I read a column in The State Newspaper this morning by Ron Morris basically chastising SEC Football Coaches for their recent criticisms of the conference’s officiating crews. Bobby Petrino of Arkansas, Dan Mullen of Mississippi State, Bobby Johnson of Vanderbilt and Steve Spurrier of South Carolina were singled out in some fashion or another but the bulk of Morris vitriol was reserved for Lane Kiffin of Tennessee.
Following a recent two point loss to top ranked Alabama, Kiffin was publicly critical of the lack of an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Alabama after a crucial play in the game. Kiffin went on to generally criticize the crew for their work over the entire game as 8 penalties were called against Tennessee but only one was called against Alabama.
Morris agrues that Kiffin should be suspended for maligning the credibility of the game and helping to spread “conspiracy theories”. If anybody should be suspended, it’s Ron Morris because he is obviously an SEC shill.
Does Morris think that referees are above reproach? If he does, he’s an idiot. Referees are people too and they are subject to bias and moral failings just like anybody else is.
Consider the following. Unlike every other major college sport, individual conferences insist on exercising control over the hiring and assignment of football officials. Why you ask? Well none of the major conferences has offered up a compelling answer. Could it be that the conferences want to control the officiating in select games that involve their marquee programs?
It’s not unreasonable to think so. When you consider the amount of money and commercial involvement in college football it’s almost foolish not to think so. Having marquee teams remain undefeated and participating in championship games is a cash bonanza for the conferences and their broadcast partners.
The officiating in the SEC has been so atrocious this year that one crew has already been suspended for poor performance. And anybody who watched the end of game officiating in the Florida versus Arkansas game who is not a Gator fan would have to admit that there were some very suspect penalties thrown to help the Gator’s in their winning drive. Does that mean that the refs were crooked? No, but it doesn’t help their credibility either.
What of Kiffin’s complaint about Tennessee’s 8 penalties compared to Alabama’s single infraction? Anybody who has ever played football at a high level will tell you that is beyond ridiculous. The truth is that a referee can probably call penalties on holding or illegal contact on most every play in major college or professional football. Offensive lineman are taught to play the game in the gray areas. An 8 to 1 penalty disparity is so unheard of that it merits questioning.
Would either of these cases be such a big deal if Alabama and Florida were not undefeated teams with National Championship aspirations? Of course not, but that doesn’t mean that the refs should get a free pass.
Ron Morris seems to think that referees are immune from bias or bribes or extortion from gamblers. I guess Ron thinks that NBA ref Tim Donaghy got a bad rap. By Morris’ logic Donaghy should still be a referee and any coach who questioned his authority should be suspended.
All of this could be put to rest if the major athletic conferences did in football what they do in every other sport. Set up independent regional officiating pools hire the referees and staff the games. Entities with a financial interest in the outcome of a court case don’t get to pick the judge, and entities (conferences) with a financial interest in the outcome of football games shouldn’t get to either.
If the conferences refuse to make such an easy fix, then they, along with their shills like Ron Morris, need to shut up and let the “conspiracy theories” abound.
