wrestlefan55

The ref made calls that helped out both teams. Don't blame our loss on the refs.

Disregard

I defintly agree that officiating is a very difficult task, and I fully respect officials and what they do. But we are not talking about one or two questionable calls, we are talking about multiple matches throughout the day that a referee was making partial calls. When it happens 5-6 times in one day, suspicion arises whether it was what a ref actually saw or what he wanted the outcome to be. If a referee truthfully and honestly refs a match to his utmost honest and unbiased way that he perceived what was happening, then I have the most respect for them, even if I think it was a bad call. It's when a referee shows multiple signs of being partial is where I disagree.

I also disagreed with the idea of that match as the best match of the day. That award deserves to go to two kids that battle it out in triple overtime, going hard throughout the entire match. Not a match where the ref was biased and obviously biased at that. Did anyone else follow how the kid that belcher wrestled in the finals even made it into them? "Gannon" or whoever the official was, officiated his semi-finals match. I don't know what team he wrestled, but the opposing wrestler was down. In the third period, he got him on his back and he was obviously pinned, as I was sitting in the stands watching, both shoulders down. However, Gannon would not call the pin. The wrestler switched positions, but Gannon wouldn't budge, and the time ran out. The wrestler lost by points. Is it only a coincidence that Gannon officiated this match, obviously helping out the wrestler who opposed Belcher in the finals, and then repeated the same thing during the finals?

I'm not blasting anyone, I'm professionally stating that several officials were making what seemed to me like biased calls. I saw the same official make several questionable at best calls. I do fully respect refs and understand how hard their job can be, and I only wish they did their best to rule accordingly and honestly to the match. For the most part, the officiating crew did great, but I do not respect any referee that purposely rules in bias.

One of the older officials with gray hair and a receding hairline was one of the ones that I felt was making biased calls. I don't know what his name was.

I can do nothing but wholly agree to the last post. Several officials determined partial calls that obviously and purposely favored other teams while hurting others. Don't get me wrong, most of the refs were professional and did their best to be unbiased, but several were unprofessional and were awful role-models to our kids. Several kids went home last night that deserved and earned a medal, but due to these calls, went home empy handed. I was very disappointed in the lack of respect for the hard work that these kids put out by several of the officials during this tournament.