Jim Boeheim’s slew of “bullsh*t”s and ensuing ejection — the first of his career in the regular season — swept around the nation Saturday night.

Memes were created. The video went viral. Boeheim’s face — and jacket — were the main attractions on SportsCenter that evening.

Some people thought the head coach went too far, crossing the line many coaches toe. For others, the tirade cemented Boeheim’s status as a legend. They thought the outburst epitomized the unwavering loyalty he’s shown toward the program for 38 years.

Everyone had an opinion.

And on Wednesday, Boeheim offered an in-depth opinion of his own.

“There’s no question I went too far,” he said Wednesday on ESPN Radio’s The Herd with host Colin Cowherd.

He told The Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday it was one of those moments that you “regret a little bit.”

However, Boeheim also explained his rationale for acting the way he did. He’s not sure he entirely regrets it.

“In my mind, the game was over,” Boeheim told ESPN Radio. “That was really the call that got me. Would you rather not do that? Probably. But when you’re in the middle of that moment, when you’re involved in a game like that and you feel the game is gone because of this play, you lose control of your emotions.”

Syracuse was down 60-58 with 10.4 seconds left when the chaos unfolded. C.J. Fair drove baseline looking to tie the game. Rodney Hood scurried over to impede Fair from dunking the ball and to take a charge.

A new NCAA rule states that a player must have his feet set before the offensive player enters the air for it to be a charge. Boeheim, well aware of this rule, was stunned when the call didn’t go his way.

He removed his jacket momentarily, sprinting toward referee Tony Greene and yelling repeated obscenities. Boeheim was ejected, Duke hit 3-of-4 free throws and the Blue Devils escaped with a 66-60 win.

“That was the play,” Boeheim said after the game. “That was the game-decider right there.”

He provided witty remarks and insight after both the Duke and Maryland games, but this week he’s offered a more introspective viewpoint.

He explained where his anger stemmed from and what exactly irked him so much.

Just minutes earlier, Jabari Parker converted an and-one on what Boeheim deemed a similar play, and one that was called the other way.

Boeheim said the game was well officiated. He didn’t sense a home-court bias or any Duke favoritism. The foul disparity wasn’t as lopsided as it was two nights later against Maryland when the Terrapins shot 27 free throws and Syracuse shot just six.

He simply thought consistency was lacking with Parker’s drive and Fair’s drive.

“It was a close play,” Boeheim said. “I think you could argue either way on it, though I thought with the new rule they’ve been calling that a block and they did that against us.”

He also added that players should never pick up technicals. That’s not their job. It’s the coach’s job, Boeheim said.

Boeheim also told The Dan Patrick Show that he never wanted to take his jacket off.

“I made a mistake,” Boeheim said, “I really thought the game was over. I thought it was the wrong call and, you know, you get emotional and get kind of crazy. I could have taken the one ‘T’ and gone back but at that point it didn’t matter.

“I was upset.”

Published on February 26, 2014 at 6:35 pm

Contact Trevor: tbhass@syr.edu | @TrevorHass