On the first day of the NCAA Tournament, you can always count on two things: a No. 5 seed being upset by a No. 12 seed and Gene Steratore dutifully towing the company line. It just so happened that both of those inevitabilities collided in the same game.
Clemson fell to McNeese State, 69-67, marking the first upset of the weekend. After a dreadful 11-point first half, the Tigers ran out of time, trailing by as many as 22 points in Thursday’s loss to Will Wade and the Cowboys. Their comeback effort took a hit when 7-footer Viktor Lakhan was hit with his fourth and fifth fouls with just over six minutes left, this came after being assessed a technical foul on a botched dunk attempt. Lakhan’s frustration with Sincere Parker, who tried to throw it down on him, resulted in a quick whistle that ended his night.
Andrew Catalon and Steve Lappas didn’t agree with the call at all.
Andrew Catalon and Steve Lappas did not love this technical foul call on Clemson’s Viktor Lakhin. pic.twitter.com/GsH1UE2dpV
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 20, 2025
Steratore, however, was all for it. “Look, I know you guys, we get a little frustrated at times because we see these and think, ‘Basketball, basketball,’” CBS’s rules analyst explained. “When you see this play, the foul is there. You see Parker go by; he says absolutely nothing and is just walking away. And now you got someone that’s continuously talking. And Tony Padilla’s been around a long time. It’s just not something you want to have now because of frustration. If it goes unaddressed, then you have something two or three minutes down the road. It’s unfortunate that it was his fourth and fifth fouls, but that’s a technical foul, guys. You can’t let that start happening because what transpires afterward is unintended consequences you don’t want to have.”
And here’s Gene Steratore to inform those of you at home why it is, indeed, a technical foul. https://t.co/gBgAqKe4Wf pic.twitter.com/lsEZYqOj5L
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 20, 2025
Maybe Gene Steratore had a case, especially speaking from his personal experience as both an NFL and college basketball official, but his defense of the controversial call wasn’t surprising to longtime CBS viewers. Steratore is notorious for sticking up for his fellow referee(s), and it’s not without its fair share of criticism. While his explanations often come across as thorough, many viewers feel he’s too quick to justify the referees’ calls, even on relatively soft calls like Lakhan’s technical foul to foul out in an NCAA Tournament game.
Everything is a flagrant foul in Gene Steratore’s eyes. He’d send these players to The Hague to stand trial if he had the power.
— Siciliano (@MikeSiciliano7) March 21, 2025
March Madness is your annual reminder that Gene Steratore really, REALLY fucking loves rules. Like REALLY fucking loves rules.
— The_Wolf_Of_Oaklawn (@OfOaklawn) March 21,
2025
Watching all 4 hoops games at once and somehow Gene Steratore is talking on all of them 😂😂😂 That man loves breaking down the rule book.
— The Degenerates (@degen_betting) March 21, 2025
If I’m ever in court, I want Gene Steratore there defending me.
— Big Step 🍢 (@bg19stp) March 21, 2025
You gotta give a T for nothing to prevent having something in the future… or something like that. ~Gene Steratore https://t.co/Foexah4Ssh
— James Finley (@jamesdfinley) March 20, 2025
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Here’s a hot take… Gene Steratore was 176% wrong about this call. Even with his one billion years of experience, he’s just flat out wrong. https://t.co/ick8ennxpY
— Chris Godfrey (@CoachChrisG_WBB) March 20, 2025
Don’t worry, Gene Steratore said the refs made the right call. Wasn’t sure until I heard it from him.
— Baughn Harris (@dollardognight_) March 20, 2025
There’s zero point having Gene Steratore on these broadcasts.
— DeShawntravious Jenkins (@trustmidude) March 20, 2025
The officials could make the worst call of all time and Gene Steratore will look America in the eye and say “guys it looks like a good call there.”
— Trey Blevins (@tblev_20) March 20, 2025
Has Gene Steratore ever disagreed with a call when CBS goes to him for his opinion?
— Aaron Blau (@AaronBlau) March 20, 2025
Has Gene Steratore ever disagreed with the ref? What a freakin clown #MarchMadness2025
— jimmy butler (@jimmybutler124) March 20, 2025
Gene Steratore trying to justify that Tech call on Clemson is embarrassing. Not being impartial.
— Jared Villemaire 🐊 (@frenchsomething) March 20, 2025
Gene Steratore is paid to be a rules analyst, and he excels at explaining situations and analyzing what’s going on. There’s a reason memes developed about Jim Nantz and Tony Romo seeming to rely on his rules interpretations. However, his consistent defense of every call often feels like a refusal to acknowledge that not all decisions are as black-and-white as they appear. When viewers at home notice the inconsistency, it becomes a real issue.
