Just saw this come across twitter about the Aurora-Monett game.
Jared Lankford: In football, the officials never win
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Lankford
Football is a game of emotion.
As a journalist, and even as a fan, I enjoy seeing the raw expression of a player after making a big tackle or scoring a touchdown. It's organic, pure, exciting and part of the game.
However, long-time Seneca football coach Tom Hodge used to tell his Indian football players that it was all right to play with emotion, but to not let your emotion play you.
Nearly every week, you see coaches pull players close and talk to them about keeping their emotions in check. Monett Coach Derrek Uhl addresses this topic during practice each week, not as a criticism, but as a reminder.
Emotional control also extends beyond the sidelines and into the stands. On Friday, more than 2,500 people crammed into the Houn' Dawg stadium in Aurora to watch a pivotal Big 8 matchup.
Larry Bryant, a local referee, once told me that the goal of a sports official is to get out of a game with only half of the fans mad at you. On Friday, both fanbases were furious with the officiating crew by the game's end.
With Monett clinging to a 13-6 lead, Aurora began a make-or-break drive with just over six minutes left in regulation. An already-hostile environment reached fever pitch when an inadvertent whistle prematurely blew a potential big gain dead on the Houn' Dawgs' first play from scrimmage.
Two dead ball unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on the same play forced Aurora backward. The officials spent the next five-plus minutes conferencing with each other, then spotted the ball at the 8-yard line and marked it second down.
Before Aurora could run a play, the lead official called timeout, talked to Aurora Coach Kale Kilgo and moved the ball back to the 4-yard line and changed the down marker to first.
The call infuriated Monett's fans.
Later on the drive, another quick whistle cost Monett a fumble recovery that would have sealed the win. Finally, an apparent game-tying touchdown was waved off by another quick whistle at the 1-yard line, and the Houn' Dawg faithful sent up a boo-bird. There were clock issues that caused further delays and served to give the driving Dawgs free timeouts.
Both fanbases blew up social media after the contest, complaining about poor officiating. The fans' infuriation was further stoked by a television crew's speculation in a broadcast that the officials cost Aurora the tying score.
In reality, the officials did a fine job. Were they perfect? No. But, there were several factors at play that the fans and some media had overlooked. Plus, officials are human, too.
First, the officials did let the teams play in the first half and allowed players to establish pile-pushing yards after contact. However, two players -- one from each team -- were sent to the hospital and will be out for some time. Because of this, the officials were quicker to blow plays dead in the second half, especially when forward momentum was stopped. Runners were not allowed to re-establish forward progress.
Regarding the inadvertent whistle, per the National Federation of State High School Associations, an offense has two choices: Take the ball at the spot where the play was blown dead, or replay the down.
Kilgo, like a child forced to choose between eating spinach or Brussel sprouts, chose to face first down and 24 at the 4, instead of second down and 20 at the 8.
Six plays later, the Cubs recovered an apparent fumble, but the officials determined that forward progress had been stopped and Aurora kept the ball. Player safety was the true culprit.
On a second and goal -- the play that some thought Aurora scored, but was blown dead by another whistle -- it was clear that the call was correct.
The video shows the runner break the plane. But the same video shows my large figure just three feet away from the action. The official saw what I saw -- the runner's foot stepped on the sideline at the 1. His body carried him into the end zone, but he was out of bounds before breaking the plane.
Some thought there were too many penalties. On that drive, there were four flags -- all of them for dead ball late hits. Prior to that, the referees called only six penalties.
In the heat of the moment, it is easy to jump to conclusions. Officials are escorted off the field after games for a reason. They are easy targets. But, as Hodge reminded us, we can't let our emotions control us.
It was unfortunate that all of those events came together on the biggest drive of the game, but that's sometimes the way the it goes. At the end of the day, we were treated to a memorable game.
I would hope that fans remember it for the effort of the players, not the perception of poor officiating.
Jared Lankford is the sports editor of The Monett Times. He can be reached atsports@monett-times.com, or 417-235-3135.
Jared Lankford: In football, the officials never win
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Lankford
Football is a game of emotion.
As a journalist, and even as a fan, I enjoy seeing the raw expression of a player after making a big tackle or scoring a touchdown. It's organic, pure, exciting and part of the game.
However, long-time Seneca football coach Tom Hodge used to tell his Indian football players that it was all right to play with emotion, but to not let your emotion play you.
Nearly every week, you see coaches pull players close and talk to them about keeping their emotions in check. Monett Coach Derrek Uhl addresses this topic during practice each week, not as a criticism, but as a reminder.
Emotional control also extends beyond the sidelines and into the stands. On Friday, more than 2,500 people crammed into the Houn' Dawg stadium in Aurora to watch a pivotal Big 8 matchup.
Larry Bryant, a local referee, once told me that the goal of a sports official is to get out of a game with only half of the fans mad at you. On Friday, both fanbases were furious with the officiating crew by the game's end.
With Monett clinging to a 13-6 lead, Aurora began a make-or-break drive with just over six minutes left in regulation. An already-hostile environment reached fever pitch when an inadvertent whistle prematurely blew a potential big gain dead on the Houn' Dawgs' first play from scrimmage.
Two dead ball unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on the same play forced Aurora backward. The officials spent the next five-plus minutes conferencing with each other, then spotted the ball at the 8-yard line and marked it second down.
Before Aurora could run a play, the lead official called timeout, talked to Aurora Coach Kale Kilgo and moved the ball back to the 4-yard line and changed the down marker to first.
The call infuriated Monett's fans.
Later on the drive, another quick whistle cost Monett a fumble recovery that would have sealed the win. Finally, an apparent game-tying touchdown was waved off by another quick whistle at the 1-yard line, and the Houn' Dawg faithful sent up a boo-bird. There were clock issues that caused further delays and served to give the driving Dawgs free timeouts.
Both fanbases blew up social media after the contest, complaining about poor officiating. The fans' infuriation was further stoked by a television crew's speculation in a broadcast that the officials cost Aurora the tying score.
In reality, the officials did a fine job. Were they perfect? No. But, there were several factors at play that the fans and some media had overlooked. Plus, officials are human, too.
First, the officials did let the teams play in the first half and allowed players to establish pile-pushing yards after contact. However, two players -- one from each team -- were sent to the hospital and will be out for some time. Because of this, the officials were quicker to blow plays dead in the second half, especially when forward momentum was stopped. Runners were not allowed to re-establish forward progress.
Regarding the inadvertent whistle, per the National Federation of State High School Associations, an offense has two choices: Take the ball at the spot where the play was blown dead, or replay the down.
Kilgo, like a child forced to choose between eating spinach or Brussel sprouts, chose to face first down and 24 at the 4, instead of second down and 20 at the 8.
Six plays later, the Cubs recovered an apparent fumble, but the officials determined that forward progress had been stopped and Aurora kept the ball. Player safety was the true culprit.
On a second and goal -- the play that some thought Aurora scored, but was blown dead by another whistle -- it was clear that the call was correct.
The video shows the runner break the plane. But the same video shows my large figure just three feet away from the action. The official saw what I saw -- the runner's foot stepped on the sideline at the 1. His body carried him into the end zone, but he was out of bounds before breaking the plane.
Some thought there were too many penalties. On that drive, there were four flags -- all of them for dead ball late hits. Prior to that, the referees called only six penalties.
In the heat of the moment, it is easy to jump to conclusions. Officials are escorted off the field after games for a reason. They are easy targets. But, as Hodge reminded us, we can't let our emotions control us.
It was unfortunate that all of those events came together on the biggest drive of the game, but that's sometimes the way the it goes. At the end of the day, we were treated to a memorable game.
I would hope that fans remember it for the effort of the players, not the perception of poor officiating.
Jared Lankford is the sports editor of The Monett Times. He can be reached atsports@monett-times.com, or 417-235-3135.
