Even if you only tuned into the oddly competitive Syracuse vs. Monmouth college basketball game for a few minutes on Tuesday night, you were likely to hear a whistle.
Or, well, several whistles.
Before the first media timeout, two Hawks had gotten into quick foul trouble with two fouls apiece, all the whistles coming on incredibly ticky-tacky plays.
That had social media doing a bit of investigating into who the referees on the game were.
And, well, one was Eric Lewis, who retired from the NBA under controversy.
Syracuse Post-Standard columnist Brent Axe shared his discovery on X:
I thought something was familiar about Eric Lewis, one of the crew members from an overly-officiated game last night between Syracuse and Monmouth. He's this guy. Https://t.co/RVSWWEmIbJ
— Brent Axe (@BrentAxeMedia) November 19, 2025
When Lewis retired from the NBA, this is what The Associated Press wrote:
NBA referee Eric Lewis has retired effective immediately in the wake of a league investigation into whether he used a then-Twitter account to defend himself and other officials from online criticism.
The league announced his retirement Wednesday, less than three months after beginning an investigation into whether the 19-year NBA referee had violated league policy by commenting publicly on officiating without authorization from the league.
With his retirement, the NBA said its investigation into the social media activity has been closed.
The 52-year-old Lewis, who had worked the previous four NBA Finals, was not chosen as one of the 12 referees for this year’s final round between Denver and Miami in the wake of the investigation.
The social media controversy came to light in May after some now-deleted tweets were revealed by a pair of social media users. The account on Twitter — now known as X — utilized the name “blair cuttliff.” If the league determined the account was his, Lewis faced potential discipline for violating its policy of discussing officiating matters openly without approval.
By the end of Tuesday's game, Monmouth had been called for 27 fouls, with another 20 against Syracuse. The Hawks shot 25 free throws, and the Orange took 33. SU's final four points in the five-point win came on Donnie Freeman foul shots.
MORE: Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon's son is committed to an ACC school