Meyer says SEC right in suspending officials

Oct 22, 9:10 pm EDT

  • Print

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP)—Florida coach Urban Meyer thinks the Southeastern Conference was right to suspend an officiating crew after its second controversial call of the year.

Referee Marc Curles’ crew called a personal foul on Arkansas defensive lineman Malcolm Sheppard in the fourth quarter as the Gators were rallying for a 23-20 victory last weekend. The league said there was no video evidence to support the call.

The same group of officials called the LSU-Georgia game earlier this month, which included a late unsportsmanlike conduct penalty the league said shouldn’t have been called.

SEC commissioner Mike Slive said Wednesday the crew would be pulled from its next scheduled assignment Oct. 31 and won’t work again until Nov. 14. Bowl assignments could also be impacted.

“If that’s the right thing to do, then they did it,” Meyer said Thursday. “I don’t know all the ins and outs … (but) I have great confidence in the head dog.”

Slive said the entire crew shoulders responsibility for each play, and said the suspension was necessary to maintain accountability among officials.

“Our institutions expect the highest level of officiating in all of our sports and it is the duty of the conference office to uphold that expectation,” he said.

SEC associate commissioner Charles Bloom said it is the first time the league has publicly suspended a football crew in this type of situation, the only decision that Meyer questioned.

“Why would you do that?” he said. “I don’t understand that part.”

Also on Thursday, the league said it had reprimanded Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino for publicly criticizing the officials.

Show your friends — and the nation — you know your college football. Sign up to play College Bowl Pick'em!
Updated Oct 22, 9:10 pm EDT
digg del.icio.us
more
NCAAF

730 Comments

Post a Comment
  1. Ruby
    730. Posted by Ruby Sun Oct 25 1:15pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I agree about Coach Petrino with poster 729; I'm sure he agrees also than when Coach Spurrier was at Florida and Florida lost crucial games to blatant cheating on the part of the refs and then called them on it, he was right to do so. He shouldn't have been criticized by the Conference or the media. But, it all depends on who your favorite team is doesn't it? Spurrier was always called a crybaby. So,what does that make Petrino and the rest of the AL fans who can't stand that their competition gets away with the same BS they have always gotten away with all these years!
  2. Jimmy
    729. Posted by Jimmy Sat Oct 24 11:33am EDT

    Report Abuse

    I am sorry but I think it is 9 kinds of stupid for the SEC to reprimand Coach Petrino for publicly critisizing the very sorry and very bias officiating crew that single handedly cost his team the game. I was very impressed with Coach Petrino for not making a huge scene during the game and getting ejected (which is what I would have done) and for not making any derogatory comments during the post game interviews. He saved his thoughts for his own show here in Arkansas and even then was not as critical as I would have been. Heck even nthe CBS announcers made some comments about "several" of the calls! I agree with one of the other bloggers on here, everyone is focusing on this one call, when there were several much worse calls! Like the pass interference call that should have been called on the offense! That crew is a rediculous joke and shouldn't ever officiate a game "together" again. It was embarrassing when they had to review the fumble at the end zone when it clearly didn't matter because it was recovered in the end zone and was clearly a touchdown. I am sure they were trying to figure out how to make it a turnover!!!
  3. Jazzducks
    728. Posted by Jazzducks Sat Oct 24 11:08am EDT

    Report Abuse

    I watched the game and felt the officiating was extremely biased for Florida. I think though the call was ridiculous too much is being made of the personal foul call. The whole game was wrought with awful calls and no calls. I saw at least 5 obvious holds by Florida that were not called, as well as, 2 celebration penalties that could have been called (Tebow and Cooper). Honestly, how can a team with a spread, no back offense that allowed 6 sacks in the game not get a single holding call. Get real. Also, the passing interference call was awful. For those indicating the personal foul didn't cost Arkansas the game that into account with the interference call and you have 30 "free yards" on that particular drive given to them by the officiating crew. While I applaud the SEC's suspension and I by no means think the individual officials should be fired I do feel the crew should be disbanded and not allowed to officiate another game together.
  4. <i>pearleyz11</i>
    727. Posted by pearleyz11 Fri Oct 23 5:43pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Michael: You are a hoot, I like your spirit!
  5. Casie C
    726. Posted by Casie C Fri Oct 23 4:17pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    michael h: two suggestions for a name change, i am open to either, my wife and several friends have 2 they use on me......"professor" (they say i am always trying to educate them), and "bear"(due to my stubborness and my 6'4" 240 lbs frame), i must object to pluto!
  6. Rik
    725. Posted by Rik Fri Oct 23 4:12pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Everybody and their sister realizes that Urban Meyer understands that once the game has ended and Florida has "won", it's in his best interest to slam the officiating, even if it did provide for his teams victory. He didn't do it on the field - how convenient. Arkansas got robbed. Makes me wonder if the officials got paid - like another Florida official who benefited in the recent past (even if it was professional).

    The NCAA needs to to get it's act straight. The "big" athletic institutions like Florida State (how nice of Bobby Bowden to suspend 36 players for the Music City Bowl with Kentucky "after" they had accepted the bowl game - win or lose, FS looked good), Florida and USC (that would be the University of Southern California) should not be immune to infractions. It's pretty damn sad! Mayo and Bush... I guess it will be swept under the rug...

    There is a need for more "balance" in college athletics. No school deserves to overload on 3, 4 and 5 star recruits... and then get forgiven when they cross the line.

    But who am I... a fan of college athletics... for the time being.
    Rick
    rikroller@yahoo.com
  7. michael h
    724. Posted by michael h Fri Oct 23 4:04pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    708 - Allen Skipper - You are not on the group to give out names. casie c has to request a different name. I let Dawg slide and see what happens. By the way, these are not handles from Animal House except for casie c.

    707 - Frank W - NO - you are not a member of our group SORRY!

    706 - Casie C - Your name is Pluto - you can request one name change.

    704 - Allen Skipper - Yes I dubbed you Killer - as I told casie, one name change request.

    Up Date:

    Dawg - Columbo
    Tony C - Iceman
    Casie C - Pluto
    Angry Dad - Lawyer
    richard s - Trojan
    Allen - Killer
    pearl - GI Jane
    MICH - Sooner go as stay

    We had rick z on the board but he has been voted out.
  8. Stephen J
    723. Posted by Stephen J Fri Oct 23 3:45pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Didn't see it, not a fan of either team. So, how do you get a personal foul out of nothing? Is there any explanation of what he thought he saw? Or called the wrong player's number. If it's just a mystery, phantom foul, something is foul.
  9. <i>gm32174</i>
    722. Posted by gm32174 Fri Oct 23 2:49pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Yeah and if the Ark qb didnt misss two wide open td passes and the kicker hadn't missed two short field goals , the refs wouldn't have been able to give UF the game!
  10. Peculiar Star
    721. Posted by Peculiar Star Fri Oct 23 2:42pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    If UF didn't turn the ball over 3 times in the red zone this game would not have been close.
  11. Toby
    720. Posted by Toby Fri Oct 23 2:25pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    The real issue as far as the officiating crew for this game is not that they blew calls, but that made calls that were not there. It's one thing to miss a call that should have been made or to make a "no call" because of judgement. It's another to make call that was not there. The pass interference play before the intentional fould was actually a no-contact play and shouldn't have been called. The intentional foul should have been discussed and overruled by the linesman or line judge on the far sideline, who should clearly see that there was no call to be made. If they would have used the same judgement as the "no call" on Florida's offensive PI, they wouldn't have been in this mess. When in doubt, don't make the call.
  12. <i>gm32174</i>
    719. Posted by gm32174 Fri Oct 23 2:23pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I just want to know what Tebow has to do to get a 15 yarder? They even let his boy Riley Cooper push of and hold defenders all game long with no penalty. How about the UF center during the LSU game moving his head and then calling offsides on LSU?? It's a shame the SEC officials have had an impact in deciding who makes it to Atlanta. Wish they would have done something after the AJ Green phantom call and the NBA make up call on LSU. The Dawgs got screwed vs LSU and if the refs hadn't blown the Ark Fla, Georgia would have a shot at the SEC championship when we beat Saint Tebow and Urban next week!
  13. Peculiar Star
    718. Posted by Peculiar Star Fri Oct 23 2:20pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Quit yer @#$%in' folks - bad calls are made in every game - that's part of the game we have to accept
  14. <i>simplyamazing8701</i>
    717. Posted by simplyamazing8701 Fri Oct 23 2:17pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I'm tired of this SEC Mafia officiating, make them go ref in the Sun Belt or something, check out the NCAA Week 8 Predictions at www.theidealsportsblog.com
  15. don
    716. Posted by don Fri Oct 23 2:12pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Florida, has been getting breaks, from the refs for years, and other teams do to. In this game I don't think there is any question that Ar. would have went on to win the game, had the refs not been on Fa's. side. With the spotlight, on the ref's, I think you will now see Fa. fall soon. They are Avg. at best.
  16. jboog
    715. Posted by jboog Fri Oct 23 1:21pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I'm not a Gator fan, but I am a big Tebow fan. I watched the entire game, and even I felt the officiating seemed a bit sketchy on both sides. Yes, Arkansas could have found other ways to stop Florida from scoring on the last drive, but still... that's difficult to do when the officiating is skewed. IMHO, the SEC refs handed the game to the Gators... what a shame.

    And I totally agree that Meyer isn't admitting to anything. He's pulling the "IF" card while at the same time sucking up to the SEC.
  17. jimtheg8r
    714. Posted by jimtheg8r Fri Oct 23 1:21pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    For those of you saying Meyer contradicts himself, hos statement "Why would you do that" was in regard to going public with the suspension announcement. Try reading a little more closely.
  18. Bob B
    713. Posted by Bob B Fri Oct 23 12:07pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    The headline for this article and the first sentence of this article say that Urban Meyers supports the decision to suspend officials. They are both false. How do Meyers' comments, quoted in the article, constitute support for the suspension? Meyer is quoted as saying, "IF that's the right thing to do, they did it." Meyer isn't supporting their decision here. He's simply affirming they made a decision. He then says, "I don't know all the ins and outs," admitting he doesn't have all the details on how the conference made its decision. Then he says, regarding the suspension, "Why would you do that? I don't understand that part." That's not support.

    There may be comments Meyer made that are not quoted in this article, but the comments that are included don't indicate support. This is another instance of someone in the media spinning a story.
  19. bill r
    712. Posted by bill r Fri Oct 23 12:00pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Urban Meyer doesn't understand why you suspend referee's. Why would you when you have been the beneficiary for the entire Tebow era. They should have suspended the ref's for the remainder of the year if not forever, if you prove you will help a teams chances of winning by calling bogus penalties, why would the SEC or any conference ever want these boneheads back. It would be nice to keep College Football pure but unfortunately ESPN and greed are trying to ruin the best sport in America.
  20. SpencerB
    711. Posted by SpencerB Fri Oct 23 11:58am EDT

    Report Abuse

    JACK G- u have no idea what your talking about, talk about Florida for once, Tebow sacked 6 TIMES!!! fumbled more than twice, incomplete passes all over the place, Florida played their worst game in two years buddy and all you can talk about is how Arkansas couldn't capitalize on 4 turnovers. SO WHAT Florida did the same thing. Your prolly one of those dumbass Florida fans who thinks they are unstoppable and Tebow is your god. wait till he leaves after the season is over, then who do they have to get em out of trouble?? oh.... not THE GREAT TIM TEBOW for sure, no more championships, no more talk about how good Florida is or showing Urban Myer in slow mo the whole game no more fame, cant wait...
  21. <i>pearleyz11</i>
    710. Posted by pearleyz11 Fri Oct 23 11:54am EDT

    Report Abuse

    GI Jane wow ... thats a compliment...... lol Never been called that one. Skipper has a black belt in Karate ... he knows his stuff......
  22. Casie C
    709. Posted by Casie C Fri Oct 23 11:43am EDT

    Report Abuse

    allen: thanks, i try
  23. JACK G
    708. Posted by JACK G Fri Oct 23 11:41am EDT

    Report Abuse

    i don't think Florida bought the game. it seems more likely to me that the SEC " fixed' the game because of thier own financial stake in the outcome. The SEC benefits the most in in this debacle by protecting both the SEC championship game and the potential BCS national championship contender. The appearance of impropriety is certainly there. Reprimanding Petrino for raising the issue of integrity obscures the real conflict of interest inherent in having employees of the SEC [referees] inappropriately influence the outcome of the game either through incompetence or intentionally.
  24. JRG
    707. Posted by JRG Fri Oct 23 11:36am EDT

    Report Abuse

    The hogs did not capitalize of 4 turnovers and could not convert on 3rd down. Go ahead, keep blaming the refs. Can't wait to watch Ole Miss smack the crap out of Arkansas.
  25. Allen Skipper
    706. Posted by Allen Skipper Fri Oct 23 11:32am EDT

    Report Abuse

    Cassie, it may not be a character from Animal House but you get the nick-name Wise One. Your blogs are so nicely backed up by stats. I would NOT want to debate you on anything...
Sign in to post a comment, or sign up for a free account

Video Spotlight

More Videos »

YAHOO! SPORTS

ALSO ON YAHOO!

THINGS YOU CAN DO

- Site Map - Additional Terms

Copyright © 2009 2009 STATS LLC and The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the STATS/AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of STATS LLC and The Associated Press.