Honored Referee Hasn't Helped the Utes Much Lately
No more complaining about the officiating in the Mountain West Conference.
OK, maybe we won't go that far.
But it was interesting to see that veteran league referee Scott Thornley was named the 2008 Naismith Men's College Official of the Year today by the Atlanta Tip-Off Club, the same organization that awards the Naismith Trophy to the college basketball player of the year -- which Utah's Andrew Bogut won a few years ago.
Thornley has been a referee in the Mountain West since the league was born nine years ago, and also works games in the Big 12 Conference, Conference USA, Missouri Valley Conference, Western Athletic Conference and Pacific 10 Conference. He has worked three national championship games, as well, in his 30-year career.
Curiously, the Utes are 0-4 in games officiated by Thornley this season -- at Washington, New Mexico, Brigham Young and TCU -- and are riding a nine-game losing streak with Thornley in the officiating crew. Of course, the Utes have lost more games than they have won in recent years, and they usually see Thornley in road games that obviously are more difficult to win. Seven of those nine losses came on the road; the others were against Colorado and Brigham Young.
Still, the last time the Utes won with Thornley as a ref was a 79-60 home victory over Brigham Young on Feb. 8, 2006, and they're 2-11 overall in that situation over the last three seasons.
OK, maybe we won't go that far.
But it was interesting to see that veteran league referee Scott Thornley was named the 2008 Naismith Men's College Official of the Year today by the Atlanta Tip-Off Club, the same organization that awards the Naismith Trophy to the college basketball player of the year -- which Utah's Andrew Bogut won a few years ago.
Thornley has been a referee in the Mountain West since the league was born nine years ago, and also works games in the Big 12 Conference, Conference USA, Missouri Valley Conference, Western Athletic Conference and Pacific 10 Conference. He has worked three national championship games, as well, in his 30-year career.
Curiously, the Utes are 0-4 in games officiated by Thornley this season -- at Washington, New Mexico, Brigham Young and TCU -- and are riding a nine-game losing streak with Thornley in the officiating crew. Of course, the Utes have lost more games than they have won in recent years, and they usually see Thornley in road games that obviously are more difficult to win. Seven of those nine losses came on the road; the others were against Colorado and Brigham Young.
Still, the last time the Utes won with Thornley as a ref was a 79-60 home victory over Brigham Young on Feb. 8, 2006, and they're 2-11 overall in that situation over the last three seasons.
posted by www.sltrib.com @ 11:06 AM |
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