MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[AO]

I often hear a lot of whining about MIAC refs, but my experience is they very rarely impact the outcome of MIAC games (other than the infamous Asian Sensation).

Finally had enough of this crap about officials! Having worn the stripes for a considerable length of time I feel I can speak safely for (most) officials. No one goes into a constest with the attitude they are going to screw one team or the other!! If I was ever in a situation, which I have been, where my home town was involved I would bend over backwards to make sure I was impartial. Often to the point of being more harsh on my home town!

Every time you put the stripes on you are asked to make any number of judgement calls. These situations arise way too rapidly for you to ponder....gee which call is more beneficial to the school I have a particular allegiance with. You make a split second decision right or wrong an move on...

I have absolutely no problem with an official working a game that he has an offspring attending. You are talking about honest, professional people who are trying to their best.

You are standing on a very slippery slope when you start impunging the integrity of an official. Be very careful.

As you said, you can't speak for anyone but yourself, and actions tend to speak a little louder than a proclamation of innocence.  It's not scandalous that Yorky might favor the Tommies, it's human nature to favor teams you have ties to, conciously or subconciously.   Easy solution, don't ref those games in which you have obvious ties to one team.  Basketball isn't golf.

[wabbit]

I often hear a lot of whining about MIAC refs, but my experience is they very rarely impact the outcome of MIAC games (other than the infamous Asian Sensation).

Finally had enough of this crap about officials! Having worn the stripes for a considerable length of time I feel I can speak safely for (most) officials. No one goes into a constest with the attitude they are going to screw one team or the other!! If I was ever in a situation, which I have been, where my home town was involved I would bend over backwards to make sure I was impartial. Often to the point of being more harsh on my home town!

Every time you put the stripes on you are asked to make any number of judgement calls. These situations arise way too rapidly for you to ponder....gee which call is more beneficial to the school I have a particular allegiance with. You make a split second decision right or wrong an move on...

I have absolutely no problem with an official working a game that he has an offspring attending. You are talking about honest, professional people who are trying to their best.

You are standing on a very slippery slope when you start impunging the integrity of an official. Be very careful.

As you said, you can't speak for anyone but yourself, and actions tend to speak a little louder than a proclamation of innocence.  It's not scandalous that Yorky might favor the Tommies, it's human nature to favor teams you have ties to, conciously or subconciously.   Easy solution, don't ref those games in which you have obvious ties to one team.  Basketball isn't golf.

Just to change the tenor (sp?) slightly...Is there a tougher sport to ref than basketball? Really, what is a travel (or charge)? It's like pornography...I know it when I see it but I can't describe it.

[Gregory Sager]

Had to work the Uconn/Marquette game last night so I missed the Bethel boys move on to the championship game.

I hope everyone makes it to the game Saturday.  If it is anything close to the last one between the two teams it is well worth getting there early for a good seat.

2012/Berken you are not a very intelligent person(insert standard UST joke from a SJU football poster here).  I for once in my posting life wouldn't mind TDT or KiltedRat being around to help me out 



Oh and for the record I like and respect most every UST poster and wish your team the best regardless of Saturdays outcome

Why am I not to intelligent?

Beautiful. Just ... beautiful.

[Nites]

Had to work the Uconn/Marquette game last night so I missed the Bethel boys move on to the championship game.

I hope everyone makes it to the game Saturday.  If it is anything close to the last one between the two teams it is well worth getting there early for a good seat.

2012/Berken you are not a very intelligent person(insert standard UST joke from a SJU football poster here).  I for once in my posting life wouldn't mind TDT or KiltedRat being around to help me out 



Oh and for the record I like and respect most every UST poster and wish your team the best regardless of Saturdays outcome

Why am I not to intelligent?

Beautiful. Just ... beautiful.

Careful, Greg, you might encourage an edit to the post: 

Why am I not to two intelligent?

[Drake Palmer]

One man's opinion or, putting another log on the championship game fire. 

If someone had time, they should go back over the season & track the points scored by Mike Moberg & Bethel post players in the first half of games compared to how many they scored in the 2nd half.  I'd bet you would see 80-90% of their points come in the first half & they hardly ever touch the ball in the 2nd half.  Now I gave mad props to Madson, he was absolutely on fire in the 2nd half in the game against the Dawgs the other night.   But even when he isn't, the Royals tend to go away from the biggs as the game moves on. 

It's also interesting how Coach Westlund rotates his biggs. He's got3.5 bigs in his rotation Moberg, Nate Robertson, Matt Johnson, & Jesse "Bald Eagle" Duccomun".  (I didn't notice before, but is the shaved pate a new grooming look for Mr. Duccomun?)  Typically, the Royals start out with Moberg & Robertson on the floor at the same time, but then as the game progresses, Bethel usually only has one post player out on the floor.  Back up post, Matt Johnson seems to be the designated hack – he fouled out of the other night's game with 5 fouls in 14 minutes of play.  Surprisingly, the volatile one - Nate Robertson had zero fouls in 33 minutes of play, & Moberg had 3 fouls. 

The post player chess match between Coach Westlund & UST's Coach Fritz should be one of the interesting, pivotal subplots on Saturday.   Fritz has Al McCoy, Josh Peltier, Sam Eicher, Anders Halvorsen, & to a lesser extent, David Baker.  McCoy & Peltier are both under sized, post players, at least when it comes to the height end of the spectrum, & Halvorsen is sort of a hybrid 6-8 forward/wing.  Eicher can be effective but slow, & Baker has been this year's mystery man for the Tommies.  At the last BET-UST game, McCoy,  Peltier, Moberg & Robertson were all engaging in their special fraternity brotherhood bonding rites of hugging, squeezing, slapping the ball out of each other's hands & chatting each other up.  Moberg & Peltier in particular seem to have developed a special relationship with each other this year, so this should really be interesting to watch unfold.  And the big man, Mr McCoy always seem to play with a chip on his shoulder in this game. 

So if you guys take your eyes off the glamour guys- Madson, Scott, Nicolai. Laugen  watch the action in the paint.  There was business best seller a few years back titled "When Giants Learn to Dance" & I tell you, there will be some MIAC version of giants dancing in the lane tomorrow night.    Can't wait!

[Pat Coleman]

and MLB ump Tim Tschida (CDHS, UST) gets his share of Twins games and no one calls foul

Does he have two sons involved with the Twins organization?

Randy Wolf's brother umpired Phillies games last year. Even games Randy pitched. The only concession was that he didn't call balls and strikes on a game Randy pitched.

[AO]

and MLB ump Tim Tschida (CDHS, UST) gets his share of Twins games and no one calls foul

Does he have two sons involved with the Twins organization?

Randy Wolf's brother umpired Phillies games last year. Even games Randy pitched. The only concession was that he didn't call balls and strikes on a game Randy pitched.

Exactly.  If it were only possible for yorky to only call out of bounds/three point shots/lane violations, leave the more subjective foul calling (balls and strikes) to the other officials.

[Freebird]

I often hear a lot of whining about MIAC refs, but my experience is they very rarely impact the outcome of MIAC games (other than the infamous Asian Sensation).

Finally had enough of this crap about officials! Having worn the stripes for a considerable length of time I feel I can speak safely for (most) officials. No one goes into a constest with the attitude they are going to screw one team or the other!! If I was ever in a situation, which I have been, where my home town was involved I would bend over backwards to make sure I was impartial. Often to the point of being more harsh on my home town!

Every time you put the stripes on you are asked to make any number of judgement calls. These situations arise way too rapidly for you to ponder....gee which call is more beneficial to the school I have a particular allegiance with. You make a split second decision right or wrong an move on...

I have absolutely no problem with an official working a game for a school that he has an offspring attending. You are talking about honest, professional people who are trying to their best.

You are standing on a very slippery slope when you start impunging the integrity of an official. Be very careful.

I can respect the fact you call games so unbiasedly but by saying "most" officials also call games in such a way admits that some may not.  The point that is being made is the exception to the rule, not a general slam on all officials nationwide.

I have done a good amount of officiating myself and since I have friends who coach I always remove myself from consideration for those game.  It's just the easiest thing to do since there are plenty of officials to go around.  Just my two cents.

[sumander]

Freebird, I agree the MIAC could do a better job of assigning officials.

I also understand why you prefer not to work games for friends that are coaches. My point is, If you did work a game that a friend of yours was coaching would you approach or work it any differently than any other game you worked?

AO,  a quote for you:

"People mistakenly assume that their thinking is done by their head; it is actually done by the heart which first dictates the conclusion, then commands the head to provide the reasoning that will defend it."

[Drake Palmer]

Freebird, I agree the MIAC could do a better job of assigning officials.

I also understand why you prefer not to work games for friends that are coaches. My point is, If you did work a game that a friend of yours was coaching would you approach or work it any differently than any other game you worked?

AO,  a quote for you:

“People mistakenly assume that their thinking is done by their head; it is actually done by the heart which first dictates the conclusion, then commands the head to provide the reasoning that will defend it.”

Man, Sum pulling a Sensei Jr. on us.    +k

[Willy Wonka]

It might be worth noting that former SJU player Nate Kopetka's dad is also a ref. I've seen him more than a few times working in Collegeville.

[Freebird]

Freebird, I agree the MIAC could do a better job of assigning officials.

I also understand why you prefer not to work games for friends that are coaches. My point is, If you did work a game that a friend of yours was coaching would you approach or work it any differently than any other game you worked?

I wouldn't and in fact I think I have been more confident and resolved in those situations.  So yes, I do see your point.

[Chocolate Hoops]

Putting a different slant on the discussion and having observed GAC a few times this year, I will say this: "The good news for the Gusties is they have alot of players coming back next year."

However, "The bad news for the Gusites is they have alot of players coming back next year."

I think that coaching staff better find some players if they want to be competitive for a league title, unless they're simply satisfied with being a top 6 team and making the playoffs each year.

And, regarding the BU-UST championship game, I wonder if Westie will continue to coach with both hands around his throat as he's done in the past in big games?!!

[papahoops]

I was intrigued by Drake's comments regarding what he perceived to be Moberg's reduced involvement in the offense in the second half of games and the scoring numbers support him to some degree. I checked back for Bethel's last 10 games played and over that period, Moberg averaged 8.1 points in the first half and 5.8 points in the second half. I had to go back 10 games before I came across a game in which Moberg had a higher scoring second half. If you look at Bethel's two losses in the last ten games played (UST/Hamline), Moberg scored ZERO points in the second half COMBINED in those two games.
This data suppports Drake's supposition that Moberg should be involved in the second offense for Bethel to gain a victory, and emphasizes my earlier posting that his post play will be a critical variable in the game. Care to offer an over/under point total for Moberg in the second half that will be needed for victory Drake?

[larry_u]

I was intrigued by Drake's comments regarding what he perceived to be Moberg's reduced involvement in the offense in the second half of games and the scoring numbers support him to some degree. I checked back for Bethel's last 10 games played and over that period, Moberg averaged 8.1 points in the first half and 5.8 points in the second half. I had to go back 10 games before I came across a game in which Moberg had a higher scoring second half. If you look at Bethel's two losses in the last ten games played (UST/Hamline), Moberg scored ZERO points in the second half COMBINED in those two games.
This data suppports Drake's supposition that Moberg should be involved in the second offense for Bethel to gain a victory, and emphasizes my earlier posting that his post play will be a critical variable in the game. Care to offer an over/under point total for Moberg in the second half that will be needed for victory Drake?

Exactly the type of research that may get stolen for the broadcast tomorrow night.  Do you take positive karma as payment??