Went back to watch. Was like I remembered. White traveled, not a terrible call because he took a step back with the left foot then a mini step forward with the right before jumping to shoot. All Samspon does is grimace. He doesn’t look at any refs. He does not say a word. He proceeds to take off his tie. Then turns to throw it next to his chair without being demonstrative and sits down.
As Sampson said, he has been doing it all season. Sometimes puts it in his pocket and sometimes throws it on the ground. The ref was completely wrong but in a way this was a learning lesson for Sampson. When the refs are making bad calls and you have let them know that, don’t give them any extra opportunities for more bad calls. Next time the refs have an agenda, leave it on or put it in your pocket.
Even coaches can have learning experiences in games like this.
I’m lining up with CKS. I will defend him on this incident until I drop dead. He did not deserve a technical foul. The referee got it wrong. I understand that referees are human and they make mistakes. That said, this mistake had an impact on the game in terms of points and momentum. I can live with the charge call at the end of the game. That was a bang-bang play and the referee that made the call was in the right position. I don’t like the call, but I can live with it. No personal agenda on the part of the referee. The CKS tie-technical was BS, petty, and wrong. The referee that assessed the technical was across the court and nowhere near CKS. Hey Ref, watch the game, not CKS. It was as if the referee was trying to make a personal statement to CKS.
As bad as the technical foul called on Sampson tonight was, it is not as ludicrous as the technical foul called on Tom Penders when he passed out from dehydration at UAB and landed face-first on the court.
It was a bad call. The tie in the chair neither put at risk the order maintained by the officials nor escalated disorderly behavior by others. It was a call that ref wouldn’t have made in Houston, therefore he shouldn’t have made it period.
Both the tie call and the charge call because it was the last play of the game were referees inserting themselves into the game. It’s that simple. This game isn’t about you, it’s about the young men playing it.
Worst part was the ref that called it was on the opposite baseline, 70 feet away. He was watching CKS and wanted to call something. That’s making it personal.
I remember back in around 78 we were playing Arkansas at barnyard arena or whatever it was called, Arkansas got a tech and the fans went so beserk that the Coogs didn’t get the ball back after the free throws. That’s a home court advantage I want.
Uploaded the video of the 3 minute stretch that basically decided the game:
White travel (questionable, but I think it was a travel…when he catches it, he has a foot down, and then jumps back)
Sampson gets tech for taking tie off, while sitting down, from a ref 70 feet away - same ref that called travel
Temple possession
Davis called for an offensive foul because his hand slightly touches Temple defender’s face after he’s already well past the defender. Temple defender sells it like he got punched - same ref that called travel and technical foul
Alston pushes off on Jarreau and then hits a three-pointer - no foul called
Was a 1 point game prior to all of this, was a 6 point game after all of this. 5 point swing in a (basically) 2 point game at the end.
Sampson shouldn’t wear a coat and tie if it’s going to be discarded during a game. The tech foul is now avoided.
Examine your habits and if they can be injurious to self, others or the team then make adjustments. In highly competitive games, every play, action or ref call counts. Let’s not make excuses when they can be avoided.
This is the 1st time, in like 30 years of coaching, that Sampson has had a tech called on him for removing his tie. He isn’t the only coach that removes his jacket and tie either. He also doesn’t remove either his jacket or tie in conjunction with a bad call by a referee; only when his own team makes a play that he’s not happy with.
Last night, Sampson removed his tie after White traveled. Sampson did not disagree verbally with the call, removed the tie, sat down in his chair, and dropped the tie on the ground. Ref from 70 feet away, during game action, called a technical foul.