There was just over a minute left when Brad Beal extricated himself from a tough situation and headed towards the rim. He rose high in the air and slammed a SportsCenter -worthy dunk over Alabama’s 7-foot center Moussa Gueye.
It should have been the explanation point on the game. But Beal was called for a technicl foul giving Alabama a chance to cut into UF’s 12-point lead with 1:16 to play.
Clearly, Billy Donovan was not happy. He has the mentality that no game is over until it’s over.
Fortunately for the Gators, it didn’t matter and they went on to get an important win.
The technical came because Beal and Patric Young paused in the lane, put their hands together and bowed to each other. The interpretation is that they were showing off in an orchestrated way.
So the question I have for you today (and forget that these were Florida players) is whether that act should have resulted in a technical.
And the second question — was this two kids who have been dealing with frustration simply enjoying themselves or another sign of the immaturity of this team?
They practiced all weekend on pick and rolls and the give and gos. They were just happy to have things going well. I hate the celebration penalties. These are kids having fun. It’s worse in football.
I’m sick of these celebration fouls and penalties too. Do what the NFL does. IF the celebration or demonstration takes away from the regular flow of the game, or inhibits the officials from moving the ball and game forward, it’s a foul and or penalty. Simple, yet effective. It’s going to be not long from now we will have to write an apology letter to the other team for scoring on them.
Well not seeing it makes is difficult to say. If they were celebrating themselves and not really taunting then no foul. After saying this you still have to adjust to the rules and the folks enforcing them.
They were having fun and feeling good about the hard work in practice paying off. However, it points to a selfish and immature way of celebrating by not involving all of your teammates or even the fans. I remember the Joakim Noah days where he could get the whole building shaking by pumping his arms and screaming to the fans… we love that stuff! Go Gators
I’m pretty sure they were just Linning. If Tebow gets a verb, so does Jeremy Lin… he and Melo do that same Chinese bow all the time, in the middle of a game, and it never gets T’ed up. It was just an homage to a guy who I’m sure they’ve been paying attention to in the NBA. Completely harmless celebration, not taunting at all. Releford missed his FTs anyway, so it was worth it, but that it drew a T in the first place was absolutely stupid. If I was Billy I’d be pissed at the refs, not at Beal and Patric.
Youthful enthusiasm.
Go Gators!
I don’t care if it was “intentional” or not–these are the most asinine uses for officials yet–let ’em call the true physical fouls and/or penalties in either sport, but get them OUT of the opinion/interpretation-of-intent biz. The whole idea that there should be any kind of penalty for celebrating is stupid to the point of absurdity–the only possible call can be rationalized only in terms of taking up time, and then only if gaining some advantage in doing so. These are young men having FUN, and sharing it with each other and/or the fans only heightens the drama and excitement of the game for everyone there. I think the No Fun League are utter idiots for degrading THEIR otherwise more and more mercenary game with such nonsense, but why in HELL should the NCAA follow suit?
Look at the entire play, Beal splits a double team at half-court, takes three quick dribbles by another defender, and explodes to the rim over a 7 foot center….bad to the bone Bradley! The mini celebration w/ Patrick did not even come close to warranting a technical, not even close. If anything, the refs should have called a technical on Alabama for letting it happen, come on, man! These guys were not acting immature, they were enjoying the moment. We had one bad loss all year, last Saturday at home, and this team gets discounted and thrown under the bus by the Florida fans as we only know how. They deserved a moment after a play like that, how could you not agree? Personally, I get more bothered by 4 players going out of their way to slap a free throw shooter five after the first throw, made or miss, I get the reasons, but is way overdone anymore. Go Gators! One more year Brad!
There is no way it should have been a technical. I’m in agreement with everyone else on here about the ridiculous rules several leagues are trying to enforce about celebrating. If it’s not taunting the other team, who cares? My question about this T being called is this: how is bowing to each other any different than high fiving, or jumping up and bumping chests or hips? It’s not! Let it go, and let the teenagers have some fun, too.
BTW Pat, it’s exclamation, not explanation 😉
Young set the pick up high to start the play. Murphy was sliding across to set up for a three, and had to scoot quickly out of Beal’s path. Great reaction and instinctive play from teammates (almost looked like “chemistry” in motion). Rather than pounding his chest or fiercely yelling into the air, Beal turned and gave a grateful nod to a teammate. OK, a Lin-inspired Chinese-style nod, but still a gesture of quiet respect and celebration. Reminds me of what Spurrier said about getting to the end zone: “Act like you’ve been there before.” I thought it was less inflammatory than bumping chests… or a high five… or even a low five. Refs should not have taken action unless they felt it was a taunt. Coaches with a lot of class will rein their players in where appropriate, and that’s how it should be handled. If a coach doesn’t have high standards the team will reflect that, and the penatly is loss of respect league-wide, not two shots and the ball.
Pat I saw it on TV and they were not facing the Bama player at all; they were barely celebrating and it is just another case of not letting kids be kids. That being said, I really like the way Billy handled it in giving Beal an earful. I was at a game in Athens a few years back when Noah was called for a technical for something and Billy went off on him in a tight game and sent him to the END of the bench for about 5 minutes. Billy the Kid has turned into a great HC.
I don’t know, maybe they thought it was some kind of mocking gesture of some sort. Seems silly to call a tech over it. I am curious what the ref explanation would be. Re immaturity, I think the team is earning its stripes now. We have more metal than earlier in the season, but now with Yegutte out, lets be honest, we are in trouble. Got to come up with some solutions. No one knows this more than Billy D and his staff. Go Gators!
I’m just wondering what an explanation point is? 😀
Silly to call a technical foul on that play. But at least they didn’t keep the clock frozen for 13 seconds like the refs did in another game. THAT is what refs should be worried about, fixing those problems and game-altering mistakes, not how two teammates celebrate together in a non-taunting way without interrupting the flow of the game.
No problemo, but then I’m biased.
With increasing numbers of members located west of the Mississipppi River, can anyone explain why the SEC is still called the SEC? Why the Big Ten is called the Big Ten? How many football fans know the number of schools in the Big Ten? Or, how many will be in that conference next year?Corporate sponsorship of playing facilities is now a given. Have you noticed the increased advertising of the playing field itself? Before long the uniforms of most college teams will resemble NSCAR vehicles. Plays inside the 20 yard line are now, ‘—–brought to you by—–‘. The space between the goal posts is, with increased frequency, owned by this or that corporation. On televised games there is advertising at both the top and bottom of the screen and. of course, there is advertising between plays. Is this a great country, or what!!
I’ve always felt taunting should get a tech/penalty, but celebration (unless WAY overboard, like the whole team running out) should not.
Frustratingly, I see players do mocking Gator chomps all the time and not get called, and then kids who just made the play of their careers, with adrenaline pumping, get penalized for showing a little emotion. Emotion and passion are the best part of sports, and shouldn’t be penalized unless it’s mocking the other team.