<$BlogRSDUrl$>

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Outback Bowl coverup! 

Regular readers know that we spun into a transporting rage over the criminal officiating that robbed Iowa of this year's Outback Bowl. From first to last, from workaday spots to an absurd offsides call that called back a recovered onside kick in the final minute, the officiating not only sucked, but it was profoundly one-sided. Reader comments have more.

Now we read that Conference USA, the bush league that coughed up the zebras for that game, has investigated the officiating of the Outback Bowl and produced a report. But it is keeping it a secret! The conference claims that it is adhering to its own policy for maintaining the confidentiality of investigations into officiating atrocities, which is all well and good. You don't want conference members refighting last Saturday. But that reasoning doesn't apply here, does it? Neither of the teams involved were members of the conference, so the conference does not have to worry about its own membership sliding into civil war over the results in the report. What other justification could there be? Protecting the guilty?

3 Comments:

By Blogger Gateway Pundit, at Sun Jan 15, 02:38:00 PM:

This is the worst scandal since Watergate! Where is the uproar?!!  

By Blogger RattlerGator, at Sun Jan 15, 07:32:00 PM:

It's disappointing that you continue to beat this dead horse, but perhaps you will do me this favor: precisely what gift(s) from the referees gave Florida that 31-7 lead in the third quarter?

How is it possible that you missed how the refs benefited Iowa with some rather bizarre spots and non-calls?

And finally, how is it possible that 8 called penalties constituting sixty whole yards for the entire game called against Iowa even remotely constitutes a robbery?

It is bizarre how much bitching and moaning Iowa people are doing over this game.  

By Anonymous Anonymous, at Mon Jan 16, 08:55:00 AM:

RattlerGator,
What about the end of the first half, where the refs called a running into the kicker penalty to keep a last minute drive alive. Even giving you that one because the kicker and defender did touch (albeit I believe the kicker stepped on the defender), the very next play they gave Florida 15 yards from a "helmet to helmet" hit that did not take place. That allowed them the opportunity to score with little time remaining in the half. So there's 7 points of the 31-7 lead.

Also, the very first drive of the game, Ed Hinkle caught a first down pass and was clearly pushed out of bounds by the Florida defender while in the air and it was incorrectly ruled an incomplete pass. Iowa was then forced to punt.

The number of penalties does not take into account the incomplete pass call and poor spotting of the ball by the refs.

Iowa should've played better and didn't deserve to win, but it's hard enough to play against a quality bowl team, let alone play against a bowl team and the refs.

On second thought, this actually may end up being a good thing for Iowa. There season wasn't one to remember by any stretch so the bowl win wasn't all that important for this season. However, by feeling that you were robbed may put a chip on the team's shoulder for next season. I expect Tate to have a Big Ten MVP season next year and Iowa to again finish in the top 10, setting up a 2007 title run.  

Post a Comment


This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?