Smith Targeting Call
- Thread starter psu7981
- Start date
It remains that CJF said the call was right. Of course he wasn't being truthful when he said it, and he was trying to high-road it and all that. That said it would be nice if somebody stuck up for us for once when we're getting the silent sanction treatment. It's truly absurd and it mocks competition.
I'd thought it was said earlier that since he'd missed most of the game, then he was eligible for the full game vs Minny.
He's not, nor ever was, suspended this week.
In fairness to CJF, he likely said that based purely on the explanation he got from the refs on the sidelines. You know, the same refs that botched the call. Franklin even said "per the way the rule is written..." in his postgame presser. Do you think he read the rulebook in the 10 minutes between the game and the press conference? I don't, I think the ref on the field told him that the rule says that even incidental contact like that was a targeting foul, probably because that's what the replay booth ref told the ref on the field.
If you would have given Franklin access to a rulebook and the replay I doubt he would have said it was the correct call, and I don't fault him for not knowing the exact wording in the rulebook in the heat of the moment especially given that he probably got a wrong explanation on the field. The refs, who are accountable for knowing the exact wording and interpretation of the rules, seriously dropped the ball on this one.
Yep, saw it live. No flag was thrown on the field and no penalty called by the review official. I think that they really didn't know what to do because the receiver caught the ball and fumbled after the hit. If you call targeting, does the fumble get reversed? Or, does the fumble stand and the recovering team keep the ball and merely lose the 15 yards on the personal foul? Not sure what would have happened if targeting is called.
The offensive team would keep the ball. That's pretty clear cut with any defensive penalty, so I'm sure that the potential confusion over how to handle it played no part in the call.
1) They addressed this within the hour of this post
2) They most certainly punish refs. You should have remembered Joe Tiller raising hell after he claimed that many controversial calls helped PSU beat Purdue in 07.
Story link
Not only was this ref mixed up in some awful stuff and beyond compromised, but his crew greatly changed the outcome of two separate games. And unlike the prevalent mindset of the B1G holding back PSU and protecting OSU/UM, both times the opposite came true.
The B1G reviewed the awful officiating (and potential corruption) by Pamon at Purdue's expense (and PSU's gain) and suspended his crew. But like the league always does, they find a way to lower the bar with officiating. Should you suspend them from all games? Crazy talk. Let's suspend them for Nov 17th, but let them officiate the Nov 10th game with OSU & Ill. Yeah, that will end well.
And again, for the conspiracy theorists out there, the B1G was reeling and desperately needed to repair its image. OSU & UM got humiliated that previous postseason, getting smoked by UF and USC. If it's true that the league conspires against PSU and protects OSU/UM, like many here seem to believe, why in the world would you let them impact a late season game of the #1 ranked buckeyes?
And guess what happened? They blew a bunch of game changing calls. The Illinois tailback ran for a big TD but clearly fumbled before he crossed the goal line. Replay was available (and it was a long TD with plenty of time to review it). They claimed they had equipment malfunction and could not buzz down (like the absurd replay angle explanation on the Vonn Bell INT vs you, both are actually possible with those hacks and highlight the extreme incompetence). On another TD, they had a full speed pick play where the blocking WR hit-sticked the defender covering the would be TD scorer. There were other blown calls as well, but those two were the most egregious and accounted for two TDs in a 21-28 upset.
Was this some massive conspiracy to keep OSU down too? Or does their incompetence know no bounds? It's the latter.
The reality is B1G officiating is awful. Part time refs are part of the reason, but mostly it's because everyone notices the failures. No one sees holding by their own team unless they literally tackle the other team's DL, but we all scream bloody murder when our team's DL is mugged.
The difference is the rest of us just think they're stinky stinkersons and don't assume that they're out to get us with their stupidity. Their rampant incompetence operates on a much higher plane and does not show discretion. It can strike at any time and hurt anyone in the process. The only consistency in B1G reffing is its awfulness.
Last edited:
Sorry but I'm not a conspiracy theory guy and frankly I stopped reading your post around paragraph 3 or 4 as it started the angry rambling.
The press release I saw about the ref screw up (buried in 1 sentence of a 4 paragraph CYA response by the big ten) came out today at 12:30pm. Sorry I didn't magically see that at 5 pm yesterday
. In any event, it doesn't change the incompetence of big ten refs over the years and the conference's inability, or unwillingness, to improve it. See Witvoet, Dave.
Yeah, this board focuses on the PSU ref screw ups since........well........its a PSU board. Shocking......
Well if you're not, then that's refreshing, because few seem to share that approach.
Were you hoping for a multi page admission of severe incompetence and lashing with nine tails? Of course it was a CYA. The entire BS penalty is a CYA system. They throw the flag for anything remotely resembling targeting and then need a ton of proof and courage to overturn it, even if it's a perfectly clean hit with a shoulder to a shoulder or this spectacularly ridiculous example.The press release I saw about the ref screw up (buried in 1 sentence of a 4 paragraph CYA response by the big ten) came out today at 12:30pm. Sorry I didn't magically see that at 5 pm yesterday
If any doubt, throw them out is the rule and the enforcement backs that up pretty strongly. The difference here is it was one of the few times they couldn't intentionally ignore the nature of the hit to exaggerate it (but we all know that's a naive absolute I uttered there, and it played out accordingly)
They provide major insight into why this penalty is over-enforced, to the point where it seems that the refs are actually calling it correctly based on league rules and intent. We all hate it, but the movement is clear. In this one case, they should have used the replay for an exceedingly rare reversal. It was a travesty that they didn't, but travesties are a regular thing for B1G officials.
That was my point.
Significant portions of this board feel that reffing incompetence circles around PSU and is out to keep them down (along with countless other B1G forces). How many people on this board even know who spartan bob is? He's pretty well known in B1G circles.
Last edited:
I disagreed with the call but I'm ok with it. Actually, I wish the Big Ten would not have admitted it erred.
All of the concern over concussions is warranted. When making the call, the ruling should err on the side of safety. That is mandatory if you wish to create a culture of health and safety. This was done, then sort of undone with an admission of the error on the call. That's my opinion
All of the concern over concussions is warranted. When making the call, the ruling should err on the side of safety. That is mandatory if you wish to create a culture of health and safety. This was done, then sort of undone with an admission of the error on the call. That's my opinion
How does punishing someone for "PLAYING THE BALL" and not remotely "targeting" the receiver "create a culture of health and safety"??? Smith never targeted or "took aim" at any player whatsoever in any way, shape or form AND the Targeting Rule itself SPECIFICALLY states that what Smith did in focusing on the ball and "playing the ball" is NOT TARGETING, so what in the hell are you talking about that penalizing a player for NOT TARGETING as even the rule states somehow "creates a culture of health and safety"??? He already was participating in a "culture of health and safety" by NOT TARGETING THE PLAYER, but rather FOCUSING ON, AND PLAYING, THE BALL . Your post is not only antithetical to the STATED PROVISIONS of the Targeting Rule itself, but antithetical to common sense!
I disagreed with the call. But I'm ok they erred toward safety. Can't you phucking read?
Your post and position makes ZERO logical or cognitive sense given that "playing the ball" and not targeting the receiver (i.e., "taking aim" at the ball rather than the receiver) as THE TARGETING RULE ITSELF EVEN SPECIFICALLY PRESCRIBES is participating in a "culture of health and safety" you phucking moron! Penalizing someone for PARTICIPATING in the "culture of health and safety" ALREADY PRESCRIBED BY THE TARGETING RULE does not promote anything except bull$hit, made-up, agenda-based, cheating calls like the one CREATED from whole clothe by the b1g shizhole cheaters on Saturday!
Tighten up the poser troll handle Mr. defend all things b1g shizhole douche-nozzle - your absurd and antithetical rationalizations are weak.
Last edited:
So lay it out there (preferably in 1000 words or less, using paragraphs and refraining from personal attacks)...How do you think it all goes down? Does the B1G tell the officials each to screw PSU? Do they only hire officials who have promised that they'll screw PSU? Do officials somehow just "figure it out" that they need to screw PSU? Is it just certain officials, or is every single official in the B1G down with the "screw PSU" mantra? And do you think that details of it will ever come out, or will every official take it to their grave without ever telling a soul?
Like you, I have no problem with the original call--for the same reason (safety). I wish they'd gotten it right on replay however. That's what it is there for.
I couldn't have said it better (and actually feel the same way about the 2012 Nebraska TD call, as that was really tough for the official in "real-time", but replay seems too hesitant to overturn calls at times).
Dick Honig, a HUGE UM fan, used to have a helmet made into a lamp in his office; along with dozens of pro-michigan memorabilia. Honig used to schedule the refs for each game. His pet refs would get the good games. In addition, he'd fire a couple and hire a couple each year. If you are an aspiring ref, and you needed to make bang-bang calls, where would you error on the side or caution?
At the same time, when the B1G totally realigned football to bring in Penn State, MA, Rutgers and Nebraska...what "rivalry" was preserved beyond any semblance of sense? Why is the conference so lopsided in football? Why is the last game of the year always UM/tOSU?
Now add in the plethora of awful calls against PSU (not counting the B1G piling on for the JS scandal).
People who continue to deny that the B1G football is all about preserving the Big Two, Little 8+ are hilarious.
When you clearly "get it wrong"....why would it be better, or serve ANY purpose, to deny that you Fed it up? Or to not admit to the error?
WTF?
How is "player safety" enhanced by allowing a horribly incorrect call to stand?
The fact that some assclowns now look at that stuff in the secure, no pressure, atmosphere of a replay booth.....and still get such a clear call so horribly wrong.......is "disconcerting", to say the least.
If you want to change the rules - - - - forbid contact while the ball is in the air? remove facemasks and shoulder pads? IDK what else one could do - - - - then advocate for that
Yeah, I think that's been the pretty consistent theme on here (and elsewhere) since Saturday...the original call was understandable, given the contact and the way the Michigan guy's head snapped back. But replay should have overturned it as it was clearly not targeting. What possible safety purpose is served by intentionally NOT overturning an incorrect call? That idea just seems very odd to me.
When was Honig in charge of scheduling officials? And, if he had the ability to hire and fire, why would he hire, or at the very least, not fire former PSU football players?
This makes the replay official's actions even more egregious IMHO. Because as you remember, replay CONFIRMED the ruling on the field. They said they got the call right on the field. Had replay allowed the ruling to stand, that would have been one thing. But they confirmed it. That's some really, really bad judgment.
No doubt, when the defensive player does PRECISELY what the Targeting Rule prescribes (i.e., not taking aim at ANYONE, but instead legally focusing on, and playing, the ball), how would penalizing the party who is already PARTICIPATING in the "culture of health and safety" prescribed by the rule itself promote anything but more agenda-based bull$hit calls, that can't be turned over, by the corrupt b1g shizhole officials??? This poster is clearly "agenda-based" with an agenda to defend the corrupt b1g shizhole clowns regardless of how disgraceful their behavior is as evidenced by the complete lack of logic and antithetical nature of his post that the game is positively served by allowing corrupt b1g shizhole scumbags free-reign to pull their agenda-based bull$hit and cheating!!!
And most importantly, why isn't Ohio State screwed week in and week out by Big Ten officials?
And Honig never assigned officials as far as I know. Dave Perry did it forever, then Bill Carollo took over I thought.
Last edited:
Why wouldn't it be preserved? It's one of the biggest rivalries in sports. It would be like Air Force complaining that Army and Navy always get to finish out the season against each other.
I may have the name wrong, but i recall reading a big article on the guy who was in charge of B1G officials for several years.
Google a guy named Stephan Paymon, its good reading.
LOL
Have you looked at the future schedules?
Here's a hint for ya'.....
PSU/MSU have had a "mini-tradition" of meeting on the last week of the season.....and that has been, for the most part, a nice way to finish the season - probably about as good as you could get, given that OSU and UM are already tied up in their season enders, and even moreso now that Dantonio has MSU at a high level.
Look at who the B1G folks have set up as our big season-enders moving forward. Can you say "irrelevant"?
Because preserving it is proof positive of special treatment. ND/Michigan wasn't preserved. Pitt Penn State wasn't preserved.
Yet, the B1G completely imbalances the league by keeping both schools in the "East" and, not only that, preserves it for the last game of the season.
I weep at night knowing that all of college football will miss out on the battle for the Land Grant Trophy to finish out the year.
MSU has always been a "forced" rivalry. It really doesn't matter to me when (or if) we play them (though if they continue to be as good as they've been recently, I'd like to play them every year).
Newsflash - ND/Michigan and Pitt/Penn State aren't in the same conference. The Big Ten would be stupid to not keep the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry to finish out each season.
Why? Do you know of any other sport that bastardized their entire schedule to do that? Why does it have to be the last game? If they are so great, wouldn't they meet in the championship?
Oh, but he's Erial_"Lion" don't you know? All this defense of all things b1g is just coincidental to him being a "Penn State fan", don't you know? Because he's going to lecture us on the existence of "bias" and that there really is no such thing (despite science proving the diametric opposite)...that bias doesn't exist in the "traditional b1g shizhole" and how it's totally a "conspiracy theory" ALL WHILE FRAUDULENTLY POSING AS A PSU FAN FOR THE PURPOSE OF ALL DISGRACEFUL DEFENSE OF THE b1g SHIZHOLE INDEFENSIBLE....truly LMFAO at this clown and his merry-band of scUM @ssclown supporting jesters!
