ACC Officiating and ESPN: The Smell of Suspicion when Duke and North Carolina play

Lefty Driesel made the accusations over twenty years ago. Our own Frank Haith made it just two seasons ago. While it is unpleasant to discuss something needs to be aired in this fashion after last night's Florida State-Duke game and the subsequent Georgia Tech-North Carolina game where fishy calls and strange rules interpretations affected the outcome. In Florida State's case this isn't the first time officiating has contributed to a loss for the Seminoles against a team from North Carolina. Ironically, the big three in Florida all lost their midweek clashes. Florida and Miami both dominated, but had flattering score-lines (especially in the case of Florida whose 2 point final deficit was the closest the game had been since trailing 13-11 early in the first half) while FSU who had outplayed Duke for large portions of the second half, were dealt a 13 point defeat. But for ESPN, Florida State's fine play was relegated to hype about Jon Sheyer (whose name I cannot spell nor care to spell), and endless stories about Kyle Singler.

Two years ago it can be argued the Hurricanes were in the NIT and not the NCAA because of ill-timed questionable calls in the final two regular season games and then the very memorable last minute ACC Tournament loss to Duke. Now I am of the belief that Miami did not deserve to make the Tournament that year: You cannot lose more games than you win in late February and early March and expect to go dancing. But at the same time I was never more proud of the Hurricanes than that day they lost valiantly to Duke in Greensboro, fighting till the final whistle, playing through a game with so many bad calls it was scandalous. The very same year Florida State missed the NCAAs because of a phantom call that led to an ejection of Alexander Johnson against, you guessed it Duke. FSU lost by one point in overtime.

Last year Miami received a succession of bad calls in a row, almost so comical that they have become popular video on you tube against you guessed it-North Carolina. The succession of calls was so bad that even ESPN's Mike Patrick, typically an apologist for the ACC officiating crews was stunned and he and Len Elmore described the crew as having a "very bad night." Yesterday North Carolina clearly benefited from generous officiating when Zack Peacock was being held as he reached for a loose ball in a tie game with under a minute left. If Peacock either grabs the rebound or a foul is called, chances are Georgia Tech does no worse than overtime at home. Instead, no call was made and the ESPN crew quickly pointed out that Paul Hewitt was fortunate to not get a technical for leaving the coaches box! ESPN's financial obligation to the ACC requires it apparently to always give Duke and North Carolina the benefit of any doubt during live game action. Jay Bilas, a Duke grad and former Duke Assistant (and lawyer to boot) is so biased towards North Carolina (a strange twist of irony) in any commentary he makes on air or article he writes, I am planning on writing to the network asking he not be allowed to cover the Tar Heels anymore. (Bilas was calling FSU-Duke yesterday not UNC-GT, but he could easily be kept off all UNC telecasts in the future while Dick Vitale should be kept off all Duke telecasts. )

This is a sore subject for me on which I could easily write a novel. But this being such a sore subject I'll stop writing now for fear of a cease and desist order coming from John Clougherty, the head of ACC officials who was in attendance for the Georgia Tech-Miami game the other day. In games like that, where ESPN doesn't have a dog in the fight, the head of officials can safely show their faces. But heading to Tallahassee or Atlanta when the chosen two of the ACC come to town may not be such a wise idea for Clougherty or his staff.