Whistleblower Podcast

[Taiza]

Has anyone else listened to the Whistleblower podcast?

It basically revisits the Tim Donaughy situation in the NBA and goes in depth with all of the allegations. It has lots of content straight from Donaughy’s (and others directly involved) mouths that suggest that he wasn’t a rogue agent, but part of a much bigger conspiracy.

Many of the points Donaughy talks about is how you don’t have to make up calls to influence games, and how there’s a lot of leeway in foul calls (even particularly the block/charge call).

I have held the belief the last few years that there has been agenda put in place against us. Whether the motivation is personnel vendettas from referees; financial incentives from NCAA and league officials (Everyone likes watching the villains lose); or maybe even some sort of reaction to the one and done system out of self preservation by the NCAA and/or Officials.

Something stinks. I’m not crazy.

Have a listen

 

[Taiza]

Bump

 

[uk78]

Most conspiracy theories (which seem very popular today) are fantasy. I have often seen here when complaints exist about "Refs" as being very typical for the fan to remember every call that went against them and forget the ones that were called to our benefit (or non calls to our benefit). The only bias that really seemed to be possible was of course the North Carolina John Higgins elite 8 game.

As an example in our recent loss against Kansas fans are talking about the charge call near the end against Toppin. But, they ignore a lot of non calls that went our way with Jackson blocks (and one replay clearly showed he blocked the other players hand). The shot clock miss at the Wisconsin game was missed but if we were not going to rebound the ball that was on our team. However, believing these things seem popular with the us versus them mentality and give a good excuse for the why we lost crowd versus reality.

 

[downw/ball-lineD]

UK78, love the vast majority of your takes, but I have a slightly different take on this issue. Admittedly, I am a UK bball fan first, then a college and NBA fan next.

Saying that, I find the quality of officiating in college bball to be generally atrocious and too big a part of the game. I'm not sure there is another sport that is affected by officiating more than college bball. My scope is admittedly narrowed, bc the vast majority of college bball games I watch are UK games---so naturally I would focus on the calls that go for/against UK more than other calls for/against other teams.

I say all of that to preface the following question to you: "What are your feelings on college bball officiating?" To what degree do you think officials and their calls have on the college bball game? Personally, I prefer the officiating in the NBA 1000% more than college bball officiating. Yet, the rules of the game between NBA/college bball are negligibly different. Why the vast difference in the way the game is called?

Do you not believe the officiating played a "big/noticeable" role in the second half of the UK/Kansas game?
I don't think a person should be called "conspiratorial" , bc they question the ever increasing role officials appear to play in the college bball game.

For the record, I hate talking about officials. In practice as a 20yr soccer coach, I'm not sure i have openly questioned officiating in soccer more than 10x in my career. So, I get the "weak" mindset/easy cop out theory of blaming things on officials. As a general practice, I don't like that mind set at all.

But, I don't see how anyone can watch a college bball game and not believe the game (to its detriment IMO) is not affected by officiating/ and perhaps to an even greater degree in UK games where we are perceived as the Darth Vader of the sport? TIA Again, not saying it is THE reason UK lost to KU last night---but I feel confident in saying they SURE didn't help/make as many objectively unbiased calls FOR UK. The calls against UK all seemed/felt like they were tempo/game changing calls.

 

[RunninRichie]

 

[Taiza]

Most conspiracy theories (which seem very popular today) are fantasy. I have often seen here when complaints exist about "Refs" as being very typical for the fan to remember every call that went against them and forget the ones that were called to our benefit (or non calls to our benefit). The only bias that really seemed to be possible was of course the North Carolina John Higgins elite 8 game.

As an example in our recent loss against Kansas fans are talking about the charge call near the end against Toppin. But, they ignore a lot of non calls that went our way with Jackson blocks (and one replay clearly showed he blocked the other players hand). The shot clock miss at the Wisconsin game was missed but if we were not going to rebound the ball that was on our team. However, believing these things seem popular with the us versus them mentality and give a good excuse for the why we lost crowd versus reality.

I agree with you to a degree, but I don’t remember any games recently where I felt we were given a favorable whistle. Anymore I am surprised if I’m not fuming mad by the end of the game.

The NCAA tournament in 2019 brings to mind a couple of examples that were pretty blatant IMO.

Officials tried every way possible to keep Wofford in that game. They hacked, grabbed, and pushed all game. They got where they were by being a good three point shooting team, and they shot 29.6% that game. How was a team of nobodies able to hang with a team with 5 future NBA players? Their one serviceable big guy Cam Jackson picked up his third foul with 15 minutes left in the second half and played the rest of the game (despite being outmatched physically) without fouling.

In the Auburn game in the Elite 8, they didn’t commit a foul in the last 9:18 of regulation. Auburn. The team that presses and hacks, and grabs their way into turnovers. Does it lead directly to free throws or turnovers? Sometimes, but what it does is allow them to stop penetration, and consequently your offense. We beat Auburn by 27 in Auburn during the regular season. In both games they shot 29% and then 30% from three, so what changed?

We’re watching the WWE.

 

[Counsins Willie at Knight]

College officials are notoriously horrendous and SEC refs seem to be 10x worse. I agree with the previous post stating that the way NBA refs officiate a game is far superior. My biggest issue is the lack of consistency with calls game to game and the lack of accountability for a poor performance.

 

[RunninRichie]

College officials are notoriously horrendous and SEC refs seem to be 10x worse. I agree with the previous post stating that the way NBA refs officiate a game is far superior. My biggest issue is the lack of consistency with calls game to game and the lack of accountability for a poor performance.

because they half ass it

 

[ABlockalypseBrow]

The biggest problem is that the foul call is totally broken. In football they complain that the hold call could be called on every play. Now imagine if it could be called every second, and 30-50 hold calls were made a game, with wild swings in standards within each game, depending on what the officials ate for breakfast.

With a call that broken, it’s open to corrupting the game due to bribery, but also due to inherent biases (e.g. Calipari is unliked among officials), or just plain incompetence. And being run by the NCAA, college basketball is in a world of hurt.

 

[Counsins Willie at Knight]

because they half ass it

It turns a lot of people off to CBB forsure. I know we all hate Higgins here, but the other guy I absolutely cannot stand is TV Teddy. People don’t show up to watch you ref a game. The list of antics over the course of his career are ridiculous. I remember when Joel Berry was talking to him and TV just turns around and folded his arms to make it obvious that he was ignoring him. I hate UNC, but thinking about that and how he still has a job get my blood boiling.

 

[Taiza]

Higgins, TV Teddy, Shows, Sirmons, Pat Adams, Jamie Luckie.

All are company men imo.

 

[Cobb4uk]

I may be crazy but ever since they added the 3rd official officiating has changed, now added official reviews and the refs now have relevancy. Unfortunately they control the game without any accountability, furthermore there's differences from conference to conference on how games are called. During the NCAA tourney several teams will have their star player continually in foul trouble, players have trouble adjusting to different officiating, happens every year. The good old times when we could watch a game never mention the refs are gone. The antics of the refs today making calls and playing to the crowd and TV audience speaks volumes of what's happened. There needs to be a standard that the NCAA sets up that all have to adhere instead of each confetence, with no accountability There's a continuing problem.

 

[kybassfan]

Is there a conspiracy against Kentucky? Of course not.

Is there a general and increasing level of incompetence among officials? Absolutely. I watch a lot of basketball. Officiating standards are very low.

Is the NCAA corrupt? I think there is little doubt on this, at least as they handle infractions. As proof, I point no further than The Filth which should have been obliterated. Further examples are simply too many to list.

 

[yoshukai]

Grew up with a guy that was the biggest cheater I’ve known in my life . He cheated at board games , he cheated at card games, he cheated at softball ( would order unmarked HOT DOTS and had a stamp made that said Dudley Blue Dot ) , he was a terrible cheater at golf . This guy was referee that called a few Ky HS state championship games , went on to call NAIA and topped out calling OVC games . Now I’m not saying he cheated as an official, but had he ever gotten to level where he would be approached to alter games .....Im pretty sure he would have taken the money. Those type guys ARE out there .

 

[yoshukai]

Is there a conspiracy against Kentucky? Of course not.

Is there a general and increasing level of incompetence among officials? Absolutely. I watch a lot of basketball. Officiating standards are very low.

Is the NCAA corrupt? I think there is little doubt on this, at least as they handle infractions. As proof, I point no further than The Filth which should have been obliterated. Further examples are simply too many to list.

Georgia was put on probation and Jim Harrick fired for basically the same thing that North Carolina skated on . Except at Georgia it was a MUCH smaller scale.

 

[kybassfan]

Georgia was put on probation and Jim Harrick fired for basically the same thing that North Carolina skated on . Except at Georgia it was a MUCH smaller scale.

Yeah, I know. We literally could fill a thread with examples of such treachery. If it were me, I’d have expelled The Filth from the NCAA division one ranks and expunged every thing they did for the past 20 years. After 10 years, the could have made application as a new program with no history. The NCAA and college basketball was done irreparable harm by that decision.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

There's absolutely more than just incompetence at play. Its just a matter of determining if it's a personal financial interest/vendetta or if it's much larger than that.

You can watch the final two minutes of some games and guess the bet in play without ever looking.

 

[RipThru]

How anybody could want NBA refs is beyond me.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

 

[Taiza]

The thing is, anyone who cares about sports is taught early on not to complain about officiating and if you do you’re a sore loser. That’s the genius of it though.

Anybody crying foul is automatically written off by fans of other teams, and even those in the same fan base. The evidence is all circumstantial, so there’s nothing concrete to point to that really substantiates any claims.

There is ample incentives for the powers at be to doctor outcomes of our games though. One that hasn’t been previously mentioned is the advent of conference networks. All of the schools get paid out of the revenue that the SEC network generates. Revenue is generated by the ad space sold. What determine’s the value of the ad space sold? Viewership.

So what is more likely to draw in more viewership? An athletically superior Kentucky team trouncing teams night after night? Or watching the evil perpetuators of the one and done system -led by that sleazebag Calipari- struggle mightily against the teams that “do it right” with veteran leadership, good home grown boys, and wits?

I don’t know about you all, but I played a fair bit of basketball growing up. Not that I was ever an elite player, but when a team is longer and more athletic - even if your team knows what it’s doing - it makes everything harder. You can’t get a shot up, you struggle to stay in front on defense, you can’t do anything to stop the bigger team down low. It gets ugly quick. So how can you negate a team’s physical advantages? You foul. You grab and hand check on a drive. You slap and hack when shots go up down low. You push when they go up for rebounds, because otherwise you are lost.

How is it that our physical advantage is negated almost every time we play? I understand struggling against teams with a similar caliber of player (Kansas, Carolina) but when we play mid majors, and lower tier power 5 teams, these games shouldn’t really even be that close.

The gap is closed with biased enforcement of the rules. The other night against Kansas they let us play for the first bit, but once the game started to get out of hand (in our favor mind you), the whistles tightened up. Steals and blocks that you would expect the longer, more athletic team to get, became fouls instead of easy fast break points.

The game went from who was more talented, to who can make more open jumpers and free throws without getting a foul call. We’re never gonna win a jump shooting contest. Basketball isn’t a jump shooting contest.

 

[CatsIndy2010]

I've watched enough stolen games by refs to know that flops are real and people are biased with calling games.