An official in any sport feels like he or she has done a good job if fans are not talking about them after a game.
Well, that’s not the case for the officials working Thursday night’s Louisiana Tech-Charlotte game. They should be under the microscope.
That’s because Louisiana Tech’s Jacobi Boykins received a technical foul after a breakaway dunk. It was Boykins’ second technical of the game and he was ejected.
Here’s the thing: Boykins didn’t hang on the rim. He didn’t get in the face of an opponent. He didn’t excessively celebrate. He did look at an opponent after the dunk and smile, and that is apparently what got him the technical.
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As color commentator Jason Capel said on the broadcast: “You must be allowed to show some sort of emotion. It’s a game. It’s supposed to be fun. You cannot call a technical foul simply because a player looked at another player and happened to have a smile on his face. That is absolutely ridiculous.”
Here are two looks at the play:
JACOBI BOYKINS WITH NO REGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE TURNING DEFENSE INTO OFFENSE AND A....
— beIN COLLEGE SPORTS (@beINCOLLEGE) February 9, 2018
technical foul? @LATechHoops' Boykins is ejected after receiving his second technical foul of the night. Jason Capel does NOT agree. Now on @beINSPORTSUSA pic.twitter.com/Qygq4yjFIc
.@LATechHoops this was the second technical foul that sent Jacobi Boykins to the locker room. I didn't see anything while I shot this. Did any of you? Please tell me if you did. pic.twitter.com/eLfwaGH13Q
— Chris Demirdjian (@ChrisDemirdjian) February 9, 2018
A smattering of people on Twitter suggested that the referee thought Boykins pointed at the opponent on the floor, but that seems like a stretch. You can’t tell definitively if Boykins pointed at him or if that was merely coincidental. Even if it had been intentional, it was not a case of taunting.
This is hot garbage. https://t.co/agY8DIiOKf
— Michael DeCourcy (@tsnmike) February 9, 2018
This is so unbelievably ridiculous. See far too many of these bogus technicals following dunks. This is the worst I’ve ever seen. https://t.co/mxtCGK4Wr4
— CJ Moore (@CJMooreHoops) February 9, 2018
HE LOOKED AT HIM! THE HUMANITY! Imagine the hours of therapy his opponent will need to recover emotionally. https://t.co/kthFQFpiLj
— Nate Bukaty (@nate_bukaty) February 9, 2018
Louisiana Tech won the game 83-65.
Pete Grathoff: 816-234-4330, @pgrathoff
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