Tag: officials

Dak Prescott uncharacteristically nasty over Cowboys fans throwing trash at refs

Prescott was upset that fans threw trash at players leaving the field Sunday. When he heard they were aiming at refs, he changed his tune. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Things turned ugly at AT&T Stadium as the Cowboys’ first-round playoff game went final, but one team leader’s comments about it are leaving an aftertaste that, for some, is even worse.

The contest’s chaotic final minute of regulation saw quarterback Dak Prescott drive the Cowboys offense 56 yards in under 30 seconds toward what looked like would be at least a chance at a heroic game-winning touchdown. But time expired before Prescott could spike the ball to stop the clock, and there were a few moments of confusion as officials conferred. When referee Alex Kemp keyed his mic and declared the game over, the hometown crowd voiced their displeasure… and more.

Videos shared on social media shortly after the 23-17 Dallas loss showed fans pelting the field with bottles and trash as the team headed for the tunnel.

It’s a deplorable and dangerous scene that has, unfortunately, played out before at other stadiums. But as bad as it looked on the surface, the situation may have been made worse by comments made soon after; comments that came from the unlikeliest of sources.

When asked about it in his remarks to the media, Prescott admitted he was not aware of the fans’ postgame reaction.

“No, I didn’t see that,” the team captain told reporters. “It’s sad. You’re talking about a team, you’re talking about men coming out each and every day of their lives and give everything to this sport, give everything to this game of football. Nobody wants to succeed more than we want to succeed. I understand fans and the word ‘fan’ for fanatic, I get that. But to know everything that we put into this, day in and day out, try our hardest, nobody comes into the game wanting or expecting to lose, and for people to react that way when you’re supposed to be a supporter and be with us through thick and thin, that’s tough.”

But then Prescott was informed that the fans were more likely aiming at the officials, who were exiting the field alongside the team.

The normally even-keeled Prescott took the bait and went uncharacteristically nasty.

“Credit to them, then,” he said. “Credit to them.”

He got a laugh, but that’s a cringe-worthy look for the team’s leader and Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee.

Yes, his team had just lost a heartbreaking playoff game. Prescott himself knows he will be criticized as part of the controversy over the final play; whether he should have run the ball, whether he should have downed himself earlier to save a few precious seconds, why he handed the ball to his center instead of to the umpire as is generally taught, and so on.

It was the heat of the moment, immediately following a gutting loss that he and many in the Dallas locker room and throughout Cowboys Nation are pinning on the referees.

Prescott’s frustration with the officials and anger over how Sunday’s game ended are understandable, but praising fans for potentially inflicting bodily harm, even if a poor attempt at a joke, is going too far.

Later in the press conference, Prescott was asked to clarify his earlier comment. He didn’t walk anything back, and in fact suggested that the fans merely felt the same way about the officiating as he and his teammates did.

“I guess it’s why the refs took off and got out of there so fast,” he offered. “I think everybody was upset about the way that this thing played out.”

Yes, everybody who loves this team is upset about the loss.

But many who love this team’s quarterback and hold him up as a positive role model are now justifiably upset and disappointed about his thoughtless comments.

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Music City Bowl: Officials for Tennessee-Purdue

A look at the officials for the Tennessee-Purdue game in the Music City Bowl.

Tennessee (7-6, 4-4 SEC) lost to Purdue (9-4, 6-3 Big Ten), 48-45 in overtime, Thursday in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl.

Below is a look at game officials for the TransPerfect Music City Bowl.

  • Referee: Jerry Magallanes
  • Umpire: Don Kahler
  • Linesman: Kip Johnson
  • Line Judge: Tom Laverty
  • Back Judge: Rob Lucklan
  • Field Judge: George Liotus
  • Side Judge: Brian Perry
  • Center Judge: Allen Andrick

Music City Bowl: Josh Heupel discusses controversial no touchdown call in overtime against Purdue

2021 Tennessee Vols’ football schedule

  • Sept. 2 Bowling Green (W, 38-6)
  • Sept. 11 Pittsburgh (L, 41-34)
  • Sept. 18 Tennessee Tech (W, 56-0)
  • Sept. 25 at Florida (L, 38-14)
  • Oct. 2 at Missouri (W, 62-24)
  • Oct. 9 South Carolina (W, 45-20)
  • Oct. 16 Ole Miss (L, 31-26)
  • Oct. 23 at Alabama (L, 52-24)
  • Nov. 6 at Kentucky (W, 45-42)
  • Nov. 13 Georgia (L, 41-17)
  • Nov. 20 South Alabama (W, 60-14)
  • Nov. 27 Vanderbilt (W, 45-21)
  • Dec. 30 Purdue (L, 48-45 OT)

Follow us at @VolsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of University of Tennessee athletics.

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Officials for Tennessee-Alabama game are announced

Officials for the Tennessee-Alabama game are announced ahead of kickoff.

Tennessee (4-3, 2-2 SEC) will play No. 4 Alabama (6-1, 3-1 SEC) Saturday in Week 8 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. EDT and will be televised by ESPN.

Ahead of the Week 8 contest, game officials have been announced.

Officials for the Tennessee-Alabama game

Referee: Moore,Alex

Umpire:

 Quick,Tom

Linesman:

 Jayroe,Gary

Line Judge:

 Lorance,Chad

Back Judge:

 Turner,Ron

Field Judge:

 Davenport,Phillip

Side Judge:

 Petty,Sean

Center Judge:

 Walker,Scott

2021 Tennessee Vols’ football schedule

  • Sept. 2 Bowling Green (W, 38-6)
  • Sept. 11 Pittsburgh (L, 41-34)
  • Sept. 18 Tennessee Tech (W, 56-0)
  • Sept. 25 at Florida (L, 38-14)
  • Oct. 2 at Missouri (W, 62-24)
  • Oct. 9 South Carolina (W, 45-20)
  • Oct. 16 Ole Miss (L, 31-26)
  • Oct. 23 at Alabama
  • Nov. 6 at Kentucky
  • Nov. 13 Georgia
  • Nov. 20 South Alabama
  • Nov. 27 Vanderbilt

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Cowboys’ McCarthy defends not challenging critical catch: ‘It was too close’

In 2014, McCarthy ended Dallas’s postseason with the toss of a red flag. On Sunday, he ruined their postseason chances by not throwing it.

For nearly six years, Dallas fans have turned “Dez Caught it” into a rallying cry and a stubborn point of pride. As the team now heads into the offseason after their 23-19 loss to the New York Giants ended a surreal and disappointing 2020 campaign, Cowboys Nation may have a new mantra. And while “Dante Trapped It” likely won’t inspire any leaguewide rule changes or its own Twitter hashtag, the play and the sideline’s reaction- or lack thereof- will sting for quite some time.

When Giants receiver Dante Pettis hauled in a 10-yard throw from quarterback Daniel Jones with seven minutes to play and New York up by one point, it set up New York’s final field goal. Replays showed that the ball may have hit the turf as Pettis went to the ground, but Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy opted not to challenge the call.

“The catch was obviously down in our area,” McCarthy explained in his postgame press conference, “and when the receiver turned to me, the information we got, we just thought it was too close. We thought it was kind of a bang-bang type situation. The fact of the matter is, we were in a tight game, and the three timeouts was obviously of high value there. We just didn’t think there was enough information to overturn it.”

The broadcast crew thought it was close enough to warrant a review, but the red challenge flag remained securely in McCarthy’s pocket. Graham Gano connected on the ensuing 50-yard kick, and the Giants extended their lead to four points.

The Cowboys put together a 17-play drive on the next possession that got the offense inside the New York red zone. But with the team needing seven points instead of three, quarterback Andy Dalton ended up forcing a blind heave on a desperate third-and-goal scramble. Giants rookie Xavier McKinney’s end zone interception sealed the New York win and ended the Cowboys’ chances at both a Week 17 victory and the unlikeliest playoff berth in franchise history.

A win would not have given Dallas the NFC East crown, as Washington won their night game versus Philadelphia and with it, the division title. Some may therefore call the loss- and the decision not to challenge the Pettis catch- ultimately meaningless, but for a Cowboys squad that had been on a three-game win streak, the season-finale letdown added one last insult to a season riddled with injury and ineptitude.

For Cowboys fans, the hope of a late-game rally being snatched away by the meticulous frame-by-frame review of wide receiver and football meeting the ground in agonizing synchronicity was a familiar gut punch.

“It looked a lot like the one from the playoffs before I got to the Cowboys,” running back Ezekiel Elliott told reporters after the game. “I think it was 2014, maybe. The one that Dez had in Green Bay that they called incomplete. It looked like that one to me, but I think since then, they changed the rule. So I don’t know. I’m not a ref. I don’t get to make those calls.”

Mike McCarthy was on the sideline that day, too. As Packers head coach, he had the benefit of ample replays being shown to the roaring crowd at Lambeau Field. He suggested that the scoreboard operator at MetLife Stadium on Sunday may not have been quite as eager to show Pettis’s play from every conceivable angle following the on-the-field call of a reception.

“We’re trying to get as much information as possible,” McCarthy said of the team’s internal communications in those precious moments. “Obviously, you don’t get a lot of help on the road, particularly if it’s a play that’s something you have higher interest in than your opponent; I think that’s the norm. But yeah, we have coaches in the box that relay the information. Ultimately, I make the decision.”

Back in 2014, though, McCarthy got extra assistance in making the decision. He admitted during last January’s introductory press conference as Cowboys coach that a sideline conversation with Gene Steratore, the head referee that day in Green Bay, prompted him to challenge Bryant’s touchdown grab.

There was no such help for the Cowboys coach on the sideline in New York on Sunday.

When asked if he thought game management had been a recurring issue this season, the first-year Cowboys coach was blunt in his reply.

“No, not at all. Not at all.”

Cowboys coaches did have a few extra seconds in which to debate challenging the catch. Because it was fourth down, the Giants were not able to hurry the next snap, but instead had to send out their field goal unit.

Even if Dallas had challenged the call and gotten the catch ruling overturned, New York still might have attempted the kick, which would have been from 60 yards. Gano had missed just one field goal try all season and is one of the league’s more reliable legs from long distance; he’s 25-of-41 from beyond 50 yards in his 11-year career. He hit three kicks of 50 or longer in Week 5’s Cowboys-Giants tilt and booted one from 63 yards as recently as 2018.

By throwing the red flag in 2014, McCarthy ended the postseason for Dallas, a team favored by many to win the Super Bowl. By not throwing the red flag on Sunday, he merely made it a little more difficult for a 6-9 team to avoid double-digit losses.

It’s not known if referee Brad Allen’s crew would have overturned Pettis’s catch. There’s no guarantee Gano would have missed from 60. There’s no way to be sure that the Cowboys would have capitalized and come away with a win. And in the end, even if all those things had gone Dallas’s way, the Cowboys players would still be cleaning out their lockers and scheduling exit interviews this week. So maybe McCarthy’s decision to not challenge is truly irrelevant.

“As I’ve addressed it,” McCarthy said, “I didn’t feel there was enough information for them to overturn it. We didn’t think it was clear and obvious.”

What’s clear and obvious is that the Cowboys’ season is over. But finishing it with a four-game win streak sure would have been easier to swallow than another offseason of questions about receivers maintaining control, coaches making in-game sideline decisions… and what ultimately might have been.

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Officials for Tennessee-Florida game are announced

Tennessee plays Florida Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

Tennessee (2-5, 2-5 SEC) continues its 10-game, SEC-only 2020 season against No. 6 Florida (7-1, 7-1 SEC) Saturday.

The contest will kick off at 3:30 p.m. EST and is being televised by CBS.

Ahead of kickoff, officials for the contest have been announced.

Officials for the Tennessee-Florida game

Referee: Steve Marlowe

Umpire:

 Paul Myers

Linesman:

 Ralph Green

Line Judge:

 Chris Conway

Back Judge:

 Wayne Gautney

Field Judge:

 Andy Britton

Side Judge:

 Justin Larrew

Center Judge:

  Kevin Boitmann

 

2020 Tennessee football schedule

9/26 at South Carolina (W, 31-27)
10/3 vs. Missouri (W, 35-12)
10/10 at Georgia (L, 44-21)
10/17 vs. Kentucky (L, 34-7)
10/24 vs. Alabama (L, 48-17)
10/31 OPEN DATE
11/7 at Arkansas (L, 24-13)
11/14 OPEN DATE
11/21 at Auburn (L, 30-17)
11/28 OPEN DATE
12/5 vs. Florida
12/12 at Vanderbilt
12/19 vs. Texas A&M

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“Total B.S.:” Lawrence, Cowboys defense criticize late penalties in loss

Just past the halfway mark in a season that was seemingly spiraling out of control, the 2-6 Cowboys surprisingly played their best game of the year against the undefeated Steelers. Dallas found itself in unfamiliar territory by leading for most of …

Just past the halfway mark in a season that was seemingly spiraling out of control, the 2-6 Cowboys surprisingly played their best game of the year against the undefeated Steelers. Dallas found itself in unfamiliar territory by leading for most of the game, sometimes by double digits. In the end, though, it was the guys in the black jerseys with the yellow pants who prevailed… thanks in large part to the guys in the black and white jerseys with the yellow flags.

The Cowboys suffered key setbacks at critical moments late in the fourth quarter, as untimely penalties extended drives and improved field position for Ben Roethlisberger and the rallying Pittsburgh offense.

While the Cowboys themselves were ultimately responsible for letting this one slip away, the subject of officiating did come up during the players’ and coaches’ postgame conferences after the heartbreaking 24-19 loss in Arlington.

“The frustrating part is that it wasn’t in our control,” defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence told reporters. “I’m not the one to complain, but that was total B.S. on that last call. Hopefully, the NFL can take that into account, and we get better from it.”

Dallas was flagged seven times for 70 yards on the afternoon. Three of those infractions were called on the Cowboys defense in the fourth quarter. But it was the last of them- roughing the passer against linebacker Jaylon Smith- that Lawrence seemed to be referring to.

“Of course I’m talking about the penalty [on Jaylon],” Lawrence snapped when asked for specifics. “I don’t know where that came from, but that’s very unacceptable. Especially in a close game like that.”

On the play, Smith was one of a number of Cowboys defenders converging on Roethlisberger as the pocket collapsed around him. As the Steelers quarterback let the ball fly through heavy traffic, Smith’s hands went up, and although he was still engaged in a block, one of his arms made glancing contact with Roethlisberger’s head.

Roethlisberger’s pass fell incomplete. But instead of facing fourth-down deep in their own end, the penalty gifted the Steelers a new set of downs with four minutes left to play. Pittsburgh ultimately scored the go-ahead touchdown on the drive two minutes and 79 yards later.

After the game, Smith struggled to explain how the play could have resulted in a flag.

“Yeah… I mean… I didn’t… Really, you know… just questionable calls,” Smith told media members via conference call. “I really didn’t do anything; I was trying to pressure the quarterback and press the pocket, put my hands up when the ball was coming out, and that’s what it was. Questionable calls, like I said. We’ve just got to keep fighting. Got to keep fighting.”

It wasn’t the only nitpicky penalty to be called against Smith as the game came down to the final minutes. On the previous Steelers drive, the fourth-year linebacker was flagged for illegal contact with Pittsburgh receiver Chase Claypool. That penalty wiped out a strip sack by Tyrone Crawford and subsequent fumble recovery and 22-yard return by Aldon Smith.

“They thought that I hit him and was just crazy over-the-top holding,” Jaylon said later of that call. “Really, he just ran into me. That’s really what it was. A few questionable calls in the game, but for us, we’ve got to control what we can control.”

That was the overarching message from Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, who acknowledged the officiating during the hard-fought game, but chose not to expound on it for reporters.

“You can write on it as much as you want. Go for it. I’m not going to,” the coach said in his postgame remarks. “Like I said to the football team, we need to focus on the things we can do better. What was called, what wasn’t called: we don’t have control of that. I think our players did a really good job of that. You want them playing with a lot of energy; obviously, it’s a physical football team that we played today. We expected a knock-down, drag-out type game. That’s what we prepared for. At the end of it, when you’re on the edge and guys are getting after it, you’ve just got to be disciplined through those spots. I’m saying that without seeing the actual tape; I haven’t had a chance to review it. We had some tough calls, and the timing of it was a real challenge.”

Coaches often dismiss “effort” penalties that come from players simply playing the game aggressively. Those come with the sport and are very different from mental lapses like lining up offsides or committing a false start. And officials frequently allow a certain amount of physicality, especially in the closing moments of a hard-fought battle. Broadcasters call it “letting them play.”

The Cowboys’ players, coaches, and fans watching the game can certainly make a Monday-morning case that it was the officials at AT&T Stadium who played… too large a role in the outcome of Sunday’s game.

Lawrence claims the defense didn’t get much of an explanation on the field from referee Tony Corrente’s crew… and he didn’t press for one.

“Once the refs make up their mind, they’re stuck with it,” Lawrence said. “Ain’t nothing you can really say. I mean, there are some things you can say, but they ain’t going to do nothing but cause you to get another penalty.”

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Officials for Tennessee-Arkansas game are announced

Officials for Tennessee-Arkansas game are announced.

FAYETTEVILLE — Tennessee (2-3, 2-3 SEC) takes on Arkansas (2-3, 2-3 SEC) today in Fayetteville for a SEC showdown.

Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. EST. The game will be televised by SEC Network.

Ahead of kickoff, officials for the contest have been announced.

Officials for the Tennessee-Arkansas game

Referee: Mark Loeffler

Umpire:

 Stan Weihe

Linesman:

 Michael Shirey

Line Judge:

 Gus Morris

Back Judge:

 TraBoger

Field Judge:

 Heriberto Bonet

Side Judge:

 Jesse Dupuy

Center Judge:

  Chris Snead

Game day odds: Tennessee-Arkansas per BetMGM

Tennessee-Arkansas: How to watch and listen

2020 Tennessee football schedule

9/26 at South Carolina (W, 31-27)
10/3 vs. Missouri (W, 35-12)
10/10 at Georgia (L, 44-21)
10/17 vs. Kentucky (L, 34-7)
10/24 vs. Alabama (L, 48-17)
10/31 OPEN DATE
11/7 at Arkansas
11/14 vs Texas A&M
11/21 at Auburn
11/28 at Vanderbilt
12/5 vs. Florida

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NBA gives retroactive flagrant to Anthony Davis for shot on Jeff Green

The league office seems to agree with Houston’s frustrations over the incident, as shown by the choice to retroactively assess a flagrant.

The NBA has retroactively issued a Flagrant Foul 1 to Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis, who made contact with the midsection of Houston Rockets forward Jeff Green late in Sunday’s first half.

Green stayed down in obvious pain for several minutes, though he did return to play in the second half of Game 2.

It was the latest in a string of questionable incidents involving apparent below-the-belt shots at Rockets players during the 2020 playoffs. Houston GM Daryl Morey and CEO Tad Brown each voiced their displeasure on social media following the latest example, and it seems that the NBA agreed with their assessment of the Davis-Green play.

Unfortunately for the Rockets, the ruling doesn’t provide them with much of a competitive advantage. Davis will be fined for the flagrant, as all players are, and it will count as one flagrant “point” on his record. If Davis were to reach four flagrant points in the playoffs, he would be suspended for a game — but that’s not close to happening, at the moment.

In real-time, the play was not even whistled as a common foul, let alone a flagrant. Going by the NBA’s revised judgment, it should have been two free throws for the Rockets and possession of the basketball.

Instead, Houston didn’t get any free throws, and Davis scored a layup as Green writhed in pain on the ground. In effect, it was likely a four-point swing as the game approached halftime. The Lakers went on to eventually win Game 2, 117-109, as they tied the second-round series.

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The play was not reviewed during the game, even though there was a 15-minute halftime break immediately following the sequence.

The NBA also retroactively issued a technical foul to James Harden for an earlier play, which occurred when his elbow struck Davis’ face after a foul. However, because it was a technical and not a flagrant, it does not count toward the league’s suspension threshold for flagrant fouls.

While NBA players can still be suspended for cumulative technical fouls, as well, the threshold to trigger an automatic suspension on technicals (7) is much higher than it is for flagrants (4).

Game 3 between the Rockets and Lakers is scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. Central tip-off on Tuesday, with a national TV broadcast on TNT.

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NCAA approves new rule changes ahead of 2020 CFB season

Tuesday, the NCAA released several new rule changes for the 2020 college football season.

Tuesday, the NCAA released several new approved rules regarding targeting, instant reviews, jersey numbering, clock management and referee jurisdiction.

  1. Targeting

Players that are called for targeting will now be allowed to remain on the sidelines with their team. Previously, players that were called for targeting were required to spend the rest of the game in the locker room.

2. Instant Review

Pace of play has been a recent point of concern for the NCAA. As the aspect of video review expands every year, the average pace of play increases and now games approach the four-hour mark more often. To combat the increased game times, the NCAA approved a rule that limits reviews that are not “end of game reviews” and reviews that are “exceedingly complicated” to two minutes.

3. Jersey Numbers

Players are now allowed to wear the same numbers, regardless of position, as long as they are not on the field at the same time. Additionally, the number “0” is now allowed.

4. Clock Management

In previous years, if officials believed there was time remaining at the end of the game, the play could be reviewed and if video proved there was any time remaining, referees held the power to put that amount of time back on the clock. Now, if review proves there was time remaining on the clock, it has to be at least three seconds or the game is over.

5. Referee Jurisdiction

In 2020, referees will hold control over the games 90 minutes before kickoff. In previous years, officials held control of the game 60 minutes before kickoff. The NCAA hopes that the extra time will limit the negative interactions between teams during warm-ups.

Study: Tony Brothers, Scott Foster dominate NBA referee mentions

According to a new study of Reddit communities, Tony Brothers and Scott Foster combined for 69% of total NBA officiating mentions by name.

The Houston Rockets and their fans aren’t the only ones to have aired complaints regarding NBA officials Scott Foster and Tony Brothers.

According to a new study by casino.org of sports-focused Reddit communities, Brothers (No. 1) and Foster (No. 2) comprised 69% of the total mentions of NBA officials by name.

Both Foster and Brothers were involved in controversial calls during the 2018 Western Conference Finals between Houston and Golden State, with Rockets’ researchers alleging that poor officiating cost them 93 points over the course of the close seven-game series.

The Rockets assigned expected point values to each incorrect call, as determined by the NBA’s internal officiating reviews.

“Referees likely changed the eventual NBA champion,” the Rockets wrote in a memo summarizing their findings. They also explained that veteran referees “exhibit the most bias against our players.”

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The memo was never formally delivered to the NBA, according to ESPN, with the Rockets instead communicating the message during in-person meetings with the league office.

In February 2019, James Harden called Foster “rude and arrogant” and suggested that he shouldn’t officiate any more Rockets games. “It’s lingering,” Harden said. “It has to be looked at. For sure, it’s personal.”

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Interestingly, Rockets fans were not among the Top 10 NBA fanbases to mention officials, according to the casino.org study. The top three are the Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs.

Ben Taylor was the NBA’s most positively mentioned official, while Jason Phillips the most negatively mentioned, according to the study. Phillips now oversees the NBA Replay Center in Secaucus, New Jersey.

The study found 40,456 total NBA officiating mentions by Reddit fans, as compared to 31,065 for MLB and 20,375 for the NFL.

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