After every game, coaches and players are held accountable for what they did during that game that either helped their team win or wasn’t enough. Sometimes, games come down to a call on the floor, where refs can potentially decide the outcome of the game. Many times, these calls leave a team and fanbase up in arms, whether right or wrong. However, fans get answers from their team when it loses a game it shouldn’t, but why don’t players and fans get answers from referees?
On March 1, the Pack traveled to Georgia Tech and was off to a good start in the game, up by as much as nine in the first half. Redshirt junior guard Torin Dorn was called for an offensive foul and immediately given a technical foul by Ted Valentine. According to Dorn, all he said was “woah.” Watching the replay, I couldn’t see him say anything. All he did was get up and walk away. He didn’t even look at Valentine. Later in the game, Keatts was given a technical, his second of the season (and second of his career). Neither Dorn nor Keatts got an explanation about why he got a technical. The Pack lost by three.
Speaking of not getting an explanation, UNC-Chapel Hill guard Joel Berry had Valentine turn his back on him while Berry wanted to ask why a foul wasn’t called when Berry was held trying to catch a pass. Valentine turned his back on him. This was incredibly disrespectful and must have been infuriating for Berry and head coach Roy Williams. Kudos to Berry and Williams for not absolutely losing their minds, because I sure would have.
In what world is that acceptable? What if a judge turned his back while a lawyer was talking? Could you imagine the backlash? What if a police officer was mediating a fight on the street and just decided to turn his back and not hear one side of the story?
Why would it be so difficult to have referees available to media after games? Most of the time, there would be no reason to talk to them. But do you think Valentine would turn his back on a player during a game if he was going to be asked about it postgame? Would he give technicals and then not explain himself? I doubt it.
I just need an answer. Did Valentine hear Berry say something disrespectful and decided he wasn’t going to tolerate that? I can live with that. Did he hear Dorn do the same? I just want to know why. People are held accountable in all walks of life, but for some reason, referees aren’t.
And no, NC State Athletics Director Debbie Yow saying she’s going to submit it to the league office doesn’t count. Who even knows if she gets an answer for that.
In mid-February, Kansas beat West Virginia 77-69. Kansas shot 35 free throws. West Virginia shot two. Jamie Luckie, John Higgins and Keith Kimble were the referees. I didn’t watch the game, but I have to know. How? How is that even possible? Maybe Luckie and crew got every single call right, but that still doesn’t seem fair. I couldn’t even imagine what would happen if this were my team. I’m sure many WVU fans were equally as upset as I would be.
There are many other calls that fans everywhere want explanations for. Why can’t they get one? Why are refs allowed to do whatever they want without any punishment that we know of? Sure, Valentine was not allowed to officiate NCAA tournament games, but that seems like a consolation prize. By all accounts he’s a very good referee, but everybody makes mistakes, and I get that. However, the antics and not even listening to players or coaches, aren’t a mistake. He chooses to do that, and he, along with every other referee should have to answer to the decisions they make that directly affect the outcome of games.
