This is getting ridiculous

I know that I have touched this subject once before last spring during the tournament, but I think it needs to be touched on again.

So far, every basketball game I have watched this season, the refs, or as some of us in the sports writing industry like to call them zebras, are doing a horrible job. Now, I am all for letting the kids play ball and not calling the little stupid things like a simple touch or hand check, but what they are doing this year is going to get someone hurt.

I have seen games, like the consolation round between Cloverdale and North Putnam, in the girls county tournament, where the players were nearly punching each other when they were scrapping for the ball. In fact, I watch one girl walk off the court and intentionally drop her shoulder into an opponent's chest and nothing was done.

And what I saw tonight just amazed me. I watched a player during the JV game go up and nearly tackle her opponent in midair while she was shooting. And guess what? No whistle was blown and no foul was called. It's one thing if a player goes up and tries to block the shot and gets a little hand slap, I can understand not calling that and letting the kids play. But when one player nearly tackles the other in mid air, I'm pretty sure there should be a whistle blown.

Like I said, I am down with letting the players play and stuff; all I am saying lets actually make the calls when they need to be made. If you, the ref, see something going on, blow the whistle and stop the play. Because if you don't, someone is going to get hurt before the season is over.

But there is a bright side to all of this, if this season continues the way it is going; I am going to be saving a lot of money. Because instead of renting the UFC fight for the month, I can just go and watch a basketball game and get the same results -- a total beatdown.