NCAA Hoops 2012

[CountDeMoney]

Ugh, motorcycle accident scenes are nasty.  Watched them try to stabilize a kid's neck once after an accident;  paramedic's hand went straight through the back of his skull like pudding.   I skipped lunch that shift.

[PDH]

Ugh, motorcycle accident scenes are nasty. 

Some things are not worth reliving.

[Berkut]

I don't know if anyone followed the story with Sean Miller's technical foul during the UCLA game this year, and the ensuing blowup on the court, in the press conference, followed by his getting fined $25k afterwards by the Pac-12.

If you did follow all that, then THIS story becomes rather alarming:

http://tracking.si.com/2013/04/01/arizona-sean-miller-targeted-by-pac-12-officials/?sct=hp_t2_a12&eref=sihp

Report: Pac-12 head of officials investigated for targeting Arizona coach Sean Miller

 
Pac-12 coordinator of basketball officials and former NBA referee Ed Rush has been investigated by the Pac-12 for comments made about Arizona coach Sean Miller in meetings that included several Pac-12 referees.
Rush, according to a source within the Pac-12 officiating group, told a group of referees on the Thursday of the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas that he would give them $5,000 or a trip to Cancun if they either "rang him up" or "ran him," meaning hit Miller with a technical or toss him out of the game. Rush then reiterated during a Friday morning meeting, according to one referee in attendance, that officials should take similar action against Miller if he did anything on Friday in the Pac-12 semifinals against UCLA.
"He was emphatic about not dealing with him (Miller)," the ref told CBSSports.com. "He made that perfectly clear."
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott issued a statement to CBSSports.com:
"Based on the review, we have concluded that while Rush made inappropriate comments that he now regrets during internal meetings that referenced rewards, he made the comments in jest and the officials in the room realized they were not serious offers," Scott told CBSSports.com. "Following our review, we have discussed the matter with Rush, taken steps to ensure it does not happen again, and communicated our findings to all of our officials."
Referee Michael Irving -- who sources confirmed was in the room with Rush on Friday -- hit Miller with a controversial technical with 4:37 left in the Pac-12 semifinals against UCLA. The Bruins wound up winning the game, 66-64. Miller was upset about a double-dribble call on Arizona point guard Mark Lyons, arguing that a UCLA player had gotten his hand on the ball before Lyons picked it up.
Miller later claimed he did not direct any profanities at Irving or any of the other officials at the time. The technical was his first of the season.
"The reason I got the technical foul is because I said, 'He touched the ball. He touched the ball. He touched the ball. He touched the ball. He touched the ball,'" Miller said immediately after the loss. Miller was reprimanded by the Pac-12 and fined $25,000 by the league for confronting a game official after the game had concluded, as well as for acting inappropriately toward a Pac-12 staffer in the hallway of the arena.
"They don't talk to me," he said of the officials. "If I cuss and I'm out of control and I've been warned, shame on me. When I say, 'He touched the ball, he touched the ball' because I thought the two of them could have maybe gotten together and explained that, in fact, he did touch the ball."
The source said the technical foul call was out of character for Irving.
"That's not Michael (Irving)'s mentality as a ref," said the source, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of losing assignments within the Pac-12. "He's a really good ref and manages situations without using technicals. It was absolutely because of what was said in the meeting. There's no doubt in my mind. It's a bad position to be put in."
"As a basketball referee, it's a horrible position to be put in by your supervisor," he continued. "If you don't do anything, you probably won't get any good games down the road -- or you may not get any games at all. That leaves us in a tough spot."
Rush was a longtime NBA official who was also the NBA's director of officiating from 1998-2003. He replaced Bill McCabe as the Pac-12's supervisor of officials in 2012, after McCabe retired.
"He's a bully," the referee said of Rush. "He just bullies everyone. That was his whole tenor of the meeting on Friday. We're all afraid of him. He's the most respected basketball officiating person on the West Coast and he's been given all the juice."
Ed Rush did not wish to comment further, telling CBSSports.com, "Larry's made a statement. I'm in concert with what he said. We're going to move on from there."

[katmai]

Speaking of Pac-12, "Dunk City" coach Enfield is heading to USC.

[PDH]

The graveyard of coaches.

[dps]

I don't know if anyone followed the story with Sean Miller's technical foul during the UCLA game this year, and the ensuing blowup on the court, in the press conference, followed by his getting fined $25k afterwards by the Pac-12.

If you did follow all that, then THIS story becomes rather alarming:

http://tracking.si.com/2013/04/01/arizona-sean-miller-targeted-by-pac-12-officials/?sct=hp_t2_a12&eref=sihp

Rush needs to be fired.  I don't care if it was a joke--if you're in his position, YOU CAN'T MAKE THAT JOKE.  Period.  It's pretty disturbing that Larry Scott doesn't realize this.

[crazy canuck]

I watched the outside the lines video regarding the Rutgers coach abusing his players.  What I dont get is why they waited so long to fire him.

[Berkut]

I watched the outside the lines video regarding the Rutgers coach abusing his players.  What I dont get is why they waited so long to fire him.

What I really fucking hate about that story, and stories like it, is the bullshit "Oh, well, that is wrong, because that coaching style just doesn't work!" sort of comments you see from coaches and players. One of his former players said "Yeah, coach was really hard on us because he wanted us to be tough..."

Even Rice himself basically said "Yeah, I fucked up, that was wrong of me, you can't coach that way. That style of coaching just isn't acceptable...".

What bothers me about it is the idea that his actions were some kind of considered (if misguided) strategy and plan. I don't see that at all - what I see is a asshole who has zero fucking ability to control his temper. He isn't trying to toughen anyone up, he is throwing a temper tantrum and becoming physically abusive because he cannot control himself.

This isn't a "coaching style". It is being a douchebag asshole prick. And it comes through elsewhere in his life, I am quite sure.

[Berkut]

I don't know if anyone followed the story with Sean Miller's technical foul during the UCLA game this year, and the ensuing blowup on the court, in the press conference, followed by his getting fined $25k afterwards by the Pac-12.

If you did follow all that, then THIS story becomes rather alarming:

http://tracking.si.com/2013/04/01/arizona-sean-miller-targeted-by-pac-12-officials/?sct=hp_t2_a12&eref=sihp

Rush needs to be fired.  I don't care if it was a joke--if you're in his position, YOU CAN'T MAKE THAT JOKE.  Period.  It's pretty disturbing that Larry Scott doesn't realize this.

I don't even think it is a matter of whether it was a joke or not. Of course he wasn't really going to pay anyone $5,000 if the rang up Miller.

Joke or no joke, he was clearly and certainly sending a message to his officials. A message that was heard and acted upon. The way he conveyed that message may have been via a joke, but there is no question in my mind that he was telling his officials that he wanted Miller rung up if there was ANY reason to do so, and if they did not, he would take that as mark against them.

And that is simply not acceptable. If Miller was a problem in the past, and that problem was not being dealt with by Rush's officials, then the correct message is "Here are X examples of Coach Miller and/or Monty/Howland/whoever being a dumbass in a game, and nobody rang him. That is not acceptable. If Coach Miller or any other coach acts like this, you must reach down into your panties, grab your balls, and ring him up!".

But specifically targeting Miller and basically demanding that someone ring or run him? Wrong wrong wrong.

And now that it is out, Rush cannot possibly continue in his position. He has zero credibility anymore in the conference.

Now, I imagine the reason Scott doesn't want to fire him out of hand is that Scott is the one who told Rush that he needed to get his officials to start handling the coaches better, so feels some responsibility for the entire mess. I *hope* that Scott is not the one who told Rush to specifically target Miller though - because if that turns out to be the case, then Scott needs to go as well, and I think he has been a great commissioner for the Pac12 so far.

[crazy canuck]

I watched the outside the lines video regarding the Rutgers coach abusing his players.  What I dont get is why they waited so long to fire him.

What bothers me about it is the idea that his actions were some kind of considered (if misguided) strategy and plan. I don't see that at all - what I see is a asshole who has zero fucking ability to control his temper. He isn't trying to toughen anyone up, he is throwing a temper tantrum and becoming physically abusive because he cannot control himself.

Agreed

[katmai]

Rush resigned this evening.

[dps]

Rush resigned this evening.

Well, I guess that means that Miller won't have to douse him with kerosene and burn him alive.

[CountDeMoney]

I love interthread meme shitfights.

[Berkut]

I watched the outside the lines video regarding the Rutgers coach abusing his players.  What I dont get is why they waited so long to fire him.

What bothers me about it is the idea that his actions were some kind of considered (if misguided) strategy and plan. I don't see that at all - what I see is a asshole who has zero fucking ability to control his temper. He isn't trying to toughen anyone up, he is throwing a temper tantrum and becoming physically abusive because he cannot control himself.

Agreed

Did you watch the video?

One thing I thought was pretty funny.

When Rice beans the player in the head with a basketball, there is an assistant/grad/whatever standing right next to him with another ball which he immediately hands to Rice.

That is when you know you've made it to the big times - when you have a lackey follow you around so you can immediately reload when you nail one of your players in the head with a basketball.

[crazy canuck]

That is when you know you've made it to the big times - when you have a lackey follow you around so you can immediately reload when you nail one of your players in the head with a basketball.