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
Special K
December 14th, 2012
9:16 pm
http://www.macon.com/2012/12/14/2285211/georgias-dawson-disciplined-by.html
How pathetic can you get. So I guess Dial just needs to say his helmet was in the way and Murray just ran into it with his helmet.
DAWG
December 14th, 2012
9:30 pm
This is for all of the red neck Alabama fans who are posting, stand in the middle of the field and out of nowhere someone knocks your head off and then tell the rest of the world this is all right. You are no better than the Auburn player who hit Murray from behind. I hope the Irish clean your clock, and don’t start crying if one of your players get hit like Murray.
DawgNole
December 14th, 2012
9:36 pm
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?
_______________________
Oh, plenty of you cried about it alright–just like you’re doing in this post.
tyler
December 14th, 2012
9:38 pm
funny- you know good and well that if Bama had been the one that was caught with the eye gouging attempt Jeff would have been up in arms that it wasn’t flagged and it would be labeled “clearly the worst” of the three. What Dial did was block a QB that had just thrown a pick- maybe it was excessive and should have been flagged but at least it was a football move- where exactly does a football move require someone to attempt to gouge out someone’s eyes? NEVER you dumba@#$@. enjoy the capitol one bowl
To bamer fans
December 14th, 2012
9:51 pm
It was a flag, but not called
Same way that zero in game penalties happen to be what bama benefited from.
And I have no team in this discussion
They had two dead ball fouls, none in game action. Uga had 7-8
Some Funny BS there….
Either way dawgs lost, but bright side is you dawg fans aren’t from Alabama:) seriously, that is a huge positive! I mean huge positive……
KingGator
December 14th, 2012
9:55 pm
Bama has always gotten breaks. From Bear Bryant’s sketchy recruiting, the SEC office based in Alabama, Saban stretching the truth about how he explains away recruiting players in an already full class, etc. I mean those are just a couple of examples that come to mind, but they’ve always gotten preferential treatment, and always will. If that guy played for any other SEC team he’d be benched. Better yet, Saban not benching the guy for the game against notre dame says it all. By Saban not benching the guy, he’s basically telling us he doesn’t know right from wrong. I can guarantee you Spurrier or Mushcamp would bench the guy in a heartbeat. Everybody knows it was a flagrant hit, and Saban’s character has manifested itself loud and clear
To bamer fans
December 14th, 2012
9:57 pm
Oh, and Athens vs Tuscaloosa……no contest. The classic city makes Tuscaloosa look like a porta John
But a very clean porta John:)
Caldwell banker
December 14th, 2012
9:59 pm
Saban also needs to sell millions in homes at the lake too, I think he is a part time builder now
01HAWK
December 14th, 2012
10:06 pm
Have fun with MICKEY. ………………………LOL
ronnie turner
December 14th, 2012
10:10 pm
dial is a low down dirty player mayber a north dame player knock some sense in him
Strange Murphy
December 14th, 2012
10:31 pm
It’s in the SEC charter that Bama gets a free pass on stuff like this. It’s somewhere in the back.
Champion Dawg
December 14th, 2012
10:32 pm
Jesus told His Followers, Christians will be Persecuted at the end of the age. Welcome to the end of the age. Satan walks free, Christians persecuted. Go Dawgs, Do it Jesus’ Way. That is the right choice. Cheaters get theirs from Yahweh soon.
Champion Dawg
December 14th, 2012
10:35 pm
Two years ago, it was Auburn Cheaters Cam Newton and Nick Fairley. Evil will win on the Earth because the antichrist rules here. For a very short time. Christians our Victory is coming and it is Final.
5150 UOAD
December 14th, 2012
10:36 pm
Damn you Mutts cry like a little girl. You seem to FORGET all the Dirty Plays and Players UGa has had over the years……….BEN JONES or have you forgotten?
Do you need your diapers changed and your bottle and blanket cause in Nite Nite time.
Champion Dawg
December 14th, 2012
10:39 pm
I, a devout follower of My Lord and Savior Jesus The Christ, am so very proud My University of Georgia, and My Christian Head Football Coach Mark Richt are Righteous and follow The Bible rules and go by Earthly NCAA Rules also. Too bad, evil is ruling for their short time. Go Dawgs. Win Right.
Sports fan in Chelsea
December 14th, 2012
10:43 pm
Get freakin’ over it! You lost. Go play your bowl game.
Contractor
December 14th, 2012
10:47 pm
DAWG,
So Aaron Murray didn’t know he was in a football game? Based on your comment, it’s nothing like an Alabama fan sitting in the middle of the field and getting their head knocked off. Murray knew he was in a game, knew he threw an interception, and knew he was capable of getting hit. Heck, everyone around him was flying all over the place, so quit trying to baby the kid like he just got hit for no reason and like this is baseball or something where no one should expect getting knocked down. Go change your diaper, get your pacifier, and lay down for the night. You’re talking like a little kid that didn’t get his ba ba before bed.
Josh
December 14th, 2012
11:02 pm
Jeff,
Go back and look at the hits by the Ole Miss and South Carolina players.Who is more defenseless? A wide receiver attempting to catch the football and expecting to be hit? Or a QB jogging towards the play and then being completely blindsided with a helmet to helmet hit. I find it hard to believe the hit on Murray was not more dangerous than the other two hits that caused suspensions. It’s bias plan and simple.
5150 UOAD
December 14th, 2012
11:08 pm
JOSH your warm bottle of milk is ready. now go get your teddy bear and you woobie and we will put you in bed.
TomDawg
December 14th, 2012
11:19 pm
5150 UOAD…go hump a poisoned tree ,cause obviously your sister and mom are “busy” with daddy.
TomDawg
December 14th, 2012
11:23 pm
Oh wait…….I’m sorry, you probably don’t know who daddy is. Your Uncle maybe?
Special K
December 14th, 2012
11:26 pm
In the light of eternity, God really doesn’t care about a football game. Sorry folks.
Sick of everybody's crap
December 15th, 2012
12:02 am
Maybe a Notre Dame defender can put a similiar hit on the Bama QB in January – then we’ll see what the Bama faithful and St. Nick have to say about that.
In the meantime, to all the Tech / Auburn / Tenn / etc. fans commenting on the hit – we’ll start listening to your comments when you start fielding a D-1 football team. Til then, good luck in women’s b-ball or whatever it is you follow now.
Special K
December 15th, 2012
12:21 am
“In the meantime, to all the Tech / Auburn / Tenn / etc. fans commenting on the hit – we’ll start listening to your comments when you start fielding a D-1 football team. Til then, good luck in women’s b-ball or whatever it is you follow now”
And we’ll start listening when the pups win a national championship. Hey, there’s always next year.
Dawg Whisperer
December 15th, 2012
12:34 am
Jeff, I haven’t seen too many intelligent responses from the Bummer fans (par for the course). It’s most wah, wah… I suppose if Murray suffered a paralytic injury, maybe someone at the SEC would have noticed? It was helmet to helmet no matter how the Bummer fans try to spin it and a dangerous precedent when officials fail to call it and the SEC office fails to take action. They are on notice.
Thomas Brown
December 15th, 2012
12:57 am
No, you liar. You have asked a lot more direct questions than that short list you list a dozen direct questions you’ve asked of me without the 1st semblance of any direct question back answered from you. That is all you do as blog bully to run in here and state that you know you have earned the right to ask me a direct question, and do so again.
It is ALL you EVER HAVE DONE IN HERE, ever.
You asked me based upon your interpretations of what I said about our Defense when I have said things about this defense this year such as we have no pass defense and such as we have only 54 scholarship players remaining to play Alabama plus a transfer-in and such as we have 11 players on defense who might be selected in the up-coming NFL Draft after the season and yet we played well up until the Florida game against only Vanderbilt and such as Branden Smith has been demoted and such as Todd Grantham is a fraud and apparently at odds with Mark Richt in every facet of how he manages his business working for Mark Richt in-fact differences deep-rooted in their very basic lifestyle, and such as he loses his entire defense after this our best chance 2012 and pointed out that it takes years to learn his sophisticated defense and such as his defense has ALWAYS given up huge numbers of points against every single ranked team he has ever defended against, and a whole other large such stream of questions I have steadfastly maintained about this defense not the least of which is personnel placement such as Alec Ogletree whom I deem our best pass defender yet he removed from the secondary and inserted at our 1 deep position on the defense linebacker 2012. And, such as Rodney Garner has done a poor job recruiting and an even more poor job coaching his Defensive Line with his tough love approach where he has 12 years now under Mark Richt and before that under Jim Donnan berated his players on his DL in the press, and refused to play players on his DL much who will one day play every Sunday. I pointed out that there has been some so-called solidarity among the defensive players 2012 all coming back when so many could have gone to the NFL last year, when the only solidarity I saw all off-season was how many of them should have been kicked off the team, and how far behind they all were game ready when they all came back just before our biggest game of the year South Carolina. As it turned out, Florida was the biggest game of the year, and then Alabama was – but, certainly pre-season every single Georgia Bulldogs’ football fan of which you most assuredly are NOT (In fact, you think The SEC sucks.) figured that Florida was not going to have a great year. And, your BS that Georgia had a “good year” is so much BS # 6 in the nation is not a “good year.” A good year is like # 19. A good year is like 3 or 4 losses. 10 wins you brag about ? 27 teams made 10-win seasons last year. Since when is being # 27 with 4 losses great ? I hardly think 2011 at 10-4 same number of wins as 27 teams in fact put-up 2011, and 4 losses the most among the 27 teams who put-up 10-Win Season is NOT EVEN Top 25. We beat no team who made the AP Poll Top 25, even, in 2011 and you think that is great 10-Win season you stated today. Your knowledge of The SEC, Georgia, 10-Win Seasons, what I have said consistently about the Defense all 2012, your opinion of how you establish the ability to have earned the right to have asked me EVER ANY direct question is without a doubt, without merit.
So, you run in here and read me write about 11 defensive players and all you see is they are gone after the season and will be selected in the NFL Draft and assume that is me bragging on the defense, yet you see me point out that Aaron Murray had a great game against Florida, Vanderbilt and Alabama and will as well against Nebraska the 4 teams who might or might not make the AP Poll Top 25 for 2012, when in the Alabama game I make the point that had we not had # 79 rush defense all 2012 and will end the season having
______________________________________________________
GIVEN UP MORE YARDS RUSH THAN WE GAINED OURSELVES
______________________________________________________
And, you state to me that because there are in-fact a ton of defensive players fixing to be drafted by the NFL, that that is somehow unmentioned a statement of how great the defense is 2012.
No the defense is NOT GREAT.
The Defense has shot this season for us, our best chance.
Find someone else to stalk, as you have no purpose in life if not to come in here every 5 minutes and ask me a DIRECT QUESTION.
SecFan
December 15th, 2012
1:00 am
Funny, when a Georgia player was victimized by an eye-gouger a few years ago it was serious stuff and Dawg fans screamed for loss-of-playing-time punishment. Now when the thuggery was performed by a Georgia player, Schultz sees it as barely mentionable. And of course Richt has already ‘handled it’ without a loss of playing time. I suspect that if the eye that got deliberately poked belonged to Schultz he may have considered it every bit as flagrant as a roughing call.
Thomas Brown
December 15th, 2012
1:16 am
Dial should have been kicked out of the SEC Championship Game once the covered-up official on the play could not see the play live. He tried to get perspective to see it. The replay officials have to kick him out of the game. No penalty. And, the simple fact he is then kicked-out of the game as a bit player who doesn’t contribute diddle-e-squat to the Alabama team, means he cannot play against Notre Dame – the next game.
This is BAD for The SEC.
Aaron Murray saw Dial coming. He turned his head and tried to brace himself just before the helmet to his facemask.
DIRTY PLAY.
Yes, we have to protect the players of this game at all levels at all costs, Jeff.
I’ll will go out on a limb, since that is what everyone expects me to do and predict the
_________
DIAL RULE
_________
The replay booth on egregious plays such as the Dial DIRTY PLAY shall be removed from the game by the Replay Booth upon learning of such incident. NCAA Rule Change.
Win P
December 15th, 2012
6:38 am
Dial’s hit on Murray cannot be justified. Remove Murray and insert McCain and listen for Al’s howl.
michael clifford
December 15th, 2012
7:30 am
All you homers who are crying about the Dial hit on Murray watch the video closely. it was not a helmet to helmet. He clearly hits him with his right shoulder. google Warren Sapp hit on chad clifton which was way more vicious and ended up separating cliftons pelvis. during a running play the QB is just another player.
m a double t
December 15th, 2012
7:32 am
maybe UGA should have another BLACKOUT…. RMFT!!!!
UGADawg83
December 15th, 2012
8:00 am
Alabama gets all the calls and breaks in SEC football. The conference office is located in downtown Birmingham for crying out loud. The commissioner is surrounded by ‘Bama folks. In hoops Kentucky gets the same kind of preferential treatment. I just don’t know why the other conference members put up with it.
Thomas Brown
December 15th, 2012
8:04 am
Not helmet to helmet my buns. He came up from behind Aaron Murray, who at the last moment winced as he say Dail coming from his blindside, and instantly Dial put his helmet directly into the facemask of Aaron Murray and obliterated him.
SickandTired
December 15th, 2012
8:35 am
What I want to know is why wasn’t Aaron Murray flagged……he’s the one that initiated the helmet to helmet not Dial…..Murrays head was out of the way until he got lit up and it slammed into Dials helmet…..Murray is the culprit here not Dial…Another thing, why is there to this day only one angle of the hit? CBS must have had 20 cameras there and still the only one we have seen is from the telecast. I’d be interested to see an endzone high angle. I still believe he was leading with the shoulder. Call me an idiot but come on, Dawg fans are crying because they lost and what’s so amusing this hit came on the play that changed the game. Not because of the this hit but because of the horrible pass to a wide open receiver that Murray underthrew…..game changer and another big game loss for the Dawgs….chew on that for the next 30 years.
doc
December 15th, 2012
8:38 am
Dont get mad —-get even——-get Alabama on the UGA schedule asap and take care of business. I just hope UGA gets a QB that can run and pay attention to what he is doing on the field—–
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
December 15th, 2012
8:44 am
Got to hand it to you UGA folks you sure know how to whine! Enjoy Orlando but don’t make any wrong turns downtown if you know what I mean.
Whoa…..Eddie Lacey just road killed another Dawg.
Anybody seen or heard from Rambo…..he sure got a lot of highlights from the SECCG….just saying
mike punk slive
December 15th, 2012
8:58 am
For once I agree with you….
1) Need to move the SEC offices outside of Birmingham…..
2) Slive is not only cutting Nicks grass, but I sawy him on a ladder cleaning out his gutters….
3) Its all about the Benjamins….getting the SEC into the BCS and winning….
4) Nick should suspend him….but his ego prevents such a thing….
Buck FAma..
Simple answer
December 15th, 2012
9:00 am
It’s all about the $$$$$$
Sideline Dude
December 15th, 2012
9:26 am
Alabama SUX pure & simple. Always has, always will.
Dawg Tired
December 15th, 2012
9:55 am
Best to save one’s time and energy when trying to even suggest anyone associated with Alabama football could possibly do anything wrong. Most Alabama fans don’t even think the hit deserved a penalty! When an entire fan base is that far out of touch with reality, no amount of logic is meaningful.
JoeFann
December 15th, 2012
9:58 am
Dawg fan here, but don’t think suspension is warranted. Agree with Shaw, should have been penalized, who knows the difference, if any, in the outcome? Still a turnover. Intent to target the head is questionable at best. Dial turned his head away, though he leaned ahead with it. Murray shares some blame for not being aware, and turned his head into the hit. “Relatively” low-speed impact, unlike when DBs launch at WRs. Understand the concussion issues well, and wish for consistency, but good luck with consistency on live-action judgment calls.
What will be telling is to see if any action is taken by Richt against Dawson. I’m betting there will be internal punishment we won’t hear about, up to an including a loss of some playing time. Granted, he’s a part-time player and we may not notice, but I imagine Richt was as displeased about that as he was when it happened to his player vs. Florida. Be nice to see Saban discipline Dial directly, though we’ll never know about it, but don’t see him losing playing time. While maybe (?) less “serious” from a playing standpoint, I find Dawson’s act to be the most egregious and worthy of disciplinary action.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
December 15th, 2012
9:59 am
When an entire fan base is that far out of touch with reality, no amount of logic is meaningful.
LOL…..you hit the nail on the head with the Georgieeeee fan base. The best college football team in America from March until August. 1980…it’s documented.
Dawg Tired
December 15th, 2012
10:13 am
Test for WW- Did the Dial hit deserve a penalty?
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
December 15th, 2012
10:29 am
YES IT DID….Dial should have just push Murray aside and that would have been the better choice. You take a hammer to use on a thumbtack.
Both the AD of UGA and Steve would have been better served to keep this within the SEC early instead of going to the media. If the only play in question was the Dial hit then it changes a little but with UGA have two players involved with the hit on AJ and the Eye poker it made no sense for the UGA AD to start running his mouth in the press.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
December 15th, 2012
10:30 am
should read you Don’t take a hammer to use on a thumbtack.
wild one 13
December 15th, 2012
10:34 am
If there was a missed call it should have been on Eddie Lacy. The way he abused and ran over Rambo.
I would have loved to hear the late Munson call that play, ” he just smashed his face with a hobb nailed boot “!
Real Problem
December 15th, 2012
10:36 am
Dial made a football play pure and simple. Was there helmet to helmet…yes and a flag should have been thrown. Watch it in slow motion from a distance and anyone can see he lead with his right shoulder. He hardly was gloating over the hit….after Dial flattens our QB he looks up to see where his DB who made the INT is. Murray was hardly defenseless and was only 7 yards from Clinton-Dix when he got hammered. Yes, he got trucked and big, but I am more concerned WITH OUR EYE GOUGING.
SuperB
December 15th, 2012
10:40 am
All these macho and mental midget Alabama fans can kiss — you know what? It was flagrant and right in front of a ref.
Shaw’s explanation was weak and insulting– to anyone other than the idiots who are defending the hit by dial.
KZGuy
December 15th, 2012
10:41 am
Jeff you got this completely wrong. Anyone can see it was not a helmet to helmet hit. The lineman used his shoulder only and hit AM in the middle of his chest. Thats what happens when a moving 300lb guy hits a 170lb guy. Game officials got it right. SEC got it right.
Tom Flemming
December 15th, 2012
10:43 am
Hey Jeff, You sure are ignoring the eye gouge by Georgia. Ironic, since you sure did take so much offense to the act of eye-gouging when it was done to a UGA player a few years ago. Your words here speak to your hypocritcal reporting: http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2009/11/02/florida-suspends-spikes-for-only-one-half-of-game/