The refs will not let us win a title

[arenk]

Higgins says Hi!

What are we in games Higgins has called? 1-4 I believe. Slightly below our winning percentage under Cal and under Cal in the NCAAT. Higgins purposely screwed us out of the UNC game last season and I don't think any rational person can dispute that. Those 2 ridiculous offensive goal tending calls on Bam weren't even close. And the ticky tack fouls called on our 3 best players in the first half totally changed that game. Without Higgins, we probably would have hung #9.

 

[arenk]

From the top. Follow the money!!! You know that refereeing is a fraternity, you attack one you attack all. A fanbase questioning their calls, if you been under a rock, this is being discussed not only in NCAA basketball, but the NFL and the NBA. refs are making it about them. Simply. Is it rampant, no, does it exist yes

You are so right!

 

[Wildcat Sheli]

Truth is, we have never won an Elite Eight or higher with Higgins on the whistle—-and there have been 4 such games (2 EE, ‘05 Double OT and ‘17 + 2 FF, ‘11 and ‘15).

The wins have all been close:

2005 First Round win #2 Seed vs #15 EKU 72-64

2010 Sweet 16 #1 Seed vs #12 Cornell (6 point game with 5 minutes left, 9 point game with 1:11 to go)

2017 regular season vs Vanderbilt 73-67 (remember the 19 point deficit?)


In the 4 times Cal has led the Cats to the Final Four, UK has advanced to the Championship Game twice, but the two Final Four losses were Higgins-officiated games.

 

[westerncat]

Tonight was as bad as I've seen it in a win.

Tonight was just another sign (of a hundred million) that Pat Adams and Karl Hess need to be told to retire.

Very poor calls tonight. I taped the game as i went too Church and I am glad i did. Was able to go back and slow down the tape. Adams and Hess are two of the worst ref's working the games.

 

[seccats04]

Refs can be biased AND get away with it. They answer to NOBODY. It could be an easy fix by making them answer questions about calls after the game but they are not held accountable.

 

[AGEE11]

SEC refs are just bad. No way a person in the shape of Hess or Adams can keep up with top-tier athletes.

The T on the Ole Miss foreigner with the long name was an absolute joke. It wasn't UK bias, those two just suck.

Higgins on the other hand, that is clear and obvious bias. Ever watched him officiate a Big 12 game for Kansas?? Even worse.

 

[Jamal Mercer]

Unreal.

Unreal.

I don’t know what to say. Sometimes as I read this Board, I hope and pray this isn’t how some people are in “real life”.

Sad that some think UK is being blackballed every night by the officials, announcers, other media members, etc....

 

[musrat59]

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Higgins is biased against Kentucky.

 

[bluegrass1985]

UK shot 35 freethrows, won by 18 and you guys are still whining about the refs?

 

[KyFaninNC]

Look, I know it's not a popular subject with some people. But here's the reality - free throws don't usually tell the story. It's the BAD CALLS. I haven't kept stats but rarely does a BAD CALL go our way. I would even speculate that 9 of 10 BAD CALLS go our opponents' way. This is a bad stat when the game is close. Given the Higgins saga, it's very unlikely that we'll be fortunate enough to win a title unless we have a truly dominant team. We'd have to do the equivalent of drawing a straight flush during the tournament.

The Higgins effect, we will not get the benefit of calls till this blows over. Hats off to our stupid fans that tried to ruin a person's business. I hope you are happy. If you want to complain, complain to the employer, DO NOT react on a personal basis,that is wrong.

 

[KyFaninNC]

Guarantees in life: Death, taxes and a "refs/announcers suck" thread on Rafters after EVERY single UK game.

It is stunning. People must have very unhappy lives to be so obssessed over something they have no control over

 

[phart]

Jc43 is 100% right.

 

[icrase]

Look, I know it's not a popular subject with some people. But here's the reality - free throws don't usually tell the story. It's the BAD CALLS. I haven't kept stats but rarely does a BAD CALL go our way. I would even speculate that 9 of 10 BAD CALLS go our opponents' way. This is a bad stat when the game is close. Given the Higgins saga, it's very unlikely that we'll be fortunate enough to win a title unless we have a truly dominant team. We'd have to do the equivalent of drawing a straight flush during the tournament.

This is beyond ridiculous. We are Kentucky. We don't need to whine about referees. Show some spine.

 

[CatColumbia]

This is flat out stupid. I guess the refs prevented our other 8 champions from getting the crown.

 

[Cat78Scot]

This is flat out stupid. I guess the refs prevented our other 8 champions from getting the crown.

Wait, the same refs are still working?! Damn they must be super human!

 

[KyFaninNC]

This is flat out stupid. I guess the refs prevented our other 8 champions from getting the crown.

There you go bringing rational, common sense facts into it.

 

[kghighroller]

our defense and shifty shooting won't allow us to win a title more so then the refs lol

 

[JC43]

What I'm saying is that with technological advances and replay, refereeing needs to be held accountable. I know that each game gets a review, why don't they make it available for all to see. In all sports.
Dakich was saying that the refs are auditioning through their total body of work to be involved during the Tournament.
Think Higgins living in Nebraska doesn't affect his calls, don't think he isn't a fan of some program? All I am saying is more accountability and transparency. If referee 'x' has "y" bad calls against team"z", we as a the public should be able to see.
If the data shows even a slight abberation from the norm, pick another reg that doesn't have those numbers. There exists a large pool of refs, let's use them. Or give coaches a flag where before games they can say no to that ref, only one per tourney. We as a fan base want a great game that is equally called. Until we develop Android's to ref we will always be subject to human error.
Lastly, I've learned that certain refs when working have more total points consistently during which games the ref in NBA, didn't believe til i saw the winning chits at the book, cashed a couple myself cause of it

 

[Cat78Scot]

There you go bringing rational, common sense facts into it.

Rational?? How is it rational when your argument is that nothing ever changes.

That's like saying we should have won every year because we won it once.

 

[KyFaninNC]

Rational?? How is it rational when your argument is that nothing ever changes.

That's like saying we should have won every year because we won it once.

So, UK is the only team in AMerica that the refs have a bias for?

 

[LowCountryCat]

UK shot 35 freethrows, won by 18 and you guys are still whining about the refs?

Wrong is wrong, despite our ability to win.

 

[LowCountryCat]

our defense and shifty shooting won't allow us to win a title more so then the refs lol

See 2014 title game. See 2011 FF game.

 

[Cat78Scot]

So, UK is the only team in AMerica that the refs have a bias for?

No, that's just as an irrational statement as the one I'm referring to.

If you look, I've been consistent in my posts: there is ONE ref that has a bias against Cal/UK and that has screwed us out of the fair chance to compete for at least three national championships.

He wears stripes to games and owns a roofing company.

And, even with him, I'm not saying he screws just UK. I only watch UK games so I don't know but I've heard it said that he screws anyone who plays Kansas also.

Dude is corrupt.

 

[Cat78Scot]

What I'm saying is that with technological advances and replay, refereeing needs to be held accountable. I know that each game gets a review, why don't they make it available for all to see. In all sports.
Dakich was saying that the refs are auditioning through their total body of work to be involved during the Tournament.
Think Higgins living in Nebraska doesn't affect his calls, don't think he isn't a fan of some program? All I am saying is more accountability and transparency. If referee 'x' has "y" bad calls against team"z", we as a the public should be able to see.
If the data shows even a slight abberation from the norm, pick another reg that doesn't have those numbers. There exists a large pool of refs, let's use them. Or give coaches a flag where before games they can say no to that ref, only one per tourney. We as a fan base want a great game that is equally called. Until we develop Android's to ref we will always be subject to human error.
Lastly, I've learned that certain refs when working have more total points consistently during which games the ref in NBA, didn't believe til i saw the winning chits at the book, cashed a couple myself cause of it

All I want, and most UK fans want, is for our guys to have a FAIR chance to win the games we compete in. That doesn't happen when Higgins is reffing our games.

I've seen other refs mess up calls and some may even be affected by the blowback received by Higgins from UK fans but he's the only one that I truly believe is on the take or completely biased against UK.

 

[Cat78Scot]

Also, I will say that painting a broad brush over all refs and making statements like some make about ALL refs helps to demean and devalue the argument that we should be making: that ONE ref should never again referee a game UK is involved in.

I think Higgins may have actually accomplished himself that by suing Matt Jones and naming Cal in the lawsuit. If that's the case I'll be very happy but it won't bring back the UCONN, Wisconsin and UNCheat games and it doesn't dry the tears of those players that worked so hard only to get screwed over by a pos ref.

 

[CatColumbia]

Wait, the same refs are still working?! Damn they must be super human!

The refs have and always will be the blame. Although I agree that some are worse (Higgins) than others and I'd rather not have them ref our games ever again.

 

[rick64]

I'm sure the fans from our opponents think just the opposite. They think UK gets all the breaks, and they're the ones getting hosed on calls. We tend, which is normal, to view it from our "blue tinted" vision perspective. Guilty as charged for me.

 

[Cat78Scot]

The refs have and always will be the blame. Although I agree that some are worse (Higgins) than others and I'd rather not have them ref our games ever again.

For some people you are right. But they are the fringe and, most vocal, just like with all things. Crazies always shout the loudest!

Just don't let Higgins near our games again and I'll be happy.

 

[nickhorvathsuxazz]

Does Higgins have instructions to sabotage UK? How does he get the other officials to go along? If Higgins has orders who do they come from?

Maybe it works like this: he doesn't get "orders" from the NCAA, he's the one with the personal vendetta and the NCAA, being aware of this, assigns him UK games at critical junctures in order to take advantage of the situation? He wouldn't need his partners to be "in" on it--its not like they can over rule his bad calls; he can wreck our season all on his own. And has. On multiple occasions.

 

[wildcatdonf]

Look, I know it's not a popular subject with some people. But here's the reality - free throws don't usually tell the story. It's the BAD CALLS. I haven't kept stats but rarely does a BAD CALL go our way. I would even speculate that 9 of 10 BAD CALLS go our opponents' way. This is a bad stat when the game is close. Given the Higgins saga, it's very unlikely that we'll be fortunate enough to win a title unless we have a truly dominant team. We'd have to do the equivalent of drawing a straight flush during the tournament.

There is iron in your words.

 

[wildcatdonf]

For some people you are right. But they are the fringe and, most vocal, just like with all things. Crazies always shout the loudest!

Just don't let Higgins near our games again and I'll be happy.

And I agree.

 

[Bluegrassking]

Look, I know it's not a popular subject with some people. But here's the reality - free throws don't usually tell the story. It's the BAD CALLS. I haven't kept stats but rarely does a BAD CALL go our way. I would even speculate that 9 of 10 BAD CALLS go our opponents' way. This is a bad stat when the game is close. Given the Higgins saga, it's very unlikely that we'll be fortunate enough to win a title unless we have a truly dominant team. We'd have to do the equivalent of drawing a straight flush during the tournament.

Quiters never win and winners never quit. All we can do is our best and be relentless about doing so.

It's that or the sack cloth and ashes routine or just plain give up altogether.

I just don't see what possible good can come from a woe is me routine.

 

[jrm693]

Look, I know it's not a popular subject with some people. But here's the reality - free throws don't usually tell the story. It's the BAD CALLS. I haven't kept stats but rarely does a BAD CALL go our way. I would even speculate that 9 of 10 BAD CALLS go our opponents' way. This is a bad stat when the game is close. Given the Higgins saga, it's very unlikely that we'll be fortunate enough to win a title unless we have a truly dominant team. We'd have to do the equivalent of drawing a straight flush during the tournament.

You do not have to look any further than last seasons UNC game, Bam, Monk and Fox sat early in first half with two fouls each. I get aggravated when the argument is made that the fouls even at end...the bad call at he inopportune time alters games.

 

[Blue Decade]

Look, I know it's not a popular subject with some people. But here's the reality - free throws don't usually tell the story. It's the BAD CALLS. I haven't kept stats but rarely does a BAD CALL go our way. I would even speculate that 9 of 10 BAD CALLS go our opponents' way. This is a bad stat when the game is close. Given the Higgins saga, it's very unlikely that we'll be fortunate enough to win a title unless we have a truly dominant team. We'd have to do the equivalent of drawing a straight flush during the tournament.

The sky is falling! Those evil refs will get us! I have seen plenty of teams get screwed by incompetent officials. It's part of competitive sports.

 

[BlueElvis]

UK shot 35 freethrows, won by 18 and you guys are still whining about the refs?

kansas sucks