The Revenge of John Higgins?

[Steelers2012]

It will be interesting to see which posters suddenly disappear from RuppsRafters.
Or to quote Grover (aka KeepingItReal74)...ruh-roh!!!

Seven who threatened ref after Kentucky NCAA loss identified and referred to FBI
Posted: May 26, 2017 7:54 PM EDTUpdated: May 26, 2017 7:59 PM EDT


AP photo.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Seven people who threatened basketball referee John Higgins after an NCAA Tournament game in March have been identified. Information on them will be referred to authorities in their jurisdictions and to the FBI’s Omaha field office, a Nebraska prosecutor said Friday.

Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov said the identities were ascertained after a lengthy investigation following Kentucky’s 75-73 loss to North Carolina in the South Region final in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 26. Polikov did not release the names.

Kentucky coach John Calipari criticized the officiating during his postgame news conference. Higgins, of Omaha, saw his La Vista-based roofing company inundated with harassing emails, phone calls and voice mails, including death threats against Higgins and his family.

“Based on the investigation’s findings, our office has determined that no local charges will be filed and that pursuit of any criminal charges would be best served by deferring to authorities in the appropriate jurisdictions,” Polikov said in a statement to The Associated Press. “The length of the investigation was drawn out due in part to the large volume of potential evidence requiring analysis, and the multi-jurisdictional issues arising from the multiple states in which the communications originated.”

Polikov said at least two media outlets were identified as promoting and posting a video montage that exposed Higgins’ contact information.

“This information has been referred to the Federal Communications Commission for further investigation of the potential violations related to applicable federal communications regulations,” Polikov said.

Polikov did not say where the seven individuals reside or where the two media outlets are based.

About 3,000 phone calls came into Higgins’ office in the two days after the game. Sheriff’s investigator Matt Barrall estimated 75 percent were from Kentucky area codes.

Higgins’ business also received a flood of bogus negative online reviews, causing his Google rating to plummet. Higgins’ website got more than 28,000 hits in the days after the game, and he was forced to take his business Facebook page down.

The Sarpy County sheriff’s department provided extra patrols around Higgins’ office in the days following the game, and Omaha police did the same near Higgins’ residence.

Higgins, reached Friday, said he had no comment other than to say he appreciated the work local law enforcement did on the case.

 

[shadow force]

I guess this is more proof that the threats and harassment against Higgins never occurred as quite a few Uk fans have stated on this forum.

 

[Cue Card]

It will be interesting to see which posters suddenly disappear from RuppsRafters.
Or to quote Grover (aka KeepingItReal74)...ruh-roh!!!

Seven who threatened ref after Kentucky NCAA loss identified and referred to FBI
Posted: May 26, 2017 7:54 PM EDTUpdated: May 26, 2017 7:59 PM EDT


AP photo.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Seven people who threatened basketball referee John Higgins after an NCAA Tournament game in March have been identified. Information on them will be referred to authorities in their jurisdictions and to the FBI’s Omaha field office, a Nebraska prosecutor said Friday.

Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov said the identities were ascertained after a lengthy investigation following Kentucky’s 75-73 loss to North Carolina in the South Region final in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 26. Polikov did not release the names.

Kentucky coach John Calipari criticized the officiating during his postgame news conference. Higgins, of Omaha, saw his La Vista-based roofing company inundated with harassing emails, phone calls and voice mails, including death threats against Higgins and his family.

“Based on the investigation’s findings, our office has determined that no local charges will be filed and that pursuit of any criminal charges would be best served by deferring to authorities in the appropriate jurisdictions,” Polikov said in a statement to The Associated Press. “The length of the investigation was drawn out due in part to the large volume of potential evidence requiring analysis, and the multi-jurisdictional issues arising from the multiple states in which the communications originated.”

Polikov said at least two media outlets were identified as promoting and posting a video montage that exposed Higgins’ contact information.

“This information has been referred to the Federal Communications Commission for further investigation of the potential violations related to applicable federal communications regulations,” Polikov said.

Polikov did not say where the seven individuals reside or where the two media outlets are based.

About 3,000 phone calls came into Higgins’ office in the two days after the game. Sheriff’s investigator Matt Barrall estimated 75 percent were from Kentucky area codes.

Higgins’ business also received a flood of bogus negative online reviews, causing his Google rating to plummet. Higgins’ website got more than 28,000 hits in the days after the game, and he was forced to take his business Facebook page down.

The Sarpy County sheriff’s department provided extra patrols around Higgins’ office in the days following the game, and Omaha police did the same near Higgins’ residence.

Higgins, reached Friday, said he had no comment other than to say he appreciated the work local law enforcement did on the case.

7? That does not seem to be enough. There should be at least 1 idiot called out for each title.

 

[REDFISTFURY3]

This is the part i cant wait to get exposed . Pretty sure what outlet at least one of em is.He is constantly yapping everything negative about U of L time for the chickens to come home and roost.


Polikov said at least two media outlets were identified as promoting and posting a video montage that exposed Higgins’ contact information.

“This information has been referred to the Federal Communications Commission for further investigation of the potential violations related to applicable federal communications regulations,” Polikov said.

 

[jalovell23]

About 3,000 phone calls came into Higgins’ office in the two days after the game. Sheriff’s investigator Matt Barrall estimated 75 percent were from Kentucky area codes.


WOW 75% of the calls were made from kentucky area codes.

 

[ThroughBlue]

Nothing will come out of this

 

[clearthebases]

Hopefully these 7 will be arrested and prosecuted along with the media outlet personnel who in couraged these thugs.

 

[CGblue]

About 3,000 phone calls came into Higgins’ office in the two days after the game. Sheriff’s investigator Matt Barrall estimated 75 percent were from Kentucky area codes.


WOW 75% of the calls were made from kentucky area codes.

WOW! Who'd a thunk it!

 

[CardFanBudMan]

Nothing will come out of this

Mama's wrong again. I am not sure that anyone will face jail time, but there are going to be convictions of some sort likely amounting to a fine which some can pay easier than others.

2250 calls to an official by Cayut fans. Can you say Dbags?

 

[zipp]

Nothing will come out of this

Even more slappy hope.

"Elite program," my a$$...

 

[zipp]

The media outlet has to be Maddie Bangs. I recall him talking about the fallout a week or two into it. He was getting defensive in an obvious way about other media outlets contacting him and laying this at his feet. Bangs has enough of a legal background to understand the potential soup he was in.

I've long thought that a$$clown would eventually do something to cross the line. Most shock jocks do because they ride the edge too long and too closely. Might pay to monitor his broadcasts although I suspect his and Iheart's lawyers will tell him to avoid the subject...

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

Nothing will come out of this

I wonder who the other 6 are.

 

[JohnKBA]

Hopefully these 7 will be arrested and prosecuted along with the media outlet personnel who in couraged these thugs.

"in couraged?"

Really? Hahahahahah.

 

[83UofLCards83]

And no I'm not joking, I really mean it. Despite our scandal issue the John Higgins issue has shown why UofL is still leaps and bounds ahead of UK in terms of morality and in terms of just not being a fanbase of sickos.

I've made my opinion on here known before, it's not hidden I hate UK and the state of Kentucky outside of Jefferson County. I don't hide the fact that after the John Higgins scandal that the state of Kentucky outside of Jefferson County can burn to the ground for all I care. It's almost all UK fans anyway.

With that said, in terms of reasonable and realistic retribution, the NCAA needs to send a message to UK. They need to send a message that intimidation by coaches and the fan base will not be tolerated and the team will be punished.

UK fans are already claiming that John Higgins should never ref another UK game, and that as long as he doesn't they consider it a win. That is a win they should not be given. If I'm the NCAA not only does John Higgins continue to ref UK games on his rotation, but I think John Higgins should ref every UK game in next year's NCAA Tournament.

To continue with that, the NCAA should make a statement before the NCAA Tournament that not only will John Higgins ref every UK game in the tournament, but that if any UK fan even utters an obscenity at John Higgins that UK will forfeit the game and be eliminated from the NCAA Tournament. Let UK fans take their own team out of the tournament.

Think about the dangerous territory we're in if the NCAA doesn't lay the hammer at UK. We always knew UK fans were horrible with referees, but it seems UK fans have no basketball IQ and truly believe that their team never commits a foul. If John Higgins is removed from UK games then the NCAA is essentially allowing UK to determine who refs their games. UK fans will then just threaten and harass other refs that don't bow to UK and actually try to call a fair game. Eventually the NCAA would have to contact UK to get UK's list of approved refs for their games (essentially the refs UK has in their back pocket paid off). No university has a right to tell the NCAA who they will and will not allow to ref their games.

I also hope this all comes back to haunt them with other refs as well. Hopefully this will wake up the other refs to the sickos that are the UK fan base. I could see it happening too, other refs know this could have easily been them. Even if John Higgins is removed from UK games, I could see other refs defending John Higgins and having a nice and quick whistle at UK games next year. That would be true justice as well, especially if the NCAA does nothing.

 

[JimboBBN]

If these guys called and actually threatened the guy then I hope they get what they deserve. No room for that over a game.

 

[tman907]

Every fan base has its idiots. The calls were stupid. Maybe this will teach some to control their emotions

 

[83UofLCards83]

Every fan base has its idiots. The calls were stupid. Maybe this will teach some to control their emotions

The point is it's not enough though. If John Higgins is taken off UK games because of this then essentially that is UK winning. Where does it end? Lets say UK loses in a close game in the tournament next year, these same sickos (or ones like them, there are far more than just these 7) will then be calling for that refs head. Eventually UK games will be reffed by officials either intimidated by UK fans or paid off by UK fans. Either way it's a disgrace to the game.

UK fans everywhere are still whining when at the end of the game, all they had to do is stop one guy. You listen to UK fans and you would think they have never lost a game, only been screwed out of games by the refs. I'm a diehard UofL fan but I know that most of the time when a call is made against UofL it's the correct call. I'm not delusional enough, and I don't think 99% of UofL fans are either, to believe UofL never fouls. I honestly do believe that a sizable portion of the UK fan base is delusional enough to believe they never foul.

The NCAA needs to send a clear message to Calipari and sicko UK fans that their whining will not intimidate them. The only way to do that is to make sure that John Higgins continues to ref UK games, especially in the tournament next year. And make it clear before the game that any threats to John Higgins will result an immediate UK forfeit of the game. UK fans don't have decency so it's the only way to get them in line.

 

[zipp]

Every fan base has its idiots. The calls were stupid. Maybe this will teach some to control their emotions

You can't teach stupid. That's something a few people in the world are just blessed with, and some are concentrated in one place.

"Elite program," my a$$...

 

[Kratz]

Einstein once said "the difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has it's limits".

The death threats and damage to his business needs to be punished. Matt Jones has a law degree from Duke. I have a feeling he'll be needing that degree as the dust shakes out on this one.