Play of the weekend... I wouldn't however have wanted to be sitting next to AJ or standing around Bo Pelini afterwards! http://espn.go.com/videohub/video/clip?id=11759975&categoryid=2378529
So Stu believes that a whole crew of well trained,competent, unbiased officials could all miss a player taking off his helmet in the middle of the end zone right in front of them. OK someone (Sid) will probably buy that. But really, how can that be "competent?"
I have several friends who officiate several different sports...mostly at the HS level but fairly high...district and state. One guy (a ND grad) does several sports and is a coordinator for baseball and softball officials in NE Ohio. Two guys that work for me also officiate wrestling, basketball, and volleyball. I have met (and heard speak) the director of officials for the MAC. The love these guys have for the game, the passion for getting it right, and the time they spend discussing all the things that go into it (and go wrong with it) is pretty incredible. Especially so considering the lack of respect that they get. And I have never heard any of them complain about not getting credit for all that they do to promote the sport and provide a very necessary role. Yeah, I figure that a competent, well trained, and unbiased guy might have cost you a game all because he didn't notice a kid take his helmet off.
"A" guy? What are the odds that 7 "competent" guys all missed an obvious non discretionary call? ....and the dish ran away with the spoon.
Gipper, I'm sure the fans of Florida, K-State, and Oregon would love to commiserate with you. They all had 11-1 records in 2012 when an undefeated ND went to the championship game. During the regular season, in the OT game with Pittsburgh, on the play when Pitt missed a chip shot FG, we had two players on the field with uniform #2, which is a penalty. Pitt would have had a second chance at the field goal from extra point distance. If made, we would have ended the season 11-1 and out of the championship game. The refs missed it. Do I need to explain my point?
It's all good. I've said my piece. There are close calls and there are missed calls. And then there are bad calls...Ohio State benefited from both a bad call and a missed call against PSU. But I believe for the most part that officials don't deserve the scorn that is sent their way.
Sid...good point. Everybody wins some and loses some, it's just that you remember the ones you didn't win a lot more! Re: 2012..I'd say that if you ask a Stanford fan they scored. Now that wouldn't have won the game for them, but it would have forced another OT. Also there was a critical call in the OU game that took a TD off the board, holding on OU that again wasn't a game winner/loser but still forced an OU FG. We did make it a moot point by outscoring them 20-7 in the 4th Qtr.
It's OK about 2012..... really it is. After the egg that UF laid vs. Louisville in New Orleans I can only imagine the embarrassing performance that would have been vs. Alabama in the brightest national spotlight. If there were any missed calls that helped ND get there then karma as it usually does made it's presence known in the end.
O'Keefe, we Wolvies know you do not bear us any ill will. While we are flat on our back, we appreciate your concern for our condition:
First we're talking about 2 blown calls on the same play not one. Second, Pitt has the beef not those other teams. Oregon and K State choked in their last game putting ND in. In fact had K State won, Alabama would have been out and we would have had a great shot at the NC vs K State. And as for the Stanford game, I say the same thing that I tell MSU fans about last year, we have NO OFFICIALS. If you got a shitty call, bring better refs next time. The same was true with Pitt and their Big East officials.