1-hit shutout all because of bad call and pathetic rules by the MLB. Indeed, this is sad for everyone invloved because the umprire can never give that back to Galarraga who, statistically, will never approach perfection again. What would have been the 21st perfect game of all-time in baseball would have been the third this season and the second in just five days, another statistical anomoly. Perhaps the only good thing that can come of this is MLB finally addressing a solution for blown calls at first base. Then they can tackle inconsistent strikezones.

Dwight Howard Awaits Fate

refpolice — Wed, 19 May 2010 17:08:55 +0000

Orlando Magic Bigman Dwight Howard clobbered Celtics forward Paul Pierce in another frustrating loss at home to Boston. Replays showed apparent intent to harm Pierce, and the NBA commissioner’s office will no doubt be reviewing the tape of the play. He was accessed a flagrant 1 foul during the game, but could face suspension for game 3 as the series moves to Boston. Already down 2-0, looks for an increased rough play and more potential incidents

Capitals Lose on Disallowed Goal in Game 7

refpolice — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:36:11 +0000

The Washington Capitals completed their cave job, with help from the officials, in the deciding game Wednesday night. Down 1 – 0, the Capitals scored the tying goal in the beginning of the third period as the Canadiens’ goalie Jaroslav Halak fought through a brilliant screen in by Mike Knuble front of the net. The referees immediately waved off the goal saying Knublw was in the crease, but replays show that it was a good screen and that the goal should have counted. For a game 7 to be decided on a bad, rarely made no-goal call is further evidence as to why the NHL cannot overcome it’s ’second rate sport’ moniker. The NHL and fans needed to give a star like Alex Ovechkin a fair chance to play and advance, but instead they screwed him and his team. Bad call by the officials that will cost the league dearly.

NBA Playoff & Griping About Calls

refpolice — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 17:59:58 +0000

It has become an annual rite: the first round of the NBA Playoff means mostly boring match-ups and coaches and players whining about how they’re treated by officials. This year is no different Except for two things: Some interesting match-ups (Bulls-Cavs & Lakers-Thunder) and some stern talk from Commissioner Davis Stern on the official-bashing. It started in the final week of the regular season when Laker coach Phil Jackson, in preparation for the Lakers’ first round series with Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder, publicly pointed out the surprisingly high number of calls and free throws Durant got this season. He was fined each $35,000 for that and another jab at official Bennett Salvatore. But seeing lopsided free throw counts is nothing new for the NBA Playoffs. In fact, when the Thunder earned a 34-12 free throw advantage, the officials were just ensuring what we already know from listening to Tim Donaghy: that Stern and the NBA want these first rounder series to last at least 5 games, preferably 6 if possible, and the easiest way to accomplish that is to give the home team the home calls. Thunder wins and the series goes 2-1. The Bulls – Cavs series went the same way, only the free throw distribution was more equitable (31-25 Cavs) but they still got they wanted, which was a Bulls win and a 2-1 series. But LaBron and Kobe fans should not despair, odds are still very good that the Cavs & Lakers meet in the Finals. And if they don’t, we can all blame the officials for that.

Refs seeing Orange in UCONN Timeout Call

refpolice — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:26:31 +0000

With0:39 second to go in a ties game, Syracuse forward Rick Jackson grabbed an offensive rebound and drove to the basket and threw up a terrible shot, Connecticut rebounded. But the refs blew the whistle saying that Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim had called a timeout before Jackson put up the shot. Replays showed that he did in fact request a time out before the ball was released, but the timeout was not GRANTED until the ball was in the air, and you have to have possession of the ball to call a time out. It was almost as thought he official wanted to give the shot a chance to go in, and when it didn’t, he decided to blow the whistle and give it back to the Orange. This lead to Syracuse getting the ball back, and then scoring and winning the game. UCONN got screwed again second later when they fouled a poor shooter right away, but the refs sent the wrong guy to the line….a 75% shooter to the line, and the game was over. Connecticut reallt needs wins to make the tournament, and tonight’s jam job at Syracuse will not help.

Another Pick-6, another missed clipping Call

refpolice — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:15:18 +0000

Just as in last year Super Super Bowl, the game’s outcome hinged on a inception for a TD at a crucial situation in the game. Last night in Super Bowl between the Colt and the Saints, Peyton Manning was intercepted by Saints cornerback Tracey Porter with 3 plus minutes left in regulation as the Colt drove for the game-tying touchdown. Receiver Reggie Wayne appeared to give-up on the route, allowing Porter to step in and make the play. But what was overlooked was Peyton Manning getting pushed from behind as he tried to make a play on Porter. Even ESPN’s Bill Simmons agrees, ‘A clip is a clip’, and the refs missed this one, just they did last year in the Cardinal – Steelers Game. Now, manning didn’t exactly go all out in an effort to try and tackle Porter, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve the best opportunity to do so, and it looked like he was clearly interfered with.

Blue in Green Bay

refpolice — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:23:29 +0000

In an unfair ending to a great football game, Green Bay Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers was fouled on a play that ended the game. Fans across the country watched in surprise as the officials kept their hankies in their pockets as Karlos Dansby carried a Rodgers fumble in overtime into the end zone propelling the Cardinals into the next round of the NFL playoffs. Replays show a clear face mask penalty on Rodgers, but in a season where unprecedented efforts have been made to protect quarterbacks, this one went uncalled. Officiating is about consistency, and this non-call is about as inconsistent as you can get this year in the NFL.

Fall of Troy…..Again

refpolice — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:24:16 +0000

We’ve been wondering for a long time now ho much longer the NCAA can look the other way while the USC Trojan athletic department and AD Mike Garrett continue to thumb their nose at the them. First, Reggie Bush’s parent were living in a fancy condo pain for by a marketing agent who is now involved in a lawsuit against Reggie Bush. Apparently Reggie renegged on his part of the deal by signing a different again when he went to the NFL. Then there was the OJ Mayo situation, which by most account suggest he has been a ‘Pro’ since he was about 12 years old. You’d think the Mike Garrett and his staff might have done a little homework on this guy before recruiting him, but when the bank vault is open and the guard are all asleep, might as well be greedy. And now this. Wow, what a surprise. I mean who would have ever dreamed that Joe McKnight would be driving a car that was paid for by someone else? It really is a shocker, honestly. So, we really have no choice but ask the powers that be at the NCAA, What the f*** is taking so long? These guy are all dirty, so let’s declare Bush ineligible, rescind his Heisman, scrub him off the books, erase the 2004 nation Title, slap them with recruiting and Bowl restrictions for 3 years, require that Mike Garrett resign, fire Pete Carroll so we can all move on. The longer this lingers, the sillier the NCAA looks. I hear from a friend that the Water Polo team is also been flagrantly violating recruiting rules for years (they just won the National Championship again 2 weeks ago). Maybe Charlie Weiss was right when he suggested Pete Carroll was living with a grad student up in Malibu instead of where he was supposed to be living. Because that is the only explanation I can think of as to why he has let this mess get as big as it has.

Cuban to file complaint on review

refpolice — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 21:24:33 +0000

The Mavericks Eric Dampier was ejected in an overtime game last night against the Rockets after officials reviewed a flagrant foul called on Aaron Brooks. After 8 minutes, they tossed Dampier because it was his second technical in the game, and the Mavs went on to lose without their starting center. But the NBA rulebook states that only called flagrant 2 fouls are reviewable, and the foul on Brooks was ruled a flagrant 1. You think that refs would know this, but apprantly not. You’d also think that during the review period of 8 minutes, someone would have pointed it out, but that didn’t happen. Let’s see how the league handles it, could be interesting if they decide to replay the overtime period.

40 Minutes for Tim Donaghy Story

refpolice — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:15:16 +0000

CBS dedicated 40 minutes on Sunday night’s 60 Minutes news magazine to the Tim Donaghy interview. Donaghy has just been released from prison and now faces a life with no money, no family and handful of mobsters tracking him. But the interview was intriguing because of the way Donaghy described the fraternity of NBA officials and how the deal with certain players. It was this information, he alleges, he used to win 70% – 80% of the bets he placed on NBA games. He refuted the notion that he rigged games with his foul calling, and pointed to a 2007 game where he tossed San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich for arguing. He had money with the Spurs. His prime example was Allen Iverson, who had threatened an officials and received, according to Donaghy and his officiating colleagues, too a light fine and suspension from the league. So, they decided to mete out their own punishment by making Iverson’s life miserable on the court. Instead of his usual trips to the foul line, he got bumps, bruises and traveling calls. In the end, it was his bookie buddy that let it slip to a mob contact that he was taking bets from an NBA official. The mob naturally wanted in on the action and leaned on Donaghy before turning him in to the Feds. But the mob, the betting and the information he used to win those bets is only part of the story here. The real part is how believable he was in disclosing that NBA officials had players, coaches, GMs and owners they liked and ones they didn’t like and that they called games accordingly. He said that in games he wasn’t officiating, he’d call up one who was and ask how the games was going to be officiated, and then bet accordingly. In another detailed example, he detailed an incident where the Los Angeles Lakers had submitted a tape of 25 plays that they felt were erroneously officiated. The NBA agreed that 22 of the 25 plays indeed had been missed calls and that told officials to protect Kobe Bryant. Translation: bet the Lakers because Kobe is going to get to the line. The league telling officials how to officiate certain teams is bad enough, and the fact that Donaghy appeared so believable is even worse. the league now braces for the release of Donaghy’s book Personal Foul, due out shortly. I think David Stern would rather get a lump of coal in his stocking.