Make of it what you will... Bama can't cheat anymore

[Ranchdawg]

Was John Wooden cheating? Red Auerbach? Joe McCarthy?

Yes

 

[Ranchdawg]

These types of old stories don’t just come from Miss State fans either.

I watched Woody Woodenhofer beat Alabama twice while at Vandy only to have the officials call back his touchdowns. The refs had an "iron dome" on Alabama's goal line.

 

[Ranchdawg]

When 18-22 year olds receive monopoly money, the coaching profession takes on a new twist because now there's a new distraction for the players. You have to make them understand they're being paid to win not just paid to play. That's one area where Bama's staff is failing.

Let's hope it continues.

 

[Ranchdawg]

Do you have a cite for your claim that half the Refs are from Alabama. That seems unlikely. And wouldn't moving the SEC office just create a new bias?

The SEC does not allow refs to call games involving a school they attended, a school their spouse or children attended, a school that employs a relative, a school where they have a business relationship, or - if the ref is a former player - a team that employs a refs former coach or teammate (during the Croom era there were a couple of former Bama players who could not officiate MSU games).

Hometown and home state are only considerations for the SEC Championship game.

Refs make bad calls, and it is only human nature to assume there is bias. I believe Hanlon's razor applies: "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity".

What is a more attractive television product: A league where upsets are always possible, or a league where just 1 or 3 teams win all the time? SEC football is an extremely valuable television commodity, and only a fool would risk losing that money - along with likely jail time - by manipulating the outcomes of games.

You mean like the NFL? I am waiting for college football to be reclassified to entertainment like the NFL and the transition will be complete.

 

[Dawgzilla2]

You mean like the NFL? I am waiting for college football to be reclassified to entertainment like the NFL and the transition will be complete.

Prayers sent.

 

[Dawgzilla2]

If it was in 63 then I stand corrected. I thought it was in 61. Not going to go look it up. Regardless, the situation was the same. The year doesn’t really matter since it was over 60 years ago either way. Since you obviously know more about SEC refs than I do, I would like to know if anything happened to some of those guys that manipulated the outcome of certain games. I’m guessing nothing. I thought about the referee that picked up his hat on the Calvin Ridley no call, and I think his name was Skelton. We had a lot of issues with that whole crew and that guy in particular. Also, I don’t remember for sure, but I am thinking he is the one whose Grandfather played quarterback for Bama under Bear Bryant. I did personally see the refs get out of the van at one of our home games a few years ago and not only were two of them wearing Alabama jackets, everyone of them was carrying an Alabama duffle bag. I believe we were playing Kentucky that day, not that it matters. That would seem to be totally inappropriate if you ask me and sends a message that apparently Birmingham doesn’t have a problem with it. We had an SEC ref that lived here ( he couldn’t call State games ) and I used to talk to him when we were picking up kids at school. He was always careful in how he answered officiating questions but I picked up enough from him to know that some of the officials were shall we say Bama enthusiast.

Well, if you don't know the year, then we all have to wonder what else you mis-remembered. I guess we'll never know.

The thing about bad calls is, the winning teams overcome them. The losing teams see their chance at victory disappear in a bad call and agonize over it for years until it reaches mythical proportions.

Funny thing is, Bama fans used to be famous for blaming every significant loss on bad calls. It was funny to get them riled up.

That Calvin Ridley call is a prime example. I agree it was a questionable call...he had to widen his route due to a defender but it didn't seem like he was forced to go out of bounds. But people have turned a bad call into something nefarious. You alluded to it in your post, saying "he picked up his hat". That's SOP...the ref throws his hat to mark the receiver as out of bounds, and then they figure out if he was forced out and re-established himself in bounds. We can agree it's a bad call without getting lost in the woods of it being intentional. State had plenty of opportunities to win that game despite the call.

I agree there was a time when a coach like Bryant could intimidate the refs into getting favorable calls....but the SEC has responded to public criticism and made a lot of changes over the years.

 

[TimberBeast]

If it was in 63 then I stand corrected. I thought it was in 61. Not going to go look it up. Regardless, the situation was the same. The year doesn’t really matter since it was over 60 years ago either way. Since you obviously know more about SEC refs than I do, I would like to know if anything happened to some of those guys that manipulated the outcome of certain games. I’m guessing nothing. I thought about the referee that picked up his hat on the Calvin Ridley no call, and I think his name was Skelton. We had a lot of issues with that whole crew and that guy in particular. Also, I don’t remember for sure, but I am thinking he is the one whose Grandfather played quarterback for Bama under Bear Bryant. I did personally see the refs get out of the van at one of our home games a few years ago and not only were two of them wearing Alabama jackets, everyone of them was carrying an Alabama duffle bag. I believe we were playing Kentucky that day, not that it matters. That would seem to be totally inappropriate if you ask me and sends a message that apparently Birmingham doesn’t have a problem with it. We had an SEC ref that lived here ( he couldn’t call State games ) and I used to talk to him when we were picking up kids at school. He was always careful in how he answered officiating questions but I picked up enough from him to know that some of the officials were shall we say Bama enthusiast.

Pretty sure they were handed the game in '92 against us also, pass interference call maybe?

 

[60sdog]

If you look it up the score board said that we lost in Tuscaloosa that day 20-19, but that’s not the whole story. The lines on the field were chalk in those day. White lines except for the goal line, which was a bright yellow. I was a kid and our section was right on the goal line and we were sitting really low, probably on about row 5. Anyway with Bama leading 20-19, and less than 2 minutes left in the game we were down on the goal line after a long drive. Our running back went off left tackle right in front of us and clearly plunged into the end zone. After he got up you could clearly see the yellow chalk on his uniform in the area right above his knees. The referees huddled up, had a long discussion, and finally the the head referee picked the ball, put it on the 2 and signaled first down Alabama. It was not 4th down. Our fans, coaches, and players had a fit but they didn’t care. My parents were friends with a family that lived next door to Bear Bryant and we went back to their house after the game. They were good people and apologized profusely to us for what had happened. I was a kid but old enough to know exactly what happened and proceeded to go over to the Bryant’s house and knock on the front door. Mrs. Bryant answered the door and standing there in my Bulldog shirt I asked to speak with her Husband. She said that he was not back home yet but I could come back later and talk to him. Eventually my parents figured out what I was doing, put me in the car kicking and screaming, and we headed for home. A few years later we were in a tight game in Tuscaloosa again and Alabama went for it on 4th down. They didn’t make it but no problem, they gave them a 5th down and they made it. Most games were not on tv in those days and they could get away with almost anything, and they did. There are many, many stories and non of them went in our favor.

Pilgrim, I appreciate what you are saying, but that game was the 1963 game. I remember it well. State led 19-13 late, and Joe Namath took Ala. on a long, last-minute drive to win 20-19. The sad part was State missed two EP's that day.

 

[DoggieDaddy13]

Bama was definitely handed the '81 game against us. We could have been up by 14 at half - bogus holding calls!
And Alabama's only TD scoring drive had two invisible interference calls and a fumble forward for a first down. Hell, yes, still pi$$ed off.

 

[Pilgrimdawg]

Pilgrim, I appreciate what you are saying, but that game was the 1963 game. I remember it well. State led 19-13 late, and Joe Namath took Ala. on a long, last-minute drive to win 20-19. The sad part was State missed two EP's that day.

I do remember things a little differently and it was a long time ago. If you were there, then you and I may be a couple of the very few State fans still alive that attended that game as State fans. Do you remember the shenanigans on the goal line? The running back that I saw with the yellow on his pants from the goal line might have been Lynn Zerrainge???