Detroit Paper Blames Officials for Loss

[jdsooner]

John Beilein and his players were careful not to criticize the officials after the game. The closest anybody came was when Beilein was answering a question about why he got a technical. (The answer: Zack Novak was called for a foul for standing still, and Beilein said he asked the official, “What (is he) supposed to do?”)

But three things to consider:

• 1. Harris had not fouled out once all year, despite playing 33 minutes per game. He had fouled out twice as a freshman — and in both of those games he played at least 37 minutes.

Against Oklahoma, he fouled out in 21 minutes.

• 2. Michigan averaged 15.2 fouls this year — the 10th-fewest in the nation. Oklahoma averaged 17.4. In this game, Oklahoma was called for 14 fouls and U-M was called for 23.

• 3. While Beilein juggled his lineup like a circus performer, Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel played his five starters the entire second half.

My point is not that the officials cost Michigan the game. I don’t see how anybody can fairly say that. But I do think it is fair to say that, whether the foul calls were justified or not, they kept the Wolverines from throwing their best punch.

http://www.freep.com/article/20090321/COL22/90321049/Fouls+spell+trouble+for+U-M

[jdsooner]

It was unfair, because the Wolverines were just standing with their arms straight up!


TALKING BACK: Beilein drew a technical with 12:30 remaining after his players were called for defensive fouls, despite standing with their arms straight up. He was asking the officials, what were his players supposed to do against Oklahoma star Blake Griffin.

"We were trying to double-team then and just coming and being straight," Beilein said. "We really train our kids not to reach in, just come in and make sure he initiates any contact. I don't know how you guard it if you have two guys on him and you're standing up. It's a ref's call. There's a lot of those 50/50 calls that go into a season." It was clear he felt the percentage wasn't quite that even Saturday.

[badger]

I think it's funny that people ASSUME that just because things are one way all year long that the same must happen in the postseason.

Fact: You were playing games with Big 10 refs most of your season.

Fact: The postseason disallows refs from your own conference calling your games out of fairness.

Thus, expecting the same treatment you got all season long from your own conference in the tourney is just stupid!


While Beilein juggled his lineup like a circus performer, Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel played his five starters the entire second half.
Inakrut. Franklin and Orlando played at the end of the second half :P

[Sooner13]

Yeah I'm sure playing the best player/big man in the country had nothing to do with them picking up more fouls than usual :rolleyes:

[TopDawg]

Re: Detroit Paper Blames Officials for Loss


My point is not that the officials cost Michigan the game. I don’t see how anybody can fairly say that.

:O

[GrapevineSooner]

TopDawg just pointed out one of my biggest pet peeves regarding criticism of officiating and how sometimes it can be perceived.

It is possible, folks, to criticize officiating without insinuating that it was the reason behind a win/loss/tie/etc., right?

I see the guy's point to an extent in that what Michigan was being allowed to do in their defense of Griffin in the first half, they weren't allowed to do in the second half. Whether you feel they let them get away with too much in the first half or were calling nit picky fouls in the second half depends upon your POV. And YMMV quite extensively there.

[stoopified]

:OWhile I understand that you are pointing out that the writer says he isn't BLAMING the officials for the loss,I think it CAN be argued that blaming the officials is insinuated.How you say?Writing about officiating and its imbalance for one,comparing seasonal foul stats to game foul stats,and finally the mere mention THAT THIS IS NOT BLAMING THE OFFICIALS is a backhanded way to do so.

[StoopTroup]

They aren't blaming us for the loss...so what the hell does it matter. In the Tourney it's win or go Home.

Their at Home...we're not.

Start worrying about how people thought you played in your last game and you'll be watching from Home too.

I'm sure aggie is already posting about how unfair they were treated in the Pitt game.

They lost and they are at Home.

WE'RE IN THE SWEET 16 BABY ! ! !

GO SOONERS ! ! !

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

Whiny Bitches!

[Leroy Lizard]

Whining about the officiating is the same as blaming them for the loss. Which is why I never do it unless I really do think the officials cost my team the game (OU vs Oregon in football).

[jdsooner]

I find it ironic that the writer says he doesn't blame the officials after he makes it clear that he blames the officials. Of course, coach Beilein was careful not to criticize the officials after the game, but from what I read I would say he was doing exactly that.

[Hot Rod]

It's the officials fault they had that drought early in the 2nd half. Just be glad Blake took on a double team instead kicking it out for a 3 at times, or the score probably would've been a bigger margin of victory.

[TopDawg]

While I understand that you are pointing out that the writer says he isn't BLAMING the officials for the loss,I think it CAN be argued that blaming the officials is insinuated.How you say?Writing about officiating and its imbalance for one,comparing seasonal foul stats to game foul stats,and finally the mere mention THAT THIS IS NOT BLAMING THE OFFICIALS is a backhanded way to do so.

Well, he ends the article by saying this (the first paragraphy being the last part that jdsooner quoted):


My point is not that the officials cost Michigan the game. I don’t see how anybody can fairly say that. But I do think it is fair to say that, whether the foul calls were justified or not, they kept the Wolverines from throwing their best punch.

“We didn’t do enough to create our own breaks tonight,” Lee said.

No, they did not. With Manny Harris or without him, Michigan did not deserve to win. But as spring turns into summer, you can bet that Harris will think about this game — the chance he had, and the chance he wished he had.

He also had this to say about Blake:


Griffin is the best player in the country, and maybe the best compliment I can pay him is that I thought for the most part, the Wolverines actually did a good job against him, all things considered. He ended up with 33 points and 17 rebounds.

I think he "blames" Blake for the loss more than the officials. He's just pointing out some stark differences in the foul situation of this game compared to the average Michigan game this year. I think he'd agree (and even basically says) that Michigan's inability to adapt to the officiating, to stop Blake Griffin and to create their own breaks led to the loss.

[Ton Loc]

I have a new rule to go by-

I don't complain about about officials in games. I criticize them constructively.

Two completely different things. :D


Also he said this in the paper:


Harris picked up his first foul 16 seconds into the game. He picked up his second less than 5 minutes later, when he appeared to have rebounding position on Oklahoma superhero Blake Griffin, yet was called for fouling Griffin.

Two Things:

I remember that play. And he got his "good" position by pushing Blake out of the way when Blake jumped for the rebound.

Also, this whole article seems a little snarky to me.

[OUMallen]

I was talking to my buddy about this Saturday...I actually said- you know, if Meatchicken complains abotu the officiating some, I think it's justified. We benefited not only from PLENTY of fouls on UM, but often they were REALLY well-timed. Sometimes it just happens that way, but there were some real momentum-killers against UM. JMHO.

[BudsBoy]

"• 1. Harris had not fouled out once all year, despite playing 33 minutes per game. He had fouled out twice as a freshman — and in both of those games he played at least 37 minutes.

Against Oklahoma, he fouled out in 21 minutes.

• 2. Michigan averaged 15.2 fouls this year — the 10th-fewest in the nation. Oklahoma averaged 17.4. In this game, Oklahoma was called for 14 fouls and U-M was called for 23.

• 3. While Beilein juggled his lineup like a circus performer, Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel played his five starters the entire second half.

My point is not that the officials cost Michigan the game. I don’t see how anybody can fairly say that. But I do think it is fair to say that, whether the foul calls were justified or not, they kept the Wolverines from throwing their best punch."

Well they could have NOT fouled and let us make those lay ups and dunks. We didn't make them foul.

[jdsooner]

I didn't see any of their guys bleeding. Of course, Taylor Griffin got away with a shot to the head that put one of their players on the bench for awhile.

[kelloggOUballa]

Blake had three FT attempts at halftime when he should have had at least 10. Yes, it got better in the second half, but you still can't forget about the first half.

[Taxman71]

The Big 10 gets away with football-style basketball...that's why Kelvin got to go to Indiana. Take away the Big 10 refs that let everything go, and they should have toned down the physical play. Forearm shivers don't get called in the Big 10.

[badger]

The Big 10 gets away with football-style basketball.

Tee hee, football-style basketball in the Big 10... is that Big 10 football, or real football?

[Taxman71]

Ironically, it is still Big 10 style football. Neither team can hang half a hundred.

[Dan Thompson]

The reason Michigan lost was pointed out in statement #3.

[badger]

The reason Michigan lost was pointed out in statement #3.

You mean OU keeping it's starters in until the final minute or so? That really, really, worried me. I know it's a single elimination tourney, but I would rather our players get a breather in some time during the half in future games.

Still, can't argue with the results :)

[ouleaf]

Look at the source this is coming from. It's just a case of Homerism, plain and simple. Many fans look for a reason to blame a loss on something other than how the team played when they lose. That's all that is going on here from Michigan's stand point. They are just frustrated that their team lost and we won, and looking for a way to feel better about losing the game.

Do I think we were the better team, yes. Do i think Michigan has the ability to beat us, sure. The fact is we won, you lost. Move on with your life and keep supporting your team. The fact that they moan about some tiny, pretty much insignificant point of the game as the reason they lost the game is an insult to the player on Michigan's team IMO. They played a tough game, and battled the whole way through. They easily could have given up and we would have blown them out, but they didn't. That's what the columnist should be focusing on.