Steve McJunkins - Stats & Notes

[Fryowa]

I’m not going to win this argument, so I’ll relent. It’s easier if I back away now.

 

[PCHawk]

You could call multiple offensive and defensive fouls on every single possession in basketball. Just like there are multiple holding calls on every football play. If they called every hold the game would take 17 hours.

Those four fouls you mentioned above would probably be argued as offensive fouls by OSU fans and they’d be just as right as us.

Not saying they didn’t get them wrong, but eye level on the court is a whole different experience than frame by frame on your couch from ten different angles a couple days later.

I truly, huonestly would bet we could sit down with the film and pick just as many uncalled Iowa fouls. We’re all homers here guys. Whining about refs when you get thumped by 20 pts is idiocy either way.

And why are there no threads on HN when we win about how we won because our opponents got fucked by the refs??? It’s just a weak sauce argument and you guys act like Iowa is the only team on the planet that’s ever gotten hosed.

Your last sentence admits teams get hosed. Sorry that when we get hosed, it doesn't comfort me knowing others have too. And honestly, people weren't really bitching about the refs after that game. It's only being talked about because Fran went off on a guy because he was right there to go off on and he botched the last few minutes bad. (According to Fran).

 

[uihawk82]

We might need to take a deeper dive into this ref's history as my son saw a tweet that this ref over about the whole Fran time at Iowa has been on the floor while Iowa has gone 6-25. That would be a bad record of coincidence for a coach like Fran who wins about 50% in the Big.

 

[Northside Hawk]

I have a crazy thought that goes through my head from time to time. Could you have an official at half court on a ladder like you have in volleyball? From that vantage point he may be able to see things the refs can't see at ground level, like who last touched a ball before if went out of bounds. Or physical contact that could constitute a foul. It won't impede spectators, not if they can use it in volleyball where it does impede spectars.

Just an outside the box thought. Any suggestions?

 

[Northside Hawk]

We might need to take a deeper dive into this ref's history as my son saw a tweet that this ref over about the whole Fran time at Iowa has been on the floor while Iowa has gone 6-25. That would be a bad record of coincidence for a coach like Fran who wins about 50% in the Big.

Hope we don't see him in the NCAA'S. That would be a death sentence.

 

[Fryowa]

Your last sentence admits teams get hosed. Sorry that when we get hosed, it doesn't comfort me knowing others have too. And honestly, people weren't really bitching about the refs after that game. It's only being talked about because Fran went off on a guy because he was right there to go off on and he botched the last few minutes bad. (According to Fran).

Never once, have I ever claimed teams don’t get hosed. But people who think their team gets it worse than another are idiots, I’m sorry.

You seem to say a lot about how you want more accountability for officials. That’s great. It’s ridiculous, but a great idea nonetheless.

What you’re not seeing is that these are the absolute best in the profession, and the odds of making it to a P5 level as an official, let alone to a pro sports level, are astronomical. I also think you vastly underestimate how hard it is to do.

My suggestion would be for you to try it yourself because I honestly don’t think you grasp what it is they do. $50, an untimed open book test that you can fail two times before getting DQ’d, and attending a 3 hour clinic once every three years is all it takes to be a varsity ref in any sport Iowa. If you say that’s a stupid idea then I don’t know what to tell you, because you want harsher accountability standards for officials, but you offer no suggestion as to the alternative. Essentially you’re bitching about (what you think is) a problem, and yet you offer no solution.

Fire or discipline refs? Great idea! Who are you going to get to replace them when they’re already the best in the profession? How did that replacement ref thing work out for the NFL, lol?

 

[PCHawk]

Never once, have I ever claimed teams don’t get hosed. But people who think their team gets it worse than another are idiots, I’m sorry.

You seem to say a lot about how you want more accountability for officials. That’s great. It’s ridiculous, but a great idea nonetheless.

What you’re not seeing is that these are the absolute best in the profession, and the odds of making it to a P5 level as an official, let alone to a pro sports level, are astronomical. I also think you vastly underestimate how hard it is to do.

My suggestion would be for you to try it yourself because I honestly don’t think you grasp what it is they do. $50, an untimed open book test that you can fail two times before getting DQ’d, and attending a 3 hour clinic once every three years is all it takes to be a varsity ref in any sport Iowa. If you say that’s a stupid idea then I don’t know what to tell you, because you want harsher accountability standards for officials, but you offer no suggestion as to the alternative. Essentially you’re bitching about (what you think is) a problem, and yet you offer no solution.

Fire or discipline refs? Great idea! Who are you going to get to replace them when they’re already the best in the profession? How did that replacement ref thing work out for the NFL, lol?

I understand they suck because its extremely hard to do. It unfortunate that a sport I love to watch is hampered by having to rely on people to do a job they are incapable of doing. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to bitch about it when their blown call (the same call that I would probably blow too) fucks over the team I cheer for. Its especially frustrating when people on here bitch about losing a game that we would have won if it wasnt for some blown calls. It's not a big deal to acknowledge that officials blew a call.

As far as offering solutions, I only have one. Don't let coaches engage officials at all. They would do a lot better job of focusing on the game if they didnt have to deal with coaches breathing down their neck. Refs become more concerned with evening out fouls and make up calls than they do calling what they see.

Actually I have another one. Train officials to not worry so much about blowing their whistle in a split second. I think refs try so hard to be quick that they anticipate more than they watch and react.

 

[WindsorHawk]

Hope we don't see him in the NCAA'S. That would be a death sentence.

I hope other officials think he’s a tool and hate working with him...might get us a couple calls.

 

[CP87]

I am always a little torn on the subject of officiating games within your home area.

On one hand the officiating bodies around the country would say that their members are held to high standards of fairness and impartiality; high enough that they should be able to officiate any game at any time or place. And I agree with that part. I have umpired lots of varsity games in my hometown, which is also where I went to school and played baseball. I feel like I'm fair and I've never had a parent on either side accuse me of being a homer.

That said, I hate doing it. Because even though it's never been said to my face, I personally feel that by reffing or umping in your hometown people are either going to view you as either a homer, or a guy who is purposely too hard on the hometown side so as not to look like a homer. You can't win. Part of why I agreed to start umping again after this year is because I told our assigner that I'm not doing home games. Unfortunately umpires are so badly needed in Iowa that we actually have the power to do that. It's either I do any game outside of my town that he wants (I'm single and have no commitments after I'm done coaching), or I don't do any at all. I know our coaches, players, and parents so well that it's not the umpiring I'm worried about. It's the potential for backlash in my personal life, even if I do everything right. Not worth it to me.

I got heckled by my grandma once when umping little league in my hometown (in her defense, I made a horrible call).

 

[WindsorHawk]

I understand they suck because its extremely hard to do. It unfortunate that a sport I love to watch is hampered by having to rely on people to do a job they are incapable of doing. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to bitch about it when their blown call (the same call that I would probably blow too) fucks over the team I cheer for. Its especially frustrating when people on here bitch about losing a game that we would have won if it wasnt for some blown calls. It's not a big deal to acknowledge that officials blew a call.

As far as offering solutions, I only have one. Don't let coaches engage officials at all. They would do a lot better job of focusing on the game if they didnt have to deal with coaches breathing down their neck. Refs become more concerned with evening out fouls and make up calls than they do calling what they see.

Actually I have another one. Train officials to not worry so much about blowing their whistle in a split second. I think refs try so hard to be quick that they anticipate more than they watch and react.

I have a thought. Make them full time employees year round. They do conditioning, study rules, watch lots of game film AND evaluate each other’s work. Let the coaches rate them as well...in the offseason.

The NCAA certainly has enough money and it would do a lot to improve their product. Start at a mid major. Perform well and move up to the power conferences. Do real well and do NCAA Championship games...significant bonuses for the good ones that make it this far.

 

[Fryowa]

As far as offering solutions, I only have one. Don't let coaches engage officials at all. They would do a lot better job of focusing on the game if they didnt have to deal with coaches breathing down their neck. Refs become more concerned with evening out fouls and make up calls than they do calling what they see.

Actually I have another one. Train officials to not worry so much about blowing their whistle in a split second. I think refs try so hard to be quick that they anticipate more than they watch and react.

I am 100% on board with both of those things you mentioned. No other jobs allow you to blow up at people and scream F-bombs in their faces. There is a movement in Iowa to require coaches to stay seated. I don’t ref basketball so I can’t comment one way or the other, but the refs I do know are all in total favor of it. College would benefit from it as well. Both coaches would still get one half of basketball with their offense in front of them.

I’d be a little more hesitant to allow refs a couple seconds to decide a call, because whether it’s good or not that sort of thing will always be seen by the public as indecision—without fail. If a guy takes a second to blow the whistle on a charge, the crowd will explode and I think you’re worse off than what you had before.

Also, the NCAA has more than enough money for full time refs. I know you guys get tired of hearing my baseball stuff, but in my opinion that sport benefits from having full time crews who make astronomical amounts of money. That makes it unbelievably competitive and basically ensures that you get the best of the best. The NFL will also benefit from full time official status.

I’m fine with people pointing out bad or missed calls, but those people better also cry about the calls that hurt the other team or they don’t have a leg to stand on.

 

[PCHawk]

I am 100% on board with both of those things you mentioned. No other jobs allow you to blow up at people and scream F-bombs in their faces. There is a movement in Iowa to require coaches to stay seated. I don’t ref basketball so I can’t comment one way or the other, but the refs I do know are all in total favor of it. College would benefit from it as well. Both coaches would still get one half of basketball with their offense in front of them.

I’d be a little more hesitant to allow refs a couple seconds to decide a call, because whether it’s good or not that sort of thing will always be seen by the public as indecision—without fail. If a guy takes a second to blow the whistle on a charge, the crowd will explode and I think you’re worse off than what you had before.

Also, the NCAA has more than enough money for full time refs. I know you guys get tired of hearing my baseball stuff, but in my opinion that sport benefits from having full time crews who make astronomical amounts of money. That makes it unbelievably competitive and basically ensures that you get the best of the best. The NFL will also benefit from full time official status.

I’m fine with people pointing out bad or missed calls, but those people better also cry about the calls that hurt the other team or they don’t have a leg to stand on.

Oh fans flip shit when a ref hesitates. I get why they feel so much pressure to blow the whistle fast. I just wish they would say eff the fans and do it anyway. The only times the hesitate are when they wait to see if a shot goes in before they blow the whistle.

 

[skinnykilmer17]

Sorry if this has already been discussed, but on the radio last night Mac McCausland said he was sitting right behind the Iowa bench and all he heard Fran say after Baers's bucket was, "And one".

I know refs don't like this but seriously, How often do collegiate coaches express that? And how often do officials ring that up? It isn't demonstrative and very few people probably even hear it. ??

Also Eddie Hightower has been a longtime resident of Edwardsville, Illinois I believe. He must have done hundreds of games of Illinois colleges. Maybe even Southern's?

 

[ATLHawkeye]

Find me any threads on CF where people are obsessed with one ref, where people are trying to determine if he's been actively trying to swing games, with huge lists of the games he's reffed against the Cyclones. I'll wait.

We would, but most of us don't hang out on another school's forum. We have no idea what they say on CF, nor do we care.

 

[smitharooney]

ridiculous how? Do you see any Iowa fan blaming this ref for the loss? There is a discussion on here about how shitty of a ref he likely is which caused Fran to give the guy a piece of his mind.

So every single person who lives in the state of Iowa is an obvious Iowa fan ? This is dumb . Half the people in the state could give a giant turd about Hawkeye sports. Ohio is no different

 

[smitharooney]

Sorry if this has already been discussed, but on the radio last night Mac McCausland said he was sitting right behind the Iowa bench and all he heard Fran say after Baers's bucket was, "And one".

I know refs don't like this but seriously, How often do collegiate coaches express that? And how often do officials ring that up? It isn't demonstrative and very few people probably even hear it. ??

Also Eddie Hightower has been a longtime resident of Edwardsville, Illinois I believe. He must have done hundreds of games of Illinois colleges. Maybe even Southern's?

TC screams “ and one “80 percent of the time he scores in traffic . I guess most refs are ok with it . MOST

 

[Northside Hawk]

I hope other officials think he’s a tool and hate working with him...might get us a couple calls.

Bobby Knight to this day cites TV Ted Valentine, a full-time big ten official then, as a huge factor in their final four loss to Duke in 1992 at the Metrodome. And their relationship only went downhill from there, which is saying a lot when you consider Knight's general feeling about officials.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Sorry if this has already been discussed, but on the radio last night Mac McCausland said he was sitting right behind the Iowa bench and all he heard Fran say after Baers's bucket was, "And one".

I know refs don't like this but seriously, How often do collegiate coaches express that? And how often do officials ring that up? It isn't demonstrative and very few people probably even hear it. ??

Also Eddie Hightower has been a longtime resident of Edwardsville, Illinois I believe. He must have done hundreds of games of Illinois colleges. Maybe even Southern's?

"And one" is anything but agregious, but officials hate it. They see it as being shown up. I was at seventh grade tournament in Hiawatha last year and a ref T'd a seventh grader up for yelling it after scoring.