Quote :

"ACC suspends Duke/FSU referees By BRYAN STRICKLAND : The Herald-Sun bstrickland@heraldsun.com Feb 7, 2006 : 12:27 am ET DURHAM -- The Atlantic Coast Conference blew the whistle Monday on its crew of officials that worked Saturday's game between Duke and Florida State at Cameron Indoor Stadium. John Clougherty, the ACC's coordinator of officials, said in a news release that the three officials were suspended for one game for improperly calling a technical foul on Florida State center Alexander Johnson midway through the second half of the Blue Devils' 97-96 overtime victory. With Duke clinging to a 67-64 lead, Johnson was whistled for an intentional foul when the force of a hard foul on Duke center Shelden Williams threw Williams to the court. Williams quickly popped up, angry over the foul, and shoved Johnson with his right forearm. Johnson backed away from Williams, throwing his hands into the air to illustrate that he hadn't retaliated. But as other players from both teams crowded around, official Mike Eades signaled a technical foul on each player. The foul was the fourth of the game on Williams but the fifth on Johnson, who fouled out with 13 points and 11 rebounds in just 14 minutes of action. Williams, who had 12 points at the time of the exchange, made both free throws to give Duke its largest lead of the game and went on to finish with 27 points. In addition to Eades, officials Ed Corbett and Ray Natili were also suspended. Brian Morrison, ACC assistant commissioner, said it was believed to be the first time an entire crew had been suspended since a 1997 game between Duke and Virginia. Clougherty was not available for comment beyond his prepared statement in the news release. By rule, the officials could have reviewed a slow-motion replay of the exchange between Johnson and Williams to determine what call to make, but they did not exercise that option. Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton, who declined to question the officiating following the game -- in which Duke took 43 free throws and his team took 11 -- essentially took the same approach following Monday's announcement. "I think I'll just have to let the ACC's action speak for itself," Hamilton said. "Any comments that I make in relation to the technical foul and the impact it did or did not have on the game, I think would take away from how outstanding Duke's players played. "I think they made tough shots and they made the plays they had to make to win the game. We had equal opportunity, and we didn't come away with the points. We didn't get the stops that were necessary during the critical points in the game." Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said he wasn't in a position to comment. "It came as a surprise to me [Monday] morning, but whatever the ACC ? I don't have a comment on it because I'm not included in that," he said. While the coaches didn't have much to say, the ruling undoubtedly produced many a "told you so" from the anti-Duke establishment. Krzyzewski has acknowledged that given the Blue Devils' sustained success they're a program that some fans love to hate, and often in such cases fans adopt the opinion that the team in question gets all the breaks and all the calls. For example, an e-mail circulating around the Internet in recent days contains a fictionalized news account of Duke and the ACC agreeing that the Blue Devils will be whistled for a foul in tonight's game at UNC -- "the 27th foul called against the Blue Devils in their basketball history," the story states. The Blue Devils also have taken a beating in the public forum of late. A segment on ESPN's "College Gamenight" cited the FSU game and last Wednesday's 83-81 victory at Boston College -- when Duke held a 37-13 free throw edge -- and posed the question, "Does Duke get all the calls?" Monday, UNC freshman Marcus Ginyard was asked the same question. "You hear that a lot," Ginyard said. "Maybe that's just the way people see it. But you can't really be worried about that. You've just got to get out there and play the game of basketball." The last time an entire ACC crew was suspended -- also believed to be the only time such a penalty was announced publicly -- came in another one-point victory for Duke, when then-commissioner Gene Corrigan suspended three officials for failing to let a Virginia substitute into a Feb. 11, 1997, game. With five seconds remaining, Virginia's Willie Dersch was waiting at the scorers' table to check in for Norman Nolan as Nolan shot a free throw that gave the Cavaliers a 61-60 lead. But officials failed to allow the substitution, and Nolan fouled current Duke assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski, who hit two free throws to give the Blue Devils the victory. Monday, ACC officials wouldn't discuss where the members of the suspended crew were originally scheduled to work next. Corbett would have missed his next game regardless of the ruling: He's expected to be out a couple of weeks after injuring his right knee and missing the final six minutes of Saturday's game. "

http://www.heraldsun.com/sports/18-698597.html

2/7/2006 7:36:18 AM

so the last 2 games where refs got suspended were duke/fsu and duke/virginia. There has to be something those 2 games have in common, we just have to figure out what it is.

2/7/2006 7:42:15 AM

http://brentroad.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=385471

it's k tho

2/7/2006 7:42:31 AM

But if the refs don't help Duke win their games Krzyzewski might have more health problems.

2/7/2006 7:59:20 AM

2/7/2006 8:01:48 AM

^OMFG ZIONIST REFEREE CONSPIRACY!!!!111111111

2/7/2006 3:39:51 PM

I just hope this doesn't mean that Duke is going to get screwed over by the refs against Carolina again this year.

2/7/2006 3:43:28 PM

I'd be fine with that. Then have UNC get screwed over down the line to someone else -- preferably us. Justice for all..

[Edited on February 7, 2006 at 3:46 PM. Reason : f]

2/7/2006 3:46:06 PM

Duke was screwed twice against them last year (but still managed to win one of the games), and we never reaped any of the benefits of that.

So what I'm saying is, I don't think it's going to happen this year either.

2/7/2006 3:48:34 PM

what was it? i honestly dont remember the refs screwing duke @ carolina. all i remember is we had the game locked up after the melchioni 3 then didnt score again. patrick johnson missing a ft rebound then fouling williams for 3 more points, then ewing turning it over in the backcourt and jj missing a heave at the end.

edit (now i remember shavlik picked up a 5th foul on a random false call away from the ball. a call made by the middle ref. but thats it) which is why johnson was in

2/7/2006 7:07:47 PM

are you still talking?

2/7/2006 7:14:22 PM