Something foul with SEC refs -- OrlandoSentinel.com
Mike Bianchi SPORTS COMMENTARY
October 21, 2009
If the Florida Gators win the national title this year, the championship should come with an asterisk:
*Referee-aided.
And the championship trophy should have a bronzed image of a blindfolded Southeastern Conference ref pulling a late flag out of his pocket and calling a phantom personal foul penalty on Arkansas.
And the inscription below the trophy should have my favorite limerick about college football officiating:
"There once was a ref whose vision,
Was cause for abuse and derision,
He remarked in surprise,
'Why pick on my eyes?
It's my conference that dictates my decision.'"
I'm not saying SEC officials are protecting their cash cow known as the Florida Gators, but I believe the SEC officiating crew that called the UF-Arkansas game Saturday was made up of Line Judge Mr. Two-Bits, Field Judge Albert the Alligator and Side Judge Bob Tebow.
Yes, I'm kidding, but only partly. Anybody who has read this column for any length of time knows I believe college football officiating is the biggest scam this side of the BCS. I'm not saying conference football officials blatantly cheat (although sometimes I wonder), but I am saying it's human nature that they are going to err on the side of their paycheck.
The SEC has admitted that the refs working the UF-Arkansas game were wrong on a crucial personal-foul penalty called against Arkansas DT Malcolm Sheppard on the Gators' game-tying drive in the fourth quarter. There was also an equally awful pass-interference call against the Hogs in the fourth quarter, but the SEC wouldn't comment on that one.
