It's not just the refs who blew the game -- I really believe it's the game itself.  Basketball as a sport has plateaued and I believe it's because of the way it's now being played.  I've watched basketball since the early 60's when you could watch a team with finesse play basketball the way Nasmith wanted it played.  Watch the Celtics of the Bill Russell era and you will see what I mean.  Today ballplayers push and shove their way to titles and many viewers are getting turned off by that.  Look at the regular season attendance for some of the big money teams.  Attendance is down everywhere and it's not just because of the price of the tix either.  I believe it's the quality of the product that's hurting attendance.  If the corporations didn't buy up the majority of the tix there wouldn't be many showing up at all.  

Why do I say this?  I began watching D3 basketball a number of years ago because it was being played at a purer level than at the pro and D1 levels.  Dunking wasn't every other shot (real talent there if you're 6'11") the way we see today.  A premium was being paid for strategy and passing.  Yesterday's game reminded me more of the ugly way that D1/pro's play their game.  And I, for one, was hoping for a cleaner game.  And if you weren't watching b-ball 40 years ago you have no clue about how the game should be played.  

Try that again.  Rumor has it that John Bedford made 1st Team All Region and 3rd Team All-American!  Just a rumor but a pretty reliable one at that.  And jeez louise -- John couldn't make 1st team all Northeast?  How about them cookies?

Rumor has it John Bedford:

I love the "neutral observer" ploy!  That's a laugh.  Nobody, but nobody that watches D3 basketball is neutral.  You either have someone that you are following (therefore no neutrality) like a brother, son, roomie or you are an alumnus.  Nobody watches D3 basketball on streaming video when there's the D1 matches going on at the same time in HD unless they have a vested interest.  So enough of the neutral observer bit.  And please don't tell me that you just wandered into Salem last night w/ nothing else to do!

As for the whinning bit let me tell you this.  Last night's game was an outright mugging!  That game should have been on TV under the heading "Bad boys, bad boys!"  When the refs let a game get out of hand by standing around and not calling obvious fouls, then the game ceases becoming what it should be.  Basketball has evolved into a mugging.....be it D3, high school, pros, whatever.  The team that now wins is the one that can play real rough and count on the refs looking away.  I saw it so much in college this year that it's becoming discouraging.  A less talented team can win now by simply manhandling the more talented opponent.  If the refs don't allow for this then Amherst would have won going away.  Up by 8 w/ 5 minutes to play and all of a sudden Amherst can't score?  And they are not fouled until the last minute of the game?  Come on.....the refs blew that one.  It's not whinning when you see a mugging.  I should have called 9-1-1.

While it was a terribly played game by Amherst I must admit that the officiating was the worst I've seen in 20+ years.  By "letting them play" plays right into the hands of a team that is physical and fouls a lot.  Talking to some of the players and watching the game I realized how poorly the refs saw the game.  A player doesn't miss a layup by 5 feet (Goldsmith) unless he is fouled.  Amherst had 9 fouls on Witt w/ 8 + minutes left but couldn't get a foul committed by Witt until therre was one minute left!  Bull Durham I say!  The refs wanted to balance out the game so they let it play rough until Witt was back in the game and then they called some incredible fouls on Amherst!!!!  I couldn't belive what I saw tonight!  John Bedford went up for a rebound and I saw two Witt players grab each arm!  When Bedford broke free and grabbed the rebound HE was called for a foul!  The refs were the worst I have ever seen in over 20+ years of basketball!   If basketball has come down to a clutch and grab type of game (a la hockey) then I'm done watching this sport! 

Amherst was definately the better team and it's too bad that refs blew it!

I like Amherst' chances tonight.  I looked over the first game that Tufts played w/ Witt and all the talk that Witt "ate up Tufts."  Baloney I say.  Both their big men were out of action w/ foul trouble.  Their sole true forward did them in w/ 24 pts (I believe) and a majority of them at the line.  The score may have been out of wack but hell Tufts shot 29% for the game!  Their 3's were non-existent.  In the games that Witt had trouble with (Wabash and Wooster) both teams played an up-temp game that Witt doesn't want to get into.

Get their big men in foul trouble and bomb away w/ the 3's.  Nokie, Wheels, Bedford, Olson & bench should have no trouble finding their open shots.  Get up on these guys fast, make Witt play catch-up and run run run!

I've seen @ 15+ Amherst games this season and this is what I have noted:

  Bedford is the catalyst for this team.  He does whatever is needed to win......be it rebounding (you'll see much more of this from him against Witt) when the frontcourt needs him....scoring, posting up, assisting......generally dictating the action on the court.
Olson will bring the ball up and won't have to worry too much about harrasement (unlike against NESCAC foes) because it doesn't appear that Witt does this (looking at # steals)
Cas or Wheels will get their 3 looks because one of them will be matched up against Witt's smaller forward.  I envision one of them coming up real big against Witt.  As well and because of their perimeter prowess, I see them drawing out one of Witt's post men.
The center committee, be it O'Shea, Goldsmith, Hopkins, et al will have to play the collective games of their lives in keeping Witt off their backs and get the outlet pass moving.
In the event that the Witt's backcourt heats up then there's always the Ray Ray option to shut them down.

If Amherst gets their offense flowing like I've seen in the past (very rarely don't they) and they can get 40-45% of the rebounds, I like their chances very much.  I believe that last year's loss to Rochester was a culmination of poor shooting by everyone on Amherst and the physical intimidation that Rochester put on Amherst.  This go around, I don't believe that Amherst will be intimidated.

Just my two cents or was that two dollars.