1. Normally, it’s during football season that I like to periodically remind my readers that the presence of a “rules analyst” is the most overrated and useless thing in sports television.

However, rules analysts also like to defend college basketball refs no matter what, as well.

In Clemson’s loss to McNeese State on Thursday, Tigers center Viktor Lahkin fouled out of the game with 6:04 remaining because of a technical foul that was apparently (maybe?) called because he said something to McNeese’s Sincere Parker. The reality is Lahkin did absolutely nothing to warrant that technical foul, but CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore was ready to gaslight America.

CBS’s broadcast team of Andrew Catalon and Steve Lappas deserve credit because they called out the nonsensical call right away.

“I don’t know. I mean, come on,” said Lappas.

“That’s a tough call,” said Catalon.

“That’s a really tough call. I’m sorry. It wasn’t like they were pushing and shoving. Somebody says something. It’s basketball. People talk sometimes in basketball,” said Lappas.

Catalon and Lappas had it covered perfectly and had the correct take. But that wasn’t enough. They had to bring in Steratore to give his side, aka, defend the refs.

“When you see this play, you see Parker go by. He says absolutely nothing, and now you’ve got someone who is continuously talking. It’s just not something you wanna have now because of frustration and things of that nature. If it goes unaddressed, then you have something two or three minutes down the road. It’s unfortunate, but that it was his fourth and fifth fouls. But that’s a technical foul, guys. You can’t let that start happening because then when transpires afterward is unintended consequences you don’t want to have.”

It’s actually mind-boggling how bad Steratore’s explanation was.

So Lahkin got a technical for something that didn’t happen. He got a technical because of what MIGHT happen in two or three minutes. Steratore and the refs have no idea if there would be an incident. Based on the actions that got Lahkin a tech, it’s hard to fathom that would then lead to some all-out brawl.

I don’t understand why Steratore even needs to be used there. We all saw what happened. The refs overreacted to nothing. That’s what happened. Nothing more. Nothing less.

What’s even harder to understand is why Steratore, if CBS insists on using him there, can’t just come on and say, “Refs overreacted there. There was no need for a technical there.”

He doesn’t need to hammer the refs. Just tell us the truth, like Catalon and Lappas did, and stop insulting your viewers.

But that seems impossible for rules analysts do to.

2. The CBS tribute to Greg Gumbel, featuring Ernie Johnson, Clark Kellogg, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, to open Thursday's Round 1 of the NCAA tournament was powerful, poignant and extremely well done.

3. No betting trend emerged from the first ho-hum day of the NCAA tournament, with favorites going 9-7 and underdogs going 9-7, as well.

4. Fox drew 838,000 viewers for Tuesday’s Dodgers-Cubs opener that aired at 6 a.m. on the East Coast and 3 a.m. on the West Coast.

On Wednesday, when Fox buried the game by putting it on FS1, just 361,000 people tuned in.

5. There have been a lot of impressive feats for Caitlin Clark over the past couple of years. Having 41 of the Fever’s 44 2025 regular-season games air nationally is near the top of the list.

6. This week’s SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast is an all mailbag edition in which I answer listener-submitted questions.

Among some of the topics covered: Would Fox move Tom Brady from games to its studio show? Why has ESPN changed Monday Night Football directors for the third time in four years? Would you rather have Kevin Harlan or Ian Eagle calling the final two minutes of a tied game? Why is ESPN totally dropping the ball with Around the Horn’s final episode?

Following the mailbag, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week’s topics include Major League Baseball and Fox ruining Opening Day with several terrible decisions, the NCAA tournament, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo’s rant against the Mets, John Cena’s first promo after turning heel, The White Lotus and more.

You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast below or on Apple and Spotify.

You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Sports Illustrated‘s YouTube channel.

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Here’s how CBS’s NCAA tournament coverage looked in 1988, featuring Jim Nantz, Brent Musburger and Billy Packer.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on X and Instagram.


This article was originally published on www.si.com as NCAA Tournament Gives Us Yet Another Example of Why TV Rules Analysts Serve Very Little Purpose.