A game that screamed upset like a ghoul in the air.
Is his shoe in the end zone? Or still in the air?
Alright, enough of the Halloween rhyming crap.
This game was a mess of missed calls and just goes to show that the mighty instant replay doesn't fix everything.
Granted, it is very hard to tell where that toe is. The fact that he is wearing black shoes did not help and the sun plays tricks on your eyes as it glares back off the soles of this cleats.
But you're honestly telling me there is enough video evidence right there to call that one back?
Indiana would score a field goal and nothing more. Iowa would go on to score a bunch more.
Iowa squeaks by again. If there is one thing Indiana did learn about all of this:
Wear white shoes while playing on black end zones.
No, I am not deliberately picking on the SEC officials, but damn they sure are bringing a lot of attention to themselves.
This Monday after the loss on Saturday to the Gators, head coach Dan Mullen for Mississippi State, decided he would take it upon himself to call out these officials.
I don't have conclusive video evidence that this was the wrong call, so I wont sway either way. But the fact that we have yet another call in a marquee SEC game that benefits the better team late in the game might put you on Mullen's side of the fence.
The game was 16-13 and Florida is driving. They eventually score and make it 23-13. A score that no one thought would be as close as it was. Mississippi State was pushing the defending National Champions to their limits.
On the Bulldogs next drive, a pass is batted up into the air and intercepted by Dustin Doe, a linebacker for Florida. As he is heading towards the end zone, he begins to "high-step" in celebration, when the ball is suddenly smacked from his hand.
Is he over the goal line already? Or did he fumble prior to crossing it making it a touch back and Mississippi State's ball?
You make the call:
(NOTE: Scan to the 3:40 mark to see the exact moment. The person who edited the video cuts away right at the moment of the ball being slapped. He obviously is a Florida fan, so I guess I don't blame him for doing so. )
Here is another video that is just highlights from the game. The interception is included, but it is still hard to tell whether or not the ball crosses the goal line before being fumbled:
Now although this isn't the clearest of calls. Dan Mullen shared his anger with the media this Monday and had this to say about the call:
"To me, I'm going to find out who that video replay was. I've seen it over and over, views of the ball being out of his hand before he crossed the goal line. That's twice that a SEC replay official - I don't know why we even have replay right now in the Southeastern Conference if they are not going to utilize it. That's twice that they've blown calls on the replay with our games resulting in big plays and I think that's unexcusable for that official. I mean, I hope he is severely punished, if (he) ever works another SEC game again, because I think it is completely unacceptable.
"I can understand making a bad call in a live speed on a game like the offsides call. There's no excuse for a guy that has the amount of time to replay the video to make sure they get the call right. That's why we do instant replay. And I think it's embarrassing that they blew that call. I've seen the still shots with the ball out of his hand. So I don't think that's acceptable on a guy that is not watching it in live speed, has the ability to watch all the different angles."
I hear you loud and clear Mr. Mullen. Loud and clear.
Well, we all saw the video. We all heard the story. Now comes the solution:
SEC suspends the crew of officials that called both the Flordia-Arkansas and LSU-Georgia game that ended in controversy.
"A series of calls that have occurred during the last several weeks have not been to the standard that we expect from our officiating crews. I believe our officiating program is the best in the country; however, there are times when these actions must be taken." - SEC commissioner Mike Slive
The crew will be sidelined from calling games until Nov 14th. This leaves this crew available for the week in which #2 Florida takes on #23 South Carolina. If this same crew gets that game, we will more than likely have some issues.
There is already a ton of speculation that SEC officials are being told to help their marquee teams survive. Giving these officials who have proved that they are incapable of calling close games the job in Carolina, will ultimately prove that accusation.
So does this suspension grant Arkansas victory? No.
But because calls like these are continuing to be made it's hard to argue the integrity of the game. These are college kids fighting for nothing more than a win every week, not professionals. Yet officials continue interrupt the flow and outcomes of these games like the mob has their whole family in a guillotine.
What if I told you that in the picture above the runner was called "safe" in last nights ALCS game 4?
Well it was.
I am no where near a being called a big baseball fan. I can watch it and tolerate it depending on who is playing and what else is on TV at the moment.
However, the fact that its 2009 and the MLB doesn't want to implement Instant Replay to a further degree is just ridiculous.
The time it takes for a manager to come out and argue with the refs could be used to review the tape. Instead, they argue and get no where.
Baseball is by far the most traditional sport there is. However, its traditionalistic values are somewhat killing the sport. They say "using replay will disrupt the flow of the game".
And having managers go and argue with umpires for 6 minutes doesn't? When actually it would probably take about 2 minutes to watch the replay and get the call right.
If anything instant replay would disrupt the flow of football or basketball more than baseball. Baseball is the slowest sport next to golf. You have breaks in between each inning, a 7th inning stretch, you stop play every time you switch pitchers and you argue with umpires for an allotted amount of time to get absolutely no where. Its a damn joke.
With that being said, watch this video from game 4 of the ALCS last night and try and tell me the MLB doesn't need a further implementation of Instant Replay:
Here is Tim McClelland (umpire who made the calls) comments after the game:
Unbelievable.
Sure the Angels lost 10-1 but you have to admit those calls were 100% wrong. Either get better umpires or get better instant replay.
Can we go one day without some sort of SEC controversy?
I guess not.
Apparently after reviewing the game tape on Monday, Steve Spurrier found something that may be in interest of SEC officials:
"I thought you just had to put it on the ground. But they had a little piece of white tape or something, and I looked at it on tape and I said, 'What's that little piece of white there?'. Then after the guy kicked it he grabbed it and put it back in his pocket," Spurrier said.
ESPN.com broke this story earlier today and also reported that the game tape has been sent in for investigation. If it turns out to be the case, then Alabama did in fact cheat. Here are the rules on using a 'marker' to elevate or help set the ball:
Rule 6-3; Article 10; subsection d -
"Any device or material used to mark the spot of a scrimmage place kick or elevate the ball makes the kick illegal. The kick is an "illegal kick" penalty and is set five yards from the spot of the foul."
At the 3:00 minute mark of the following video, Alabama lines up for their last extra point. Watch the kicker as he picks something up off the field after the kick. There is definitely something going on here:
Obviously, this isn't that big of an infraction. It won't deem the game played last Saturday a win for the GameCocks or even add an asterisks next to it.
However this is just more and more evidence that SEC officials are playing parts in games of high magnitude.
You had the LSU-Georgia game end in controversy. Florida-Arkansas ended in controversy. Now we have Alabama-South Carolina.
