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Post by FredFan7 on Mar 28, 2011 20:44:17 GMT -5
It was an absolute crime that this man never officiated a Final Four. bit.ly/hdiQsB |
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Post by howard63 on Mar 29, 2011 8:58:50 GMT -5
I could not agree more. The players and coaches apparently considered Welmer to be among the better refs, but the folks that made the decisions about who advanced in the NCAA tournament evidently did not. Steve will be missed.
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Post by zcr57 on Mar 29, 2011 14:04:17 GMT -5
I'm starting to think that getting assignments in the NCAA tournament is more about being within the "inner circle" than it is about being a good official. I agree that it's a shame Welmer never officiated a Final Four.
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Post by FredFan7 on Mar 29, 2011 14:17:48 GMT -5
But the inner circle is a person of one. Hank Nichols before and John Adams now assign the tournament officials. No committee. They can really turn it into their own potentate of they want. Don't like the "T" given to Popular ACC Coach in round one? You're going home. Signals too herky-jerky? Sweet 16 is all the farther you'll ever go.
Welmer ingratiated himself into at least 10 conferences and he officiated many conference tournament championship games over the years, so MANY conference supervisors liked him. But he could never get Nichols or Adams to like him. I think the Elite 8 was the farthest he ever got back in the mid-90s.
Basketball, more than any other sport, seems overtly political in treating it's officials.
Now, saying that, did Nichols assign some great officials over the years? Yes. Hightower, Hillary, Higgins, Burr, Shaw, Silvester. Those were great and deserving officials.
John Adams? The jury is still out and I think it will be out for a long time.
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