The biggest existential crisis facing sports today is a shortage of officiating. I generally hate blaming the refs. But I've never seen a coach go to the depths to blame the refs like Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown, that you have to give him his props.
Brown's Kings lost 143-142 in overtime to the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night, and afterward Brown brought out his laptop to pinpoint his exact frustration with the game's officials.
“Dip, let me see that, man,” Brown said. “I just want to show you guys why I got kicked out of the game.”
Brown pointed out that Milwaukee shot 19 first-half free throws to Sacramento's five (the final tally was 32 to 20), but Brown was most frustrated by the plays not called.
He was ejected in the fourth quarter for a foul not called, though. Kings guard De'Aaron Fox drove to the basket, but his arm was hooked by Bucks guard Cam Payne. The play resulted in a turnover.
Brown stormed off the court afterward and was ejected.
Mike Brown lights into the refereeing tonight in the Kings loss in Milwaukee. Brings out a laptop in his press conference to show film of the non-foul and foul that has him ticked off. Here is the five minute soundbite. pic.twitter.com/Q8InpkFh8B
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 15, 2024
Bringing out a laptop to spell out officiating mistakes -- let's call them inconsistencies -- isn't the type of things other coaches can come out and support. Referees are under plenty of scrutiny as it is, and further pressure is just as likely to drive the good ones out as the bad ones. And at the high school level and below, officiating shortages is truly an existential threat.
Having said all that, there were surely a number of coaches in all sports privately fist-pumping Mike Brown on Sunday.
"The referees are human, and they’re going to make mistakes, but you just hope that A) there’s some sort of consistency and B) there’s some sort of communication between the refs. … They’re human. They’re good people. They’re going to make mistakes," Brown said. "But we can’t interpret a rule two different ways.”
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.