Okay, so I’ve been trying to get a better handle on Big Ten football officiating, and let me tell you, it’s been a journey. I wanted a simple, no-nonsense way to keep up with the refs – who they are, maybe some stats, you know, the basics.
Getting Started: Finding a Good Source
First, I scoured the internet. I checked out the official Big Ten website, some fan forums, and even some sports news sites. The information was all over the place, though. Some had bits and pieces, others were outdated. It was kind of frustrating.
The Data Struggle: Spreadsheets and More
So, I decided to be old-fashioned and get all the info myself. I started manually copy and paste the game info, ref’s name.
I dumped everything into a spreadsheet. Seriously, it was a mess at first. I had columns for the game, the date, the teams, and then a bunch of columns for each referee position. Slowly, I started to see some patterns. Certain refs seemed to work together a lot, some were always on specific games, stuff like that.
Building My Own Little Database
After a while, the spreadsheet got unwieldy. I mean, it worked, but it wasn’t pretty. I figured there had to be a better way. But, I’m on a budget, so I don’t go to some fancy solution.
The Result: Something Useful (Finally!)
At the end of the day I was happy with the results I got.
I can look up a specific game and see who the officiating crew was.
It’s not perfect, and it’s definitely a work in progress, but it’s mine, and it’s helping me understand Big Ten football a little bit better. I just wish there was a central place where I can get these information!
