Home cooking at Rupp?

[BigBlueDiehard]

I used to be both a UK and UL fan.... Terry Meiners went to UK and was a UK fan... now he cheers for UL and is friends with Pitino. Over time things change

Maybe he doesnt like Cal and wants Cal gone from UK ...... but right now he is in charge of SEC officiating and its been anti UK this year.

I think you're barking up the wrong tree. I'm certainly not going to argue that SEC officials are in any way good, but the game we got screwed the most in (Kansas) featured 2 primarily Big 12 referees (Doug Sirmons and Mark Whitehead) and 1 primarily SEC referee (Pat Adams).

And I just heard Terry Meiners say on a Matt Jones podcast that he still cheers for UK and that he only cheers for UofL more because of his friendship with Pitino, so your point is not really supported by that claim. The calls are not going against us because Jake Bell suddenly started despising UK or Coach Cal. There are a few individual referees that I believe have an axe to grind with UK/Cal and therefore have a difficult time officiating our games objectively, and some other referees who try their best to call it fairly but just aren't very good.

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

I think you're barking up the wrong tree. I'm certainly not going to argue that SEC officials are in any way good, but the game we got screwed the most in (Kansas) featured 2 primarily Big 12 referees (Doug Sirmons and Mark Whitehead) and 1 primarily SEC referee (Pat Adams).

And I just heard Terry Meiners say on a Matt Jones podcast that he still cheers for UK and that he only cheers for UofL more because of his friendship with Pitino, so your point is not really supported by that claim. The calls are not going against us because Jake Bell suddenly started despising UK or Coach Cal. There are a few individual referees that I believe have an axe to grind with UK/Cal and therefore have a difficult time officiating our games objectively, and some other referees who try their best to call it fairly but just aren't very good.

When is the last time you talked to Jake Bell?

 

[BigBlueDiehard]

When is the last time you talked to Jake Bell?

A couple of years ago at Milward Funeral Home on Southland Drive in Lexington at a visitation for one of my old coaches that he was friends with (he had also coached his son Keith for many years). I congratulated him on his new position as coordinator of SEC officials, but didn't think to ask him if, despite the fact that he is a lifetime Lexintonian and earned his doctorate degree from UK, if he now suddenly held a grudge against UK and planned to instruct his officials to call games in a biased fashion against us (because that doesn't make any sense).

Here is an article from the Herald-Leader after he was appointed head of SEC officials by Mike Slive with all of the details on his background if this will help you move past this delusion:

Robert "Jake" Bell of Lexington is the new Coordinator of Southeastern Conference men's basketball officials.

SEC Commissioner Mike Slive made the announcement Monday from the league office in Birmingham, Ala.

Bell, a veteran SEC (1977-92) and college official, has worked several conference tournaments as well as multiple NCAA and National Invitation tournaments.

He has served as coordinator of basketball officials for the Atlantic Sun Conference since 2006 and of the Southern Atlantic Association since 2012. He also worked in that role for the Mid-South Conference from 1996 through 2000.

"To be a part of the SEC again is a dream opportunity for me," Bell said in an SEC press release. "I feel so pleased to be part of such a great organization. My experience with the SEC dates back to the 1970s when Cliff Harper (former SEC associate commissioner) hired me to officiate in this league. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I look forward to getting started."

Bell earned his bachelor's degree in education (1965) and master's in education/counseling from Georgetown College. He received his doctorate in administration/supervision from the University of Kentucky in 2003.

He taught biology at Henry Clay High School (1969-93) and coached the Blue Devils to a 4A state football championship in 1981 and a runner-up finish in 1979. He was associate principal at Tates Creek High from 1993 through 1997, and principal at Henry Clay from 2000 through 2004.

Bell also served as interim athletic director at Eastern Kentucky University (2004-05) and athletic director at Georgetown College (1998-2000).

"We are pleased to have someone of Jake's experience and background to lead the SEC's men's basketball officiating program," Slive said. "His experience as an official and a coordinator will help guide an already solid officiating program. His appointment has the unanimous support of the conference's 14 athletic directors and 14 head men's basketball coaches."


Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/mens-basketball/article44428539.html#storylink=cpy

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

A couple of years ago at Milward Funeral Home on Southland Drive in Lexington at a visitation for one of my old coaches that he was friends with (he had also coached his son Keith for many years). I congratulated him on his new position as coordinator of SEC officials, but didn't think to ask him if, despite the fact that he is a lifetime Lexintonian and earned his doctorate degree from UK, if he now suddenly held a grudge against UK and planned to instruct his officials to call games in a biased fashion against us (because that doesn't make any sense).

Here is an article from the Herald-Leader after he was appointed head of SEC officials by Mike Slive with all of the details on his background if this will help you move past this delusion:

Robert "Jake" Bell of Lexington is the new Coordinator of Southeastern Conference men's basketball officials.

SEC Commissioner Mike Slive made the announcement Monday from the league office in Birmingham, Ala.

Bell, a veteran SEC (1977-92) and college official, has worked several conference tournaments as well as multiple NCAA and National Invitation tournaments.

He has served as coordinator of basketball officials for the Atlantic Sun Conference since 2006 and of the Southern Atlantic Association since 2012. He also worked in that role for the Mid-South Conference from 1996 through 2000.

"To be a part of the SEC again is a dream opportunity for me," Bell said in an SEC press release. "I feel so pleased to be part of such a great organization. My experience with the SEC dates back to the 1970s when Cliff Harper (former SEC associate commissioner) hired me to officiate in this league. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I look forward to getting started."

Bell earned his bachelor's degree in education (1965) and master's in education/counseling from Georgetown College. He received his doctorate in administration/supervision from the University of Kentucky in 2003.

He taught biology at Henry Clay High School (1969-93) and coached the Blue Devils to a 4A state football championship in 1981 and a runner-up finish in 1979. He was associate principal at Tates Creek High from 1993 through 1997, and principal at Henry Clay from 2000 through 2004.

Bell also served as interim athletic director at Eastern Kentucky University (2004-05) and athletic director at Georgetown College (1998-2000).

"We are pleased to have someone of Jake's experience and background to lead the SEC's men's basketball officiating program," Slive said. "His experience as an official and a coordinator will help guide an already solid officiating program. His appointment has the unanimous support of the conference's 14 athletic directors and 14 head men's basketball coaches."


Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/mens-basketball/article44428539.html#storylink=cpy

So you are saying he's just god awful at his job huh? You know part of his job is to make sure biased refs dont officiate those games right?

But what I think is going on is you knew how he used to be and you think there is no way anything can change. But things change. Maybe he hates the one and done. You dont know. The only thing we do know is this year is the worst officiating we've had since our post season ban in the late 80's and the stats back it up.

 

[BigBlueDiehard]

So you are saying he's just god awful at his job huh? You know part of his job is to make sure biased refs dont officiate those games right?

But what I think is going on is you knew how he used to be and you think there is no way anything can change. But things change. Maybe he hates the one and done. You dont know. The only thing we do know is this year is the worst officiating we've had since our post season ban in the late 80's and the stats back it up.

He might be awful at his job for all I know... I don't see what goes on behind closed doors, so I have no insight on that. Just saying that, as far as conspiracy theories go, the idea that Jake Bell is out to get us is a little silly.

I tend to blame the people that are actually blowing the whistles and I think, with a couple of notable exceptions (Sirmons for one...who is actually a Big 12 official that sometimes does SEC games), the bad calls are due more to incompetence than a bias against us. Tony Green and Doug Shows are examples of two referees who are commonly assigned to our games who, though I often disagree vehemently with many of their calls, I believe try their very best to be fair. Basketball is a very difficult game to officiate...let's just hope the calls start to even up a little bit and start going our way in March.

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

If it was just those blowing the whistles then why is this season so drastic compared to any other year here? They are the same officials that have done our games for the past how ever many years.

 

[BigBlueDiehard]

If it was just those blowing the whistles then why is this season so drastic compared to any other year here? They are the same officials that have done our games for the past how ever many years.

So Jake Bell only developed his bias against us and began instructing his officials to screw us over this year? This is not his first year in this role.

I don't think one thing can be pinpointed to explain the discrepancy this year, but I instead think it is a variety of factors.

1. The Kansas game was so ridiculous with the 47 to 22 freethrow differential (due primarily to Sirmons and the AFH environment that is famous for influencing whistles) that it alone skews the season statistics rather dramatically.
2. We've played from behind late in games more than usual this year and had to foul to catch up (certainly more so than last season).
3. We have a much shorter bench this year, so guys are playing a lot more minutes and players tend to reach more when they are tired.
4. We are playing with some guys (i.e. Skal) who are less seasoned than many of the freshmen that we are used to having, so they tend to reach more and be more foul-prone.
5. As others have pointed out, unlike the other years, we have virtually no post presence this year, so we're not drawing many fouls from the 4 and 5 positions. We are a guard-centric team this year and have to rely on more jump shots and threes than usual; whereas, the Harrison twins were more adept at using their size advantage to bully their way into the lane and draw fouls. Briscoe is similar in style and great at drawing fouls, but, as we all know, can't make freethrows, so has begun looking to drive and kick it back out to an open three point shooter instead of going all the way to rim and drawing contact.
6. Biased officials looking to stick it to Cal/UK (Sirmons at South Carolina). Doubt we'll see him on one of our games again anytime soon (unless we get stuck with him in the NCAA Tournament...please NO).
7. Bad luck with more than our share of bad calls going against us so far this year. These things tend to even up over time, so let's just hope we start to see a reversal of trends with the officiating down the stretch.
8. I haven't looked, but we have to have set a new mark for technical fouls this year (which also count as personals). Some of those were pretty lame calls though.

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

I wasnt even using the Kansas game in my SEC numbers

As far as our bench ..... we are playing 8 players

Ulis (only player who plays almost the entire game and rarely picks up fouls)
Briscoe
Murray
Willis
Lee
Poythress
Lee
Skal
Matthews
Hawkins
Humphries

We've played at least 8 of those guys in basically every game. Thats a bigger rotation than in 2011, 2012, 2013 and right about where 2014 was.

 

[Zakk Wyldcat]

I believe it is still Jake Bell... Lexington native, former Henry Clay football coach and principal, and longtime SEC official (never did UK games because of potential conflict of interest and was usually partnered with his assistant coach at Henry Clay, former UK quarterback Dave Bair).

'Roy's Boys v. Bell's Toys', lol. Any other 1980s Creekers on here who remember that bumper sticker?