As I have previously written, readers in Our Town and far beyond, basketball is and always has been my favorite spectator sport. The reasons are many, but the fact remains in my mind, watching intense hoops action doesn't get any better for me the spectator. Also stated in the past, in my humble opinion, basketball players are the best overall athletes, because the sport requires so much skill to play the game at the highest level. All that being said, major college (D-1 level) basketball underwent a significant change this past season.
My bride, Lady Deborah, and I have been season ticket holders, watching our beloved Oklahoma State University men's basketball team for over 40 seasons. Therefore, I think we are called true fans. Because I officiated high school hoops for 30 years, I watch games with a little different perspective than most fans. My bride, however, just flat out enjoys the fast-action and competitive-nature of the great indoor sport. So, at the beginning of the 2021-22 OSU season in early November, I soon noticed a difference in officiating than I had rarely seen on-the-court in the past. The slang explanation for what I quickly saw was game-after-game, the 3 officials, "let them play", or another common phrase used is "no blood, no foul". After viewing all of the non-conference home games in Gallagher-Iba Arena, I became convinced, my early season thoughts on this less-fouls-called each game was for real, as it continued throughout the holiday month games. The difference in the on-court officiating was certainly eye-opening to my spectator vision. This "new" (to me) officiating philosophy was glaringly apparent during the 2022 Big 12 Conference games, and during all the league games I watched on television. And remember, I am a real fan, so I watch lots of college basketball on tv!
Not to forget, players, coaches, fans, etc. always talk about consistency in officiating all sports, and that thought is especially true in an action-packed sport like basketball. If there is no foul called at one end of the court involving lots of physical contact, there shouldn't be any foul whistles at the other end of the court, involving lots of physical contact. I will say throughout the past college basketball season, even though there was much more physical contact than in previous seasons, the officiating was very consistent, much fewer whistles. This was also true for officiating whistles calling moving violations, such as walking (traveling).
So, why the basketball officiating variation from past seasons?
I personally feel verbal directives to allow more physical contact play came from officiating supervisors. Because of all the human isolation the 2-year Covid-19 pandemic caused, people (spectators/fans) want to get out, go places, and be entertained. Basketball is less entertaining when officiating whistles are sounding; the up-tempo action is disrupted, and the players are reduced to standing, instead of their entertaining, all-out running with skilled purposes. For the most part, the game's 3 officials control the game's tempo by just how many times they blow their foul whistles. Also, the professional game (NBA) is always fast-paced, and, thus, controlled chaos. Routinely, the NBA officials "let them play", careful not to significantly detract from the game's action, and take away the interest of the fans. More and more, the college game mimics the pro game.
Remember, it is a delicate balancing act between over officiating and under officiating. The spectator interest, whether it be in-person or via a live broadcast connection, is a crucial factor in the overall "success" of the sport. That affect which ultimately determines the financial ($$$) success of the various athletic conferences, individual teams, etc. is an extremely vital factor in the well-being of the school.
Sports, dear friends, are one of the key social and economic melting pots of Our Great Country. May we always be entertained by sports, fellow fans!
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