Why is it so hard to win on the road in the SEC, especially this year?
That's the question Dooley attacks in his latest column. Personally, I think Dooley is pretty hit or miss, but this article is a home run. Really well done, including quotes from Mark Wise and two Gators now playing overseas.
“In college basketball, they practice where they play,” Davis said. “Atmospherics, sight lines, they all come into play. I always say that you can shoot 3s at home, but you had better be able to make free throws on the road.
I hadn't heard the story of us passing out naked pics of Matt Walsh's girlfriend (Lauren Anderson's Playboy spread I assume?). I can see why he would take that as a cheap shot but I would have been flattered by it...perhaps even slightly aroused. lol
He shouldn't ask Don Rutledge if officials get caught up in it. Rutledge isn't impartial. Of course they get caught up in it. The great thing about the NCAA tournament is that almost every game is at a neutral site (except for the rare case when so-and-so is playing in a city near their campus). Winning against a very good team at a neutral site in the NCAA tournament is less difficult than beating a middle-of-the-pack SEC team on the road if the crowd is going nuts for 40 minutes. Unfortuanately, our games at Mizzou, at Arkansas and at UT fit that description.
He shouldn't ask Don Rutledge if officials get caught up in it. Rutledge isn't impartial. Of course they get caught up in it. The great thing about the NCAA tournament is that almost every game is at a neutral site (except for the rare case when so-and-so is playing in a city near their campus). Winning against a very good team at a neutral site in the NCAA tournament is less difficult than beating a middle-of-the-pack SEC team on the road if the crowd is going nuts for 40 minutes. Unfortuanately, our games at Mizzou, at Arkansas and at UT fit that description.
Unfortunately one of the other traditions in the tourney, especially in the first two rounds, is the impostor watch. Once they smell blood in the water, the impartial crowd begins to root for the dragon slayer.
I hadn't heard the story of us passing out naked pics of Matt Walsh's girlfriend (Lauren Anderson's Playboy spread I assume?). I can see why he would take that as a cheap shot but I would have been flattered by it...perhaps even slightly aroused. lol
There was an article linked on here some time back in which the authors tried to determine statistically/scientifically what factor(s) caused home teams to have an advantage. Their conclusion was that the only measurable factor they could come up with was that refs called the game in favor of the home teams; and they hypothesized that the refs are subconsciously affected by the crowd and don't want to disappoint the vast majority of people in the stands with their calls.
They ruled out all the other factors like familiarity with the arena, ability to have normal routine at home games (the advantages to home teams were the same even if the away team was located in the same city and didn't have to travel, stay at hotel, etc.), choking in front of a hostile crowd (for example, the away teams generally shot their FT's at the same % as they did at home), etc.
Not sure they were completely correct, but they made a good case.
crowd does influence. pumps up the home team - just a tad more adrenaline in the system helps. the buoys you when you're down and gets you really going when things are good - amplification effect. opposite effect on the opposing players.
crowd does influence the refs too. they won't admit it however.
Pat Dooley on SEC Road Woes
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