[You Betcha]

... Bad blood between fans almost always is the referees' fault. ...

:please:

Oh. My. God.

SF / BL has been a bitter rivalry for years. How can you possibly say bad blood between fans is almost always the referee's fault.

That is simply ridiculous.

Game management (usually the home team's Athletic Director) has the authority and the responsibility to control the crowds. Yes, the referees also have the authority to eject individuals or even clear the gym. But that is the most drastic action an official can take and is only considered when game management cannot get things under control. Referees are trained to ignore the crowds except in the most extreme cases.

I wasn't there so I can't comment on the specifics of that night. But you cannot possibly blame fan rivalry on referees.