The Problem with Jr. Jazz Refs
Well, the Quiet Bus Ride was finally defeated. Our high hopes were dismantled as we saw the Eagles take our rightful place in the next round of the tournament. While I would still regard this season as a success, it was also a disappointment. I was not disappointed in my team, however, they pulled together and did an excellent job making a recovery to our slow-starting season. I was grotesquely disappointed with the league-mainly the Refs, but also the score keepers.
We deserved to win our last game. It shouldn't have been our last game. We deserved to win. The game started out decent enough. While there was the usual amount of questionable calls in the game, nothing happened which is uncommon at a Jr. Jazz game. We cruised out to a comfortable 12-point lead at the half. The second half is when the trouble started, however.
While I can't pin our second-half breakdown on 1 thing, it was most definitely not Jake leaving to go to work. I think I can point the finger at two main causes: the 2 referees. Allow me to explain.
55-53. That was the final score. In a close game like that, there are always crucial points in the game which you go back to and think, "If only..." In this game there were about 5, and they were more like, "If only the refs..." The bus ride made about 3 or 4 layups, on which they were fouled. This should have given us 3 or 4 possibilities for 3-point plays. However, on each one, the ref called the foul on the ground, thus giving us the ball out of bounds. If any one of those calls would have been RIGHT, we would have won the game, no doubt.
Now the team we were playing, the ALA Eagles, were not a good team. They had one like 6'5" black kid, and that was it. All he did was sit under the basket and get second-chance points. Not once the entirety of the game did the refs blow a 3-second violation on him, but they did call one on us.
But why would the refs have it in for us? The answer is simple. We kept asking them to make certain calls which they did not. The psychology of a Jr. Jazz referee is, "if they ask you to watch the other team doing something, call it on them, just to spite them." Case and Point: (excuse my improper use of a colon) We kept telling the refs, "Watch their screens" because they pushed, grabbed, and used their arms whenever they set one. The referees reaction? "They're not setting very may screens." At a crucial point in the game, I set a screen for my teammate, only to be whistled for a moving screen call. This happened with less than a minute left in the game and is a perfect example of the way Jr. Jazz refs will shove a call in your face. They are so immature.
Overall, the Jr. Jazz season was a success. We started out 0-4, but rallied to post a 4-7 record. Not elite, but ok, seeing as we were a younger team. I don't know what I'm going to write by blogs about now that the season is over, but I'll find something. Next year, we're winning the championship. NO DOUBT.
Well, the Quiet Bus Ride was finally defeated. Our high hopes were dismantled as we saw the Eagles take our rightful place in the next round of the tournament. While I would still regard this season as a success, it was also a disappointment. I was not disappointed in my team, however, they pulled together and did an excellent job making a recovery to our slow-starting season. I was grotesquely disappointed with the league-mainly the Refs, but also the score keepers.
We deserved to win our last game. It shouldn't have been our last game. We deserved to win. The game started out decent enough. While there was the usual amount of questionable calls in the game, nothing happened which is uncommon at a Jr. Jazz game. We cruised out to a comfortable 12-point lead at the half. The second half is when the trouble started, however.
While I can't pin our second-half breakdown on 1 thing, it was most definitely not Jake leaving to go to work. I think I can point the finger at two main causes: the 2 referees. Allow me to explain.
55-53. That was the final score. In a close game like that, there are always crucial points in the game which you go back to and think, "If only..." In this game there were about 5, and they were more like, "If only the refs..." The bus ride made about 3 or 4 layups, on which they were fouled. This should have given us 3 or 4 possibilities for 3-point plays. However, on each one, the ref called the foul on the ground, thus giving us the ball out of bounds. If any one of those calls would have been RIGHT, we would have won the game, no doubt.
Now the team we were playing, the ALA Eagles, were not a good team. They had one like 6'5" black kid, and that was it. All he did was sit under the basket and get second-chance points. Not once the entirety of the game did the refs blow a 3-second violation on him, but they did call one on us.
But why would the refs have it in for us? The answer is simple. We kept asking them to make certain calls which they did not. The psychology of a Jr. Jazz referee is, "if they ask you to watch the other team doing something, call it on them, just to spite them." Case and Point: (excuse my improper use of a colon) We kept telling the refs, "Watch their screens" because they pushed, grabbed, and used their arms whenever they set one. The referees reaction? "They're not setting very may screens." At a crucial point in the game, I set a screen for my teammate, only to be whistled for a moving screen call. This happened with less than a minute left in the game and is a perfect example of the way Jr. Jazz refs will shove a call in your face. They are so immature.
Overall, the Jr. Jazz season was a success. We started out 0-4, but rallied to post a 4-7 record. Not elite, but ok, seeing as we were a younger team. I don't know what I'm going to write by blogs about now that the season is over, but I'll find something. Next year, we're winning the championship. NO DOUBT.
1 comment:
Amen homes- we got screwed hardcore, and anyone who says otherwise is no friend of mine. Your blogs are hilariously hilarious.
-Hank "quiet bus ride mvp" Hillstead
Post a Comment