By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Hello, Hillsboro: A game of hoops with lots of oops
Placeholder Image

There isn’t much to say about the Badgers’ disappointment over the weekend except the fact that several coaches and most of the players pointed out after the game that the officials were most certainly not in the same class as the players when it came to producing under pressure.

They allowed that game to get totally out of control in the final 10 minutes, and only the coaches’ efforts kept it a ballgame rather than a gang bang.

Three Badger players had to leave the floor because of shots to the head, two to the eyes, and another to the chin and neck, all without any whistle being blown. That’s called alley ball back in Chicago and I expected far more class than that at a national championship game.

You don’t often hear coaches or players talk about such things after a game, either to court-side reporters or TV anchors and analysts after tempers have cooled. You did Monday night. Would you believe that Wisconsin was near the bottom of the country in number of fouls?

The most unusual “spankings” handed to refs by announcers I have ever seen happened when they ruled that an out-of-bounds ball call late in the game lacked enough confirmation to overturn it after viewing it on a monitor.

Meanwhile, the TV control room was showing a close up replay of the ball clearly  being hit by the finger of a Blue Devils player, before the announcers pointed out that the ball plainly changed its spin and direction after being touched!

Why didn’t the two referees looking at the replay see that? Does the NCAA brass ever evaluate their officials? How many looks at the play do they have to watch?

And, most importantly of all: Are the striped shirts ever evaluated by their bosses after a game?

It’s history now, and many of the players will have soon forgotten the details because they will be much more interested in counting up their NBA bonuses after the draft.

 
            ***

Here’s a couple of quick thoughts that will bring a smile to your face if you’re still thinking about the game!

The sole purpose of a child having a middle name is so he can tell when he’s in trouble.

Did you ever notice that when you put the two words “The” and “IRS” together it spells “theirs?”

Employment application blanks always ask who is to be called in an emergency. Just write in “an ambulance.”