Page 23 - AT

A23
SPORTS Tuesday 9 april 2019
Tough calls prove again that sports aren't perfectly fair

By EDDIE PELLS AP been called under those
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The circumstances? Many see
toilet paper was already it simply, others point out
flying at Toomer's Corner, that worse infractions have
the spot where the big- been ignored.
gest celebrations go down And what about the Ty Je-
when Auburn's sports teams rome, the Virginia guard
win big. who lost the ball, picked it
Then, the whistle blew. up and then started drib-
A foul. Three free throws. bling again, on the play
A comeback win trans- that came seconds ear-
formed into a devastating lier near midcourt? Should
loss. that have been whistled?
And within seconds, the And why didn't the refs call
pain and second-guessing a foul when Bryce Brown
of the final plays flowed grabbed Jerome's jersey
from everywhere. From TV: as Jerome was trying to re-
"Man, I want to cry right collect the ball just before
now ," said Auburn alum he double-dribbled?
Charles Barkley. From Twit- It all happened in the blink
ter on a non-call: "Were of an eye — much easier to
they paid by Virginia? " detect, and break down,
From the headlines: "Foul with the help of super slow-
Play ." motion and a couple dif-
Lost somewhere amid all ferent angles that none
that agony at Auburn and of the three officials had
euphoria in Virginia head- the luxury of seeing either
ing to the NCAA Tourna- while it was happening, or
ment final was the fact that directly after it occurred. It
we've seen all this before. was a judgment (non) call,
No official is perfect. so it wasn't subject to being
No instant replay is going to reviewed, the way many
fend off all mistakes. tough, late-game calls are
Even when the call is the under the rules in college
right one, sports aren't al- hoops.
ways fair. "I would challenge anyone
And when they're being complaining about that
played on the biggest stag- call, I'd say, 'Did you recog- In this April 6, 2019, file photo, Virginia's Kyle Guy (5) takes a shot as Auburn's Samir Doughty (10)
es, those facts of life are nize that in real time?'" said was called for a foul during the second half in the semifinals of the Final Four NCAA college bas-
placed out there on vivid, Dean Blandino, the former ketball tournament, in Minneapolis. Guy sank all three free throws and Virginia defeated Auburn
often heart-wrenching dis- vice president of officiat- 63-62.
play. ing for the NFL. "It's just one
"At that level, you'd hope of those unusual plays that make pass interference could: "There are lots of lessons for how to behave
it's not going to happen happen. When I used to be calls, and non-calls, review- calls during the game, and at the youth or recreational
because of what's at in officials' meetings, we able . you're going to get some, level.
stake, but it's going to hap- would always say, 'Some- "But you do that, and and some you're not going "Those are two different
pen," said John O'Suillivan, thing is going to come up you're potentially creating to get," he said. things," he said. "One is
founder of the Changing that's never happened be- a whole host of other is- That's boilerplate mate- sport for entertainment, the
The Game Project , which fore, so you just have to an- sues," Blandino said. rial for good sportsmanship other is sport for develop-
teaches about keeping ticipate that.'" Only time will tell what they and teaching your players, ment."
perspective in youth sports. But how to react to some- are. and fans, how to handle Sometimes, especially in
"It has always happened, thing that's never hap- Serena Williams in tennis. the toughest of situations. places where sports are so
and it always will." pened before? Dustin Johnson in golf. The Similar emotions sometimes enmeshed with daily life,
Virginia earned a date with Less than three months 1972 U.S. Olympic basket- manifest themselves in oth- they seem hard to sepa-
Texas Tech in Monday's na- ago, the Los Angeles Rams ball team . The "Hand of er types of cruel or redeem- rate.
tional title game because made the Super Bowl at God " in soccer. Fifth down ing moments. On Sunday, But even at Toomer's Cor-
of the foul and those three the expense of the New for Colorado in college Guy explained how his win- ner in Auburn, the sun
free throws, to say nothing Orleans Saints in the wake football. ning free throws followed came up the next morning.
of the whistles that weren't of an unthinkable non-call Blown calls, controversial a year rebuilding his confi- America started counting
blown in the moments be- of an obvious pass-interfer- calls and calls that were dence after Virginia's histor- down to Monday night's
fore. ence infraction late in that "correct" according to the ic 16-over-1 loss last year. A big game, and fans on
In Virginia's 63-62 win over game. rulebook but questionable few hours later, Notre Dame every side could agree on
Auburn on Saturday, the The NFL got pilloried for the given the circumstances star Arike Ogunbowale lost one thing: Hopefully an of-
discussion about whether call. Lawsuits were filed. are nothing new to sports. a chance to repeat as ficial's call won't decide it.
Samir Doughty fouled Kyle The commissioner, Roger Sometimes, the reaction of hero in the women's NCAA "Regardless of the circum-
Guy as Guy was shooting a Goodell, got destroyed the wronged party can be final by missing a free throw stances, we're all human,"
3-pointer with 0.6 seconds during his annual Super as memorable as the call she intended to make and said Craig Littlepage, the
remaining turned out to be Bowl press conference for itself. then making a free throw former athletic director at
the simplest part of the de- failing to promise immedi- After Saturday's whistle, Au- she intended to miss. Virginia. "We all have to re-
bate. ate change. burn coach Bruce Pearl, In general, O'Sullivan warns alize that it's sports. There
More difficult to untan- Only last week did the apoplectic at first, diffused it's not good to use the ex- are going to be mistakes
gle: Should that foul have league's teams vote to the situation as best he amples set in elite sports as made along the way."q