Rivera: Pennell should have sounded off about bad call
by Steve Rivera on Jan. 23, 2009, under SportsHe should have let the Pac-10 officials know he was unhappy – publicly
Arizona's Jordan Hill voices his displeasure after he was called for a foul in the final seconds of the ASU game at McKale Center on Wednesday evening.
If memory serves, former Arizona Hall of Fame basketball coach Lute Olson was given a reprimand for getting on officials and making his disdain public in a postgame news conference.
It’s not likely that will happen with UA interim coach Russ Pennell anytime soon.
I wish that wasn’t the case.
Maybe Pennell needs to publicly rip the Pac-10 officiating just to be heard. Why not? What does he have to lose? He’s working this gig on an interim basis anyway.
Wednesday night might have been the time for Pennell to speak out, after his team lost to visiting Arizona State 53-47. A tough foul call against Jordan Hill late in the game was pivotal.
Pennell should have gotten the reprimand. He could wear it as a badge of honor.
What is a reprimand anyway?
“It’s not like you get fined or you get demerits,” said Jim Muldoon of the Pac-10 office. “It’s a reprimand. Generally it goes in your institutional file, but that’s up to the institution.”
What about a second one? The conference commissioner, Tom Hansen, has “broad authority” on that, Muldoon said. The coach “can be suspended, if warranted,” Muldoon said. “I don’t recall we’ve ever done that to a coach.”
So what’s the big deal? Tell the Pac-10 officials they messed up – publicly. If that’s what you believe.
“Most people,” Muldoon said, “don’t like to be reprimanded.”
Pennell shouldn’t worry about stuff like that. Because, you know – and he does, too – that he’s not getting any respect or love from the officials this lame-duck season that is UA basketball.
That’s been the case all year.
Pennell, the nice guy that he is, even held back his ire after last weekend’s intentional call foul on Nic Wise, one that helped lead USC to a 65-64 win over the Wildcats.
He encouraged the media to look at the tape and see for themselves. He called the conference office, but then later said it was a judgment call.
He should have continued his pressure on the Pac-10 office, although he did call again Thursday about the ASU ending.
So, back to Wednesday night’s finish, where there was more than a college basketball game on display.
There was the Dave Libbey show: Referee on the Hardwood. Through the years, he’s gained the reputation of wanting to be the spotlight in a game. Maybe true, maybe untrue. You don’t develop a reputation unless there is some truth to it.
I’ll remember the ASU game for the rest of the season – maybe beyond. During a timeout, Pennell motioned Libbey over so he could speak to him. Oddly, Libbey stopped and waited for Pennell to get closer.
Pennell, in a too-nice way, asked Libbey a question and Libbey started to walk off. Pennell followed, eventually putting his arm around Libbey, who then took a couple of steps, stopped and instructed Pennell to go back to his huddle.
I was waiting for a smirk, a smile, something from Libbey. Nothing happened. He eventually went toward center court, waited for the timeout to end, and proceeded with the game.
Minutes later, Libbey called an illegal screen on Hill – in no-call territory (less than 15 seconds in a game) – and then came the technical on UA associate head coach Mike Dunlap.
Do you want to win or lose a game like that?
Pac-10 Conference director of officials Bill McCabe said Libbey told him Dunlap had used “some colorful language”. As for the illegal screen, McCabe said Libbey told him he felt Hill hadn’t gotten set yet.
The call came at a crucial time for both teams. I’m not sure if I’ve spoken to anyone who thought it was the right call. At the very worst it was a non-call, and the play continues. UA hits the shot or misses.
“The sad part of (the controversy surrounding the call) was that (the game) was so well-officiated,” said McCabe, who watched the game on TV. “Ed Rush (a former NBA official) called me right before Libbey made the call. Ed Rush told me it was best officiated (college) game he’d seen this year.”
Some might disagree. Some think Pennell needed to yell at the officials, “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!”
Dunlap
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LIBBEY EXPLAINS DECISION
Pac-10 Conference director of officials Bill McCabe said referee Dave Libbey told him UA associated head coach Mike Dunlap used “some colorful language” in ASU’s 53-47 win over Arizona on Wednesday.
It’s not clear what was said, but Libbey told McCabe “it was inappropriate language toward me.”
Dunlap was issued a technical foul in the final seconds, after UA junior center Jordan Hill was called for a moving screen when UA was attempting to tie or win the game.
McCabe said Libbey told him after that occurred “he had no choice” but to give Dunlap a technical.
“It’s totally untrue; it’s false,” Dunlap said Thursday. He declined further comment.
RIVERA
