Coach in need of reset

Steve Mariucci said it best.

Asked to comment on the NFL’s postgame admission that an incorrect

call by officials helped secure his former team’s NFC playoff victory

over the visiting New York Giants, the recently deposed San Francisco

49ers coach was succinct, compassionate and comprehensive.

“Bummer,” the loquacious Mariucci said.

Coaches, of course, frequently offer slightly more voluminous

commentary, especially in the heat of battle. It is during the fray

when competitive juices often stew within these sideline sages, who,

after all, are faced with the frustrating prospect of imposing their

impact on the outcome without ever touching the ball.

In quiet reflection, usually at least 24 hours after a contest,

coaches will admit that officials don’t determine the outcome of

games. Yet the competitor in them refuses to let referees slide for

perceived indiscretion.

This often creates some entertaining sideline exchanges, and, on

occasion, even spills over into some provocative postgame quotes.

It can also lead to some unfortunate displays, such as the one I

observed at Wednesday’s basketball game at Estancia High between the

Eagles and visiting Golden West League and crosstown rival Costa

Mesa.

Costa Mesa Coach Bob Serven let his emotions get the best of him

while protesting errors made by a shot-clock operator in the final

minute of the hard-fought battle.

The failure to start the 35-second shot clock when Estancia gained

possession occurred not once, but twice in the decisive final 60

seconds. The first time, Costa Mesa stole the ball as Serven had

begun to shout his protest to officials, in effect, negating the

error. The second, however, with 44 seconds remaining, adversely

altered Costa Mesa’s stragetic options as it attempted to overcome a

37-35 deficit.

Had the clock been reset, Costa Mesa could have elected to simply

play defense and hope for a stop. If Estancia failed to score, the

Mustangs would have had at least nine seconds to respond.

Officials stopped play with 32 seconds left, apparently to address

Serven’s repeated sideline protests over the second error. But while

Serven attempted to plead his case with officials, he also directed

verbal barbs at the shot-clock operator. After a third separate

outburst directed at the clock operator, Serven was assessed a

technical foul.

Estancia sank both technical free throws to double its lead, then,

by rule, retained possession. And, since no time was put back on the

clock, Mesa was forced to foul to regain possession and the Eagles

held on to win, 40-35.

Was Serven’s team wronged by the error? Without question.

Would he have gained any corrective measures from officials had he

not “gone off” on the clock operator? Perhaps.

Should officials have observed the mistake in the first place,

preempting the entire incident? Such intervention is routinely taken

to correct time-keeping errors.

And should officials have tried to correct the mistake by putting

additional time on the clock, even after the technical foul? Indeed.

But were Serven’s derogatory comments toward the clock operator

inappropriate? You bet.

Did the technical foul he incurred hurt his team’s chances at

victory? Of course.

Was the incident one big bummer? Surely even Estancia Coach Chris

Sorce would agree.

*

Serven and Sorce have been critical of officiating in Golden West

League games and both believe the league has itself to blame. As

members of the Pacific Coast League, Mesa and Estancia league games

were officiated by members of the South Orange County officials

association. However, upon entering the Golden West League, comprised

of schools on both sides of the north-south dividing line (generally

considered the Garden Grove Freeway), Golden West representatives

voted to align with the North County officials association.

Consensus among coaches I’ve talked with is that South County

officiating is superior, though I haven’t seen enough of the North

County crews to form an educated opinion.