ESPN’s talking heads need to get off their soap box.
The talking head's verbally lambasted Pac-10 officiating crew after they assessed a late unsportmanslike conduct penalty to Huskie quarterback Jake Locker during Saturday’s Washington-Brigham Young game.
In the final minutes of the game Locker orchestrated what looked to be a game-tying drive, only to have a yellow flag rain on his touchdown parade. Fifteen-yards later, the Huskies extra point attempt was blocked, sealing a BYU victory. (Watch it here)
Simply put, Rule 9, Section 2, Article 2c says a player can be penalized for an unsportsmanlike act for "throwing the ball high into the air." The rule also prohibits kicking, throwing, spinning or carrying the ball any distance for an official to retrieve it and spiking the ball (as is allowed in the NFL).
ESPN’s Mark May tried to say that Locker just “flipped the ball over his shoulder.” However, most estimates placed its trajectory at about 25 feet. That is one heck of a “flip.”
After the game, Referee Larry Farina had a comment regarding the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
“After scoring the touchdown, the player threw the ball into the air and we are required, by rule, to assess a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty,” Farina said. “It was not a judgement call.”
Farina may have violated the ‘spirit of the rules’ but he was dead on flagging Locker. A rule is a rule. Getting caught up in the moment doesn’t excuse the fact that when any football player reaches the end zones he should act like he’s been there before.
Sorry ESPN, point the finger of blame where it belongs…at a QB who's been there before and should have known better.
1 comment:
I couldn't agree with you more on this one. According to the written rule Locker was guilty of a 15 yard penalty. However, I find it laughable that what he did was consistent with the type of behavior that the NCAA intends to prohibit. Let's be honest here, the fine line between tossing the ball away so that you can celebrate with your teammates after a game-changing play and spiking the ball or actually 'flipping' it in a disrespectful way are two totally different things. What's difficult about this is the very nature of an unsportsmanlike penalty. What is unsportsmanlike to one referee might not be to another, regardless of whether there is a rulebook code that protects an official from inserting himself into the game.
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