Back in high school, I spent a lot of time with a guy named Pete, a close friend of mine.

Angry, opinionated and unreasonable, Pete had a lot in common with me and, for that matter, most high school juniors and seniors.

While we disagreed on a lot of things, one topic that would often spark debate — if not bare-knuckle brawling — was athletic officiating.

I’ll always remember a lot of things about Pete, but none more than a direct quote he uttered during a post-season high school basketball game late in our senior year:

“The referees never determine the outcome of a game. They never have, and they never will.”

I’m sure every one of you has a similar friend or acquaintance out there somewhere. You know the one I’m talking about.

There will always be a fan, whether for the credibility of the game, due to plenty of outside conditioning or to somehow seem more noble, who will not speak ill of an official.

Much like the NCAA, they seem to elevate umpires and referees to a protected — almost sacred — status. To second-guess officials or question their abilities is somehow tantamount to shooting a bald eagle and burning a flag.

Of course, common sense will tell you that referees make mistakes. They’re human.

In fact, glaring errors crop up every so often that prove conclusively that Pete was wrong: Officials can and do determine the outcome of some games.

Just ask legendary coach Henry Iba.

In 1972, his U.S. Olympic team seemed to have the Russians beat, 50-49 with just three seconds remaining in the gold medal game. The Americans celebrated their victory immediately after a desperation shot by the Russians fell short.

However, the referee on the scene ruled that Russia had asked for a timeout with one second remaining and, inexplicably, put three seconds back on the clock. When the long shot again fell short, the U.S. team again celebrated their victory.

This time, an Olympic official in attendance ordered that the clock be reset one last time and the referees on the scene went along with it. The third Russian shot found the basket and the Americans were done.

The truth is, however, that it doesn’t take obvious bias or a glaring missed call for the officials to influence the outcome of a game.

Simple reason is all you need to understand the following:

Officials, inevitably, determine the outcome of every game.

They’re as necessary and commonplace as nets or three-point lines, just nowhere near as stable.

Even noble basketball purists will admit that certain referees have “styles” or “tendencies.”

Never mind how unsettling this concept should be, since sports rulebooks don’t exactly leave room for creative interpretation.

The point is, even if all officials had the same “style,” they would still alter the result of a game. Even the greatest referee in the history of sports will make at least one mistake every night, and that mistake will change the contest.

Imagine, if you will, a basketball game in which only one call is incorrect from start to finish…

Early in the first half, Charlie goes up to defend a shot and makes a legitimate block, but he is flagged for his second foul of the game.

In addition to a two-point swing after the shooter hits his free throws, Charlie will likely find his talents relegated to the bench for a while, thus changing the makeup of both his team’s offense and defense.

This change will certainly lead to different styles and success rates for both teams and could also change the pace of the game, depending upon where the score sits after the free throws.

Even if nothing changes until late in the game, a four-point lead is much different than a two-point lead with only seconds remaining.

Whether people want to admit it, referees make mistakes, and more often than not, they make many more than one per game.

They would even if they could referee in a vacuum, which they obviously can’t. Any social psychologist will tell you that people affect one another.

Whiny players, angry coaches and 20,000 screaming fans can’t be completely ignored.

Whether this leads to shameless “home cooking” or resentment and rejection, it will have an impact, even on the smartest official.

Speaking of smart officials, think back, if you will, to your high school and early college days. Pick out the 10 to 15 smartest people you knew. Whether motivated or rational or just highly intelligent, bring some of these people to mind.

How many of them wanted to be refs when they grew up?

Let’s be blunt here.

To decide at some point in your life that you want to referee basketball or call balls and strikes, you have to have a pretty big chip on your shoulder.

In addition, I have a nagging feeling our nation’s best and brightest aren’t pursuing these career paths.

To bring the point closer to home, it was obvious that mistakes were made during Saturday’s games, as they are in every game. Not nearly as many as the crowd would have you believe, but a lot more than the NCAA might like to admit.

The point of this little rant, however, is not to jump up and down and complain about one game or one call.

It’s simply to offer this single point of advice:

Don’t be so naive as to think your typical basketball game is determined solely by the ten players on the court.

The men and women in black and white play much larger role than most people are willing to admit.

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Ron DeMarse is a senior in liberal studies from Muscatine.