Trying so hard not to wear my fan-boy hat, but I need to rant...

[Umpire in Chief]

First, one of the reasons I started Umpire-Empire was to support umpires and I detest umpire/ official bashing. But my fanboy self was livid Friday night/Saturday morning. Normally, I espouse that umpires and sports officials never cost a team a game, but this has me rethinking the matter, and it happened not once but twice,  mere moments apart with the benefit of replay which was used on all of those calls.

 Scenario. ECU is leading 30 -27. The last few minutes of the game there were what I will objectively call several questionable calls. The two most disturbing calls were a reception (horrible pic below but the best I could find) which in real time looked like a catch and from one replay angle looked like a catch, but when viewed from the angle from behind the receiver it clearly showed the ball hit the ground before the receiver's arms. And you all know my opinions on sports announcers, but even they were in agreement it was not a catch for what it was worth. After review it was called a catch. That was a 4th down conversion which would have also essentially ended the game. Then as the story linked below, there was a fumble which was ruled a fumble on the field, which ECU recovered, but after review, was overturned to not a fumble.

The American Conference made a press release stating that there was an error. But what does that do??? Also what about the reception???  The fumble wasn't the only game altering incorrect call.

That was after midnight Eastern time and I couldn't sleep for a while..

News Story :

https://www.witn.com/2020/10/31/aac-acknowledges-crucial-officiating-mistake-during-ecu-tulsa-game/

From @ToddFurhman on Twitter:

 

 

 

 

[BT_Blue]

I'm just happy we can bitch about football and basketball officials from conferences that are NOT the Pac12!

[Umpire in Chief]

Someone sent me this...

[Umpire in Chief]

There was also a call on our final drive, which I can accept given the ruling explanation. We lost a TD because the receivers toes touched in play but when he came down his heels hit out of play. The ruling on the field after some deliberation was TD, but overturned on replay. 

Not knowing much about FB rules I can't make any comment other than how is it different than dragging his toes and falling to his knees out of play which would be a TD? 

[maven]

The ESPN clips are useful. Here's what I see (12-year FB official):

1. The DPI call: every official has a "key" or player they're watching at the snap (don't listen to commentators, who know nothing about football officiating mechanics—and don't we also say "angle over distance"?). The B's key in that formation (at least for that conference), was the guy who did the hitch. When the ball's in the air, the line of scrimmage official should transition to the play as well, but he's got an awful look at the grab/restrict that happens on the play. When the defender hooks the arm and turns the shoulder, that's a supportable call.
2. The fumble: The AAC has admitted this was an error. I like fumble.
3. The completion: NCAA philosophy on catches where the ball touches the ground is that, if the receiver has control of the ball prior to the ball touching the ground, and provided the ball doesn't move or become dislodged when it contacts the ground, it's a catch. That's what replay confirmed: from the brief look provided by ESPN, it seemed the receiver controlled the ball before it touched the ground.

But the mis-officiated fumble stings. That would have done the trick.

[stkjock]

wow, that was a tough series for the striped team

[maven]

1 hour ago, Umpire in Chief said:

Not knowing much about FB rules I can't make any comment other than how is it different than dragging his toes and falling to his knees out of play which would be a TD? 

It's different by philosophy. The rule requires one foot or other body part down. 'Foot' includes the heel: if the player lands "toe-heel in a step," then the heel counts. If the heel is OOB, then it's incomplete.

The knee is not part of the foot. Toe in, knee out = complete. The foot was down before any other (non-foot) body part was OOB.

[UMP45]

16 hours ago, Umpire in Chief said:

First, one of the reasons I started Umpire-Empire was to support umpires and I detest umpire/ official bashing. But my fanboy self was livid Friday night/Saturday morning. Normally, I espouse that umpires and sports officials never cost a team a game, but this has me rethinking the matter, and it happened not once but twice,  mere moments apart with the benefit of replay which was used on all of those calls.

 Scenario. ECU is leading 30 -27. The last few minutes of the game there were what I will objectively call several questionable calls. The two most disturbing calls were a reception (horrible pic below but the best I could find) which in real time looked like a catch and from one replay angle looked like a catch, but when viewed from the angle from behind the receiver it clearly showed the ball hit the ground before the receiver's arms. And you all know my opinions on sports announcers, but even they were in agreement it was not a catch for what it was worth. After review it was called a catch. That was a 4th down conversion which would have also essentially ended the game. Then as the story linked below, there was a fumble which was ruled a fumble on the field, which ECU recovered, but after review, was overturned to not a fumble.

The American Conference made a press release stating that there was an error. But what does that do??? Also what about the reception???  The fumble wasn't the only game altering incorrect call.

That was after midnight Eastern time and I couldn't sleep for a while..

News Story :

https://www.witn.com/2020/10/31/aac-acknowledges-crucial-officiating-mistake-during-ecu-tulsa-game/

From @ToddFurhman on Twitter:

 

 

 

 

[Umpire in Chief]

@mavenI don't disagree on #1. I think the optics made it look worse. 

There is a picture on a ECU fan site circling 3 close by officials buy the flag came from 30 yards away. They are complimenting him on his arm.

The reception the same group is commenting that the official in the video at 1:42 is in la la land and not even looking at the catch. Right or wrong bad optics. 

Tough loss for a rebuilding team in a crazy year. On to the next game...

 

 

[maven]

Here's Blandino's take on the fumble (jump to 7:48).

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RTf94iWla_bgHjhRf3LDw9yFKRVqvize/view 

[aaluck]

On 11/3/2020 at 2:34 AM, BT_Blue said:

I'm just happy we can bitch about football and basketball officials from conferences that are NOT the Pac12!

The Pac12 would have to become relevant to a major sport for anyone to care about the officiating!  

[maven]

2 hours ago, aaluck said:

The Pac12 would have to become relevant to a major sport for anyone to care about the officiating!  

Unfortunately, they're a power 5, which means they send a crew of their shoot-from-the-hip officials to major bowl games. That program is notoriously political and poor in virtually every dimension.

[BT_Blue]

On 11/17/2020 at 3:11 PM, maven said:

Unfortunately, they're a power 5, which means they send a crew of their shoot-from-the-hip officials to major bowl games. That program is notoriously political and poor in virtually every dimension.

While I will agree that the Pac12 has notoriously been awful with regards to football and basketball officials. I will put the guys that work Pac12 baseball up against any conference in the country. And probably can make a case for them being #1!

[dumbdumb]

On 11/3/2020 at 9:38 AM, Umpire in Chief said:

There was also a call on our final drive, which I can accept given the ruling explanation. We lost a TD because the receivers toes touched in play but when he came down his heels hit out of play. The ruling on the field after some deliberation was TD, but overturned on replay. 

Not knowing much about FB rules I can't make any comment other than how is it different than dragging his toes and falling to his knees out of play which would be a TD? 

Could not find ECU or any College football on yesterday (me thinks it is over and "The" University of Alabama won the big game already, but i did catch that 2nd game (NFL) yesterday, and kept my eye on #53 even though not an ECU grad. Sorry about that. Hope you kept an eye on #53 also.

Added 1/19-And now you can watch #53 February 7th in Tampa.