Disturbing Voice Mail Messages Left for UK/UNC Referee Released

As a Kentucky fan (all Kentucky teams, for that matter), it made me angry a couple of months ago when I learned that there were Big Blue fans who'd resorted to lunacy following Kentucky's NCAA loss to North Carolina.

Bad calls, no calls, and wrong calls happen all the time in college hoops, but until the day comes when the human element can be completely and legitimately removed from the sport, this is the hand we will play.

It's not something that's going away, in other words.

And when a referee makes bad calls--and maybe even a lot of them--it's NEVER so unfortunate that his life should be threatened.

I can't believe I actually had to write that sentence.

But I did because of the transcripts of voice mail messages that were left for referee John Higgins were very disturbing.

WKYT-Lexington syndicated a story from WOWT-Omaha that reports that out of the hundreds of messages left on Higgins' phone, seven were considered threatening enough that a conversation with the person or persons who left them was necessary.

And, yes, a couple of those who left messages threatened to kill him.

Pretty vile.

I absolutely hope the authorities have those conversations.