"TV" Ted Valentine contemplating retirement from officiating

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="908"] Grant Halverson/Getty Images[/caption] "TV" Ted Valentine has been officiating college basketball games for nearly 30 years, but after some controversial events this past week, he's thinking about walking away from the game. Video of Valentine turning his back on UNC's Joel Berry when he made an effort to complain about a no-call went viral, igniting a flood of comments from the national media criticizing officials for making the game about themselves. https://twitter.com/JayBilas/status/948730549400686592 Here is the Berry incident:

Joel Berry gets held, which leads to a turnover (easy call to miss in transition, BUT) Ted Valentine then refuses to engage Berry in conversation, literally turning his back to him. pic.twitter.com/q8jxDtVhFC

– Hayes Permar (@DHPIV) January 4, 2018

As a result, the Big Ten removed him from two games he was assigned to officiate this weekend, Wisconsin vs. Rutgers on Friday and Ohio State vs. Michigan State this afternoon. In an interview with The Fieldhouse's Seth Davis, Valentine said he's tired of the controversy and is seriously contemplating retirement.

“I’m thinking about retiring,” Valentine said. “I’ve had enough of people blowing up stuff. I think I’ve had a stellar career, and I think it’s time to get ready to walk away.”

When asked about the Joel Berry incident, Valentine defended his actions, saying he learned to turn away from situations in conflict resolution classes he has taken over the last several years.

“I turned my back for one second. I didn’t turn it for the whole time,” he said. “Over the last two or three years, I’ve taken conflict resolution classes. In a conflict resolution class, they teach you to turn away. The ACC is a class league. The people in that league are trying to de-escalate problems. That’s why you don’t see technical fouls called in the ACC a lot.”

Valentine says he's tired of the criticism from basketball fans and those in the media, saying he's a better person than what is made of him on the internet.

“First you’re guilty, then you have to prove yourself innocent. I’m just tired of it," he said. "I’m a better person, I’m a better referee, I’m tired of being cut on. I really am."

After sports fans begged for officials to be held accountable for their actions, the Big Ten finally did something about it. Following the first punishment handed down, the referee says it's too much and contemplates walking away. Interesting, to say the least.