Wonder what their reason for finding it the correct call. I could see if they said there was an inadvertant whistle but come on. Stevie Wonder even saw it hit the guys hand.
I watched the cox replay last night and from their view there was no doubt about it. It is an absolute insult how the SEC takes no action when their college atheletes are the ones getting screwed. Dumbfounded.
I too would love to hear their reason that it was correct. It is just like the PI non-call from earlier this year. Its like they look for some kinda "loophole" in the rule book so that they don't have to admit a mistake. Its just like on NFL Total Access, every week they have VP of Officiating come on and explain any "questionable" calls. They have shown some that even Rich Eisen was saying is obviously wrong and they guy goes throught this elaborate explanation siting rules that eventually make the call correct.
What is going up there? I know it's paranoid to suggest a vendetta against LSU, but this is just insane how frequently we get the shaft in these calls. We need to call for an investigation in the most extreme case, but in the least some sort of restructuring. No one's asking for an ideal system, but if they miss the call without replay, oh well. THEY HAVE THE TOOLS TO CORRECT THEIR ORIGINAL CALL NOW. Therefore, covering the asses of those underlings of evil in black and white is not only unprofessional but irresponsible. There was no question that ball was touched. This wasn't a pass interference call. This wasn't a did he/didn't he have posession call. Both of those are subjective. This is a simply question of physics. Did the ball brush his hand in the slightest? Yes. The ball trajectory changed. Therefore, something is wrong.
Has the SEC ever admitted a bad call, much less suspended a referee team for a bad call game, like some other conferences have done? This business where the replay official works at one stadium in his home state for every game is inherently biased to the home team. His bet bet for keeping his job is to make sure the home team gets favorable calls.
Some reasonable suggestions, IMHO: 1. The SEC supposedly has a ranking system for teams of officials, and the NCAA actually uses a formula to decide which crews officiate bowl games. A good start would be making these ranking/accountability methods transparent and open to the public, thus removing any doubt about which crews screw up regularly and how often. This should also include the replay official's performance. 2. Make penalties of 10 yards or more reviewable. Also make any penalty resulting in a turnover automatically reviewable. If conferences almost immediately review a game-changing play (foot in bounds on a reception/TD, etc.), this should also apply to game-changing calls on the part of officials. 3. Clarify what is meant by "indisputable evidence." In the LSU/AU Hester catch and fumble, the SEC claimed the incomplete pass was a "judgment call." So by definition, there also could not have been "indisputable evidence" to overturn the ruling on the field of a catch and fumble. You can't have it both ways: either the replay booth has the power to reverse judgment calls or they don't. 4. Real accountability for obviously atrocious calls, and not mere slao-on-the-wrist one-game suspensions. This should apply not just to officials but to the higher-ups in the league office who hire them in the first place.
