What about officiating.....

[HogBreath]

Every one agrees it's been a tough season, lots of solutions being tossed about.
What about the officiating?   

I'd guess there were 4 games or so where the officiating may have caused us to lose. 

Watching the Vandy game, there was one sequence with about 7-8 minutes left in the 2nd half where Fortson drove the lane, just got clobbered and knocked to the floor, no call.   Vandy broke for the other end, missed 2-3 layups, our guys actually defended okay, and voila, foul on Razorbacks.  The only thing we were guilty of is not getting out of the Commodore player's way.  Sure wasn't a foul.  I turned the game off, no way to win a game being called like that.

What does the league do as far as addressing officiating?  Do the different schools have any recourse to cover such with the league?  Seems easy enough to get with the refs and some game tape and find out what were you seeing here?

It's one thing to not get the calls on the road (which is actually BS, just call it right all the time), but we seemed to get the same treatment at home.

[Oliver]

1.  SEC officiating was terrible as per usual this year.

2.  Officiating NEVER causes you to lose a game. 

[iCalledThatHogBrotha!]

I am convinced that refs either:

1. Bet on games in which they officiate, or

2. Get their marching orders from the SEC office, i.e. call a game to help get the W for the possible tourney teams (help seeding, help bubble teams get in - more teams in tourney = more money for SEC).

or both.  SEC officiating is just too blatantly awful to believe that those guys call games as they see them with no bias.

[BallHog1]

I am convinced that refs either:

1. Bet on games in which they officiate, or

2. Get their marching orders from the SEC office, i.e. call a game to help get the W for the possible tourney teams (help seeding, help bubble teams get in - more teams in tourney = more money for SEC).

or both.  SEC officiating is just too blatantly awful to believe that those guys call games as they see them with no bias.

I agree and would add that it is next to impossible to get a fair shake away from home. In order to win a road game, you must be solidly better than the home team because the home team will get all the calls. This includes games at Bud Walton for the most part.

[Conway Cool Daddy]

The officiating wasn't so much biased as it was just plain horrible.

We have the most inconsistent, incompetant refs of any conference in the NCAA.

The head of officiating needs to be fired and a whole new crew needs to be brought in.

Jeff Long needs to get the other ADs to ban together and demand better.

[FanWithFacts]

Officiating did not cost the Hogs any games. The Hogs finished 2-14 because they are the worst team in the Southeastern Conference.

[NuttinItUp]

2.  Officiating NEVER causes you to lose a game. 

I disagree. I'll grant you that most people overestimate the influence the refs have, but they can change the momentum of the game at key times. Within about 3 points or so, and I think you could make an argument for a game's outcome being changed.

[jfred59]

I agree and would add that it is next to impossible to get a fair shake away from home. In order to win a road game, you must be solidly better than the home team because the home team will get all the calls. This includes games at Bud Walton for the most part.

I have always thought so...If anyone doesnt believe that it happens, watch the next month, certain teams Dukees, UNC, etc will get major protection...not that any money has gone down on them

[HogBreath]

I rest my case.

[iCalledThatHogBrotha!]

I am convinced that refs either:

1. Bet on games in which they officiate, or

2. Get their marching orders from the SEC office, i.e. call a game to help get the W for the possible tourney teams (help seeding, help bubble teams get in - more teams in tourney = more money for SEC).

or both.  SEC officiating is just too blatantly awful to believe that those guys call games as they see them with no bias.

Looks pretty clearly like #2 tonight.