October 16, 2007
Did Ole Miss get robbed in Alabama game?
There are *a lot* of angry, shoe-less Missippi fans this week, in the wake of a controversial loss to Alabama.
For the record, "shoe-less" is not a derogatory remark in this context. After the game, Ole Miss fans showered the field with debris, including their high-heel "f*ck me" pumps.
The general concensus among Ole Miss fans is that the SEC officials blew a late review call that would have given the Rebels the ball on the four-yard line and a chance to win the game.
Well, Fanblogs co-founder Pete Holiday researched the call and found that the refs got it right.
It's really, really easy to make this play look "inconclusive". Have a look at this YouTube video from Ole Miss fan 'tygbro':He gets the rules right, but then shows a bunch of photos taken after the relevant portion of the play. He also shows some videos, but we don't get any slow-mo or frame stoppages.
And Pete is spot on, because first question on this play is whether or not Hodge was eligible/ineligible because he had/hadn't stepped out of bounds during the play.
Pete also goes answers every Ole Miss allegation that I've seen on the web, so please take a moment and share those with your favorite outraged Rebel fan.
3. Hodge Was Pushed Out By Mitchell (and there wasn't conclusive evidence otherwise) Per the NCAA Rules, an eligible receiver who is pushed out of bounds may regain eligibility if he immediately returns to the field of play. This is not the case when he leaves the field of play under his own power.First of all, Hodge did not have position on Mitchell. For most (if not all) of his route, he was behind Mitchell. Further, when he went out of bounds, both players were looking for the ball and Mitchell's back was to Hodge. To say that Mitchell "pushed" Hodge out of bounds is clearly false. All of this is readily apparent on replay.
Further, Hodge took no fewer than five steps on the white line, even if he was pushed out of bounds, he didn't return to the field of play immediately, he continued running out of bounds to try to gain position on Mitchell.
And -- as far as that play goes -- that's that. The Ole Miss player is ineligible. Right? Right.
And now the SEC has confirmed that the officials made the correct call.
"When I watched the tape this morning, I saw nothing that would give me guidance to dispute or disagree with the ruling of the replay official," said Rogers Redding, the SEC's coordinator of officials.
...
Redding said the replay official was right in ruling that Hodge was not "blocked" out of bounds, as the rule requires. And he saw two views of the catch that went against Ole Miss. One showed Hodge touch the ball first and the second showed a "simultaneous" catch, which by rule goes to the offensive player.
I understand being upset about a close play. I don't understand throwing whisky bottles and high heels onto the field. It will be interesting to see if the SEC steps in and assesses any sort of fine to Mississippi for poor sportsmanship. The fans that reacted in that fashion embarrassed Ole Miss, a school with a proud football tradition.
Comments:
col reb said:
posted on October 16, 2007 9:35 AM — 76.107.123.246 — link — abuse?
I was there, and if you are a Rebel fan it was the most deflating call in the world. We have had 4 years now of sub-par football, and then this great game and this big play. Then 5 minutes of review. Then the reversed call. I don't agree with the throwing of bottles, but it is kind of a tradition. The refs must have looked at this play 10 times, so I feel they made the call they believe was right, but there were a lot of questionable calls throughout the game. I guess when you are losing (and losing often) it just feels as though you cannot catch a break.
Autigerman said:
posted on October 16, 2007 9:41 AM — 129.61.46.60 — link — abuse?
In my mind the question wasnt if the player went out of bounds but rather did he touch the ball first. My understanding of the rule is that if the ball is touched by another player first then he becomes an eligible receiver.Both commentators believed and replay seem to show that the ball was first intercepted and then taken away by the receiver.
As for the throwing of trash, was that deja vu from the Alabama Georgia game. Come on SEC fans show some class.Autigerman said:
posted on October 16, 2007 9:49 AM — 129.61.46.60 — link — abuse?
From the still photos that are posted probably not enough evidence to reverse the call.
Does look like he was at least in position to touch the ball first hard to tell if he did or didnt.But that fumble call in first half was a blown call for sure.
posted on October 16, 2007 12:44 PM — 205.188.116.136 — link — abuse?War Eagle Atlanta
said:
Look at the picture (first link) of the guys photographing the f*ck me pumps. Doesn't it look like a scene out of CSI, getting in real close to take the detailed pictures of the crime scene?
If those are where both shoes landed, the chick that threw them sure had some good grouping on those. Perhaps she pitches for the Ole Miss softball team.
Alas, some poor Rebel frat boy didn't get laid that night 'cuz his gurl lost her shoes...
Of course, for them to really be f*uck me pumps, they have to be white, because we've all seen 80s porn before...
T-Mac
posted on October 16, 2007 3:55 PM — 66.78.139.117 — link — abuse? said:
There are missed calls in every game and in every sport!
Not the first time this has happened and certainly won't be the last.
Even with instant replay there is no perfectly officiated game.
That's life.
T-Mac will post when he can.
*T-Mac approved this message.Zac said:
posted on October 16, 2007 5:24 PM — 209.36.193.14 — link — abuse?
Fans seem to think this “review” system is the end all to any questions regarding calls made on the field. Obviously, it is not, nor was it ever intended to be. The rule is, there must be INDISPUTABLE evidence to over-rule a call made on the field. It’s certainly easy enough for us to say they got it wrong twice, when viewing everything from our living room, let alone those who think they have an even better view from the stands. In this case, we even have an independent viewer who agrees with the officials and the play reviewers. Like it or not, believe it or not, accept it or not, on Saturday, October 13, 2007, Ole Miss lost to AL. It’s history. Learn from it and move on.
Hotty Toddy said:
posted on October 16, 2007 8:49 PM — 75.105.128.57 — link — abuse?
In no way am I trying to justify for the students throwing trash on the field, but you certainly have to sympathize with them and the rest of the fans. I was there and it was heart-breaking.
As an Ole Miss fan I am biased, but that call was clearly messed up, inside and out. As I said before... truly a disgrace of officiating.
OxfordAndrew said:
posted on October 16, 2007 11:31 PM — 75.66.73.42 — link — abuse?
I like the job he did analyzing the catch, and from /that angle/ it does look like the refs got the call correct. Still, I doubt the refs were in the booth drawing little outlines on still frames to figure out whose hands were in front of whose.
I just can't see that there was conclusive evidence to overturn the call on the field, especially when it takes an hour of an Alabama alum examining and photoshopping still frames to try to justify it afterwards.
gatorstud said:
posted on October 17, 2007 8:49 AM — 69.95.111.248 — link — abuse?
so let me get this straight......the sec fines the university of kentucky for it's fans rushing onto the field after they beat the no. 1 team in the nation.......but no fines for ole miss for their fans throwing garbage on the field at players.....hhmmmm
sounds like the sec commish needs to get his head out of his ass.....and give fines where they should be.....jmho
go gators......and hokies
TampaGator said:
posted on October 17, 2007 4:27 PM — 64.12.116.136 — link — abuse?
Kevin/#10:
The issue isn't really wether they got the call technically correct; it's whether they had grounds to overturn the call on the field.
The mere fact that you have to engage in an analysis comparable to "who shot JFK" to determine if the call was technically correct or not...
...speaks volumes.
What next? Appeallate reveiw of replay decisions with retroactive applicaiton?
The call should not have been overturned with what they had a the time (without regard to the technical correctness of the call).
My $.02....from a neutral perspective (i.e.--no dog in this fight, other than a little sympathy for the underdog).
GO GATORS!!
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TampaTiger said:
posted on October 16, 2007 9:26 AM — 24.96.199.254 — link — abuse?What in the world is going on with the poor sportsmanship in the SEC this year!! Come on Rebs'! Part of being a great football team is being humble in defeat. Even if the call was a bad call, which it doesn't appear to have been, it still isn't a license to throw debrit all over the football field. The SEC is on the national stage at all times, our fans need to realize that and stop acting like 12 year olds throwing a tantrum.
War Eagle!