By
Bryan Rosenbaum
Arizona Daily Wildcat
MINNEAPOLIS - It's one thing to see Duke on television getting all the calls.
It's another to actually witness it in person.
Last night's national championship game between Arizona and Duke was controlled by the officials, who completely ruined an otherwise classic and tremendous game.
Finally, basketball fans all over the country got what they wanted - the two best teams with everything at stake - but the referees had to step in and have their say on the outcome of the game, an 82-72 Blue Devils victory.
Two Maryland fans tried to console me after the game, saying at least Arizona does not have to put up with Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski working the officials and Shane Battier flopping and climbing all over opposing players' backs two, three, even four times a year.
One Terrapin fan had even changed his "Fear the Turtle" sign to read "Fear the Refs".
Without taking any credit away from the Blue Devils' third national title, it was frustrating to see Richard Jefferson called for traveling when he was completely undercut by a Duke defender while going for a rebound and a jump-ball call when Michael Wright was getting hacked inside.
And on the other end, when Jason Williams was slightly nudged, the whistles blew immediately.
Of course, Arizona cannot publicly complain the officiating, and Duke won't say anything about the favoritism it sometimes gets.
But despite being slowed down by the officiating, the Wildcats, to their credit, did not give up. They were the underdogs that were helped along by a pro-Arizona crowd, and only a few Mike Dunleavy three-pointers stood in the way of the Wildcats leaving Minneapolis a happy bunch instead of a group wondering about their individual futures.
Of course, the current Arizona team will never be seen intact like this again, aside from the next "Lame for a Game" event. And for all that went on this season, both good and bad, the Wildcats kept their heads up and delivered when it mattered most.
For everybody who called Loren Woods unmentionable adjectives throughout the season, take a seat. Woods' 22-point, 11-rebound, four-block performance last night was the stuff legends are made of.
If only he could have come out a winner - just so he could have the last laugh and we would all remember him smiling, instead of staring off into the distance with a blank look on his face.
How great would it have been to see Lute Olson, who had to deal with the loss of his wife of 47 years, hoist a trophy over his head?
There's a lot to be proud of when thinking about these Wildcats, not just for their on-the-court success, but how they handled adversity off it as well.
It's just a shame that, thanks to three stocky men in stripes, we never got to see the championship game we all hoped for.
