Nigel or someone, please tell us the name of the highly respected ref whose being besmirched here. I have a gut feeling the ref's initials are CS.

hmmmm. . . you want a name but refuse to give yours?

How ironic . . .

I haven't read all the comments but I did see the match, was hoping Chris would win......but I believe the call was correct. I have watched Chris wrestle for years and I think the call was correct, as much as I hate to admit it.

Having said that, I have never been witness to an overtime match that was decided on a stall. It was an unbelievable call, yet at the same time, a correct call. I know, I know I am sick about it too.

I've seen stalling called in overtime many times, i've also called it myself. No its not a fun call, but if you are stalling you are stalling

No, the refs initials are C.S.

The most troubling part of the call was the fact that Chris had given his all the whole match, and to have it taken away so swiftly, it was hard to believe. If you take into account the whole match...I think you would understand the concern/thought process of most of those that were there. Yet, it was the correct call at that time, in those few seconds of the match. I don't doubt there have been several calls, I just haven't witnessed one after watching hundreds if not thousands of matches. Maybe I have, and can't recall, but not in the finals.

To the few wrestlers that find it entertaining to bash the officials… I would like to see each and every one of you go through what the officials are going through every time they step onto the mat. Go take your tests, buy your uniform, get you name on the list, and when you are called to officiate a tournament let the other officials know, so that they may be there when you make your first bad call, and see how you handle the situation. Instead of bashing them, please support them! They are only doing their job, and if you think you can do a better job, than power to you!

I know I have echoed that statement many a times. Unfortunatly its much easier to talk than it is to do.

You know the universal thing that I have foudn in my years of officating is that any coach/spectator who has ever actually stepped out on the mat to officate almost never complains about officals again, the obvious exception being gutwrench.

You learn that officials make the calls they have to, every now and then we blow a call or miss one, but life must go on, and complaining about it will never fix the problem.

I honestly don't remember any ref at 4a with those initials. Why don't you just say the ref you think did a bad job from your past experience of getting "screwed".

One point is sure: whatever the justification involved for the judgement or lack thereof that resulted in a very controversial call being made in an overtime that decided what was one of the best-wrestled finals match in 4a, The result has been that nearly everyone that witnessed the event will readily asses tons more character to the two young wrestlers than to the official. The way that those two men conducted themselves after the match showed what they were made of, even though it was decided by one man's interpretation of the rule book, and not on the mat as it should have been. Congratulations to Strawn and Sutton-Kern. They were the class involved here. Marginal calls have no place in a state final match. The official involved may have had a lot of confidence in his call , but it was a really poor place to make it. I have seen officials become the central part of matches, and in spite of what some of their egos seem to dictate, that is not their role. Situations like this one seem to happen every year. Mr Hilton may not have been favoring either wrestler, but to call backing up in an overtime when scoring position is so incredibly critical, showed really poor judgement on his part. Too bad that it ended that way. Congratulations to the competitors in showing so much composure that they are still the center of attention, and not the official.

So what you are saying Mike is that stalling should not be called in overtime when it is going to mean the match for one wrestler or another? You suggest that the rules should be suspended in lieu of what is best for spectators. How far do we let this go? Should we let one wrestler run around the mat and hide from the other wrestler?

Im not saying that is what happened in this match, but you and alot of other people are of an opinion that is inconsistant with the very rules that I hear people whining about all the time. I know Chris personally and have spoken with him several times. Him and Ross Taplin used to wrestle each other back in the day. I think he is a great wrestler and either one of those kids could have won the match. But it really makes me upset when people get on here and say negative things about a call that an official makes that is consistant with the rules, just because it "decides that match".

Honestly Mike where do you draw that line? How many times does a wrestler have to be backed off a match before you call stalling?

The line that I would draw would depend on the situation. I have seen wrestlers literally run off the mat, and not even be warned for stalling. On the other hand, fleeing the mat is a call that in my opinion does not get enforced enough. In this case, however, the match was a very aggressive one into the overtime and at that point both wrestlers became very cautious. the tempo changed because a mistake in overtime ends the match. Chris wanted to make it to the next period, where he would have the advantage. Strawn wnated to get a score and keep that from happening. Both wrestlers were sparring for position, and Chris didn't want to get into a position to be thrown and stepped back two steps. That kind of thing happens all the time. the stall award was no doubt within the scope of the rules, but I am sure if the match were analyzed from beginning to end you could see a similar retreat on the part of each wrestler several times during the match. Anytime one wrestler moves forward two steps when connected to his opponent, the other wrestler has retreated by the same approximate distance. its no different in football or basketball, fouls can be called only when blood is seen, or any light contact, its the judgement of the official. I appreciate a match that has good official control, I don't like watching a match that is decided by no call when there should be one, and a call that should not be made. As for the call made in this case, it happened and is over, and the point that I was making is that the wrestlers should be commended for their incredible sportsmanship. I am of the opinion that the point in the match that the call was made did not reflect good judgement. I do not reflect good judgement sometimes, ( being involved in this conversation would be a good example.) I don't think you will find anything in either of these posts that suggest that anyone should be drawn, or quartered, or fired . Some folks think the call was great, that is their opinion and they are entitled to it with my total blessing. The point that I was attempting is that in the case of most wrestlers, there would have been words spoken, gestures made, trash talking done, tough guy stares exhibited, etc. etc. and there werent, because both those guys have character that is pretty unusual to see these days. My opinion that the wrestlers that had performed so well up to that point should have been allowed to finish is totally irrevellant to the fact that those two young men have a ton of class, and that is something that I think both sides of the opinion concerning the correctness of the call would agree on.

I like how Real Pro and Fila has handled the “fleeing the mat” situation. If the action goes out of bounds, the aggressor is automatically awarded a point for “push out”. I think this would add another dynamic to the sport and puts a whole new meaning into “making an honest effort” to stay in the center of the mat. I doubt this change would ever be implemented...but it is one change that I feel would be for the better of our sport. It also would take all the "judgement" out of the call...it becomes black and white.

From The Mat.Com

I hope they call stalling like they did in the Big 12

Please point out any threats posted against the referee(s) involved in this match?