John McGrath: Pac-12’s response to OSU clock snafu woefully inadequate

The Washington basketball team lost a game last week that hinged on the plodding trigger finger of the game-clock operator at Oregon State.

There were 3.3 seconds remaining when the Beavers’ Stephen Thompson Jr. caught an inbounds pass. Two strides later, 3.3 seconds still remained — giving Thompson time to launch a game-winning shot preceded by a blatant traveling violation either unseen or ignored by the refs.

The Huskies have proven themselves capable of committing the late mistakes — along with many early ones — that prevent them victories older, more polished teams wrap up. But the Oregon State debacle was a group effort, and the group prominently involved a clock operator exercising the ultimate home-court advantage, as well as officials serving as his enablers.

According to the Pac-12 Conference, none of this occurred.

From the league’s official statement: “In reviewing the final sequence of a play in the Oregon State-Washington game, it was determined that the clock timing was handled appropriately by the game officials and the clock operator.”

I think of the “Wizard of Oz” scene where the Wizard, revealed as a fraud, pleads “pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.”

The Pac-12’s sheer gall in telling us to pay no attention to the clock that didn’t resume when it was supposed to resume reminds me of another movie: “1984,” based on the George Orwell novel about an anti-government skeptic employed by his country’s Ministry of Truth.

Winston Smith works in a building where three banners are draped over the exterior.

WAR IS PEACE

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

Smith’s job is to feed records detailing real people and factual events into an incinerator known as a memory hole. Convinced it’s an evil charade, he finds himself in a doomed romance with a co-worker who shares his suspicion that Big Brother — dear leader of the nation known as Oceania — is a hoax.

And while I’m not suggesting Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott is the nefarious equivalent of Big Brother (or “Big Bro,” in 2016 parlance), I am capable of performing the elementary math espoused by the “Conference of Champions.”

Two plus two equals five.

When it comes to postgame interviews that tempt a coach to grouse about officiating miscues, Huskies coach Lorenzo Romar is as restrained as a regal diplomat. But he couldn’t stay silent after the Oregon State defeat, so deflating it produced an inevitable domino-effect performance Sunday at Oregon.

If the conference acknowledges the obvious time-clock gaffe, it doesn’t reverse the score against the Beavers and it doesn’t affect the standings.

What it does do is the give the Pac-12 credibility as a league not afraid to admit that mistakes sometimes are made by clockkeepers and officials.

But instead of taking that very high road, the commissioner reprimanded Romar for violating sacrosanct policy.

“The Pac-12 has specific restrictions prohibiting our coaches from making public comments about officials,” Scott said in a statement. “We have an obligation to our membership to enforce the Conference rules which they have approved. As part of our officiating program, there is a protocol in place for our coaches to provide feedback directly to the coordinator of officials.”

Got it. Reprimand Romar for his protocol violation.

At the same time, given how he oversees an affiliation of schools dedicated to higher learning, Scott might have taken a deep breath and, choosing his words carefully, accepted Romar’s interpretation of the events.

What actually happened, in other words. The truth.

The time clock at Oregon State last week was not “handled appropriately.” A time-clock error was committed, only to be dismissed by a conference whose commissioner operates in an office fit for a three-world banner hanging outside its walls.

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.

This story was originally published February 29, 2016 at 7:21 PM with the headline "John McGrath: Pac-12’s response to OSU clock snafu woefully inadequate."