ROCKFORD, Ill. -- I'm not much into conspiracy theories, but this is ridiculous. We have a referee tonight I've never seen, Jarrod Ragusin -- I was told he was good -- and he's been abominable. Six straight penalties he calls against Fort Wayne, two of them outrageously bad, and then he doesn't call a blatant board by Bruce Watson on Fort Wayne's Mario Larocque. Not only did the Komets face three 5-on-3 short-handed situations, but now they're without Larocque, who was on the ice for a few minutes after Watson clearly left his feet to drive Larocque's face into the glass.
Rockford scored on one of the 5-on-3s and is ahead 1-0 after the first period of play.
It sure seems like the referees have it in for the Komets. I wonder if all that whining the team did about the officiating all season is, at least subconsciously, in the minds of the officials. That's the only way I can explain calls this bad.
-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette
Larocque is back out there. ... And Rockford staff is trying to tell me that period was called in excellent fashion. Figures.
Posted by: Justin Cohn | May 04, 2007 at 09:34 PM
God Awful reffing Cohn....smack those rockford announcers for us. They are worse than their ref is. They bad mouthed you twice on air too. Kick their butts.
Posted by: Hit Somebody!!! | May 04, 2007 at 09:50 PM
what radio station can you listen to these fools?
Posted by: Hockey Fan | May 04, 2007 at 09:59 PM
What did they say about me? lol
Posted by: Justin Cohn | May 04, 2007 at 10:01 PM
Made some sideways comment about you whining about them diving 1000 times and us only 1 time. He also said off-air that came accross B2 that it is a chore to take a whiz when you have the Fort Wayne media bothering you all the time and whining.
Idiots!!!!!!!!
We are taking a screwing. Bigtime. We need goals and fast. KSP is awesome again tonight and is standing on his head.
Johnson and Watson leave their feet on every check and take cheapshots right in front of this idiot and no calls. Incredible.
Posted by: Hit Somebody!!! | May 04, 2007 at 10:10 PM
I think he's joking around. He better be. I bought his lunch yesterday.
Posted by: Justin Cohn | May 04, 2007 at 10:16 PM
He was not joking around! He's a Prick..I mean Peck.
Posted by: Hoss | May 04, 2007 at 10:21 PM
Well, maybe he's peeved because he got called out for calling Henley a piece of garbage in the JG. Or maybe he knows his IceHogs are the biggest bunch of whiners in the league.
Posted by: Justin Cohn | May 04, 2007 at 10:28 PM
They are actually whining about the refs Cohn....they think they are getting screwed? Are they impaired?
Posted by: Hit Somebody!!! | May 04, 2007 at 10:42 PM
This is sad what did they do to Henley???
Posted by: Hockey Fan | May 04, 2007 at 11:01 PM
Dumped him after the goal in front of the net. It is headhunting supreme out there now.
Posted by: Hit Somebody!!! | May 04, 2007 at 11:03 PM
this is sickening to even watch. how can the league continue to let officials, like we have had the past couple of games, ruin and practically decide the outcome of these playoff games.
Posted by: Joe Schultz | May 04, 2007 at 11:12 PM
Joe,
It's called BRAD JONES, he's a pathetic head of officials. If you want to improve the UHL next year, the FIRST matter must be to fire Brad Jones, hire him back and re-fire him again for good measure. He's a fool.
Posted by: Brad Lyons | May 04, 2007 at 11:16 PM
Brosal and Brad Jones and the rest of this fine league hates Fort Wayne because we are successful, we put people in the stands, and we put an awesome product on the ice year after year, and our owners are class acts that do things right and make money while they do it. It is the old we hate them because they are so good thing. It sucks! Goodbye Brosal....is the B in B2----Brosal 2?
Posted by: Hit Somebody!!! | May 04, 2007 at 11:17 PM
I have no problem with the Fort Wayne Franchise. I remember them as a Wolves fan when they were in the IHL, and have enjoyed the games between them and the Hogs in the UHL. Indeed, they are a successful franchise that has lasted 55 years and had much success. This is a lower minor league with lower minor league officials. I ref high school football, can I do it as good as NCAA refs? No...From the beginning of the game I commented that Ragusin looked pathetic, and I'm a Hogs fan. The only thing to not like is the blind homerism by fans such as "Hit Somebody!" You're team got spent going for the Tarry and are getting outcoached. Deal with it.
Posted by: DJ | May 05, 2007 at 12:01 AM
As long as the Frankes continue to sell tickets and make money in this league they're going to. So who are the real suckers here? The Komets came out playing great tonight and once again the officials did everything to stop their momentum. Chicago got the bad end of the deal during the last series and now the Komets are dealing with it. The officiating is deplorable and that is a direct result of the caliber of this league.
Posted by: David | May 05, 2007 at 12:05 AM
In an earlier thread you agreed with Bingham that the refs shouldn't even up the calls. Tonight those calls didn't go the Komets way and now it's a conspiracy? LOL
As far as the IceHogs whining, watch your own team once. I saw the officials having to listen to the Komets all night tonight.
And hitting...give me a break with calling the IceHogs dirty. I think the Komets motto this year must be..."Don't hit 'em till you see the back of their head". Does anyone on that team hit anyone face-to-face?
Posted by: Hogwild | May 05, 2007 at 12:33 AM
I don't want evening up of the calls. But I brought up the six in a row because they were just not paying attention to all the other stuff Rockford was doing -- see Watson, Johnson, Lutz. ... As for the whining, yeah Fort Wayne whines, but Rockford does it more ... even after they have six straight in their favor. C'mon. Pot calling the kettle. They were the dirtiest team in the league for years, now all of a sudden they go a little finesse and everyone else is bad?
Posted by: Justin Cohn | May 05, 2007 at 12:35 AM
By the way, does Martinson have a clinic on the facewashes the IceHogs do after every hit?
Posted by: Justin Cohn | May 05, 2007 at 12:36 AM
Yeah, he does have a clinic on that. Probably got it from the same one that Bingham uses to show is players how punch someone in the back of the head when they're down on the ice.
I can see why you need a guy like Henley to take of that crap for you. He needs to protect the rest of the team against big bad Ulanski.
Take the orange shades off Justin.
Posted by: Hogwild | May 05, 2007 at 12:48 AM
Lol, hey I never said Henley was a clean one. You're correct that the Komets are doing some dirty stuff out there. I keep writing that; that they need to stay out of the penalty box. But there's no way you can honestly tell me Rockford isn't doing at the very least, the same stuff, and if they're equal then how come Fort Wayne is getting the brunt of the penalties? But it's not even that; the most blatant penalties have been Rockford and there's no calls on those. But you're correct Hogwild, Henley has made some very cheap shots, as have other Komets like Morency, Richardson, etc. I just don't see it being called evenly. And before you give me numbers, I'm not talking about the power play being even, I mean how many calls the refs look the other way. I don't really think it's a conspiracy, I was being tongue-in-cheek; I think that the officiating is so dreadfully bad in this league it's laughable. This could have been such a great series; instead it's garbage because of the way it's being called. and one last thought, games of this magnitude, where is Brad Jones? He's been to one game. Don't give me Russ Johnson tonight. Geez.
Posted by: Justin Cohn | May 05, 2007 at 12:57 AM
Thank You Justin! Well Said!
Posted by: Joe Schultz | May 05, 2007 at 08:05 AM
Thank You Justin! Well Said!
Posted by: Joe Schultz | May 05, 2007 at 08:08 AM
I just find it comical that a reporter is acting just like the fans. No one complains about the refs until they're losing.
You didn't seem to have any problem with the officiating in Game 1. But, then they won that one, didn't they? Funny thing is...the IceHogs powerplay has been terrible this post-season. They play their best hockey at even strength. So, when it comes down to it....calls or non-calls aren't the reason your boys are losing.
BTW...give me a break on the "tongue-in-cheek" stuff. That pretty much says that you don't say what you really mean so you can spin it any way you want later.
Posted by: hogwild | May 05, 2007 at 10:48 AM
Yup, you're right. I really thought there were bribes going on. Exactly right. ... Thanks for playing.
Posted by: Justin Cohn | May 05, 2007 at 07:24 PM