Officials not reason for Steelers, Duke success

It ought to be an interesting few weeks, with the Daytona 500 and CIAA tournament coming up.

I used to go to the CIAA every year. Glad we finally get it in Charlotte. If you want to see folks who are true to their schools, spend some time in downtown -- I will never call it uptown -- Charlotte.

But before we move ahead, there is some unfinished business with which to contend.   

Officials did not cost Seattle Super Bowl XL. Pittsburgh did get almost every marginal call. But officials did not give Big Ben eight seconds to find a receiver on third-and-forever. Officials did not enable Fast Willie to run 75 yards for a touchdown. Officials did not call the play on which Randle El took the handoff and threw the perfect pass to Hines Ward.   

Officials are not the reason Duke rules ACC basketball. When the Tar Heels ruled, they got most of the calls. Officials are influenced by sustained success. At some level they think, would a Blue Devil commit a dumb foul such as that? Just as the champ usually wins the marginal rounds in boxing, the top teams usually get the marginal calls in basketball.   

The Florida Marlins are not coming to Charlotte. I wrote that in November. Only the name of the team changes. Some team gets desperate for a new stadium or love, they invoke Charlotte. How do you think a Major League Baseball team would draw here on a weeknight against a nondescript opponent? How do the Bobcats draw on weeknights? How do you think the Panthers would draw on Tuesday against San Francisco?    

Let's review. The officials didn't beat Seattle. Pittsburgh did. Duke gets calls, but that's the unofficial prerogative of the top teams. Major League Baseball is not coming to Charlotte, although if we're smart, we'll build a stadium downtown to accommodate a minor league (minor league is not a bad word) team. Daytona Beach and the CIAA await.

Comments

[Richard Myers]

you did not see the Boston College game

[Charles]

One quick stat of note if you don't think the ACC gives Duke an inherent advantage:

Over the past 6 years, Duke has been to 6 ACC championship games and won 5 ACC championships - an unparalleled run, and one that befits a team ostensibly playing their best basletball at season's end. During that time they have won 1 - yes, just 1 - NCAA championship.

But also during that time, 3 other teams (including Georgia Tech) made it to the final NCAA game and two, UNC and Maryland, won NCAA championships - again, though neither won the ACC tournament.

While UNC and Maryland were good enough to put together 6 consecutive wins in NCAA play, and Georgia Tech won 5 consecutive, none were good enough to win 3 games in ACC play. While those three teams were playing not only their best basketball but also better than anyone else in the country, they still could not win the ACC. Duke ousted two of those teams from the ACC tournament themselves.

The undeniable fact is that it is easier to win in NCAA play than it is to beat Duke in the ACC.

If that is not preferential treatment, or better yet, "brand management" (yes, that good ol' marketing technique of supporting your moneymaker), then what is it? "Intelligent design"? Quite frankly, watching Duke is not a whole lot different than watching Ric Flair. Wahoooo!

[Jerry]

Beaten to the punch. The ACC is as stage managed as the WWE. It was bad but since Swofford strike-up the Vince McMahon theme. Duke consistantly shots more free throws than opponents, Duke players foul out almost never while opponents stars never seem to finish. All while Duke plays the most agressive in your shirt man to man in the NCAA. How?

Mark Packer tracks ACC fouls and in the ACC record corelates to the free throws taken.

Duke plays good basketball but their "superiority" is aided and tainted by the stage management of "The Show".

[Ehlina]

Hmmm good article. There's no arngemut which conference has dominated NCAA basketball this decade. And, I am so tired of hearing there's an east coast bias. Hello! Kansas is the only team not on the east coast to win a Championship in the last 10 years!!! There is and SHOULD BE an East Coast bias. That's where the talent is.