<p>Yep. You often hear the same schools’ names over and over when announcing where the kids played. I imagine recruiters don’t have to look at HS too hard because the super-talented kids end up in the same places.</p>
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<p>Yep, and there are plenty of morons who believe and repeat that there IS such rule. While the parroting morons have the excuse of not knowing the rules, the official has no excuse. </p>
<p>This explains why the ref story is that he FULLY counted the five seconds … something that is clearly debunked by the video. He did not pretend to count to four and deny the TO. </p>
<p>Bottom line: Texas was screwed.</p>
<p>Bruce Pearl has been fired. I’ll miss the orange jacket. I hope the program can rebuild. He did a lot of good before the downfall.</p>
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I hope to hear the same of Jim Tressel soon.</p>
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<p>I dunno, xiggi, 4.76 seconds—the elapsed time on ESPN’s slow-mo replay from the time the ref handed the ball to the Texas player until the ref blew the whistle signaling a 5-second violation—is awfully close to 5 seconds, well within the margin of error when the timing method being used is a ref doing a hand-count. You try it 50 or 100 times and see how often you come within 0.24 seconds either side of 5 seconds, counting off the 5 seconds by hand while someone else holds a stopwatch. You might be within that margin half the time, maybe even three-quarters of the time, but I’ll bet there are a lot of times your hand-count falls 0.24 seconds or more either side of 5. </p>
<p>If I’m the coach I tell my kids, “The 5-second count is sufficiently imprecise given the hand-count method that if you aren’t able to in-bound the ball by your own count of 4, signal a timeout immediately. Remember, you don’t actually HAVE a timeout when you signal; that’s only a request for a timeout. You have a timeout only when a ref blows a whistle signaling timeout, which may be some fraction of a second after you signal. That, combined with the possibility of a slightly quick hand count by the ref keeping the 5 seconds, means you’d better signal at the 4-second mark; otherwise, you’re risking a turnover. And no crying about it if you do turn the ball over by waiting too late to signal timeout. That’s on you, not on the ref, and as your coach I’m holding you accountable.”</p>
<p>Bad day for us yesterday and I haven’t even looked at my bracket. We did make it to a bar in Philly to watch a couple of games and it was just pathetic.</p>
<p>I had not shared this on CC last week when it happened, but on Friday afternoon, I decided to put my dog down. She was failing quickly and we were leaving Saturday morning. We had a nice visit with D2 and enjoyed her recital, but after the games last night, and returning to an empty house this morning, I’m just not excited at all about basketball right now. I am leaving Wednesday for almost two weeks, and my trip will end up in Houston during the Final Four (H and D1 have tickets), so maybe I will get more excited as it gets closer, but right now I just don’t care… big hole in my heart.</p>
<p>So I will sign off this thread and maybe check back in when I get to Houston. Hope you all enjoy the rest of the games.</p>
<p>I’m so sorry about your dog, teriwtt. I know how pain that is. A pet is a family member and it is very difficult to lose them, especially when we have to make the decision about putting them down. Thinking of you!</p>
<p>teriwtt: Sorry for your loss. We lost our 10 year old black lab in October. He was my running partner and best buddy. I was very, very sad. But life goes on and we got a new black lab puppy Thanksgiving weekend and we love him to death. Unfortunately he is not as good at picking his bracket as our previous dog.</p>
<p>Oh man. So sorry about your pup. :(</p>
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<p>I understand all of that, Bclintonk. However, the first fact is that there is NO 4 SECONDS rule. This was mistakenly introduced by an announcer who spoke too fast and was trying to justify the unjustifiable. The other fact is that the mark of FOUR seconds is the completion of a full and complete hand motion by the ref. </p>
<p>It is quite obvious that the player knew the rule (which is that he does have a FULL FIVE SECONDS to call a timeout. As far as the ref not reacting to the CALL OF TIMEOUT, it goes to the ref state of mind, but he simply cannot pretend he missed the request for time out that came just after he (the ref) completed his four second motion (after all, what in the hell is he watching if not the player releasing the ball or calling for a TO.) Fwiw, the request at the 4 seconds mark … the 4.76 came when the ref called the TO violation. </p>
<p>Again, this is simply an overwhelmed ref that lost his composure at a crucial time. Just as he did in a number of important games. The ref applied a rule that no longer exists, and later tried to cover it up with a cockamaniel story. </p>
<p>If there was a margin for error, this ref should have used it in favor of the player calling the TO. He made a mistake and there is little to add to that. He did not have to be a hero.</p>
<p>^ Sounds like sour grapes to me, xiggi. </p>
<p>You’re right, there is no “4 seconds rule.” But it is NOT the case that the player has a full five seconds to “call a timeout.” According to the NCAA rulebook the player doesn’t have authority to “call a timeout.” The player can only signal to request a timeout. There is no timeout until a timeout is whistled by a ref. If the player signals for a timeout and the play isn’t whistled dead before the 5 seconds expire (in the judgment of the ref), it’s a turnover.</p>
<p>Nor is the hand motion by the ref definitive. The rulebook says the player must get the ball inbounds within 5 seconds, that’s all. It actually doesn’t say anything about a handcount. It’s left entirely to the judgment of the ref to determine whether that 5-second rule is violated. So in this case the ref was off by 0.24 seconds. Big effing deal.
Refs make dozens of judgment calls during the course of a game that affect or alter the outcome. They sometimes get it wrong, sometimes by a lot, sometimes by a little. Over the course of a game these things tend to balance out—but not always. Over the course of a season they’re likely to balance out more evenly. Here the ref got it wrong by only a little. </p>
<p>Get over it. Texas was not robbed. They lost on a judgment call that reveals the imprecision of the system used to measure the 5-second rule, an imprecision that’s always been there. My Michigan Wolverines lost a few points over the course of their game against Duke on questionable foul calls that, on slow-mo replay, looked like “phantom” fouls, putting Duke on the free-throw line 25 times to 11 for Michigan; meanwhile, as the television announcers observed, there were a number of plays on which a Michigan player driving the lane got absolutely hammered and no whistle. And you know what? That’s basketball. Judgment calls. Sometimes wrong. Michigan didn’t get robbed. The calls went against them. But you know what? Had they hit just one more open-look three—or maybe just an inch or two shorter on that open runner in the lane by Darius Morris for the tie—and they’re going to the Sweet 16 instead of Duke, notwithstanding the refs. They can’t, and don’t, blame the outcome on the refs, who are fallible. Live with it. Move on.</p>
<p>Oh, my achin’ bracket! </p>
<p>Every team on the right side (SW and SE) is out now, except Kansas.</p>
<p>teriwtt - sorry to read about your dog. Hugs to you.</p>
<p>teri: so sorry about the dog; we will also be away; will check back in when you get to Houston…</p>
<p>Terriwtt, I’m so sorry. I just saw your post.</p>
<p>Teri-I’m very sorry to hear of your loss.</p>
<p>Mafool-At least you have the important one left! 
Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk!</p>
<p>I think my bracket is pretty busted so now all I have left is to root for D1’s Aztecs!
Go Aztecs! Go Aztecs! Go Aztecs! I Believe That We Will Win!!! Woo hoo!!</p>
<p>I had both BYU and SDSU… bummer. Have Duke and Wisconsin in the late games.</p>
<p>I am bummed that the Aztecs lost, but on the bright side, my dog Henry has Butler and U Conn so his bracket is looking pretty good.</p>
<p>Sorry about your loss, Teriwtt…and sorry for the losses of BYU and SDSU. Looks like soccerguy and I have been taken to the shed and been given a whupping…</p>