Stop me if you have heard this one. Karl Hess officiates an ACC game, a grotesque number of fouls get called, the game is brought to a crawl and at least one key player is handcuffed changing the outcome of the game. If you have watched any ACC basketball you have seen a Karl Hess officiated game go exactly this way. NC State’s Tracy Smith apparently had enough during the Pack’s loss to Wake Forest and let the media know than in his postgame comments:
The refs, I don’t think they did a good job tonight, I think they favored Wake Forest all the way but that’s ACC basketball. You’ve got to play through that.
I felt like there was too many touch fouls. It’s a man’s game, I mean there’s going to be touching and hitting, you can’t call every little touch foul.
As soon as I read that the first thing I thought was not how much trouble Smith would be in but rather “I bet Karl Hess was the referee.”
Smith, for his trouble, won’t be playing in NCSU’s next game against Arizona but not because of anything the ACC did. NC State decided to suspend its star player over his criticism of ACC officials.
Wow, way to stand by your player there Wolfpack. What is worse is they trot an apology out from Smith but no one else from NCSU commented. Seriously, Smith had a point. There were 42 fouls called in the game and he was obviously frustrated by foul trouble. Granted criticizing officials is taboo but in my opinion NCSU should have the balls to force the ACC’s hand and have them hand down the penalty. Much the same way a coach might get a technical to protest poor officiating, NCSU should have informed John Swofford that they stand by their player and will accept any suspension handed down, if for no other reason, than to make a point. Instead Lee Fowler and The Easy Button cowered before the ACC choosing the bench their own player rather than makes some waves.
Nothing says “enabler” like doing the dirty work of the league whose officials royally screwed you for them.
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I don’t think State did the “wrong” thing to suspend Tracy Smith here. You can’t blast the officials, not as a player. It just isn’t smart, or in good form. No issues with the suspension from me.
That being said, NC State admin had better come out and say something about this game as well. There needs to be some sort of “protest tape” put together detailing when Smith was getting hosed. If they can’t put one of those together and file an official complaint, then they shouldn’t say anything at all. Either you have the evidence or you do not. If you do, use it damn it!!! If not, suspend your dude for a tilt and keep rolling.
I tend to agree with Mike on this. Just using State/Wake as an example, State could certainly put together some clips of Smith getting hosed, but I’m sure Wake could put together some nice snippets of it’s own. Both teams could do that in most games.
I’m just glad that as a Tar Heel fan, in the wake of Roy Williams issues with the Presbysterian fan and the Butch Davis/TOB debate, it wasn’t a UNC player griping publicly.
Screw the refs. Get rid of them.
Put up a cage. No fouls. First team to 100 wins.
Bring back Hansbraaaaa and UNC will never lose an ACC game again.
Smith should be suspended longer. You simply can’t bad mouth the refs (that’s what fans are for) and a message needs to be sent. It is more of the thug mentality at NXSU, and it is tacitly approved by the coach, players, and admin. It is disgraceful and abhorrent, and I’m tired of seeing it.
Well we can’t bad mouth Carolina players now can we…
Pat, are you joking? (honest question)
Good one, JMohn. The tip of a well-earned iceberg, I’m afraid.
Karl Hess is not very good at keeping the games pure, clean and enjoyable for the fans. I’m going to have to get my NO CRAP! freelance permit to publish that investigative report…but anytime you call a game with 42 fouls, it’s hard on both teams. Aminu picked up his third foul early and L.D. Williams picked up four fouls in the first five minutes of the second half.
More than a foul a minute sucks all the way around.
^ Man Kev
Let me guess, S&PP was articulating what a state fan would say about UNC under the same circumstances? Am I correct Pat?
Too bad it wasn’t a game at the RBC Center….then Sid could have just had the ref escorted from the building.
Plus, Sid forgot to say that Smith reacted to the official being in his face.
Sid has a lot to learn. He actually suspended a player for that player’s actions without trying to place the blame for those actions at anyone else’s feet.
He should have just said “Awwwww shucks….I didn’t know that players couldn’t say stuff like that….goshalmighty”. Then, everything would have been OK.
Nobody on Wake’s team bitched about the refs. It’s all good when you win.
There is a HUGE difference between saying someone’s actions drew another person into stupid reactions and placing “the blame for those (re)actions at anyone else’s feet”. Huge.
NXSU players, fans, coaches, and coaches’ kids = thugs.
It’s just a shame that when you want to see what should be a key matchup between to in-state rivals, it turns into the Karl Hess show.
Has anyone seen Karl Hess and Ron Cherry in the same room, at the same time?? Hummmmmmm
Either I missed something or I don’t pay enough attention to NCSU athletics… cause I have never noticed them to be thugs.
Kev,
We all must take Pat’s word for it. I mean, he goes to all the men’s basketball games and sits next to Daniel Evans. He surely knows more about State’s players than anyone.
Sid has a lot to learn. He actually suspended a player for that player’s actions without trying to place the blame for those actions at anyone else’s feet.
Obviously Dan cant let go of the Butch Davis/TOB “controversy” from LAST WEEK.
Or I could go the “State fan trying to make it about UNC when UNC has nothing to do with this issue..” line.
Carry on
It’s funny you should mention that, fishTacos. When I was at the Evans family Xmas party over the weekend, I was amazed that they had to have security, complete with metal detectors at the entrances. I’ve never seen anything like that before. When I asked Daniel about it, he told me that his family’s NXSU friends almost ruined last year’s Christmas party, not to mention their Fourth of July cookout, with their random gun play and thuggish antics. Johnny Evans said he had no desire for the police to show up to his house, again, and ruin another good time. He said if the increased security didn’t help this year he was just going to invite only his UNX friends in the future, because they know how to act civilized.
Nino,
My post is in response to pat’s post, not the suspension. I think Sid did what should have been done. I agree with Smith about the referees’ performance, but he can’t say something like that without repercussions.
What does my post have to do with UNX, dan?
Update: TOB just called the media to inform them that Karl Hess’s behavior in no way matched the description that Tracy Smith gave to coach Lowe and that the ACC only has fair and competent referees who never make mistakes.
Pat, he should just invite Roy Williams over for the extra security. That guy will kick anyone out.
Point of fact: Roy does not kick people out, the police kick people out. Roy just points them out.
You’re not giving Ole Roy enough credit here pat…
…BECAUSE Roy points them out, they WILL get kicked out…
You see, the Evans’ family needs someone at the party with this type of power. They’ll need it to, especially if someone yells out “Hey Daniel, miss an open reciever!…again!”
Actually the Evans family should have their parties at the RBC Center. Thats the best way to guarantee that no State fans show up.
^ http://www.instantrimshot.com/
You’re right Raj…and if you’re looking for more UNX fans and no State fans, I wouldn’t recommend this place…
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3248/3074291855_5e10223657.jpg
^More UNX fans there than State fans in Reynolds on 12/12. Hell, more UNX fans in my house right now than State fans in Reynolds on 12/12.