Was the non-catch to Braves as Fifth Down was to Tech?
Clint Barmes pulls the old not-so-hidden-ball trick. (Photos by Denver Post/Craig Welling)
By now you’ve seen the photo: There’s second baseman Clint Barmes of the Colorado Rockies on the ground, and there’s the baseball, also on the ground. Meaning: The sprawling catch-and-double-play that ended Sunday’s Rockies-Cardinals game probably wasn’t a catch. The tying run should have scored and the Cards should have had the go-ahead run at third with one out, and had they lost that day the Rockies would lead the Braves by two games as opposed to three.
If you’re expecting me to author a screed against the umps for blowing it … well, you’ll be disappointed. It was a wild play, and even TV replays didn’t capture what photos, which came to light only a day later, seemed to catch. (Pun intended.) Umpires are human. They make mistakes. And besides, I still remember a key game in the Braves’ stretch drive of 1991 ending in the Astrodome on a called third strike by Alejandro Pena that hasn’t to this day clipped a sliver of home plate.
But because this is Colorado the Braves are tracking, it reminded me of another Colorado team — one called the Buffaloes and based in Boulder — that benefited from another missed call almost two decades ago at the expense of another Atlanta-based team, one nicknamed the Yellow Jackets.
On Oct. 6, 1990, Colorado quarterback Charles Johnson scored on the game’s final play to beat Missouri. Only the game’s final play was a Buffalo bonus. The officials had lost track of downs, and technically Colorado scored on fifth-and-goal. This became a bigger deal as the season unfolded and the Buffaloes ascended to No. 1 in the polls.
It became a massive deal locally because Georgia Tech finished its season 11-0-1 to Colorado’s 11-1-1 but finished No. 2 in the Associated Press poll. The Jackets were awarded the UPI national championship by one vote over the Buffaloes, but the Fifth Down rankles fans of the Institute still. (As does the clipping call that wiped out Rocket Ismail’s punt return that would have given Notre Dame the lead over Colorado in the Orange Bowl.)
Some suggested in the aftermath that Colorado should forfeit the Missouri victory, given that it won on a play that shouldn’t have been. In 1940 Cornell had scored on a similar extra down to beat Dartmouth. Being all gentlemanly — it was the Ivy League — Cornell offered to forfeit. The game is listed as a 3-0 Dartmouth victory.
The Buffaloes made no such gesture. The Rockies haven’t, either. And I wouldn’t hold my breath in anticipation of one.
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84 comments Add your comment
John
September 30th, 2009
5:35 am
Mark, you are the ONLY local media person to point that out about Colorado in 1990. Most of the other media folks tend to sweep that under the rug, saying that Colorado should have been the undisputed MNC that year instead of Ga Tech.
Papa
September 30th, 2009
6:38 am
Funny how the mind works …
Until your column I had not connected the Rocky Mountain fortunes with the Piedmont misfortunes. Life ain’t fair, I grant you; and I am not a fan of instant replay in any sport at any level – play the game as a game with all the human thrills, spills and foibles.
Still … I will go to my grave knowing “we was robbed” of the 1990 National Title. Come again another day. Thanks for the good work (and even the sore reminder) Mark.
Who freakin' cares...
September 30th, 2009
6:42 am
It is baseball and GT you are talking about!!!!!!
Ozzy
September 30th, 2009
6:57 am
Being a Mizzou and GT fan, the fifth down still burns my butt.
And Bill McCartney (Mr. Promise Keeper) unwilling to forfeit a game he knows to this day that he should have – the definition of a hypocrite in my eyes.
Moral of the story – judge people by their actions, not what they say.
And evidently you care since your posting on a blog at 6:42 dork.
Tech Fan in Athens
September 30th, 2009
7:10 am
Of course, had GT benefited from Colorado’s 2nd loss of the season they would have been ranked higher and gone to a better post-season bowl. Instead they bowled over a weak Nebraska team in the Citrus Bowl. One cant rewrite history — though I would LOVE IT
SuperB
September 30th, 2009
7:22 am
One of the worst calls in Braves’ history occurred in Candlestick Park in a day game. Steve Avery hit a home run over the right-field fence– but was given a double. I believe Steve lost that game 2-1.
Hard to believe in a major league game!
MalibuGT
September 30th, 2009
7:23 am
…and i’m pretty sure the Broncos were behind Eugene Robinson’s er…sting
BugKiller
September 30th, 2009
7:27 am
Boo frickity hoo.
You know something, I believe that you make your own luck.
We wouldn’t be here talking about this ridiculous no catch today if someone had the wherewithal to STOP Bobby Cox from using Greg Norton as a pinch-hitter time after time after time after time after time after time after time after time again.
We wouldn’t be here bemoaning the Rockies’ dratted good luck if Cox hadn’t taken out a 24 year old pitcher throwing a shut-out in the 8th inning over worrying about his “pitch count.”
We wouldn’t be here cursing our stars if the idiot manager had done his job and benched his underperforming hitters (Kelly Johnson and Jeff Francouer), or at least in Frenchy’s case, moved him down to the bottom of the line-up much sooner, before they did so much damage to this team’s postseason hopes so early in the season.
So in the end… it all comes back to the stubbornness and tactical idiocy of one man: Robert J. Cox.
Or as I like to think of him: the Homer J. Simpson of Major League Baseball. Because all he had to do for years and years was push a few buttons, but he screwed even something so simple as that up when it mattered the most.
Habersham Dawg
September 30th, 2009
7:28 am
Being a dawg fan and alive during 1990, all I’ve got to say is, “you guys were robbed.” I have a cousin who played on that Tech team and he still despises Colorado.
curt moore
September 30th, 2009
7:42 am
MLB needs to begin using instant replay especially in games that are so critical. It’s used in football and has been accepted as part of the game. Why not make sure the call is correct. That missed call on Sunday will probably cost the Braves a shot at the playoffs.
Nativebird
September 30th, 2009
8:05 am
Take all Umpires off the field, period. Use Lazers and Camera’s 100% on every call.
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2009
8:22 am
I’m impressed by the way BugKiller gets back to Bobby Cox in everything. Awesome, baby!
Ed-Covington
September 30th, 2009
8:31 am
Tech fan:
The Citrus Bowl was a much bigger deal then. This was the ACC champs against the #2 Big 12 team. Because of conference tie-ins, the other bowls were not open to Tech. Nebraska was ranked #6 & #7 in the polls and their only loss was to Colorado. Tech crushed them, while Colorado beat them by only 10 during the season. They were the only mutual opponent that year for Tech and Colorado.
Given the rout of a mutual opponent, that Colorado DID lose and TIE a game and add in the “Fifth Down” fiasco, one wonders how Colorado could be considered by the pollsters to be the #1 team and Tech not. Such was the disrespect for the ACC and the over-hype of the North Carolina tie. Tech MAY NOT have been the best team in CFB in 1990 (I personally thought they were, but I’m biased), but Colorado certainly wasn’t.
Steve
September 30th, 2009
8:34 am
There was also a phantom clipping call on ND in colo rad-o’s bowl game at the very end. Ismail scored and there was no clip. Oh and colorado. also had a tie and a loss that year compared to techs one tie. Oh and they won their bowl game from a missed extra point. If they miss that, it ends in a tie and they don;t get it with a loss and 2 ties. That was a joke to vote that team #1.
Stotts Era
September 30th, 2009
8:37 am
this is just dumb…there are a thousands reasons why we are not leading the wild card/NL east
personally, i blame leaving that hack frenchy on the roster for a year and a half too long
Who freakin' cares...
September 30th, 2009
8:37 am
I rest my case – even Tech homer “Ed Covington” admits that neither team deserved the MNC “Title”, and bugkiller makes the poinst re: baseball! So why are we even discussing this!
Ed-Covington
September 30th, 2009
8:38 am
curt moore:
As MB stated, instant replay probably wouldn’t have helped in this case. Only when the “freeze-frames” came out did the error become obvious. I think that everyone will agree that officiating in ALL sports has degenerated at the same rate as the quality of play. I can syill recall Eric Gregg’s strike zone. His interpretation of a “1/2 yard” was more closely associated with “front yard” or “back yard” than 1 1/2 feet.
Steve
September 30th, 2009
8:40 am
Should say if ND makes the extra point, it ends in a tie and no way they get the NC
Willie Coyote
September 30th, 2009
8:40 am
Early season blunders by the Braves is what made that “catch” such a big deal. There will always be games that you should win but still lose but the Braves have blown several that are costing them now. Hopefully they can win out and some of these chumps playing Colorado will step the heck up.
As far as the GT thing, 11-0-1 > 11-1-1 regardless of the fifth down. How so many people still say that Colorado should have been undisputed champ shows the dangers of inbreading in my opinion. With that defensive line Tech had, they could have taken Colorado head to head had they played each other. Tech also had no business tying NC that year which hurt them, though, strangely enough, not as much as Colorado’s tie and loss hurt them. One has to wonder about the poll voting in 1990.
Ed-Covington
September 30th, 2009
8:40 am
Who freakin’ cares… :
You don’t have to discuss this! Go back to bed!
Is the Barmes non-catch a latter-day Fifth Down? | Mark Bradley | Job Fair News
September 30th, 2009
8:41 am
[...] Is the Barmes non-catch a latter-day Fifth Down? | Mark Bradley Share and [...]
ATL man
September 30th, 2009
8:49 am
John, you’re an idiot. Everyone knows that Tech would’ve beaten Colorado that year had they played. Not only was Tech the only undefeated team that year, but Colorado was given two gifts (5th down and clipping call) and Tom Osbourne was the only coach who played both Tech and Colorado and he voted for Tech as #1 in the coaches.
GoBraves
September 30th, 2009
8:51 am
Too bad BugKiller’s right, Mark.
GT
September 30th, 2009
8:56 am
Dawgs don’t lilke this topic. It’s a painful reminder they haven’t won a NC in 30 years and tech’s is 10 years closer.
BnB
September 30th, 2009
8:59 am
Bad calls are part of the game though sometimes–as in the Colorado game…or the later nullified “fumble” int he Falcs game on Sunday–they are so incredibly bad you wonder how they happen. The idea is to not get yourself in a position where so much hinges on a single play. Personally, I hate replay as it kills the flow of the game. Live with the humanity.
Icky Thump
September 30th, 2009
9:08 am
Mark,
But you know the BugKiller is correct. I read Shultz’s blog from last night and Bobby was quoted as saying, “I always manage well with good starting pitching”. He had it (starting pitching), in the first half and went 35-40.
Tom Paine
September 30th, 2009
9:09 am
1990 > 1980
Carl
September 30th, 2009
9:14 am
bnb
the faclons call was reversed. the colorado catch wasn’t. baseball needs review on end of game and home run plays if they are questionable. and they need to speed up the pitching and the time between innings.
TechDan
September 30th, 2009
9:14 am
BnB, I agree that bad calls are part of the game, but giving a fifth down is not a bad call, it is near total lack of intelligence. Missouri won that game the moment that Colorado spiked the ball to stop the clock on FOURTH down. Fortunately, the Nebraska coach went head to head with both teams and decided Tech was better. That’s why we have the crystal football and Colorado doesn’t.
Ramblinwreck83
September 30th, 2009
9:16 am
There must of been alot of money riding on Colorado that year to win the MNC, so that would explain all of this. I wonder how much of this still goes on each year. I always thought that there were 4 downs in football and if you don’t score or get a first down then it’s a turnover. I guess I was wrong.
Rich
September 30th, 2009
9:19 am
As a Tech fan, I have always been bothered by the Colorado fifth-down play. However, I also realize it would have been easier to argue the undisputed claim had we not tied UNC that year.
As a Braves fan, it dismays me to no end about the “non-catch” in the Rockies-Cardinals game, but if the Braves had played to their full potential all season long, the non-catch would be a non-issue as well.
Bottom line is, both teams had letdowns.
the Sports Buffet
Steve
September 30th, 2009
9:19 am
Here’s the video. Show me where there’s a clip. There is none. It’s one of the worst calls ever because it gave them a share of the champ. You’d have to look back and think with the 5 downs, loss and a tie, missed extra point and this that there was something very shady going on that year. Did colorado pay off someone?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqC_Br3cDJg
Herschel Talker
September 30th, 2009
9:30 am
BUGKILLER at 7:27 IS ALL YOU NEED TO READ. ENOUGH WITH THE EXCUSES. THESE THINGS HAPPEN. IF THE BRAVES DIDN’T BLOW A 5-RUN LEAD WITH 2 INNINGS TO GO THE DAY BEFORE THE ALL-STAR BREAK AGAINST COLORADO, WE WOULDN’T BE TALKING ABOUT THIS. LET’S GET REAL PEOPLE.
Rich
September 30th, 2009
9:31 am
By the way, I’m still convinced the Micahel Jenkins “non-touchdown” against the Patriots went the way it did to make up for the fact Michael Turner got a TD call on a “non-touchdown” play earlier in the game where he never broke the plane. Both Jenkins and the defender were copping feels, in my opinion, so it should have been a “non-call”.
the Sports Buffet
GaCracker
September 30th, 2009
9:35 am
Too bad the human element can change the outcome of a game. Why not use the photo like they do in horse racing for a photo finish. The sport of kings learned long ago not to trust the naked eye. I hope to see the day where androids who can call them perfectly all the time replace umpires and refs.
Nativebird
September 30th, 2009
9:37 am
Look, no excuses for this Braves franchise and it’s current state. What did I say before yesterday’s transparent attempt at conjuring up interest for these losers? I’ll tell ya what I said. Do NOT fall prey to the LURE of this wanna be team desperately trying to SELL you guys they have a chance at post-seasons. They WILL dissapoint ONCE AGAIN.
They are the Lucy of the Major Leagues pulling back the football once again from the Charlie Brown’s of baseball fans.
Rob
September 30th, 2009
9:48 am
Yeah yeah yeah Jasper Sanks didn’t fumble on the 1 yard line but the refs blew that one too. Ref’s are known for blowing the big call. See last Saturday night at Sanford Stadium if you have any questions.
The begining of the end
September 30th, 2009
10:07 am
Ahem.
http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/2009/09/28/live-from-the-ballpark-are-we-believing-this-playoff-run/comment-page-2/#comment-71200
Thomasville Tech Fan
September 30th, 2009
10:12 am
Mark-
Interesting analogy……..That Colorado/Missouri game still makes my blood boil and I think about that 5th down each time I see Colorado play. Somebody at Univ of Colorado should have stepped up and forfeited (McCartney-first and foremost) but they didnt. I hold U of C to account for that to this day……slimey folks in charge out there.
rocky redwood
September 30th, 2009
10:13 am
Thanks for posting that punt return Steve. And yes I saw the clip. It was on #20. Maybe he actually hit him, maybe he did’nt. Sure did’nt need to.
Steve C
September 30th, 2009
10:16 am
Bud Killer, is there ANYTHING about the Atlanta sports scene you like, or can you only get your rocks off by trashing professionals that play the game every day? I’m not a huge Braves fan, but you shuld ask any of the other owners or general managers in MLB over the last 18 years if they would have liked Bobby Cox, a shoe-in hall of fame manager, in their dugout.
Steve C
September 30th, 2009
10:17 am
Er, that should be BUG Killer, but maybe it’s not too far off base…
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2009
10:19 am
I laughed, Steve. Freudian slip, huh?
Steve
September 30th, 2009
10:26 am
Rob
There was a bs pass int call against us, the year before in the end zone so it evens out. Saw that game on css a few weeks ago. that call was worse than a missed fumble in a pile.
Herschel Talker
September 30th, 2009
10:34 am
Bugkiller is dead on. People focusing on bad umpire calls are people who accept mediocrity. If Booby wasn’t such a clown, Colorado could get every umpire call, and it wouldn’t matter. The Braves are winning IN SPITE OF Booby, not BECAUSE OF Booby. Let’s get real, people.
Steve
September 30th, 2009
10:36 am
Actually i think it was on 4th down that kept the drive alive. if that bogus call isn’t made, the game is over and tech wins.
tom-vinings
September 30th, 2009
10:41 am
So which is better, the MB article or the Bud-killer (or probably Bud-Light) response on old man Cox. Cox did well for Atlanta, AND Cox should be done (and will be in a year). Boo-frickity-hoo!
Jackets #1
September 30th, 2009
10:41 am
One more reason why GT should have the undisputed 1990 NC. Colorado’s loss that year was to Illinois, who Clemson thrashed 30-0 in their bowl game…
Class of 92
September 30th, 2009
11:45 am
If I remember correctly, the starting QB for Colorado also knocked up the head coaches daughter and then died of cancer shortly thereafter. I was at the North Carolina game we tied that year. Natrone Means single handledly kept them in that game along with a fumbled punt return by us. Without that, we would have won the national title undisputed. Ah the good old days when you could actually count on your kicker to come through and win games for you at the end. I think Scott Sisson won like three or four games for us that year.
steverino
September 30th, 2009
11:48 am
Enter your comments here I have a genuine respect for Bill McCartney, but the sentimental, year long hangover from the death of Sal Aunese, along with the added poignance of McCartneys daughter getting pregnant and having Aunese’s kid, made the whole situation a big mangled, somewhat sordid soap opera…one that scored BIG with the pollsters. I’m convinced of this.
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2009
11:52 am
I covered the Carolina game, Class of ‘92. I remember Willie Clay fumbling the punt because he got smacked really hard.
ga_tech_92
September 30th, 2009
12:44 pm
“Tom Osbourne was the only coach who played both Tech and Colorado and he voted for Tech as #1 in the coaches.” Beautifully said ATL man.
CC in Denver
September 30th, 2009
12:54 pm
“Jackets were awarded the UPI national championship by one vote over the Buffaloes, but the Fifth Down rankles fans of the Institute still.”
Funny, but what we Colorado Buffs fans remember about that split championship is that the deciding vote in the UPI Coaches’ Poll was from Tom Osborne. Osborne voted for Tech because he did not want the Buffs to have a recruiting advantage over the Huskeers. Also, the Buffs played a much tougher schedule that year than did Tech.
Hey Dogtards
September 30th, 2009
1:08 pm
First of all, I think an appropriate Braves analogy is from around the same time period, the 1991 World Series. 1) The missed third base out (was it Lonnie Smith? I can’t remember) when replays showed white powder coming up from the base and 2) the Kent Hrbek (is a jrk) pulling Gant off of first base out were both equally as bad as the fifth down call and possibly cost the Braves the title.
“Funny, but what we Colorado Buffs fans remember about that split championship is that the deciding vote in the UPI Coaches’ Poll was from Tom Osborne.”
Funny, but what everyone else remembers is that Osborne is the only coach to have played both teams that year. Tech gave him the worst defeat he ever had at Nebraska. Colorado did not.
CC in Denver
September 30th, 2009
1:41 pm
“Tech gave him the worst defeat he ever had at Nebraska.”
Lemme see:
- 2001: Colorado defeats NE 62 – 36
- 2004: Texas Tech defeats NE 70 – 10
- 1943: Minnesota defeats NE 54 – 0
- 1944: Indiana defeats NE 54 – 0
- 1945: Minnesota defeats NE 61 – 7
- 2007: OK State defeats NE 45 – 14
- 1968: Oklahoma defeats NE 47 – 0
- 2008: Missouri defeats NE 52 – 17
SWFLJacket
September 30th, 2009
1:42 pm
Hey CC in Denver,
Five Downs is a FACT.
Only scumbags would not own up to the error.
I would wager that had GT played Colorado after the Orange Bowl that year, there would be a NEW 222 point plus victory in GT’s record books
april glaspie
September 30th, 2009
1:47 pm
More like that infamous Jasper Sanks ‘fumble’. You can dress up like an insect on Halloween, but you can’t deny photographic evidence of both knees on the ground with football firmly in hand. Refs may be a necessary evil, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t evil, and all too frequently, they do it on purpose.
As far as baseball is concerned, there’s the case of an ump calling something like 18 pitches in a row balls on Burt Hooten because he was miffed. In football, you have Asher Allen being thrown to the ground not once but twice by a receiver and being called for pass interference, because college refs are still annoyed by the celebration. And how was the celebration two penalties? Officials see things that don’t happen, and sometimes they cheat, for a variety of reasons, but mostly because they never played at the level of the players they’re judging.
CC in Denver
September 30th, 2009
1:48 pm
Funny, but we also remember that CU played and beat some of the following teams that year: Stanford, Texas, Washington, Missouri (heh!), Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Oklahoma State.
We also remember that we were #1 going into our bowl game and beat # 5 Notre Dame whereas Tech was # 2 and beat a lowly # 19 Nebraska.
northaugustabuzz
September 30th, 2009
2:01 pm
CC-
You need to read a little harder. According to Wickipedia, he coached Nebraska from 1973-1997. Are any of those defeats you listed in that time frame.
It must suck to have to defend this.
Tom
September 30th, 2009
2:07 pm
And had Tech moved up to #2 one week earlier they wouldn’t have been locked into the Citrus by the ACC and would’ve faced the Puffs in Miami…..where even a phantom clip wouldn’t have saved you (even if it had been thrown by one of the numerous Tech 3rd-stringers who would’ve been in the game by that point.)
mexican-brave
September 30th, 2009
2:12 pm
you gotta be kiddin’ me…why talk about college footbal now, when there are 5 games left on the regular season and we are just 3 games back!!! come on mark, you didn’t have to bring up the college football subject….I BELIEVE
sidslid
September 30th, 2009
2:29 pm
Speaking of strike zones, take a look at the clip from the ninth inning of the 92 game. Belinda had a very tight strike zone.
Hillbilly Deluxe
September 30th, 2009
2:50 pm
Umpires are human and they make mistakes. If one bad call ruins your 162 game season, you probably weren’t good enough anyway.
Skeezix
September 30th, 2009
3:43 pm
Mark: Simply an unbelievable run the Braves have been on and somehow the Bobby bashers still can’t give him any credit. The Braves have definitely surpassed my expectations for the year and the difference maker to me has been Bobby’s steady leadership. Yes, Vasquez, J.J. and Tommie Hanson have been brilliant, but this kind of team performance sustained over several months is no random event. Bobby, with all the offensive deficiencies and injuries, has found a line up that works and kept these guys positive. Yes, he has been blessed with a great rotation, but he has had to manage several bullpen problems through this season also. Has he made some mistakes this season? Yes, and I’ve made a few at work at at home over that time too; and you know what…I bet the Bobby Bashers have too.
Pi$$onaDawg
September 30th, 2009
4:17 pm
BUGKILLER if Ga. Tech had not Tied Notre Dame in 1980 the Dawgs would not have played in the Sugar Bowl for the National Title. So, Your team didn’t make it happen on their own. Thank a Tech fan every chance you get for the 80 Nat Ship and then shut up and walk away.
Husker Tom
September 30th, 2009
4:25 pm
Enter your comments here Here are the game results for Nebraska for the 1990 season
Sat, Sep 01 Baylor – Memorial Stadium 13 – 0 (W)
Sat, Sep 08 Northern Illinois - Memorial Stadium 60 – 14 (W)
Sat, Sep 22 Minnesota - Memorial Stadium 56 – 0 (W)
Sat, Sep 29 Oregon State - Memorial Stadium 31 – 7 (W)
Sat, Oct 06 Kansas State - at Manhattan, Kan. 45 – 8 (W)
Sat, Oct 13 Missouri – Memorial Stadium 69 – 21 (W)
Sat, Oct 20 Oklahoma State - Memorial Stadium 31 – 3 (W)
Sat, Oct 27 Iowa State - at Ames, Iowa 45 – 13 (W)
Sat, Nov 03 Colorado Memorial Stadium 12 – 27 (L)
Sat, Nov 10 Kansas 13 - at Lawrence, Kan. 41 – 9 (W)
Fri, Nov 23 Oklahoma 10 - at Norman, Okla. 10 – 45 (L)
Florida Citrus Bowl
Tue, Jan 01 Georgia Tech 19 2 at Orlando, Fla. 21 – 45 (L)
Oklahoma actually beat Nebraska (in Norman) by more than Colorado (in Lincoln) or Georgia Tech (in Fla/neutral?)! Fortunately for Husker fans things got better over the next several years.
In any event, there is NO way Colorado deserve a MNC with a loss and a tie….which is giving them the fifth down discount! The crystal trophy says it all.
James
September 30th, 2009
4:32 pm
The Rockies definitely caught a break against the Cards, but go hosed a few days earlier against the Padres when the eventual winning run was clearly thrown out at second but missed by the umps. Sometimes you catch the breaks and sometimes you don’t, but if you take care of business then you shouldn’t be in a position where your destiny is determined by a missed call one way or the other. People need to get over it.
gt76
September 30th, 2009
4:43 pm
I attended the UNC game in 1990 and to this day I blame the tie on Scott “Shank” Sisson for missing field goals that day. I apologized the next day to his parents who were sitting across the aisle in first class on the flight back to Atlanta for calling their son “Shank.”
Gnats
September 30th, 2009
4:48 pm
The Braves play the Washington Generals 7 times in the last 10 days of the season, and 18 times overall. Want to trade that schedule for one blown call? Maybe breaks have a way of evening out.
JJacket
September 30th, 2009
5:59 pm
Also, GT beat Clemson in 1990. Clemson beat the crap out of Illinois in 1990 (30-0). Illinois is the team that beat Colorado.
The real reason why Colorado got the MNC from the sportswriters was the sympathy vote for Sal Aunese, QB at Colorado in 87 and 88, who passed away in 1989 of stomach cancer. He was also the father (out of wedlock) of McCartney’s grandson by his daughter Kristy. Now lets all get together and give the sympathy vote to Colorado. Dead QB, coaches daughter has his baby, and sprotswriters love a good story.
CW
September 30th, 2009
7:09 pm
JJacket has it right. It was a shame about Sal Aunese, but his story played a huge role that year in voters favoring Colorado.
Not only was Tech’s D line awesome that year, but the O line just wore teams out in the second half.
Thomasville Tech Fan
September 30th, 2009
8:15 pm
Another note on Sal Aunese and Coach McCartney’s daughter….I saw where their son, who was born in 1991 I believe, is now a QB at LSU. Apparently Les Miles was an assistant on that Colorado team…..talk about a fast 18 years!!
Jimmy the Tech Fan
September 30th, 2009
9:16 pm
Thomasville Tech Fan,
According to ESPN Les Miles was not only a Colorado assistant coach in the late 1980s, he personally recruited Sal Aunese. http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4489416
LifelongDawg
September 30th, 2009
10:03 pm
The ACC was the WAC of 1990, and Tech was their Boise State. I’m surprised they even got a chance at the title.
bb
October 1st, 2009
4:15 pm
Actually, the Big8 was notoriously a 1-3 team league back then (the Big12 didn’t even exist yet). Nobody in the Big8 besides Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado (only came on in the late 80’s) were EVER any good back then. When you look at historical schedules you cannot base their toughness on how those teams are percieved present day.
The ACC fielded more bowl teams than any conference in 1990 (this was before tie-ins pretty much locked every bowl bid, so teams had to earn the right to bowl). In addition, the ACC also scored the best bowl record of any conference that year, with Virginia’s loss to Tenn in the Sugar bowl as the only loss. So, arguing that Colorado played a tougher schedule holds no water. GT won EVERY computer poll running at the time because their schedule was tougher than Colorado’s. It was only the human voters that showed bias.
Based on his limited college football knowledge I am assuming that LifelongDawg has only been a Dawg fan a short time.
Ed
October 2nd, 2009
4:12 pm
1990 Colorado is the worst national champion in my lifetime – a team that deserved to be no better than 9-3-1. Funny, but it looks like Missouri may have actually stopped them on the fifth down. And the penalty that negated the Ismail TD in the Orange Bowl was a phantom.
I put the two-loss ‘07 LSU team over CU because they would have been 11-0-2 under the no overtime rules in effect in ‘90.
But Tech got a split title and can always claim to be 1990 national champs, so what are they complaining about? Try going 13-0 and getting snubbed like Auburn in ‘04, then you will really have something to gripe about.
I don’t see the comparison with the Barnes catch. Let’s face it, the Braves made a great late run, but we weren’t going to catch the Rockies this year, bad call or not. We tried to make up too much ground in too little time. This really whets my appetite for ‘10, though. I’d love to see the Braves send Cox out a winner, at least with a playoff team if nothing else.
zorba
October 2nd, 2009
10:40 pm
Enter your comments here
Mark, one of the things I have respected about you is your willingess to “tell it like it is”, i.e. Cox and Martinez. Do you have the balls to go after Derek Lowe/Braves and $60 million for a mediocre pitcher? What do you suggest now after his poor year? I value your insight, vision, and putting it out there. Please do. Let’s discuss this. Keep Vasquez, please, goodbye, at whatever price to Lowe!
bioo
October 2nd, 2009
11:12 pm
Whatever. Booby Sux Cox lost at least 10 games with his moronic management of pitchers. FIRE BOOBY COX.
bioo
October 2nd, 2009
11:13 pm
Two I can think of with Hansen. There is your season, Booby, you POS.
bioo
October 2nd, 2009
11:14 pm
Ed—”. I’d love to see the Braves send Cox out” PERIOD.
bioo
October 2nd, 2009
11:15 pm
While we’re at it, good riddance to Boog.
bioo
October 2nd, 2009
11:22 pm
here’s hoping for a 4 man rotation next year…Chip, Joe, Don, and Jim Powell as HNIC.
bioo
October 2nd, 2009
11:43 pm
Nos Vemos, naco.
Rock On......the denizen formerly known as Dadgum
October 5th, 2009
10:02 pm
Gt76….you can blame Sisson all you want for the tie at UNC but dude don’t forget to give him credit for kicking the two field goals in the rain and slop at Grant Field to beat Virginia Tech 6-3 right after that. That was another game destined to end in a tie but a late VT fumble set up GT for the winning kick.
I was at the 1990 game at UVA (voted best game in GT history) and was also at the 1963 game at Grant Field when Tech beat Alabama and Joe Namath 7-6 (voted #2 all-time at GT). I can tell you without hesitation that without Scott Sisson GT would never have won the National Championship. Not to mention a little luck when UVA was called for a line penalty nullifying the go ahead touchdown and settling for the tying field goal just before Sisson’s kick. Tech was a great team that year take nothing away from them but luck didn’t hurt. It is a part of every championship portfolio.