SEC’s decision to not suspend Dial sends wrong message
Aaron Murray crumbles after helmet-to-helmet hit by Alabama's Quinton Dial. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
If Alabama goes on to defeat Notre Dame in the BCS championship game, there’s a pretty good chance that Quinton Dial will play only a minor role. So the problem with what happened Friday is not that the SEC just gave Alabama some unfair advantage by avoiding suspending one of its players — the problem is that it is sending mixed messages about how much it really cares about head injuries in football.
Or are hits to the head only important when it’s convenient?
After reviewing three plays from the SEC championship game between Georgia and Alabama, most notably Dial’s helmet-to-helmet hit on Bulldogs quarterback Aaron Murray, the conference declined to issue any suspensions, releasing a statement that said, “After review, all subsequent action will be handled internally by the two institutions and the conference office is satisfied with their actions.”
To translate: The SEC will allow Alabama coach Nick Saban to decide whether to suspend one of his defensive ends for the national championship game. Insert laugh track.
Now, before we jump into the obvious conspiracy theories — 1) Is SEC commissioner Mike Slive just doing whatever he can to ensure the conference wins its seventh straight BCS title; and 2) Will he be mowing Nick Saban’s lawn after the game? — let’s give equal time to the game’s infractions. Steve Shaw, the SEC’s director of officials, also reviewed a roughing-the-passer penalty on Georgia’s Alec Ogletree and deemed it not worthy of a suspension. He also looked at Sheldon Dawson’s attempted eye-gouge of Alabama’s Dee Millner following a kickoff return. Again, no suspension.
Shaw said Dial's hit should've been a penalty but didn't rise to level of suspension. (AP photo)
But Dial’s second-quarter helmet-to-helmet hit on Murray — see video below –easily was the most flagrant foul in the game, made worse by the fact that no flag was thrown. Murray had just had a pass intercepted by Alabama’s Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix at the Tide’s 18. During the return, Murray became a defensive player and Dial had the right to block him. But he came from out of view and collided with Murray helmet-to-helmet. CBS analyst Gary Danielson said, “Aaron Murray, you have to keep your head on a swivel, but that is just unnecessary roughness and a hit to the head …”
Shaw said Dial should’ve been called for a personal foul. “We should’ve flagged it,” he said, adding that an official who seemed to be looking at the play actually was focused on something else. (Note: Even if Dial was penalized, it would’ve affected field position but Alabama would’ve retained possession
Slive's SEC can win seventh straight BCS title. Conspiracy theorists: That was a factor. (AP photo)
because the hit came after the interception.)
The bigger issue here is why Dial is not being suspended. The SEC has suspended three other players for hits to the head, one last season for an Arkansas player’s hit on a punt returner; two this season for hits by Mississippi and South Carolina defensive backs against wide receivers. I spoke to Shaw for 30 minutes and he never would, or could, give specifics as to what prevented Dial’s hit from being considered worthy of a suspension.
He talked about the players in the other three situations being “defenseless.” He talked about the fact that Murray was technically a “defender.” He went on about how “our commissioner and really the SEC has been at the forefront of player safety.”
But when asked for specifics about what Dial would have had to do get suspended, Shaw spoke in grays.
“Do I condone hit? No. It’s something that should’ve been [penalized],” Shaw said. “But as for the acid test of the other one-game suspensions, overall it doesn’t rise to the same level.”
Here’s the problem: A conference either sets the bar on helmet hits and head injuries or it doesn’t. This looks fishy, especially given the proximity to BCS championship game.
When asked if this same decision would’ve been made in September, Shaw said, “My commissioner would say, ‘I don’t really go into hypotheticals.”
When told that left the door open to theories that Alabama and Dial were being given preferential treatment because of the title game, he again gave a vague response.
Finally when asked a third time if the impending BCS title game influenced the SEC’s decision to not suspend Dial, Shaw said, “No.”
But I’m less concerned about Quinton Dial than I am the seriousness of head injuries in football. With the blur of concussion-related litigation in the NFL and the suicides of several former players being tied to depression, dementia and other forms of brain damage resulting from head injuries, this is no time for inconsistent rulings from conference officials. There is too much at stake.
Yes, even more than a BCS title.
By Jeff Schultz
•
Here’s one YouTube view of Dial’s hit on Murray
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446 comments Add your comment
GTBob
December 14th, 2012
1:40 pm
GTBob…..Helmet to helmet is legal?
If you can conclude that he was trying to go helmet to helmet. He lead into the shoulder and Murray flinched. Murray was not defenseless and was running straight towards the ball carrier. Dial had every right to block him as hard as he wanted and he did it viciously. If helmet to helmet can be called in every circumstance where one helmet meets another then almost every defensive line man in the country would get suspended every game.
BUMBle bees
December 14th, 2012
1:41 pm
GT ought to be. They are a pathetic example of how not to play college football.
They are a true embarrasement to FBS football.
TheSmoker
December 14th, 2012
1:42 pm
Whats T-Town stand for? Oh, we’re talking about Bama, so must mean Toothless Town LOL.
JSS
December 14th, 2012
1:44 pm
You tell ‘em Paul in NH!!!
BUMBle bees
December 14th, 2012
1:44 pm
GT BOB
A true pep squad leader
What?
December 14th, 2012
1:45 pm
Toga you must be the sex offender guy that put his balls on a MAN.Prison life will be great for you since you are gay,all the inmates are waiting on that puurty butt you got.Roll boy roll cause you are so damn cute
JB
December 14th, 2012
1:46 pm
And you been wondering how powerful Saban is. Wonder if this had been a player for Coach Freeze at Mississippi……Yea, Slive and Shaw would show us I bet.
JB
December 14th, 2012
1:48 pm
GTBob wears one of those yellow fuzzy Tech wigs 24/7. I can just picture the little twerp now.
Wayne
December 14th, 2012
1:48 pm
Chicken officials are afraid of Saban.. I hope ND beats the crap out of the rednecks
johnny o
December 14th, 2012
1:49 pm
Toga you remind me of the tree killer at Auburn and the guy who will serve time for what he did to the LSU fan in New Orleans!!!!!!!!!!!
Hillbilly D
December 14th, 2012
1:50 pm
CBS analyst Gary Danielson said, “Aaron Murray, you have to keep your head on a swivel, but that is just unnecessary roughness and a hit to the head …”
I pretty much agree with that. They should suspend him and the eye gouger, both.
GTBob
December 14th, 2012
1:53 pm
They are a true embarrasement to FBS football.
At least when Ogletree illegally body slammed one of our players we didn’t cry about it. Hmm, where was the SEC review on that play?
GT
December 14th, 2012
1:53 pm
I always get the feeling the refs hear and see more than we do through the press or on television. Like the Florida eye grouching thing, you had a Georgia player who has a tenancy to run his mouth, spit on defensive players and later was kicked off the team for attitude, yet he was a saint violated to Barnhart. And the excessive celebration penalty against Georgia playing Florida, the Georgia team was the most penalized in the SEC for personal fouls, pushing even their limits with the refs and now this one against Alabama.
I can tell you every bad thing about a player on a Steve Spurrier team, or a Florida team, but we have angels here at Georgia. And Barnhart was in the booth that night his quarterback was clocked. If the kid didn’t want to play all he had to do is lie down as soon as he threw the interception. If he had accidentally tackled somebody would they had call a foul on that too?
concern
December 14th, 2012
1:55 pm
Does it appear that ALA gets more free passes than other teams????
G-Dawg
December 14th, 2012
1:56 pm
There is nothing clean about that hit…the SEC offices..or either of those two programs in the state of Alabama! Now thats a fact jack!!
hit a single
December 14th, 2012
1:57 pm
I am not surprised. I don’t know how many remember when A.J. Green was called for a celebration penalty against LSU in 2008 that cost UGA that game. All he did was look at the student body and he is called and then later that night I watch celebrations that were 10 times worst than what he did not called. So I am not surprised.
G-Dawg
December 14th, 2012
1:57 pm
The only body slamming going on at Tech occur in tickle piles!!
hammerhead
December 14th, 2012
1:58 pm
Also, GTBob’s inference that Aaron Murray is a pansy is laughable. After the hit, Murray got up, walked to the sidelines (on his own) and played the remainder of the game without missing a play. I promise you if Quinton Dial had hit anyone of us under the jaw with his helmet, we’d all STILL be in the fetal position. Don’t take Schultz’s article or any comment by a Georgia fan and assign it to Aaron Murray. He’s proven himself on the field, not behind a keyboard!
G-Dawg
December 14th, 2012
1:59 pm
Btw…Go Valdosta State and Georgia Southern…lets bring home 2 championships this weekend!!
ole man
December 14th, 2012
1:59 pm
Man the AJC is really crying over UGA ….can’t stop writing about the last 15 sec and now the non call..whats next? I agree with Shaw and I’m not a Bama fan but will pull for them over ND.
Better be getting ready for your Bowl game…it will not be easy.
SSIgator
December 14th, 2012
2:00 pm
Geez, first we had another Bradley “I Just Cannot Let Go of the Fact That UGA Lost” article about the game and now another “Conspiracy Theory” article by Jeff. Wow, no wonder the rest of the SEC thinks that UGA fans are a bunch of whiners. With writers like these two, all they do is promote the stereotype and encourage the UGA fans to cry themselves to sleep sobbing softly into their UGA blankies.
stopthemorons
December 14th, 2012
2:00 pm
Terrible non-call. The white hat should be suspended for several games to include bowl and next year regular season games for not making the call. Not suspending the P O S player is below doing what is right. In some places they call it B S.
btgt69
December 14th, 2012
2:00 pm
Go back and look at tape of game. Both Danielson and Lundquist commented on uga leading the conference and ncaa on number of penalties especially leading in personal fouls. Richts response was ” I don’t worry about those penalties”. In other words, I recruit thugs, coach thugs, retain thugs. Go back and look at Rambos hits. uga is just as guilty.
Al
December 14th, 2012
2:00 pm
@GTBob
Nothing was wrong with Ogletree’s tackle or “body slammed” as you put it.
Good,clean,hard tackle. Deal with it.
LakeDawg
December 14th, 2012
2:01 pm
Dial wasn’t suspended for the same reason he wasn’t penalized during the game. Gotta have a Bama-ND matchup. The only reason thre was no suspension for the eye gouging is so the SEC could pretend they are being consistent. There was nothing illegal about Ogletree’s hit. It shouldn’t have drawn a penalty much less a suspension. BTW When is the last time offensive holding was called on the Tide?
ole man
December 14th, 2012
2:01 pm
agree G-Dawg…Go Valdosta State and GSU win it all !
5150 UOAD
December 14th, 2012
2:02 pm
Do the dWags need some Kleenex?
The SEC didn’t suspend Ben Jones for his Clip on the Miss St player or his Punches to Fairley.
The SEC didn’t follow its rule on suspending Any Player that Leaves the sidelines to enter the field of play when there is a Fight on the field after the Auburn vs UGa game when Ben Jones attacked Fairley. Half of the UGa Starting players wouldn’t/shouldn’t have been eligible to play in the UGa vs TECH the following week.
dWag fans CRY when they think they were wronged but never Scream for their DIRTY PLAYERS to be suspended after a dirty play.
CRY MUTTS CRY LOUDER we can’t hear you.
Bill in Montgomery
December 14th, 2012
2:05 pm
The columnist, and others, keep repeating that this was a “helmet to helmet” hit. It was NOT. It was a shoulder to shoulder lick. Dial also used his forearm. The helmets might have hit after impact but it’s quite clear from the video that Dial delivered the blow with his shoulder. He COULD have lowered his helmet and used it as a missile to hit Murray with his helmet but did not. That he intentionally delivered the blow with his shoulder (and below Murray’s helmet and neck) makes all of this conversation moot to me. Also, Murray was/could have been a factor in the play. The ball carrier was less than a second from being right on him. On interception plays, defenders need to block players who can/might tackle the ball carrier. Murray qualified. I don’t even agree that a penalty should have been callled. If the same play had happened to A.J. McCarron I would feel the same way. He got blocked – a vicious block maybe – but that was all. I also agree that the Georgia player trying to gouge Milliner’s eye was a much worse play and much greater example of unsportsmanlike conduct.
dawgfan
December 14th, 2012
2:05 pm
If this was anything other than a vicious and cowardly attempt to knock Murray out of the game, why didn’t Dial block John Theus? Look at the video. Dial is right there in a position to block Theus but he ignored him and went for Murray. Theus was actually in a realistic position to make a tackle too while Murray was not.
It was a dirty hit and unfortunately those seem to be more and more common these days in my opinion. Everbody says “that’s football and get over it” but that is not how football is supposed to be played. Very rarely these days do you see a defender that is willing to meet a running back at the hole and go man to man with him. THAT is how football is supposed to be played and that’s the way it used to be played. All you see these days is a bunch of puss arm tackles and diving at ankles. They only act tough when they can get a big hit on a defenseless player that looks good on the highlight reel. This goes for EVERYBODY. I’m not just talking about Bama here people.
Thanks.
Al
December 14th, 2012
2:05 pm
@5150
Really????? What a sad and pathetic person you are!!
11 out of 12……………..42-10…………….Now who is crying????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Jeff Schultz
December 14th, 2012
2:05 pm
Why don’t you write another inflammatory article jumping on the bandwagon without all the facts you d-bag, hack of a writer
“All 4 player suspensions have been vacated”
- Paul Tagliabu
BUMBle bees
December 14th, 2012
2:06 pm
Fairley should have been kicked out of the sec.
What?
December 14th, 2012
2:06 pm
Wonder if Saban will have any influence on NFL refs at Cleveland.
GTBob
December 14th, 2012
2:07 pm
Nothing was wrong with Ogletree’s tackle or “body slammed” as you put it.
An Alabama player did the exact same thing to a Missouri player earlier in the season, was penalized 15 yards, and ordered by Nick Saban to publicly apologize. Personally I don’t care either way. I want football to be as deadly as possible but if you guys are going to whine about legal hits on your players then you should remember other borderline legal hits that your players did themselves.
LakeDawg
December 14th, 2012
2:09 pm
It was clearly helmet to helmet
Al
December 14th, 2012
2:10 pm
@GTBob
I’m not whining,you are.
hammerhead
December 14th, 2012
2:11 pm
Of course you do, Bill in Montgomery, of course you agree that our dirty play was worse than your dirty play. Our glasses are Georgia red and yours are Alabama crimson… Both plays should’ve been flagged and both should’ve/could’ve warranted a suspension. The fact remains, the game is over and Bama won. Congrats.
dawgfan
December 14th, 2012
2:12 pm
“Both Danielson and Lundquist commented on uga leading the conference and ncaa on number of penalties especially leading in personal fouls.”
They also happened to be completely wrong about that. I about threw my TV set out the window when I heard them say it. They totally pulled that out their azz and are wrong. Look it up.
My recommendation to you would be to think for your freaking self and not buy whatever you hear on TV hook, line and sinker. Penalty stats are available on the internet for all the world to see and you don’t need Danielson, Lunquist or me to tell you what they say. Grow a brain.
Thanks.
seabass
December 14th, 2012
2:13 pm
If this was against anybody but UGA, it gets called. We are still paying the officials back for that Florida celebration. An unfortunately unless they are made to be fair,they will not be. I mean when both anoucers chime in that it was excessive and helmet to helmet.
kerryb
December 14th, 2012
2:15 pm
Does anyone expect anything different from Shaw? Shaw was the most useless referee in the SEC and I don’t know how such a horrible referee gets the job of head of SEC officials. The SEC can NEVER suspend another player for a hit like this. If they try to the AD’s need to tell the SEC to kiss their behinds they are playing.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
December 14th, 2012
2:17 pm
Hey Chick Graning where are you sport when Georgieee and Shultz need you? That mean old Alabammy is knocking folks out left and right…again
I give Murray some football cred for getting up. Salute #11…you got some tuffness no doubt. Dail should have drawn a penalty and he should have blocked #11 by just pushing him down.
I do recall today is Joe Cocker Cry me a River Day.
The REAL Phil
December 14th, 2012
2:18 pm
You morons like Bill in Montgomery that say it was not a helmet to helmet hit should have a one way ticket to the looney bin.
TO ME, it’s just part of football. Should have been a penalty, no suspension. HOWEVER, for this guy to say that this did not rise to the level of the other two SEC players that were suspended earlier in the year is preposterous! Any idiot like Bill in Montgomery can see that this hit was far more dangerous than those. If those players were suspended then one can only assume there was a reason this one was not. Because it’s AL and because the NC is coming up. It’s the preferential treatment that ticks me off, not that big boys play rough.
Hillbilly D
December 14th, 2012
2:19 pm
I want football to be as deadly as possible
There’s no reasoning with that.
duckafawg
December 14th, 2012
2:19 pm
Of course this is preferential treatment to advance the ESS-EEE-CEE’s chance of winning in Miami. No doubt the hit is worthy of a suspension…and I’m a Tech fan!!
Bama Tim
December 14th, 2012
2:20 pm
I notice a lot of media people were silent in mentioning the eye gouging and hit to AJ during their crusade against Dial. What about injuries that that could have happened there?? So if Dial’s hit would have been flagged, then everything would be OK??? This is tackle football. When a 6-6 280 lb DL hits a 6-0 200 lb QB, the result will be violent. Perhaps the new rule should be that the QB is walk away from the play.
As Gary Danilson pointed out during the Alabama-Auburn game when an Auburn defender was flagged for helmet-to-helmet contact initiated when the Alabama RB lowered his head, the rule needs to be looked at again.
To show the worst “use” of this rule, look at video of the Big 10 championship game where the Nebraska WR makes a blindside block that springs his teammate for a TD. it was a key play but a flag was thrown.
GTBob
December 14th, 2012
2:21 pm
I’m not whining,you are.
How am I whining? I enjoyed both hits. You have to admit, the look on Murray’s face right before the block was pretty priceless. I enjoy anything that makes everyone in the room go oooohhh.
DP
December 14th, 2012
2:22 pm
“An Alabama player did the exact same thing to a Missouri player earlier in the season, was penalized 15 yards, and ordered by Nick Saban to publicly apologize.”
Yes, Fanning had to send a letter of apology to the Missouri player and to the head coach. And Saban didn’t allow him to make the trip to Knoxville for the following game. It was a much worse play than the Dial hit on Murray. Ogeltree body slamming a Tech player was also much worse, but for some reason Jeff Schultz or Dawg Nation never called for a suspension on that one.
diamonddaveincali
December 14th, 2012
2:24 pm
Yep is a douche who would have been crying if McCarron got hit like that. Hey Yep, stand on a side walk and let me hit you in the same fashion dude! I would put you out of your miseries with a hit like that. drop your idiot take and get real. just because it was bama, YOUR TEAM, doesnt mean you have to go with YOUR TEAM. Have some class, oopps wait, i forgot, you bama fans like to put your scrotum of oppoasing fans faces. Not gay, no really it was a homosexual act.
Bama fans are classless. now for the eye gouging. look at the play prior to the so called gouged attempt. the bama player asked for it.
Screw Bama, I hope they lose the title, and I am a SEC fan, except for bama and auburn-they always cheat.
mad Dog One
December 14th, 2012
2:26 pm
It looks like if you play for a Ala. school (bama or barners) you don’t nave to play by the rules ike the rest of the SEC teams. This was ment to hurt Murray. Any helment to helment hit is a penalty period. GO DOGS & GATA
BehindEnemyLines
December 14th, 2012
2:27 pm
Yawn, quite literally nothing to see here.