The SEC, its refs and the conspiracy theory: No sale, I say
You make the call: Was A.J. Green separating himself? (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Lane Kiffin is upset, not that it takes much to upset Lane Kiffin. Bobby Petrino is upset, not that Bobby Petrino is ever not upset. But Dan Mullen is likewise upset, and to date we’ve had no reason to lump him with the first two.
Mike Slive is upset because the highly compensated coaches in his highly compensated league are throwing a snit fit not seen since Duke and J.J. Redick were perceived to be getting all the calls in another sport in a different highly compensated league. The growing feeling around the South is that SEC refs are doing their part — more than their part, actually — to produce another conference championship game matching the nation’s top two teams. I have one problem with this line of thinking:
Football refs aren’t clever enough to pull off a conspiracy involving one team, let alone two. And I’m not speaking just of SEC refs; I’m speaking of refs in any and every conference.
It’s a little different in basketball, where there are only three officials on the court and the coaches are yelling in their ears all game. One cowed man in a gray shirt can make a huge impact on a basketball game.
But there are seven officials on a college football field, and some of them are stationed so far from the sideline they can’t hear anybody yelling anything. Are we to believe that a crew, which gathers only on weekends and then disperses for six days, is so well drilled that it can conjure up a decisive penalty out of thin air whenever the designated team needs a lift?
Penalties are judgments made at full speed. The personal foul against Arkansas’ Malcolm Sheppard in the Florida game was indeed a poor judgment, but I have to confess: I saw the replay of the sequence on a small TV in the Vanderbilt press box with the sound off and I thought Sheppard slammed into a Gator from behind. After viewing subsequent replays (see below), I realize I was clearly in error. But I can understand how a trailing official might have thought he saw the same thing — a gratuitous knockdown as opposed to a legitimate attempt to fend off a block — I thought I did.
OK, but now you’re asking: What about the celebration penalty on A.J. Green? First of all, I’m not sure how LSU fits into the get-Florida-and-Alabama-to-Atlanta scheme, but never mind. The TV replays showed nothing untoward, as the SEC has since conceded. But esteemed colleague Brant Sanderlin shot photos of the sequence (one is above) that indicated Green might — I said might – have been trying to pull away from his teammates and thereby “call attention to himself.”
I know, I know. It’s a goofy rule and it’s inconsistently applied, but it’s still a rule. And the ref in question, back judge Michael Watson, was standing closer to Green than any TV cameraman got.
About Kiffin’s beef: He has one. Alabama’s Terrence Cody blocked what would have been the game-winning field as time expired and tore off his helmet while the ball was still loose. Should have been a penalty. But would refs in the conference that chastised its men for penalizing Green dare to assess another excessive celebration in another high-profile game?
About Mullen’s: He has one, too. The ball appeared to have been stripped from Florida’s Dustin Doe before he crossed Mississippi State’s goal line with his interception. The replay official should have righted what the field officials failed to catch. But he didn’t. In my mind, that’s the worst of all the missed calls — one that was apparent after review but left in error.
But here’s the thing: The refs didn’t hand Doe the ball in the first place; he intercepted it. The refs didn’t guide the Tennessee kick into Cody’s hand; he blocked it. Refs are reacting to situations, not creating them. Sometimes they get it wrong. Most times they get it right. And one thing more:
SEC refs are better than ACC refs any day.
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254 comments Add your comment
BugKiller
October 28th, 2009
3:17 pm
Mark,
Why don’t you go on the record right now and admit that the SEC officials crib from the NBA Ref playbook of “Star Players” get the benefit of the doubt?
Come on man, doesn’t it sicken you just the TINIEST bit that Teblow can do whatever he wants, show up his opponents in any way he wants, call as much attention to himself as he wants, and act as unsportsmanlike as he wants, and he NEVER gets penalized for it?
Come on man, at the very LEAST admit this, because it’s TRUE.
Come on. You know you want to.
Country Boy
October 28th, 2009
3:22 pm
Hello Marky boy. Thanks for the “food for thought” article. I don’t believe there is a conspiracy among zebras but I am very certain of an INTIMIDATION FACTOR by which especially Florida and now Bama benefit. Can you just imagine if Fla. got a celebration call at the end of a game thus costing them a win and a championship ??? Will not happen.
GT Fan
October 28th, 2009
3:23 pm
If the refs hadn’t screwed up in the LSU game, the DAWGS woyld have won 60-0.
Tom
October 28th, 2009
3:29 pm
There is manipulation in everything. Stocks, where you work, your credit card. Your wife or girlfriend. Why would someone think it doesn’t happen in a sport of all places? The refs and their bosses have clearly shown they want uf and bama 1 and 2 when they meet. Since the refs have been busted, it will be harder for them though. So look for lots of calls that aren’t as obvious. Like holding, shifts, delay of game with 1-2 sec left etc.
jaglaw
October 28th, 2009
3:29 pm
I CHALLENGE MARK BRADLEY,
check this out…..
The Alabama call, or no call, did not have a direct impact on the game. The calls in recent weeks have…thats the beef with the calls.
Also, and most improtantly, Tennesssee was kicking on fourth down, the kick was blocked, the kick did go past the line of scrimmage, and Alabama recovered the kick. By rule, it was Bama’s ball and even if Cody had been flagged, the outcome was still the same. You could have assessed a penalty, backed Alabama up 15 yrds, Bama would have one snap to sit on the ball, EXCEPT….time had run out.
NO DOUBT…..the UGA, Arkansas and MSU calls had a direct impact on the outcome of the game, not the Tenn/Alabama call.
Razzle-Dazzle
October 28th, 2009
3:30 pm
Mark, a big, fat, Greek kudos to you for that insightful article. My theory is that the original Grand Conspiracy was organized by the Devil (Satan, Old Scratch, Old Harry, Old Splitfoot), and all others are spin-offs, pikers, or non-existent.
Cuz
October 28th, 2009
3:31 pm
If there is no conspiracy with the SEC refs then why is their conference room in Roswell Ga designated Area 51?
collegefootballfan
October 28th, 2009
3:32 pm
Tide Fan has it right. The foul that should have been called on Cody, would not have impacted the game. It would have placed a 15 yard penalty on Alabama’s subsequent possession (as they downed the blocked kic)of the ball, but with no time left, there was no subsequent possession. This “conspiracy theory” is crazy when you look at the insane number of penalties Alabama has had in prior games this season. I saw a cleaner game Saturday, not because of conspiracy, but more likely because of the running imposed by Saban after the SC game.
jaglaw
October 28th, 2009
3:33 pm
Mark,
I dont believe in a conspiracy theory, but I do think bookies, betting and money can influence an official….we all know that has happened.
Amazing that the same crew was responsible for two of these rediculous flags. Money..not conspiracy
Tide Rising
October 28th, 2009
3:34 pm
Navigator,
I can’t argue the other teams but in Alabama’s case the homecooking argument pertaining to the refs doesn’t hold water if you look at the facts. The same crew that officiated Bama-Ut officiated Bama’s home game with Carolina a week earlier. In that game we had 10 penalties for 113 yds compared to 5 for 60 against Carolina. Refs helping bama? I think not.
On the season in the SEC only 5 of the 12 SEC teams have been penalized more than Bama so if the refs are helping Bama they sure seem to be doing a poor job of it according to the facts.
A handful of people have pointed out that in the Bama-UT game that UT had 8 penalties to Bama’s 1 and so this disparity must mean the refs benefitted Bama. Not so fast my friend.
Of UTs 8 penalties 7 of them were so obvious and so cut and dried that they can’t not be called. Delay of game, false start, illegal procedure, there is nothing subjective about these calls. They were obvious, everyone could see them, and the ref has to call them.
Holding calls are more subjective.UT got called for one holding call and this was blatant. They also got called for a block into the knees on a kick return that the entire audience and several refs saw. It couldn’t not be called.
In terms of officiating replays show UT got away with several noncalls. On the last drive there was a blatant non call holding where our rush lb Chavis WIlliams was held.
Pass interference also should have been called against UT when the db clearly stopped Julio Jones from pursuing his route for the ball in the end zone. The rule states you cannot inhibit a receiver from running his route. Plain and simple but the refs didn’t call it because they wanted to let the teams play.
Last the refs missed a wide open pick play that was obvious to all watching where one wr picked our db to allow the other wr to pick up a 7-8 yard pass on the way to a 1st down. The commentators both noted this and wondered how the ref could miss this.
On the Terrance Cody play there is much ado about nothing. If the official had thrown the flag on Cody then Alabama still would have received the play regardless of whether the unsportsmanlike happened during the live kick play or after it. It would have been Bama’s ball regardless. Game over.
Going by the facts if anything the officiating very clearly helped UT with the several blatant non calls that should have been called against UT. But again, the refs wanted to let the teams play, keep the subjective calls to a minimum, and only call the obvious cut and dried calls that have to be called.
jaglaw
October 28th, 2009
3:35 pm
Not a Tide fan…just call it like I see it…but thanks for the support.
Tart
October 28th, 2009
3:37 pm
Does anyone really think the BCS wants fla bama texas to lose before their conf champs? Do they want usc, tex, fla, bama to all have 1 loss and iowa and tcu 12-0 and they vote in fla tex or fla usc? Do you really think they want that scenario?
I do declare....
October 28th, 2009
3:38 pm
how defensive the SEC Slive has gotten over the rancid calls made by his refs. Wouldn’t it be nice if the FAA official who suspended the pilots’ licenses be named to replace Slive immediately? I bet the teams and fans would get a fair shake the rest of the season.
jaglaw
October 28th, 2009
3:39 pm
For you conspiracy theorists…..dont forget that CBS was advertising the #1GAtors vs the #4Tigers long before LSU and UGa played….wow, what a shock to the ratings if LSu to UGa looses…….oh yeh, doesnt the SEC and CBS sports have some television contractual agreements… things that make you say uhmmmm
GoDawgs
October 28th, 2009
3:40 pm
Yep Mark- would expect comments like that from you. Mike is upset because his gravy train has been called out. Film DOES NOT LIE. Played over and over again. Its all about UF and UA. Mike thinks he can say something and everyone will jump to attention and fall in place. No way this time…At least these three coaches have some guts. Richt and Spurrier sould join them and have some backbone for their teams. This idiot needs to be forced out.
Tide Rising
October 28th, 2009
3:41 pm
Hdawg09,
Cody got back in his stance before the ball snapped and it did not draw the o-lineman offsides so no penalty is warranted. You say that not one but several of the calls against UT was iffy. I’m calling boolsheet on that statement. All but possibly one were cut and dried with no subjectivity. Here is a rundown on them for you and navigator on these “imaginary penalties” as Lame kiffin calls em.
Lane Kiffin, let’s look at the eight penalties that you believe were unfairly called on your team:
Penalty number 1 — 620 to go in the 1Q
False start – five yards — yep, I’m sure that call was imaginary.
Penalty number 2 — Alabama’s ball with 448 to go in the 1Q
Pass interference – 8 yards — yep, I’m sure that call was completely imaginary as well
Penalty number 3 early 3Q on punt to Alabama
Illegal block below the waist when the TN player took out our blocking wedge on Javy’s return — right out in the open — I’m sure that Kiffin will send that video to the SEC as evidence of an imaginary call.
Penalty number 4 — mid 3Q
Delay of game — My God — this was obviously a made-up, favor Alabama call that no reasonable person would have called on TN
Penalty number 5 — early 4Q
False start — I mean, I’m sure you could look at that play over and over again and not find a single flinch by UT — an obviously biased call by the pro-Alabama crew.
Penalty number 6 – early 4Q
Holding — interestingly, the only holding call on UT all day long — if you had a biased crew — holding would be the one call you would call all day long – and yet, only one holding all day long.
Penalty number 7 — late 4Q
Roughing the kicker — I’m surprised that Kiffen didn’t pull his team off the field when this was called — obviously his man never even touched PJ Fitzgerald.
Penalty number 8 — last 4Q
False start — the last straw I’m sure in Kiffin’s mind, and the smoking gun that just proves the refs were biased — another magical flag.
In summary, Kiffin essentially accused the crew of being biased for calling eight penalties on his team — and at least seven of the eight were obvious, out in the open calls — and only one of them was a holding call.
After reviewing this list, Slive should have suspended Kiffin this time — because Kiffin had zero basis to question any of the calls on his team – there was nothing questionable about any of these calls — unlike Mullen’s or Petrino’s complaints.
Someone in the media should call Kiffin out, and ask him specifically about what calls he questioned — the false starts? the delay of game? the roughing the kicker?
He isn’t just being obnoxious — he’s being flat out dishonest.
GoVols
October 28th, 2009
3:43 pm
No conspiracy theorist here – we lost because of inept kicking. A penalty against Cody would have been pointless since Bama recovered the kick. However, a point of clarification is required. Kiffin’s primary complaint was broad – we got whistled for a lot more than Bama did. Call it whining, but he didn’t say we lost BECAUSE of it. He needs to learn to finesse his comments better and hopefully he will. IMHO he does so because he’s still relatively inexperienced in PR at the college level.
Doug
October 28th, 2009
3:46 pm
neat comment mark- the officials are not smart enough??? Geez- what cant you get a spine and call out what is clear to everyone. Like above- replays do not lie.
GeoffDawg
October 28th, 2009
3:47 pm
GoVols – c’mon buddy. It’s because he’s still relatively inexperienced? He’s been running off at the mouth since day 1. He’s got all the charm of Spurrier without the wit. It’s a lot easier to stomach whining if he makes you laugh in the process.
Pago Flyer
October 28th, 2009
3:50 pm
Half-time in JAX FL 36 UGA 10
GoVols
October 28th, 2009
3:51 pm
GeoffDawg – inexperience = immaturity, I’ll grant you that. As for Spurrier, he used to be funny, I agree, but it’s grown old. Heck, I even thought Citrus and UT was funny, but he’s not been particularly gracious recently – ticky tack complaint about Bama, not voting for Tebow in pre-season.
Mr. Thomas Anthony "The Taxman Cometh" Jones, SR
October 28th, 2009
3:53 pm
Mark Bradley is full of baloney. If it look like a duck, and quack like a duck and walk like a duck it is duck! The Refs have screwed up four ga,es at least this season in 2009 and we have another month to go and ths SEC championship Game. There is no excuse for screw up at this level. If etheir is bad call then the refs need to be overruled and not let a bad call stand. People’s money, reputations, and jobs are at stke.
The NBA said no one was cheating and theu lied. I would not trust anyone after the Gren call in the LSU game. Trust in God/Allah; everyone elso must be verufied and rechecked. By the way lets look at the officials Income Tax returns for the last foru years to see if anything is untoward!Kiffin, Muellen, Petrino, and the Bulldogs fans are right and Mark Bradley is totally wrong!!!!!
Not Disappointed!
October 28th, 2009
3:55 pm
Hey, you want to penalize Cody? Take a few meals away. But my fat butt can be on list as well.
People are only human. Only human and we tend to make mistake. God knows, I’ve made a few.
Now, play ball.
Ramblin Wreck!
Duane
October 28th, 2009
3:55 pm
In the Big 10, we’ve had the problem for years with Michigan getting all of the calls, ranging from completions ruled incomplete, the clock getting reset in Michigan’s favor, thankfully my Penn State team blew them out badly enough this year so as to remove the refs from the equation.
ugaaccountant
October 28th, 2009
3:55 pm
Athens cops arresting kids for every misdemeanor in the book. If only there were journalists out there who could draw public attention to the real issue of cops gone wild. Instead they make it a football trash talking issue. Pathetic.
Mr. Thomas Anthony "The Taxman Cometh" Jones, SR
October 28th, 2009
3:57 pm
Mark Bradley is totally wrong. in at least four games this year in the SEC the refs have totally blown it. The SEC plays us as fools. They know the refs blew it at least four times. They know something smells to High Heaven. While Bradley puts his trust in the stupid refs, Kiffin, Petrino, Mullen, and the Bulldog fans can see with their own eyes that the refs blew.
I want to suggest that the SEC be investigated on the ref issue and that all the refs’ Federal and State Income Tax Reurns be publicized. Something is seriously wrong here and Bradley knows it.
paulfromatlanta
October 28th, 2009
3:57 pm
The problem isn’t so much whether SEC referees are “worse” than ACC referees – it whether they are cheating to fix certain games with a few critical but bad calls – its the equivalent of point shaving and thus is harder to show.
but it really feels like SEC refs have deliberately changed the outcome of some key games.
Its bad enough that I question whether the SEC should be allowed to continue to provide referees – we can’t really trust the outcomes of key games any more.
JaxDawg
October 28th, 2009
3:58 pm
Why is it SO hard to fathom that with MILLIONS of dollars at stake and just after a BILLION dollars worth of deals with CBS and ESPN were made, that the SEC powers that be wouldn’t protect their own interests?
Let’s see what do the refs have to lose if they don’t play ball:
1. a six figure a year partime job
2. a chance to go to a nice vaccation spot in the winter for a bowl assignment.
3. a boat load of under the table cash for just simply doing their job with a slightly tilted perspective.
Penalities in the two most controversial games:
Bama 1-10yds
Tenn 8-68yds
Florida 3-16yds
Arkansas 10- 97yds
But again you people with your heads buried in the sand are probably right, everything is on the up and up!
Independent Thinker
October 28th, 2009
3:59 pm
As a former official on the field, I can tell you that we don’t care who wins or loses…we just call what we see in the moment. Replay officials certainly have more of an opportunity to break things down. However, it makes for good discussion as evidenced by all who have blogged on here.
Next thing you know we will prove that SEC officials had something to do with the Kennedy assassination!
GeoffDawg
October 28th, 2009
4:00 pm
GoVols – I can buy the Tebow omission because as I understand it, it’s pretty common for headcoaches to delegate things like voting in polls to people on staff and then sign off on it with only a cursory glance. I also agree that South Carolina has taken some of the smirk out of him and he’s recently coming across as more bitter than before.
However, with the absolute media deluge of attention that Kiffin’s received over every last public statement since starting at UT, it’s hard to believe that he’s still not enlightened to the impact that his words have. I think you’re right though that it could be partly due to immaturity or it could just be his personality. Kiffin and I are about the same age, and while I don’t pretend to understand what it’s like to have that much publicity, I’m fairly confident that most people our age know how their words reflect on them.
AZ Jacket
October 28th, 2009
4:09 pm
Damn people it is over. Mark had nothing to write about so he brought this subject up. You dawg fans really are easy to get started. The game is over. Bad call or not, good teams would have stopped the return and not let the receiver run it back. A good defense would have stopped LSU from scoring. LSU held UGA to an 8 yard return kicking from the 15 and then put a stop on their offense. You lost, tenn lost, Ark lost. If you are the better team one call should not make a difference. Loosing teams bitch about the officials, just as Frank Beamer.
Tide Rising
October 28th, 2009
4:10 pm
Jaxdawg,Thomas Anthony Jones,
You guys need to read my comments from 3:34 and 3:41. As I clearly point out with FACTS please do not include your idea that the UT/Bama game was poorly officiated in Bama’s favor. A review of each of UTs penalties shows very clearly that they were all clear cut, obvious penalties that can’t not be called. The video replays and the facts show that the officiating in fact hurt Bama more.
Also, you fail to explain why the same refs that worked the UT/Bama game also worked the Bama/SC game a week earlier and assessed 10 penalties against Bama for 113 yds, twice as much as against SC in a very close game.
Last, if the refs are cheating for Bama then why is it of 12 sec teams only 5 teams have more penalties than Bama. Seems the refs are doing a poor job of cheating if they’re helping Bama.
Tim Krumrie
October 28th, 2009
4:15 pm
I heard that Tim Tebow is the love child of Ickey Woods and Chris Collinsworth, and that if Tebow were to do the Ickey shuffle this weekend, he would in fact be called for a 15 yard penalty.
Dalton Hilliard was way overrated!
Doug
October 28th, 2009
4:16 pm
Hey Mark- Sounds like you are as stupid as slime..I mean slive. You actually think this crap of an article makes sense????
Lenny the Lawyer
October 28th, 2009
4:20 pm
I wonder who paid Vince Vance’s $1,000 bond to get him out of prison? Coach Richt? Bobo? I’m going to look into this as it could be an NCAA violation.
GeoffDawg
October 28th, 2009
4:22 pm
Lenny, I think the only bar you’ve passed has a neon sign in the window.
Cuz
October 28th, 2009
4:25 pm
There was an SEC official on the grass knoll. You can see him in the Abe Zapruder film.
jeffrey d
October 28th, 2009
4:26 pm
I agree that the refs have made some terrible calls, but I can understand how most of them – most of them – could be made in haste. Doesn’t mean it was the right call.
And why would the refs be conspiring to have a Florida/Bama title game? What do they have to gain from this?
Gen Neyland
October 28th, 2009
4:30 pm
Can’t change the bad calls and can’t get points for the ones they’ve missed. The refs make for grand frustration fodder and in many cases, justifiable. Other than that, let this topic die until Sunday morning coming…
UGA75
October 28th, 2009
4:42 pm
Mark I doubt you’ll ever read this far down, but all it takes is one bad official per crew to work on point spreads and the Back Judges are in perfect position to make those calls. There is always contact on pass plays, but those guys get to play GOD and determine what is interference and what isn’t. During the Ark-Fla game you could see the difference between how the game was called on just two plays where offensive interference was called against the Ark player and not called on a much clearer offensive interference against the Fla receiver. It only takes one bad apple, check the NBA if you doubt that.
Frogger
October 28th, 2009
4:42 pm
I would not believe the conspiracy theory except for one thing. Even when the refs have a review of the play, and it’s plain as day that they missed the call, they still don’t overrule it. Do they not see the same thing we see on TV replays? If not, then what replay are they seeing? They should even get to review pass interfearance and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. After seeing so many blown calls, that were reviewed and still not overturned, the conspiracy theory lives.
#1DAWGFAN
October 28th, 2009
4:45 pm
To Saint Richt, What Vance was arrested for should have never hit the news, I mean lets get real here, Misdemeanor Traffic Violations, is there not more important news out there than to worry about traffic violations by a 19 or 20 year old kid? So Saint Richt grow up and quit crying I mean if you do all the crying what is the baby gonna do?
Bill
October 28th, 2009
4:56 pm
Mark, you should listen to Rogers Redding on Finebaum, I think on Oct 23rd. If what I heard is correct, and it goes national press, I bet he”s in deep do do.
macrotech
October 28th, 2009
4:58 pm
Area 51…..now THAT’S funny!!!
Huh?
October 28th, 2009
4:58 pm
Straight from the ajc:
Williamson said Vance was pulled over for running a red light on College Station Road near the UGA intramural fields and was arrested because he does not have a valid driver’s license.
Vance, 22, has a learner’s permit but violated the conditions of that permit by not having an 18-year-old-or-older licensed driver in the vehicle with him, Williamson said.
A 22 year-old college football player has a learner’s permit to drive? That’s pathetic! Don’t most people get their license at age 16 in the state of Georgia?
WTH
October 28th, 2009
4:59 pm
A 22 year old College Football player…with a learner’s permit?!
Can he read?
Larry Munson
October 28th, 2009
5:00 pm
Stupid is…as….Stupid does.
Teague
October 28th, 2009
5:05 pm
1dawg fan you do know that dui, possession and battery are also misdeamnors too right?
hunker down
October 28th, 2009
5:06 pm
Mark,
Call it what you will but when UGA got called for the excessive celebration it then matched up 2 undeated teams the next week in LSU and Bama. Since college football is a multi billion dollar industry just gotta wonder what that does for the TV ratings and the implications involved.
Forrest Gump
October 28th, 2009
5:09 pm
Larry Munson,
Quit stealing our Bama quotes like stupid is as stupid does! And thats all I got to say about that.