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
harleyman
December 14th, 2012
2:27 pm
I have only one thing to say. At least Murray didn’t get up and cry like the little girl McCarron did when Ogletree hit him.
Alex
December 14th, 2012
2:30 pm
As a UGA grad, this hit is cheap but not dirty. Murray was moving towards the ball carrier and Dial led with his shoulder/forearm. The helmets made contact, but Dial’s shoulder did the majority of the damage. The helmets collided because Murray crumbled. Hate to say it, but it’s true. Can we move on now? The world isn’t out to get us like uneducated UGA fans would like to have us all believe
GTBob
December 14th, 2012
2:30 pm
Any helment to helment hit is a penalty period.
So any time in the future that a defensive player goes to tackle a running back and their helmets happen to collide, the defensive player should be suspended?
Alex
December 14th, 2012
2:31 pm
One more sec on my soapbox.. I’m tired of our fanbase acting like whiny babies. Man up and accept the results without always making excuses for our shortcomings
Joey (original)
December 14th, 2012
2:38 pm
It was what anybody who’s ever played football, a cheap shot. Shoulda been a penalty. Doesn’t need to be a suspension.
It would be good of Saban to at least acknowledge it in some way, other than ignore it.
Maybe next season we can even things out on the scoreboard, like we evened the Fairley cheap shots out the last couple years vs AU (83-7).
John
December 14th, 2012
2:38 pm
Check out the killers tweets. yeah no writing on the wall here
https://twitter.com/Ryan__Lanza
leeanc14
December 14th, 2012
2:39 pm
This column is a joke. At the VERY least, it should have been an argument for suspending Dial AND Dawson. Should a penalty have been called on Dial? Maybe so. But, he was involved in a play at the time of the hit on Murray. When Dawson attempted to gouge Milliner’s eye, the play was over, and it clearly had nothing to do with playing football. It was pure and simple classless, dirty play. Schultz has ZERO credibility by dismissing Dawson’s actions. The funny thing is, Murray said the hit was no big deal and moved on. The Dawg whiners should follow his lead…….
williebkind
December 14th, 2012
2:50 pm
I am not going to watch the NC game.
Under The Bleachers
December 14th, 2012
2:58 pm
Jeff, I respect you but you have this wrong, if Murray did not want to get hit he should have taken his #11 jersey to the sideline after the pick, but he ran toward the play. He became a defender.
Report about Dawson intentionally poking # 28 in the eyes or Ogletree twisting Lacey’s ankle in the first half.
It is football, get over it.
Joey (original)
December 14th, 2012
2:58 pm
I got a funny story about an “ear-hole” shot, in a football game:
I was a year out of HS when Herschel started on his record-breaking HS years, but Johnson Co played our school in the playoffs his junior and senior years. We won the first year, then Johnson co won it all in Herschel’s senior year.
Anyway, that last season, my good buddy John, who was a 150 lb, tough-as-nails, WR, got a free shot at Herschel, who also played MLB on defense. On a mis-direction play, John flashed to the middle and caught Herschel with his head turned, and (in his words) UNLOADED on Walker, making sure he got his helmet on Herschel’s, who never even tensed-up.
The next thing John remembered was Herschel picking him up, while worriedly asking him “you alright, buddy?”
John told me after the game, “I’ve blocked guys +50lbs bigger lots of times, but that was like hitting that (he pointed at the gym’s) brick wall.”
We’ve only laughed at him for going on 30+ years . . .
Rick James
December 14th, 2012
2:59 pm
What should we expect to hear from GT Bob and his Tech cronies?..De’Angelo Tyson’s leg was broken in theTech/Georgia game last season by a chop block.The hit was helmet to helmet which is illegal on any level.
Topp Dogg
December 14th, 2012
3:00 pm
Saban will dole out punishment #igger please.
cajdawg
December 14th, 2012
3:01 pm
Should have been 15 yrd personal foul, but no suspension. I actually think the official deserves some sort of punishment for the no call given that he was only five feet away from the play.
Lost on the play is the terrible pass thrown by Murray. The receiver was wide a..s open and he threw a duck. 10 point turnaround.
5150 UOAD
December 14th, 2012
3:01 pm
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.”
=====================================
BS…………..UGa has more personal foul penalties than ANY team in the SEC over the last 5 years. You really need to go back and check your facts.
Ted M
December 14th, 2012
3:04 pm
Jeff – I’d like to see the video of the hits that did cause a suspension so I can compare them.
Can you help?
Topp Dogg
December 14th, 2012
3:07 pm
Biggest personal foul in NCAA is that GT has a so called team every year.
DP
December 14th, 2012
3:08 pm
Jeff, apparently you couldn’t find the YouTube link on the Georgia poke in Milliner’s eye that you minimized. Here you go, I’ll help you out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze9FrbEBp9k
Jeff, unlike the gutless Mark Bradley who filters everybody he doesn’t like and never engages in any substantive discussion, you are usually willing to defend what you write. So could you explain why your view on this Georgia eye gouge is so different than the one by Brandon Spikes against Georgia a couple of years ago?
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
December 14th, 2012
3:08 pm
It started with the shoulder sport and then the helmets banged! The entire article never mentioned the hit by the safety on AJ and that is a fracking joke at best. Why don’t you folks do what Tech did with Chick Graning and leave the SEC. That worked out very well for them. Just listen to the folks like Furman and Schultz. I imgaine your little sissy AD looked like the principal in Ferris Bullers Day Off when he walked out of Mike Slive’s office after going public with his comments after the game. When you have an eye poker and a cheap on the other QB on your plate you don’t go asking about one play from the other team. The again you’re inferiority complex U. Shultz should ask the AD why his HC can’t win a big game now that would be worth the cost of admission.
bugs
December 14th, 2012
3:10 pm
The bama rednecks condone cheap dangerous hits.Going after the QB on an interception
is bs.Saint Bear didn’t punish Darwin Hollt after he cheap shotted Chick Granning.This
kind of crap is par for the course over there.
Bama Alumnus
December 14th, 2012
3:10 pm
As a proud UA grad, I can say that hit did not reflect the discipline that a Saban player should exhibit. Dial should have been severely penalized at the time; the officials that missed the call should be fined now.
5150 UOAD
December 14th, 2012
3:13 pm
GOD I am going to buy Stock in Kleenex for UGa’s bowl game and next season.
A good FORM tackle is HEAD-2-HEAD, Facemask-2-Facemask, Chest-2-Chest with arms coming up to wrap around the Offensive player. Helmets should ALWAYS hit in a good tackle. The D player should be lower than the O player hitting the O player dead in the chest driving up with the legs wrapping the arms and the crown of the helmet should be under the facemask driving into the O player.
bugs
December 14th, 2012
3:14 pm
Hey wet willie The Jackets destroyed Joe Willie’s knee.How did that work out for you?
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
December 14th, 2012
3:19 pm
I am sure the ref that didn’t throw the flag has been warned. Dail should have just pushed Murray down and that would have been better.
You folks that don’t even mention the hit on AJ (to the head with intent by your thug tree) and the eye poker are a joke.
1980. Enjoy Orlando and don’t dare ask Richtie why he can’t win the big games. Go ahead and pull for ND because we don’t need you. Heck we just might get beat but we will be back next year again.
1+2=3
December 14th, 2012
3:20 pm
First and foremost, anyone that says it wasn’t helmet to helmet will always argue for their team and complain when they are slighted. When you have the SEC commenting that it was an illegal hit, dammit it was an illegal hit. They are only saying that it did not reach the level of a suspension. FYI: I hope the SEC wins another title but something tells me this game is not going to be as easy as everyone is predicting.
Dacusville Bill
December 14th, 2012
3:20 pm
Shades of Chick Granning and Darwin Holt–Alabama has always played outside the box—
J'Dinkalage Morgoone
December 14th, 2012
3:22 pm
I wish again that the game could be remembered for what it was – the greatest SEC game of all time. It is ashame one team had to lose, but Georgia is losing more by continuing to bemoan the hit on Murray vs. praising how well they played in the game. There were a lot of hard hits in the game and it lived up to its billing.
JD
December 14th, 2012
3:23 pm
Come on people. When has an “offensive” player been penalized for a block other than a chop or clip. Dial was an offensive player at the time and Murray was a defensive player. Maybe they missed a penalty, but suspensions seem to be reserved for late hits or defenseless wide receiver hits by defensive backs.
Bo- I thought he led with his shoulder too, but others disagree. Still not a suspension.
5150 UOAD
December 14th, 2012
3:25 pm
UGa MUTT Fans……………………..BEN JONES…………………….BEN JONES………………………….BEN JONES………………….BEN JONES………………………BEN JONES………………..stop crying and PUNISH your OWN………………………….
BS Patrol
December 14th, 2012
3:25 pm
The feminization of football strikes again! Let’s all squat and wet our pants on the count of three.
Samford grad
December 14th, 2012
3:26 pm
Samford Grad
December 14th, 2012
3:21 pm
The fact that Alabama has two oe three linemen holding every play and never gets flagged should have let everyone know that Dial would not get suspended. Bama gets the calls, and the non-calls more often than not. It is what it is, why is anyone surprised. Slive and Shaw have protected their beloved Tide once again! Go Irish!
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TIM BUCK
December 14th, 2012
3:28 pm
Any fool would rather get blind sided than have a thug gouge at his eyes! Gawgee one of the most undisciplined team in the country. SHOULDER FIRST THEN HELMET TO FACEMASK/HELMET…Not illegal………1980 drought………is still around.
Bad Dawg
December 14th, 2012
3:28 pm
The official should be suspended along with Quentin Dial. This is a whitewash. And for any Bama fans who think complaining about an illegal (and cheap) shot is akin to being a crybaby, I defy you to let YOUR QB take a hit like that and not strenuously object. Hypocrites…
TIM BUCK
December 14th, 2012
3:31 pm
I like Ga. football, but there fans are the most whining, crying, complaining. oissing, bad sports than ANY IVE EVER SEEN……I understand why cuz ya damn team can’t finish the drill……..after 1980 must really suck.
LHarding Dawg
December 14th, 2012
3:34 pm
Everybody in the free world knows that until the SEC offices are moved out of Birmingham, Alabama will continue to get the calls. Without the Birmingham refs, Georgia would be playing in Miami.
TIM BUCK
December 14th, 2012
3:34 pm
Brandon Spikes taught the Georgia players how to THUG UP AND EYE GOUGE…UNV OF GOUGING!!!!!!!!
5150 UOAD
December 14th, 2012
3:34 pm
dWag fans Damon RED PANTIES are showing……………..AGAIN.
Jimmy Crack
December 14th, 2012
3:35 pm
Well, I would say next year for us to knock McCarron’s head off, but he probably wouldn’t notice it was missing.
5150 UOAD
December 14th, 2012
3:37 pm
The dWags got out THUGGED and they are crying………..just like the AUBURN game in 2010………..UGa players run their mouths and TRY to be thugs and CRY when the MUTTS get out THUGGED………buy some KLEENEX…………and Tampons.
TIM BUCK
December 14th, 2012
3:38 pm
WENT BACK 3 TIMES AND WATCHED THE GAME AND I M O SAW 4 HOLDING THAT WASN’T CALLED ON BAMA THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AND 4 ON GA. IN MY BOOK THE EYE GOUGING TRUMPED THE LEGAL HIT EVERY TIME. Bama gave the Dawgs multiple chances to win the game
, but they choked like they do every year…1980 drought!
5150 UOAD
December 14th, 2012
3:40 pm
Fat Pig BEN JONES…………..Fat Pig BEN JONES……………Fat Pig BEN JONES………………..Fat Pig BEN JONES………………..Fat Pig BEN JONES………………..Fat Pig BEN JONES………………..Fat Pig BEN JONES………………..Fat Pig BEN JONES………………..Fat Pig BEN JONES………………..Fat Pig BEN JONES………………..In the NFL HINDS WARD was voted the DIRTIEST PLAYER and in the top 5 his last 6 years in the league…………CRY MUTTS CRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TIM BUCK
December 14th, 2012
3:40 pm
IF GA. WINS A TITLE GAWGEE THE CRYING WILL CEASE.
TomDawg
December 14th, 2012
3:43 pm
The Alabama “so called” fans that say UGA fans need to stop wining are just what they are – TOTAL IDIOTS. Yes the eye gouge crap was stupid and should have been flagged, but for anyone to say that the hit on Murray was “just football”, please do us all a favor and get off the blogs. You would be better off trying to figure out which cousin you got pregnant at the last family reunion.
dan
December 14th, 2012
3:45 pm
Toga, you idiot. Yeah, it was clean hit. AFTER the play. I guess you were too stupid to get into Georgia, so you went to Alabama. Try learning the rules of football before making stupid comments.
Alphare
December 14th, 2012
3:45 pm
Watched a video a few days ago about a girl being encouraged by her parents to get even with another girl. The 2 girls had a hair fight on an open street under the watch of the revenging girl’s parents.
Yeah, don’t get chickened, get even.
ed f
December 14th, 2012
3:46 pm
Flags would have flown had it been the other way around!!!!
And all the Bama fans know IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BUMBle bees
December 14th, 2012
3:48 pm
5150 its past your recess time.
BOOHOOBOOHOO
December 14th, 2012
3:49 pm
well, eye-gouge university lost YET ANOTHER battle to the Tide. Give up, losers, and enjoy your 2nd consecutive trip to the…..whatever irrelevant bowl it is you are going to. Think maybe this time you can avoid embarrassing the SEC and try winning versus the big10? RTR!!!!!!
BOOHOOBOOHOO
December 14th, 2012
3:50 pm
dan, the play was still going on. give up and just savor the ALMOST victory you had. RTR!!!!
Football Fan
December 14th, 2012
3:50 pm
Forget it. The ball was in play, Murray was legally in the game and was LEGAL to be blocked. Blocks on a QB after an inteception is not banned. And, IT WAS A LEGAL BLOCK. Period, End of story. Time for you trailer park folks to go out and wash your trucks and have a Bud.
DP
December 14th, 2012
3:52 pm
I put up a post with links to 2 of the hits that drew one game suspensions from the SEC in the last 2 years so people could compare them with Dial’s hit on Murray but for some reason my “comment is awaiting moderation”. I thought that only happened with Mark Bradley.