Officials from every conference make mistakes. It comes with the territory.
My biggest complaint with PAC officials is that they make themselves an integral part of the game. Yes, the majority of their calls are technically correct but like basketball officials that start blowing the whistle on every ticky tack call, you can really ruin the game flow and enjoyment of a game by getting whistle happy and boy oh boy to PAC officials like to do that. I like the motto that the best officiating is officiating you hardly notice. Never the case in the PAC.
I live in Dallas and watch a lot of Big 12 football, and your comments about the Pac 12 officiating match the exact thoughts of fans here about Big 12 officials. They consistently fall short of reasonable expectations, and they really struggle to explain some of the bad decisions. This problem is bigger than just one conference. I love the idea of building the pipeline with smaller conferences. Hoping that happens in both conferences soon.
As I was watching the clock management fiasco unfold (in 4k HDR! (thanks fox)), all I could think of was this column and your take John. I forgive calls that are made in the moment and expect human error. But clock management issues are inexplicable. I watched it and I read about it today. For the life of me I can't understand what happened in R.E.S. Saturday night.
The officiating, while bad in the PAC 12 is not limited to just the PAC. Looks at comments from Nick Saban regarding the officiating in the Alabama/Tennessee game.
Commissioner K and Merton Hanks will figure out the refs thing. They'e smart and decisive. I doubt they will consult Woody Dixon.
Your stories about perils of the road resonate with me. I used to spend about half my time on the road and know my way around most of the West and Midwest by the airport call signs, convenience (or alack thereof) of rental car counters and closest Hilton Honours properties with free breakfast. Best US airport IMHO: DFW. Worst: Oakland. Best international: Singapore Changi. Worst: Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta in a landslide.
One thing that might be helpful is for the conference to be more vocal and forthright about acknowledging errors from officials and sending the message to coaches and fans that there are repercussions for poor work performance. Bad coaches get fired, bad players don’t see the field. Bad refs? Seems like they just keep reffing from what I can tell.
ARTICLE 9. a. No defensive player shall unnecessarily rough a passer, when it
is obvious the ball has been thrown.
Was it obvious? Guess not. When watching in slomoreplay it seems to be the extreme end of the act of passing. Or, just legal. At game speed? maybe not.
That was a funny story about you and the runaway shirt John! It's too bad Forde didn't offer you a ride. I have heard over the years that the home team puts out a spread for reporters to eat for free before or after the games. Is this still true, and if so who among your travels has the best, and what items do you look forward to when you travel there? Thanks for all the entertaining pieces you publish, it's really interesting to read your observations and opinions!
Hi John, did the P12 ever offer an explanation of the play at the end of the Utah-USC Game? Obviously the play clock operator stopped the clock. Was there indeed a whistle, which is why he stopped clock? If so, why would an official blow a whistle while the play was still going?
“welcome now my friends to the show that never ends…“
Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse, they do. On the other hand, if all that went on really did result in USC losing their game, all the power to them zebras! 😎
I’m pretty much an anti-Oregon fan, so archive this one; Go DUCKS - Beat L.A.
Any more, millions of dollars may hinge on any one call these relative minimum-wage workers make (I don't know how much they earn but it isn't very much). If the call goes against you, maybe your underwater athletic department is out of the playoff. Or maybe the $5 million a year coach gets fired. Or maybe you lose a big bet in Vegas. Or maybe your coach keeps his $5 million job if it goes his way. I appreciate the angst.
As many problems as the PAC has with officiating, from what I have seen, the ACC has a far worse problem. Not that the league shouldn't fix what Larry broke.
If any Pac 12 school wants to bitch about officials, they need to get in line behind WSU. The COUGS have been screwed over more than anyone else, and the rest of the league knows it. So Riley, Whittingham and the rest of ya..... get over it, you have had more than your share of calls go your way. I am not saying WSU would have won a ton more games with better officiating, just that they would have had the chance to win more games if not for all the bad calls.
Two things: 1) Watching the video of the roughing the passer--not sure if it should have been called, but it definitely would have been flagged in the NFL; 2) I did appreciate your post game chase of the wind-propelled shirt--those things DO happen to other people! I am betting you impressed folks with those Chippendale Dancer abs of yours while sprinting down the street like Carl Lewis.
Officials from every conference make mistakes. It comes with the territory.
My biggest complaint with PAC officials is that they make themselves an integral part of the game. Yes, the majority of their calls are technically correct but like basketball officials that start blowing the whistle on every ticky tack call, you can really ruin the game flow and enjoyment of a game by getting whistle happy and boy oh boy to PAC officials like to do that. I like the motto that the best officiating is officiating you hardly notice. Never the case in the PAC.
I live in Dallas and watch a lot of Big 12 football, and your comments about the Pac 12 officiating match the exact thoughts of fans here about Big 12 officials. They consistently fall short of reasonable expectations, and they really struggle to explain some of the bad decisions. This problem is bigger than just one conference. I love the idea of building the pipeline with smaller conferences. Hoping that happens in both conferences soon.
FWIW, the blame for the shirt fiasco goes to Pat Forde. Etiquette states to always offer colleagues a ride.
Shame on you Pat!!
As I was watching the clock management fiasco unfold (in 4k HDR! (thanks fox)), all I could think of was this column and your take John. I forgive calls that are made in the moment and expect human error. But clock management issues are inexplicable. I watched it and I read about it today. For the life of me I can't understand what happened in R.E.S. Saturday night.
Fix the fixable stuff first!
The officiating, while bad in the PAC 12 is not limited to just the PAC. Looks at comments from Nick Saban regarding the officiating in the Alabama/Tennessee game.
Commissioner K and Merton Hanks will figure out the refs thing. They'e smart and decisive. I doubt they will consult Woody Dixon.
Your stories about perils of the road resonate with me. I used to spend about half my time on the road and know my way around most of the West and Midwest by the airport call signs, convenience (or alack thereof) of rental car counters and closest Hilton Honours properties with free breakfast. Best US airport IMHO: DFW. Worst: Oakland. Best international: Singapore Changi. Worst: Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta in a landslide.
One thing that might be helpful is for the conference to be more vocal and forthright about acknowledging errors from officials and sending the message to coaches and fans that there are repercussions for poor work performance. Bad coaches get fired, bad players don’t see the field. Bad refs? Seems like they just keep reffing from what I can tell.
Roughing the Passer
ARTICLE 9. a. No defensive player shall unnecessarily rough a passer, when it
is obvious the ball has been thrown.
Was it obvious? Guess not. When watching in slomoreplay it seems to be the extreme end of the act of passing. Or, just legal. At game speed? maybe not.
That was a funny story about you and the runaway shirt John! It's too bad Forde didn't offer you a ride. I have heard over the years that the home team puts out a spread for reporters to eat for free before or after the games. Is this still true, and if so who among your travels has the best, and what items do you look forward to when you travel there? Thanks for all the entertaining pieces you publish, it's really interesting to read your observations and opinions!
Hi John, did the P12 ever offer an explanation of the play at the end of the Utah-USC Game? Obviously the play clock operator stopped the clock. Was there indeed a whistle, which is why he stopped clock? If so, why would an official blow a whistle while the play was still going?
re: PAC 12 Officials
“welcome now my friends to the show that never ends…“
Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse, they do. On the other hand, if all that went on really did result in USC losing their game, all the power to them zebras! 😎
I’m pretty much an anti-Oregon fan, so archive this one; Go DUCKS - Beat L.A.
GO DAWGS
Any more, millions of dollars may hinge on any one call these relative minimum-wage workers make (I don't know how much they earn but it isn't very much). If the call goes against you, maybe your underwater athletic department is out of the playoff. Or maybe the $5 million a year coach gets fired. Or maybe you lose a big bet in Vegas. Or maybe your coach keeps his $5 million job if it goes his way. I appreciate the angst.
Keep up the great work, John!
As many problems as the PAC has with officiating, from what I have seen, the ACC has a far worse problem. Not that the league shouldn't fix what Larry broke.
If any Pac 12 school wants to bitch about officials, they need to get in line behind WSU. The COUGS have been screwed over more than anyone else, and the rest of the league knows it. So Riley, Whittingham and the rest of ya..... get over it, you have had more than your share of calls go your way. I am not saying WSU would have won a ton more games with better officiating, just that they would have had the chance to win more games if not for all the bad calls.
Two things: 1) Watching the video of the roughing the passer--not sure if it should have been called, but it definitely would have been flagged in the NFL; 2) I did appreciate your post game chase of the wind-propelled shirt--those things DO happen to other people! I am betting you impressed folks with those Chippendale Dancer abs of yours while sprinting down the street like Carl Lewis.