Alabama coach ejection? PU mask on? Apology letter?

[SeeingEyeDog]

https://www.facebook.com/reel/562123109579576

Questions...

1) Plate keeps his mask on. I have never seen this before. Pardon my ignorance, is this something new?

2) Are we really to the point now where coaches have to write apology letters for being ejected? (Mind you, I don't know specifically what was said here...I can think of some very personal things that someone could say to umpire that would "require" an apology letter as a consequence...)

~Dawg

[grayhawk]

I'm not sure I believe what is being reported. I saw this same thing on X and it was community noted. 2 game suspension? Sure. $25k and apology letter? Maybe the SEC issued that penalty, but it would be unprecedented.

[834k3r]

14 hours ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/562123109579576

Questions...

1) Plate keeps his mask on. I have never seen this before. Pardon my ignorance, is this something new?

2) Are we really to the point now where coaches have to write apology letters for being ejected? (Mind you, I don't know specifically what was said here...I can think of some very personal things that someone could say to umpire that would "require" an apology letter as a consequence...)

~Dawg

Appears to have been removed.

[MAUmpire]

I took a look just now and saw the same thing as @grayhawk -- that the apology and ludicrous fine was sent from a parody Twitter X account and got picked up by some news aggreggator/clickbaity type sites. 

As for the content, the Facebook link also didn't work for me. Here's the short clip of the ejection without the play. I don't know what the NCAA recommends but as a relative layperson here I don't have a problem with leaving the mask on -- i feel like it says "I'm trying to deescalate and get back to the game as quickly as possible."

[MadMax]

14 hours ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

Plate keeps his mask on. I have never seen this before. Pardon my ignorance, is this something new?

New? No. Fairly recent, especially due to all the video cameras now present in the (college) game? Yes. While certainly more personable (ie. “approachable”), there are things that a PU or a CC will converse with a HC about that really don’t warrant scrutiny, despite the camera’s presence tempting otherwise. 

Note that the mask came off for the ejection; it stayed on for the interaction. Now, according to SOP, we (umpires) are supposed to insert a formal warning to a head coach, prior to ejection. Of course, there’s a short list of things that a HC can do or say that waives that warning – and it looks like the Alabama HC said one of ‘em. 

[BLWizzRanger]

It also hinders Jomboy some content as he cant read the PU's lips.

[Replacematt]

1 hour ago, MadMax said:

New? No. Fairly recent, especially due to all the video cameras now present in the (college) game? Yes. While certainly more personable (ie. “approachable”), there are things that a PU or a CC will converse with a HC about that really don’t warrant scrutiny, despite the camera’s presence tempting otherwise. 

Note that the mask came off for the ejection; it stayed on for the interaction. Now, according to SOP, we (umpires) are supposed to insert a formal warning to a head coach, prior to ejection. Of course, there’s a short list of things that a HC can do or say that waives that warning – and it looks like the Alabama HC said one of ‘em. 

And my last two NCAA ejections speak to this point: participants are not to expect a free personal shot without actual consequence.

[BigBlue4u]

3 hours ago, Replacematt said:

And my last two NCAA ejections speak to this point: participants are not to expect a free personal shot without actual consequence.

Point taken.  Also, the coach was walking away.  When he came back, he put himself in extreme danger of being ejected.

[johnnyg08]

On 3/24/2025 at 8:05 PM, SeeingEyeDog said:

2) Are we really to the point now where coaches have to write apology letters for being ejected?

Apology letters are a joke. Plus, his grad ass probably wrote it for him. As an umpire/official, an apology letter has never done anything for me.