During the second half of today's Wisconsin-Kansas State game, Wildcats forward Bill Walker made a short jumper in the paint right over Badgers center Brian Butch.
The two got tangled up after the shot, and as Walker backed off, Butch then pushed him to the ground. The referees were right on top of it and immediately called a technical foul. A good call, as Butch clearly deserved to get T'd up -- except that when they went over to the scorer's table, they called a double technical: One on Butch and one on Walker.
CBS showed a replay several times, and I've yet to see Walker do anything that would even remotely constitute a technical. One of the CBS announcers said, "Walker got in there and elbowed him in the nose," but that's not what I saw when they showed the replay.
Maybe I just missed what Walker did, but unfortunately I think the reality is that this was a case of the referees trying so hard to be fair that they ended up being unfair: They thought they needed to treat the players equally, even though what the players had done wasn't equal. Butch deserved a technical and Walker didn't.
As for the game, Wisconsin leads 60-49 with less than nine minutes to go in the second half.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-22-2008 @ 7:15PM
gman said...
that was a sweet knockdown and down goes k-state
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3-23-2008 @ 2:53PM
franjmenasha said...
there were many calls that should have been called against K State that weren't in the first half. Wisconsin just happens to be the better team and showed it today.
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3-22-2008 @ 7:16PM
Stormwater BMP said...
It was a pretty interesting game, especially considering Wisconsin's untelegenic brand of basketball. Michael Beasley is so gone to the NBA....
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3-22-2008 @ 7:44PM
Dirk de Young said...
They were both fighting over the ball and Walker went down. You are just trying to stir up the pot.
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3-22-2008 @ 9:01PM
Jon said...
please...stop making it seem like this was a game-changing foul or something. we rocked them hard. they also said int he broadcast that walker probably said something to butch. i agree with a previous poster though...you are trying to stir the pot. the real story here is a badgers team that gets no credit at all just TAKING it to two completely different offensive teams.
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3-22-2008 @ 8:32PM
hawkswin73 said...
Did you open your eyes when you saw the play. He clearly hit him in the face. you are just mad Kansas State lost and just complaining about something. GO BIG RED.!!
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3-23-2008 @ 2:25PM
Sabyen91 said...
That is some mighty fine whining, Lou. They didn't just get "tangled up" after the shot. Butch took the ball (after the score) to start the inbound. Walker got in his face trying to get the ball. Why? Because he is kind of a baby.
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3-23-2008 @ 5:28PM
Jim Ericson said...
After a made shot by his team, Walker has no right to go after the ball. Had he held on to it, it would have been delay of game. What I saw was Walker diving into the scrum after a made shot. He was just caught up in the emotion, and he is an emotional player, but he had no right to be there in the first place.
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3-23-2008 @ 10:14PM
jerry said...
I saw the replay. There was an elbow. The double call was correct.
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3-25-2008 @ 12:31AM
Nick said...
Walker had been grabbing and rolling the ball after every basket. It was delay of game all day and the officials weren't calling it. Butch new it and that's why they fought over the ball. Walker was T'd up for delay of game and Butch for the shove.
It wouldn't have come to that had the officials called it earlier in the game.
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