March Madness is a time for crazy upsets and dominating runs from the best teams. It's easily one of the most exciting US sporting events, as the craziness can reach dizzying heights. However, occasionally someone else other than the players and the coaches will steal the show for the wrong reasons.
Take this game between the Houston Cougars and the Illinois Fighting Illini during March Madness. Illinois guard RJ Melendez went up for a dunk, and briefly hang on the rim. That apparently was enough for the referees to call a bogus technical foul on Melendez, something that commentator and NBA legend Reggie Miller wasn't too happy with. (via Awful Announcing)
Reggie Miller not having any of this lame ass technical call for hanging on the rim. pic.twitter.com/1zFwoVJGeI
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 20, 2022
Miller was irate at the officials for this ruling, and for good reason. As the former Pacers legend points out, Melendez' momentum was swinging him forward. If the Illinois player didn't hang on the rim, we would've been talking about a dangerous injury during March Madness. It was a move that was meant to protect the player, but the referees were having none of that talk.
It's a bad foul that ruined what would've been an awesome start to March Madness. Already, we have our token underdog story, as the Saint Peter's Peacocks have barged into the Sweet 6. Powerhouses such as Duke and Arizona have also made their way to the final 16 teams.
Unfortunately for the Fighting Illini, their March Madness story ends in a controversial note. Hopefully, this only serves to fuel them for their next runs in the following years.
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