Keep Eddie OUT of the Valley!!

[bcrawf]

Let me start by saying that UNI did not lose tonight's game because of the officiating...

I would ask everyone to join me in writing to Doug Elgin, asking him to keep Ed Hightower out of the Valley. His pompous attitude and "me-first" style do not represent the values that we Valley fans hold.

In the Valley, basketball is the focus, not the three guys in stripes...:valley:

[Khan4Cats]

I have to agree. Maybe we can all those who were calling on Hartzell to stop calling games because of a "potential" "conflict of interest" to do the same for a Trustee of the SIU university system.

If the officiating we have seen so far is what the Valley is getting for increasing the pay rates, I would rather reinvest in younger officials looking to prove themselves by calling quality basketball, not looking for an avenue for television exposure.

[MoValley John]

I have a problem with this. While I think Valley officiating is sub-par, now it is becoming a scapegoat. Over the last two weeks, it seems that every time a team loses, officiating is being blamed (except for Missouri State, Evansville and Illinois State, then they blame the coach). While I think Doug Elgin needs to greatly improve officiating, getting fans and teams involved is only a distraction. Let Elgin do his job, he is aware of the need to upgrade officiating, and all in all, Elgin gives you little in which to complain.

[CUJay]

I don't like Hightower either. I can live with bad officiating, but when an official makes a spectacle of himself every time he blows the whistle, that's where I draw the line.

[bcrawf]

I have a problem with this. While I think Valley officiating is sub-par, now it is becoming a scapegoat. Over the last two weeks, it seems that every time a team loses, officiating is being blamed (except for Missouri State, Evansville and Illinois State, then they blame the coach). While I think Doug Elgin needs to greatly improve officiating, getting fans and teams involved is only a distraction. Let Elgin do his job, he is aware of the need to upgrade officiating, and all in all, Elgin gives you little in which to complain.

I believe I said that it didn't cost UNI the game. I just want every Valley team to have a consistently officiated game. We have great basketball and refs like Eddie, Jim Burr, and, sorry to say, John Higgins take away from the greatness that is Valley Basketball...

[MoValley John]

I believe I said that it didn't cost UNI the game. I just want every Valley team to have a consistently officiated game. We have great basketball and refs like Eddie, Jim Burr, and, sorry to say, John Higgins take away from the greatness that is Valley Basketball...

You don't get consistency from most officials. The game is too fast, the players are too big, certain coaches intimidate and mistakes are made. I don't care for Hightower, but in reality, he is the least of any teams worries. Let Elgin do his job and if Hightower doesn't grade out, he will be gone.

[Mick Taylor]

I hate to break it to you guys, but most of the Valley officials also officiate in the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, etc. Where are you going to find these quality officials you're seeking?

[cpacmel]

I hate to break it to you guys, but most of the Valley officials also officiate in the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, etc. Where are you going to find these quality officials you're seeking?

:yes:

We have a winner. Pay the man Shirley, Mick Taylor gets it. :yes:

[Jayman]

According to a post on the Bluejay Cafe before the game, this is only the second game ever officiated by Hightower that Creighton was won. I guess the Bluejays were good enough to even overcome Ed tonight.

[dogdays]

Its funny isnt it. If you think Ed Hightower is bad somebody please look at Gerry Pollard. Without a doubt the worst official in the Valley. But I digress. Hightower is considered to be one of the top officials in the country. He has officiated numerous final fours.. and Mick was right. Since Doug started paying our officials more , they are for the most part Big Ten and Big 12 officials. Watch the Big Ten games and the guys in the stripes are the same guys doing our games... if you are bitching about Eddie then you will never be happy because he is about the best there is.. now Gerry Pollard on the other hand.???

[Kramer33]

The problem is referees such as Hightower and Higgins are way overrated! They are not as good as their "reputations". Watch multiple games they refreee and you may also notice this. They really liked to be noticed and that is not why they are there.

[LincolnJay]

Its funny isnt it. If you think Ed Hightower is bad somebody please look at Gerry Pollard. Without a doubt the worst official in the Valley. But I digress. Hightower is considered to be one of the top officials in the country. He has officiated numerous final fours.. and Mick was right. Since Doug started paying our officials more , they are for the most part Big Ten and Big 12 officials. Watch the Big Ten games and the guys in the stripes are the same guys doing our games... if you are bitching about Eddie then you will never be happy because he is about the best there is.. now Gerry Pollard on the other hand.???

Correction, Ed H USED TO BE considered a top official. He is now 30 pounds overweight and a shell of the official he used to be. He hasn't reffed a Final 4 in a LONG time.

Randy McCall is also not the cat's meow of a ref but JD Collins is top drawer - he was letting them play last night.

[DUBulldog]

Randy McCall is also not the cat's meow of a ref but JD Collins is top drawer - he was letting them play last night.

I definitely disagree on JD Collins. I've never cared much for him. As for Hightower, I think he's a good official, I just don't like his "style".

Worst ever in the MVC was Willie Sanchez....anybody else remember that guy?

[tpguy1]

I think all message boards would be better if talking about officials was banned. It only provides an excuse for the fans of the team that lost.:valley:

[MoValley John]

The problem is referees such as Hightower and Higgins are way overrated! They are not as good as their "reputations". Watch multiple games they refreee and you may also notice this. They really liked to be noticed and that is not why they are there.

I used to get all fired up for football games; face paint, belly paint, multi-colored fro wig, you know, the works. Boy was it fun and did I ever get noticed! It was great! Then I realized that as a fan, I wasn't supposed to get noticed and it put a damper on the whole thing.

Wait a second, fans are supposed to get noticed, that's how we help our team! And unlike baseball, where the best umpires go unnoticed, contrary to popular belief, basketball officials should be noticed. Not that they should determine the outcome of the game, but that is how the players and coaches understand that the official is in charge.

I guarantee you that everyone would be just as upset, probably even more, if the refs were invisible. If the refs were invisible, or went unnoticed, the Valley's record against BCS schools would be much, much worse; the big boys would be mugging Valley teams on every posession.

Whether or not a referee calls "ticky-tack" fouls or "lets 'em play" is how a basketball referee gets noticed. I have seen officials call minor hand checks, yet let the big boys bang under the rim. I have seen just the opposite. I have seen a myriad of variances in between. I have also seen some great officials who garner the camera and bad officials who don't, just as I've witnessed the exact opposite. Whether or not you like that in Ed Hightower, he does have control of the players and coaches.

I think everyone is making something out of nothing just because he is an animated official. Living in Omaha, I have taken many a Bluejay fan to the woodshed when they complain about the outcome of the Miami game last year. Jay's fans love to blame the refs, and yeah the calls at the end were bad, but strangely enough, they forget about the first 25 minutes of the game- the time when Creighton, not the officials, blew the game.

[tpguy1]

Am I the only one confused by the above ramble?

[MoValley John]

Am I the only one confused by the above ramble?

I was confused when I typed it. I was drunk last night. Then my wife wouldn't let me into the promised land. But then again, look at all of these people who are confused thinking that every Valley game is being decided by the officials.

[tpguy1]

Now you're making sense.

[MoValley John]

Simple guide to translating threads about officials:

Poster: "We probably would have lost anyway, but those refs have to go!"
Translation: "I'm so mad!!! I can't believe we lost! It wasn't that our team got outplayed, it had to be the officiating!!! Listen while I cry!!!"

Poster: "We probably would have lost anyway, but those refs have to go!"
Translation: "We would have won if it wasn't for the officials!!! I'm such a poor sport!!! I guess my only recourse is to throw bottles onto the court!!!"

Poster: "We probably would have lost anyway, but those refs have to go!"
Translation: "I just can't deal with the fact that we lost!!!"

Poster: "We probably would have lost anyway, but those refs have to go!"
Translation: "Is it possible that my team lost? No!!! So I guess it must be the refs. Everyone else blames the refs, so that has to be the reason."

[Panther Fan]

I'd be curoius how much real "grading" there is in evaluating the officals by the MVC. I have to think that with Jim Bain as the head of officials there is still an old boys system and there's no way Jim is going to deny Eddie his paycheck.

I actually think Higgens is a pretty good ref, he's been in the Valley for over 10 years and seems like he's gotten a lot better.

Someone above mentioned Eddie controls the players and coaches. That's the problem! Eddie is less about just going out and making sure the rules are enforced and more about going out and trying to have control over the game. When Steve Whelmer used to ref Valley games I would sit close enough to hear how much talking he did to the players and it seemed like he needed to do more blowing his whistle and less talking. These guys have an agenda when they walk on the floor.

I've talked to fans in other leagues who have gotten very tired of Eddie's act of making a spectacle of himself when he makes calls.

One other thing about Hightower that would be interesting to find out is what percentage of calls he makes during a game as compared to the other two officials. One of the most amazing things last night was that Eddie didn't run in and over rule any calls by the other officials, seems to be one of his favorite moves.

[3baller]

My friends and I were saying this throughout the night. All he does is over exagerate every call so he is seen by everyone. He is a classic example of someone who couldn't make it in bball and still wants to think he has. I've never been too pleased with the officiating in the valley, but I've watched Big 10 ball for awhile and he was terrible there too.

How did he get into the Valley? Did the Big 10 not renew his contract? Did Elgin up his salary? I'm just curious how that happened. I obviously think the Valley is a big time league, but you won't see too many people make a career change from the Big 10.

[DUBulldog]

How did he get into the Valley? Did the Big 10 not renew his contract? Did Elgin up his salary? I'm just curious how that happened. I obviously think the Valley is a big time league, but you won't see too many people make a career change from the Big 10.

He's been doing MVC games for at least 15 years. People seem to have this mistaken idea that there is such a thing as a "Valley Ref". He didn't go from being a "Big 10 ref" to being a "Valley ref", he's been doing games in both leagues as long as I can remember.

Most of these guys officiate games in many leagues within the same geographical area. When I watch Big 10 or Big 12 games, I usually recognize the officials as guys who have done MVC games as well.

Refs do not get a salary from any league; they are paid a specified $ amount to do individual games.

[dogdays]

I could me mistaken but I believe that Hightower officated the championship(Final Four) game in STL two years ago...he is still considered a high level official. As far as Higgins goes , he's actually ok in my opinion. Just dont get him when you are playing CU as he and Dana are fast friends off the court. Pollard is the worst in the MVC right now IMHO though agreed Sanchez worst ever overall.

[barkeep1967]

phew


When I saw the title of this thread I thought Eddie Sutton was driving to one of the games today

:Jumpy: :Jumpy:

[3baller]

He's been doing MVC games for at least 15 years. People seem to have this mistaken idea that there is such a thing as a "Valley Ref". He didn't go from being a "Big 10 ref" to being a "Valley ref", he's been doing games in both leagues as long as I can remember.

Most of these guys officiate games in many leagues within the same geographical area. When I watch Big 10 or Big 12 games, I usually recognize the officials as guys who have done MVC games as well.

Refs do not get a salary from any league; they are paid a specified $ amount to do individual games.

Thanks for clearing that up. I remember seeing him a few years ago, but I thought he might have just been a replacement. I know when UNI played at Illinois State a ref couldn't make it so they got a local replacement. Officials are a huge aprt of the game, some let them play, some don't. It effects the flow of the game, but that's just part of it.

SIU never gets called for those hand checks because they play so aggresive and the officials know that's there game (not to mention they are just a very good basketball team). I actually agree with them on that.

[MSUAllSports]

Ed H USED TO BE considered a top official. He is now 30 pounds overweight and a shell of the official he used to be. He hasn't reffed a Final 4 in a LONG time.



Hightower reffed final fours from 1988 to 1994 and again in 1996, 2002, 2005 and 2006.

[3baller]

Well I'm glad that Elgin went for a big name ref in EH, and apparently if you ref that many final fours you are pretty good, but I just don't see it. Every game I watch with him I have been disapointed in a lot of his calls. But I'm guessing the NCAA is wiser than I.:ermm:

[shockball]

In a recent game there was a loose ball and two players wound up with it. One official called jump ball, EH called a foul. Time for the officials to huddle? No, EH glares at the other official, there is no huddle, and the foul call is what EH reports to the scorers table.

He adversely effects the quality of the officiating and play. IMHO

[jt45]

I think all message boards would be better if talking about officials was banned. It only provides an excuse for the fans of the team that lost.:valley:
Good POST!!:clap:

[Pantherpower]

Its funny isnt it. If you think Ed Hightower is bad somebody please look at Gerry Pollard. Without a doubt the worst official in the Valley. But I digress. Hightower is considered to be one of the top officials in the country. He has officiated numerous final fours.. and Mick was right. Since Doug started paying our officials more , they are for the most part Big Ten and Big 12 officials. Watch the Big Ten games and the guys in the stripes are the same guys doing our games... if you are bitching about Eddie then you will never be happy because he is about the best there is.. now Gerry Pollard on the other hand.???

What a total crock of bs!! Eddie Hightower is all about Eddie. He disgusts me. Creighton beat us last night, fair and square, but Eddie made a spectacle of himself.

I'll elaborate...during a timeout, Coach Jake was taking up an issue with the short, grey-haired ref. Eddie, not wanting the spotlight to go from him, storms into the huddle and intervenes PHYSICALLY BUMPING JAKE!! Eddie's a punk...I'm sure this was caught on video and hope like hell it will be sent into the league office.

There is no place for showboat officials in this league who take away from our great Valley basketball!!