Just was driven to write my response on the Big 12 fine of Mike Leach. (see here)
Now, I am an official. I spent the full 2006-07 school year officiating most every major sport... flag football, basketball, soccer, and softball namely).
I do have to have some affinity for leagues and organizations that stand up for their refs. To one degree, they have to. The CampusRec IM supervisor's would tend to always back their referees. And to really have any reality as an official, you need to know that foundation is behind you... that while coaches and players may question every move you make, you can stand firm because those putting on the game have your back.
But there is a point at which you have to be honest. Or at least not go over the top.
I didn't see the game.
I don't know how warranted the complaints were.
What I do see when I read the article, though is a league that is trying to be consumingly iron-fisted. I teach, and I envision a teacher who just can't get his (or her) class under control. You start raising the ante, throwing out threats, even. Half of them are just casual threats. But you do whatever you can to reign in people, because you can't have people being loose cannons.
But the HUGE problem I see is in the writing:
"The fine doubled the previous high by the league, levied twice before, against Kansas coach Mark Mangino three years ago and former Kansas State basketball coach Jim Wooldridge during the 2005-06 season."
And I immediately flash back to that disgusting game in 2004. Tough to forget.
It was the emergence of Kansas as a football team no longer to be simply overlooked entirely each week. They had a lot more work to do. But this is when they showed us they could play.
And they won that game.
The pass interference call on Kansas that negated a first down and forced them to punt was the difference between a huge upset of Texas and Texas marching back down the field to win.
And I never met a person who didn't believe that call was utter garbage.
And it's not just that it was a bad call.
It's that it stands out in my mind.
From three years ago.
Look, when a call really is bad... you have to apologize and maybe lighten up on the fines. Definitely restrain yourself from singling out the coach who got upset.
Yet here is an example of a conference wanting to come down hard by the letter of the law instead of the intent.
Yet the letter of the law itself is stupid.
That's like saying Oklahoma fans did not have the right to complain about the Oregon officiating.
Imagine if the Pac 10 had fined Oklahoma? Or if it had been a Big 12 game!?! Would they have ended up suspending Bob Stoops????
I'm not the only one who remembers this awful call from 2004, either. When so many people are scarred into saving it in long-use brain cells... it's a big deal.
And I think I may remember the Kansas State basketball deal, too. Was it against Oklahoma State perhaps?
Doesn't matter.
Conferences are going over the top.
Another example of letter-of-rule being employed over intent, and ruining the fun of the game: Kentucky's win over LSU, and the hard-line SEC rule about fans on the field.
Correct me if I'm totally wrong, but I'm guessing the officiating stank in the Texas Tech game?
It's sad that the Big 12 opting to fine a coach indicates to me the officiating stank.
Welcome to college football in this day and age.
By the way, want some laughs?
I stumbled back across ESPN's preseason college football prediction set. HILARIOUS! Highlights include:
"1. The Wisconsin-Michigan winner takes the Big Ten title
Both teams will be unbeaten going into their Nov. 10 showdown at Camp Randall Stadium."
And continuing to:
"The Badgers' biggest scare will come at Penn State on Oct. 13, and they'll squeak out a win at Ohio State on Nov. 3.
The Wolverines will survive early-season shootouts against Oregon and Penn State, then the defense will hit its stride. Michigan will beat Wisconsin by a field goal, then lose to Ohio State the following week, costing the Wolverines a spot in the BCS Championship Game." -- if by survive you mean be decimated and by Penn State you mean "!?!?!?!?!?!?", you're absolutely right. And look at that stout, undefeated, Wisconsin team. Wooowhee they are good ;-)
"the Hawkeyes will rebound to win their last six games and finish 10-2. Coach Kirk Ferentz will become a hot commodity again for a job in the NFL." -- Captain Kirk is garnering more attention from the NFL.
"5. Minnesota will be better than Michigan State"; "The Gophers will go bowling in 2007;" -- I hear leagues are forming fall the winter at the local AMF.
"Hurricanes, Seminoles will challenge Hokies for ACC crown" -- ...
"1. Virginia Tech will win the ACC
The Hokies will have one of the country's best defenses, led by linebackers Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall and cornerback Brandon Flowers. The offense will be better, but it won't score enough points in Week 2 at LSU, which will be Virginia Tech's only loss of the season" -- Might well still happen... but just found it funny. A little too good?
"Randy Shannon's tough-as-nails approach will make the Orange Bowl a tough place for opponents to play in Miami's last season there." -- Hi, we're Virginia. Nice to meet you.
"1. Louisville will win the league because the similarity in offensive styles between departed coach Bobby Petrino and his successor, Steve Kragthorpe, has meant a smooth transition for quarterback Brian Brohm and Co." -- The company sold stock. The good news: it does like both 2007 teams have similar styles - losing.
"3. Rutgers tailback Ray Rice won't match last season's total of 1,794 yards." -- He has 1500 yards with games vs Pitt and Louisville to go. I guess theoretically he could wind up with 1,793, and the prediction would be right???
"5. UConn's first three opponents won a total of seven games last year, six of them by I-AA Maine. The Black Bears, Duke and Temple will allow a young team to get out the jitters. But they won't prepare the Huskies for playing at Pittsburgh in Game 4. That's the day we discover how much rebuilding coach Randy Edsall has completed." -- Yeah, about that.
"5. The new coaches will make an immediate impact.
Stanford's Jim Harbaugh will tick off somebody with his fresh mouth. Arizona State's Dennis Erickson will start 7-0 before things get dicey down the stretch." -- We get a partial DING... with ASU indeed starting 7-0. But dicey sounds a little strong. And perhaps Harbaugh said something about USC sucking?
"2. LSU will play USC in the BCS championship game
Tigers coach Les Miles will get his wish with a date against the Trojans in the Jan. 7 BCS National Championship Game in the Louisiana Superdome. After USC easily defeats the Tigers in front of LSU's home crowd, Miles will leave to become head coach at Michigan, replacing Lloyd Carr, who will retire after winning the Rose Bowl (and, of course, losing to Ohio State)." -- Probably the cream of the "crop" here. So wrong in so many ways.
We just love how USC has been so dominant.
And you get through the whole bit about Miles leaving to coach Michigan and you start to think there might be some hidden foresight hidden in there, until... BZZT. Maybe if you stretch the meaning of the word retire in new and creative ways!?!
"3. Nick Saban loses to LSU (but beats Auburn)
Saban's first season at Alabama will be a successful one, but the Crimson Tide won't come close to catching LSU in the SEC West. Alabama will lose twice in September and to LSU in November, but Saban will win the two games that matter most to Crimson Tide fans -- against Tennessee and Auburn." -- Mainly just props for this prediction... though I bet they didn't see how Alabama would blow the LSU game. But 2 Sept losses... check! Beating Tennessee... check! Beating Auburn... Me thinks I'll get back to you.
"4. The Egg Bowl loser gets poached
Ole Miss and Mississippi State will continue to struggle, and both will have losing records going into the Nov. 23 Egg Bowl" -- Or Mississippi State will be bowl eligible two weeks prior to the game. You were just so very close.
"5. The SEC East champion will have two losses
Only three times in the last 15 years has the SEC East champion had more than one loss. That number should increase. Kentucky and Vanderbilt will each upset at least one of the other four teams in the division -- and possibly more -- causing havoc in the East. LSU will defeat either Georgia or Tennessee in the SEC championship game in the Georgia Dome, possibly opening the door for Arkansas to receive a BCS at-large berth, along with the unbeaten Tigers." -- Major, major props to this prediction right here. He may've sold the Rebels short, but he knew what he was talking about in the east. Every east team already has two losses... and we could still end up with a winner with THREE SEC losses. *(Arkansas + BCS) = I'm sorry, you can have a makeup prediction instead*
"3. No division in college football has a better group of quarterbacks than the [Big 12] South. Who wins first-team All-Big-12? Graham Harrell of Texas Tech will have the best numbers, Colt McCoy of Texas will have the most wins, Bobby Reid of Oklahoma State will be the most electrifying, and Stephen McGee of Texas A&M just will get the job done. But my pick is from the North: Sam Keller of Nebraska. -- This Oklahoma fan just smiles. Then smiles some more. :-)
"4. Missouri will disappoint again. " -- How disappointing.
And in the HOT-OR-NOT: NOT -> "Big Ten. Outside of Michigan, Wisconsin, Penn State and reloading Ohio State, few Big Ten teams have a legitimate chance of making the postseason. Michigan State and Minnesota have new coaches, and Illinois, Indiana and Northwestern continue to struggle. No wonder people are jumping off the Big Ten bandwagon." -- Yeah, um. I think they got the "power" teams mixed up. Illinois? Indiana? Holy moley, I just checked........ 10? bowl-eligible teams already!?! There's 32 bowl games and already 59 bowl-eligible teams in the NCAA. And 17 teams with 5 wins.
One final article worth reading: http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news;_ylt=AkScjH1YCGnU3eqLn239ogwcvrYF?slug=dw-croomed111307&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
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