Ticky tack fouls and the future of hoops

[Scooch]

As I just watched the end of the Creighton-San Diego State game, I’m curious to get people’s opinion…

My 15 year old son is a gigantic sports fan. He’ll watch just about anything. But in the past couple years he’s cut way back on his basketball watching. And when we watch together he’s constantly complaining about how soft the sport is, particularly fouls.

The constant touchy stuff that gets called makes the sport nearly unwatchable to him.

Now, he might very well be an outlier. But I’m curious to hear if anyone else’s kids feel the same way.

I’ve spilled a lot of virtual ink here about how I feel hoops is ridiculously over officiated. But I’m a grumpy middle aged man. I’ve been surprised to see a concurring opinion from my teenager.

What say you, Syracusefan?

 

[samspann1]

Syracusefan will say that officials have zero impact on the outcomes of games.

 

[two3zone]

As I just watched the end of the Creighton-San Diego State game, I’m curious to get people’s opinion…

My 15 year old son is a gigantic sports fan. He’ll watch just about anything. But in the past couple years he’s cut way back on his basketball watching. And when we watch together he’s constantly complaining about how soft the sport is, particularly fouls.

The constant touchy stuff that gets called makes the sport nearly unwatchable to him.

Now, he might very well be an outlier. But I’m curious to hear if anyone else’s kids feel the same way.

I’ve spilled a lot of virtual ink here about how I feel hoops is ridiculously over officiated. But I’m a grumpy middle aged man. I’ve been surprised to see a concurring opinion from my teenager.

What say you, Syracusefan?

At least it isn’t baseball.

 

[Scooch]

At least it isn’t baseball.

Baseball, particularly with the pitch clock, is becoming more watchable than hoops to me.

 

[Scooch]

Syracusefan will say that officials have zero impact on the outcomes of games.

I know this is your schtick but that’s never what anyone says.

 

[HOFCeluck]

It depends on if Syracuse is playing, and if they benefit or not.

 

[samspann1]

I know this is your schtick but that’s never what anyone says.

Verbatim, no. But the message is oft-repeated.

 

[upperdeck]

the reason basketball is hard to watch is because the dont call enough fouls not because its too soft.

 

[Scooch]

Verbatim, no. But the message is oft-repeated.

No, it’s not. I’ve said that people here too often think the refs are biased against SU, and that there’s some ACC conspiracy against us.

That’s not true.

What’s true is that basketball officiating sucks. Uniformly and equally.

 

[Scooch]

the reason basketball is hard to watch is because the dont call enough fouls not because its too soft.

Oh my God. More fouls? I’d never watch a minute if they called *more* fouls.

They might as well just have FT shooting contests.

 

[two3zone]

Baseball, particularly with the pitch clock, is becoming more watchable than hoops to me.

Used to be my favorite sport, being a Yankee fan back in the day the four hour Yankee Sox games watching Joe Torre take out Tanyon Sturtz for Scott Proctor after a batter or two then bringing in some garbage lefty they employed just to pitch to one batter before bringing in some other trash reliever all within one inning just made me hate watching the sport.

I do like the pitch clock and the limiting pitching changes, I may have to watch more, but I don’t like how they’re limiting the shifting, don’t want teams to shift then learn how to hit the damn ball.

 

[upperdeck]

Oh my God. More fouls? I’d never watch a minute if they called *more* fouls.

They might as well just have FT shooting contests.

thats the opposite.. because the dont call fouls kids just commit more and the game becomes more physical and less about playing the sport..

 

[orangefog]

A foul is a foul, getting pushed in the back while shooting has an effect on the shot. That was a foul, I’m glad they called it. In my opinion, basketball is a much better game when fouls are called. It forces defenders to play proper defense. The whole “foul on every play, because they won’t call them all” crap makes the game ugly.

 

[Scooch]

Used to be my favorite sport, being a Yankee fan back in the day the four hour Yankee Sox games watching Joe Torre take out Tanyon Sturtz for Scott Proctor after a batter or two then bringing in some garbage lefty they employed just to pitch to one batter before bringing in some other trash reliever all within one inning just made me hate watching the sport.

I do like the pitch clock and the limiting pitching changes, I may have to watch more, but I don’t like how they’re limiting the shifting, don’t want teams to shift then learn how to hit the damn ball.

The shift ban is great. Batters have had two decades to “learn” how to hit past it. They won’t because there’s no incentive given the three true outcome approach to the game.

Pitch clock is great. 3 batter relief rule is great. Oversized bases is great.

Baseball is doing what they should have done 20+ years ago.

 

[samspann1]

No, it’s not. I’ve said that people here too often think the refs are biased against SU, and that there’s some ACC conspiracy against us.

That’s not true.

What’s true is that basketball officiating sucks. Uniformly and equally.

ACC refs are terrible. But this isn’t about the ACC - officials are horrible and as today’s first game is proof positive, their in-game inconsistency does impact the outcomes of games

Also, LOL at “uniformly and equally”. Tell that to the Creighton players

 

[Chip]

My son is more interested in the NBA than college hoops. He inherited Syracuse interest but, like me, he doesn’t find the sport interesting, unless maybe SU is playing.

Plus, like yours, he’s a hockey kid. Hockey penalties, while often controversial in the eyes of the kid, seem much more defined. His finger touched his wrist, or he faked falling backwards 10 feet isn’t quite the same as that was a clean check, not roughing.

 

[NineOneSeven]

But then some people complain with crazy physicality that ISNT called so how is it all navigated?

 

[PoppyHart]

I’m more concerned with the excessive video reviews.
And the players should have to remain on the court while the refs go to the booth.

 

[Scooch]

My son is more interested in the NBA than college hoops. He inherited Syracuse interest but, like me, he doesn’t find the sport interesting, unless maybe SU is playing.

Plus, like yours, he’s a hockey kid. Hockey penalties, while often controversial in the eyes of the kid, seem much more defined. His finger touched his wrist, or he faked falling backwards 10 feet isn’t quite the same as that was a clean check, not roughing.

Very true. There certainly are borderline hockey calls, and lacrosse too (which is the sport my kid is really obsessed with). But there’s a game flow that doesn’t seems to exist in hoops anymore.

 

[UpstateSM]

The reviews are way worse than the fouls

 

[Cusefan0307]

It was a foul. He was handchecking. They didn’t call that the rest of the game. The games have been officiated extremely inconsistently.

 

[Cuse181]

The reviews are way worse than the fouls

I went to a Brooklyn game a couple months ago, swear to god they reviewed like 9 calls for 1 free throw flagrants, it was ridiculous

 

[tbonezone]

let them play both ways. that's fairest. eliminate the ticky tack and just call the bludgeons. less whistles quicker game and the victor is toughest SOB standing. i like the bang. to me that's sport. the strong survive

 

[stuckinbig11]

He shoved him; it was a foul. Not calling it would have been a crime.

 

[Cusefan95]

Every sport has officiating issues. Goal reviews in NHL have seemingly arbitrary results. Basketball has games like today where a ref makes a call at the end he didn’t all game and effectively decides the outcome. Football has this years Super Bowl. If I gave a crap about baseball anymore I could probably find examples there.

I think two things have happened; with the money in sports now there’s some pressure to have “good” games; if a team starts to fall behind officials seem to naturally cut them breaks to help facilitate a comeback - I don’t think it’s a conscious thing though, which makes it harder to address. Then high-def, slow-mo & numerous camera angles makes blown calls obvious that wouldn’t have been 20 years ago.

It has impacted my kids interests. My kids will go to games with me, and they enjoy it as an “event” - but if I’m watching games on TV they will inevitably find something else to do. My guess is going to sporting events will be something they do a few times a year with dad when they are adults, but they won’t be actual sports fans. They might watch very casually on TV, but that’s about it.