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Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Here’s the official word on calling a close game and other nonsense that refs endure
The following is feedback to an Audible commentary that I wrote for Wed., Feb. 16 in the DDN. I knew that it would elicit a backhand, and “Rich” delivered.
Here’s his story, followed by mine. Thanks, “Rich,” for allowing me to post some of your rebuttal. As a reader, you’ll like Rich’s comments. It’s a rare inside glimpse into a world that few of us dare go, but all of us like to browbeat:
RICH’S REBUTTAL
Regarding your article on officiating. As a longtime official, I think it’s a load of crap.
The Flying to the Hoops games are exhibitions. It’s like comparing summer league ball to regular season. Besides, officials are damned if they do or damned if they don’t. As soon as you let stuff go, people complain. As soon as you call it tight, people complain. After all, a foul is a foul. There is no gray area in the OHSAA rule book.
I agree that better officials can let some minor stuff go to keep the game flowing better as a lot of us do, but they still complain. When you have great athletes as they do in the City League being aggressive and pressing the entire game, obviously more fouls are going to happen.
As far as a shortage of good officials, you might be right. In my experience some varsity officials think the game is all about them and it annoys the heck out of me. In my opinion a good official is one that is barley noticed.
Interestingly enough, of the 33 people I went to class with back in 1998, only 4 of us still officiate. The really bad ones seem to weed themselves out.
Here is a list of my favorite complaints:
• Somebody is gonna get hurt! Like me calling or not calling a foul could change that. It’s up to coaches to control their players.
• That’s over the back! There is no call in any rule book and no signal for anything called over the back. If a 6-5 player is standing behind a 5-5 player and reaches over and grabs the ball from him or her, that’s not a foul.
• After 3 or 4 shots go up from offensive rebounds, I hear “3 SECONDS!” No. Every time a shot goes up 3 seconds starts over.
• Lastly, people seem to think a player has to be perfectly still to get a charge call. No. That player is entitled to the area he or she is standing in all the way up to the ceiling. If they jump straight up and get plowed, it’s a charge.
Finally, over and back is a whole can of worms that I don’t want to get into.
AND THE AUDIBLE:
Officiating a tight game or not a judgment call
One of the best things about last month’s Good Samaritan Hospital Flyin’ to the Hoop was the lack of personal fouls called.
It’s the not-so-secret understanding that unless a hacking is heard, play is good to go. Referees, players and coaches all are on the same page about this. The relative non-whistle blowing has never ruptured into an issue.
Besides, there’s no other way that six or seven boys high school basketball games could be played in one day and come within reason of their posted tipoff times. That’s what college coaches are counting on, let alone spectators.
And then there are Dunbar’s games this season against Canton McKinley, Trotwood-Madison and Akron Buchtel.
Last Saturday’s 56-50 defeat of Buchtel was the most wincing offender, producing a staggering 56 personal fouls in 32 stop-action minutes. That amounted to a combined 70 free throws. A pumped-up and capacity crowd anticipating a classic No. 1 vs. No. 2 game instead drifted in and out as if a cure for insomnia had been found.
Dunbar’s defeats of Trotwood (54 fouls) and McKinley (50-plus) were more of the same.
This isn’t a rant against close officiating. We should applaud referees of any sport. The shortage for qualified and experienced officials at all levels in all sports has never been greater, for many abused reasons. That’s the repeated theme I hear every time I ask.
But too much of a good and needed thing can overwhelm an event and render it unwatchable. It’s like adding salt to a meal; a bit enhances the taste, but too much makes it unbearable.
Something in between ideally is best, for players and fans. That’s the toughest call of all.
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TweetOSU extends offer to Centerville DE Ifeadi Odenigbo
CENTERVILLE — It’s not a stretch to label Ifeadi Odenigbo of Centerville High School’s football program a quick study.
Landing an offer from Ohio State University after just two seasons of playing football is as quick as it gets.
An outstanding and mobile defensive end, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound junior was entrenched on one of the Elks’ best defensive fronts in program history last season. He played alongside another OSU recruit, defensive tackle Michael Bennett, who’ll report to the Buckeyes this summer.
The son of Nigerian parents, Odenigbo wasn’t allowed to play football until his sophomore year.
What makes Odenigbo so intriguing is his mixture of size, strength and speed. He was the Elks’ best sprinter last spring, excelling on the 400- to 1,600-meter relays. He also ran away with Centerville’s preseason conditioning test last fall, a combination of strength, agility and speed.
Elks coach Ron Ullery said that OSU is recruiting Odenigbo to play the Viper position, a hybrid pass rusher, outside linebacker and defensive end. That’s where recent OSU standouts Thaddeus Gibson and Bobby Carpenter excelled.
“He plays with great leverage and uses his hands really well,” Ullery said.
“And he shows unusual toughness. He sticks his nose in there and has really learned to like the physical part of the game.”
Ullery likened only one other Centerville player in program history who matched Odenigbo in size, speed and ability: 1983 grad Matt Bradley (UCLA, Pitt). “And Matt was one of the best players that we’ve ever had here,” said Ullery.
OSU also extended an offer to Canton McKinley defensive end Sevon Pittman on Wednesday.
Odenigbo is the area’s front runner as the most sought-after recruit for the class of 2012. Besides the Buckeyes, he has offers from Cincinnati, Toledo, Stanford, Syracuse, West Virginia, Northwestern, Indiana, Boston College, Michigan State, Michigan and Illinois.
Don’t be surprised to see Odenigbo also playing offense as a senior next season, either at running back, receiver or on the line.
“That’s top secret,” assured Ullery.
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TweetMilton-Union’s Garrett Stephenson puts up big numbers
WEST MILTON - As single-game boys basketball performances go this season, Garrett Stephenson of Milton-Union High School has put his best stats forward.
The 6-7 senior center went off on Dixie during Tuesday’s 70-52 victory:
• He scored 32 points;
• 13 of 14 from the field;
• 6 of 6 from the line;
• 15 rebounds;
• 4 assists;
• 3 steals;
• 3 blocks;
• 2 dunks.
The Bulldogs are just 6-13 on the season, but have won three of their last five games. M-U hosts top-seeded Miami East in the regular-season finale on Saturday (7:30 p.m.) and plays Tippecanoe in the D-II sectional at Springfield on Sat., Feb. 26 (6 p.m.).
Dixie (10-9) wraps up its regular season by hosting Preble Shawnee on Friday.
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