For years to come they'll tell the tale of Belicheat. The baseball team pounded beers in the clubhouse, during games. The captain of that team wore a large C on the chest of his uniform. Some say it stood for 'Captain'. Many say it meant something very different.
The legacy grew on Saturday, March 24, 2012 with the addition of an NCAA East Regional Final crew of three officials. What a mess these boys created.
One of the most basic constructs that all officials are told to learn and apply is that the primary role of the official is to facilitate the natural flow of the game. The crew that worked the OSU v. SU game failed in that task. The result was a game with 40 minutes of heavily punctuated basketball, 38 minutes of camera time on officials reporting fouls to the scorers table, fouls with official-imagined contact, blocks called charges taking away a potentially game-changing and-1. A game with officials who defined the entire style of play with their interminable whistles.
The losers converted more field goals and more threes than the winners. No, that does not happen often. The winners shot 42 free throws. That doesn't happen often either.
IAABO 38, headquartered in Syracuse, continues to push for three man crews in high school varsity games, even offering to provide three officials for the price of two. Officials need the opportunity to learn and work on three man crews for career growth and the opportunity to work collegiate games. While it sounds like a win-win for both the schools and officials, many athletic directors and coaches are passing on the offer. Saturday night was a compelling example of why they're passing. Two's company and three might be an unruly crowd.
People will forget who played before they forget the stench left in Boston.
V.
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