"Controversial call sends Michigan to Elite 8."
A Yahoo reporter has taken a side on the call. Enjoy:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger/michigan-tennessee-sweet…
There's at least one funny "Volunteer" comment.
The reporter (Kaduk) is a former Wisconsin Badger and big Chicago sports fan:
Presumably not a Michigan fan? :)
March 29th, 2014 at 12:40 PM ^
is in the same boat. A caption in his article echoed the "controversial call sends M to Elite 8" sentiment and he spent the entire article giving Izzo a you know what.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/hated-rivals-michigan-and-michigan-state-k…
March 29th, 2014 at 12:45 PM ^
Because most sports writers are hacks who don't pay attention to games except insofar as it helps them write their 500 words. Honestly, you see a bunch of these old dudes and you realize that most of them could never have gotten the jobs they have now today.
Figures all the focus is on the charge and not on the blown review. Well, if the team can use it as motivation for Kentucky, then let the national pundits keep talking.
March 29th, 2014 at 10:04 AM ^
if it wasn't called, then Michigan has a clean steal with no Volunteer in immediate foul range of Levert. Game over. So I guess, I sort of agree with the author, a terrific ending was denied: a player whose struggles put his team in jeopardy makes the game saving steal really would have been a nice storyline.
March 29th, 2014 at 10:42 AM ^
March 29th, 2014 at 10:49 AM ^
March 29th, 2014 at 11:01 AM ^
I think the no-call's defensible here, if you think LeVert had already stripped the ball before the contact. A lot of referees would choose not to call an offensive foul against a player that's already turned the ball over because it punishes the wrong team, taking away the advantage of the live-ball turnover.
March 29th, 2014 at 11:04 AM ^
that Stokes is known for it. Stokes bulled right into two guys. My hunch is that Martin told him he should have passed the freaking ball.
At any rate, there are so many alternative scenarios flowing from those couple of calls down the stretch that to say TN lost because of a bad call is just garbage.
March 29th, 2014 at 11:05 AM ^
and a number of tennessee fans complaining, had to do with, how can it be a charge if the ball was loose (by the tip away by Levert crashing to double team).
March 29th, 2014 at 11:59 AM ^
i'd rather be a billionaire with five sex addicted supermodel wives. sometimes we don't get everything the way we want it.
March 29th, 2014 at 12:24 PM ^
that's what the other four are for to take my mind off the "other one".
Oh, dude...DUUUUUUUUDDDDE...PLEASE tell me you don't have them living together and sychronizing cycles. Bigtime rookie mistake, man. Have you ever even been in a love hexagon before bro???
if i was a billionaire do you really think i would have only one house?
Plus the botched review essentially made it a one-possession game instead of two with 20 seconds left. Then the charge play likely never would've happened.
Tennessee got straight out-played for 38 minutes. And I guess they're not talking about Appling's shove or any of the questionable calls in the Kentucky game? Give me a break.
Want to get even more frustrated? The CBS/TNT crew did indeed make mention of Appling's uncalled push-off and said that it should have been...wait for it...a foul on UVA for grabbing Appling. They said he is allowed to push off and that the UVA player flopped.
This tourney, it seems almost best to watch the games on mute, not read any press and not watch any sports television.
I'm not one to hate on refs, but the officiating last night was terrible and crap. Anyone who drove into the lane got fouled. They had several and 1 attempts towards the end, Morgan "chest pump" fouls, missed calls and reviews. We benefited and they benefited as well but that game was shitty.
That was definitely a controversial call, but how about the flat out wrong call on the out of bounds play a few minutes prior? That was cut and dry, the charge was a bang bang play. Also not mentioning that if nothing was called, LeVert had a steal and the clock runs off at least 3 seconds before he's fouled, which would have been an even better outcome. Again, no respect for Michigan, and I'm sure Beilein and co. wouldn't want it any other way
So lame. Say there was no call either way instead of a charge. Caris is still sitting there with a ball on his hip and a Tenn foul to stop the clock would be the next step.
No mention of the tipped ball that was CLEARLY ours.
No mention that LeVert had the steal, the ball was in bounds and he would've had a chance to just stand there until they fouled him. It would've been the best inbounds play we had all night AND they would've lost time on the clock.
This is GARBAGE and people who think that call cost them the game are idiots.
They also don't understand that Morgan was the primary defender, he can slide and be moving at the point of contact. This call goes against Aaron Craft all the time because he just lowers his shoulder and bullies his way to the rim. Either that, or its a no call and he sits on the floor with his hands in the air...OR he travels. But it's not the defender's fault Stokes (or Craft) goes barreling into them.
Generally Morgan is the "help man" and he's sliding off him man to help out and take a charge...in THAT case he's the secondary defender and it can be a block. That was NOT the case this time. Morgan was the primary and LEVERT was the secondary.
The media sucks far too often.
March 29th, 2014 at 12:16 PM ^
The 6-foot-8 senior was feeling pretty good about his role and yelled "mismatch" as the Wolverines walked off the floor with their narrow two-point victory. - regarding Morgan's exit from the court
If indeed true, that's actually pretty funny to me, especially after everything that had been said all week about Tennessee's size on the interior. Glad to see yet another reason that the national press gave that we could not advance fall by the wayside.
March 29th, 2014 at 10:01 AM ^
All day today we'll probably hear about Kentucky's "size, speed and athleticism" or some combination of those.
March 29th, 2014 at 10:17 AM ^
I don't remember who tweeted it but apparently JMO actually yelled "Mismatch my ass!"
March 29th, 2014 at 10:55 AM ^
March 29th, 2014 at 10:02 AM ^
I said this last night on Twitter, but if I do what Stokes did when I play pickup basketball, I call an offensive foul on myself and walk to the other end of the court.
You can't just lower your shoulder into a guy when he's standing in one place and expect to get a call in your favor.
March 29th, 2014 at 10:10 AM ^
MSU does it all the time.
March 29th, 2014 at 10:15 AM ^
Yeah. Well. They're assholes.
March 29th, 2014 at 11:57 AM ^
Who is worse MSU and their fans or the media?
I vote yes.
March 29th, 2014 at 12:28 PM ^
How is this not the most upvoted comment in MGoBlog history?
March 29th, 2014 at 12:55 PM ^
Funniest one line response I've seen in a long time. Thank you!
March 29th, 2014 at 12:13 PM ^
Because people regularly try to take charges in pickup ball.
(legend: "regularly" = "never")
March 29th, 2014 at 10:03 AM ^
March 29th, 2014 at 10:05 AM ^
"Controversial call allows Tennessee to take MIchigan to the wire"
March 29th, 2014 at 10:06 AM ^
Morgan played yet another great game. How many opposing centers does he have to outplay before he starts getting the recognition he deserves from the national pundits? Otoh, he seems to relish the underdog role and plays well with a chip on his shoulder.
March 29th, 2014 at 10:07 AM ^
who cares? We won. In a year, nobody besides for a few drunk volunteers will be pissed about the call. Also - Levert had the steal anyway, so I don't really get why it's so controversial - the ball had backspin on it and stayed in bounds - if it wasn't a foul, Levert had the ball on the baseline anyway. Same result, charge call or not.
March 29th, 2014 at 10:08 AM ^
defending the call and slamming the article you know you're reading some extremely hack journalism type stuff.
March 29th, 2014 at 10:09 AM ^
March 29th, 2014 at 10:40 AM ^
---every college sports fan in America.
March 29th, 2014 at 11:51 AM ^
I mean, Michigan has a history and the stereotype is they're arrogant...but there are plenty other schools who would fit that description as well. But it's Michigan that gets the reputation that when they win, there's something controversial about it (PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE OTHER CONTROVERSIAL CALLS THAT ALLOWED TENNESSEE TO EVEN GET IN A POSITION TO WIN THE GAME, OF COURSE).
It was "controversial" in that it effectively decided the game. But you know what? Anyone arguing that it was a blocking foul is dead wrong. And that's the ONLY scenario out of the three which favor Tennessee.
I was pissed because I thought they called Levert on a reach in foul, when it was clearly a clean knockout. That's because Michigan was getting royally screwed in the foul department down the stretch, that I just assumed it was a fould on michigan. I yelled for a solid minute. Until I realized Michigan was inbounding the ball. Then I was happy.
March 29th, 2014 at 10:09 AM ^
When that call was correctly a charge! Jordan anticipated and simply beat him to the spot. Any other point of the game, no one would have said anything. At most, Jordan could be accused of selling the charge--which, if you want one, you better do. Thanks Jordan.
March 29th, 2014 at 10:57 AM ^
Guy should sign with Visa or MasterCard for a 2 year Tourney-Time only commercial series.
Although, I'm not sure how Visa or MasterCard would feel about losing all customers that are Syracuse and Tennessee fans.
March 29th, 2014 at 10:11 AM ^
March 29th, 2014 at 10:12 AM ^
From this reporter's viewpoint on the nearby sideline, Jordan Morgan's feet sure didn't look set in the final moments of Michigan's controversial 73-71 win over Tennessee in Friday night's Sweet 16 game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Okay, that's great. But that's not the rule for the primary defender. Morgan was in legal guarding position, he stayed vertical, and he moved laterally not toward the ballhandler.