Monday, December 8, 2008

Gotcha! Mr. Umpire

Gotcha! Mr. Umpire

Feeling unsettled after the Tech Texas/ Texas game I decided go home and review this game I had recorded. I wondered about that fiasco that went on in the south end zone during the third quarter. Like the announcers I also felt that the Red Raiders had to complete the drive with a score to stay in the game. It was during those four calls in six or seven snaps that I started to wonder about the big bang theory, did all this really just happen, or was a guiding hand involved? Returning from Darrel K. Royal Memorial stadium with sore throat from yelling when they weren’t. I first took a look at the Crabtree catch on the Texas 6 yard line. It looked like a catch, but the ref and even an announcer said it was incomplete. So after the much needed first down, I took a look at the Britton catch in the end zone and, low and behold, it was incomplete. I started wondering about the theory of evolution. But wait, I must evaluate that untimely holding call on the Amendola touchdown, minus the roughing the passer and helmet to helmet infractions, which was erased off the score board while 85,000 fans were screaming their heads off. At first, it appeared to me that the UT linebacker #2 failed on a spin more to penetrate past the big 300+ lb.Tech lineman. After a few replays, I realized #2 came in a little too high between giant Tech left guard and the center. He was clotheslined just under the top flap of his left shoulder pad by the giants right arm. The halted UT linebacker, then, in a desperate move with his right arm, attempted to underhook the extended right arm of the big left guard. As the underhook failed, he was jammed against the unfriendly gaint, his feet were a little too close together and now his two feet were in front of what little center of gravity he had left on this planet. So with a swish of the giant’s arm, #2 in a counter clockwise motion not clockwise, the daring young linebacker ends up flat on his back. If one had not seem what led up to #2 being put on his back with the giant standing over him, one might have thought the big guy used judo, which, unless you are on defense is considered holding. Well, what about the umpire or someone else calling roughing or helmet to helmet. There was definitely a big bang when the other blitzing UT backer hit the Tech QB after the ball was about three yards off his passing hand heading for Amendola who had four defenders around him as if they had been reading his mail. Oh well, the ump saw it differently but what about the helmet to helmet big bang reality? It was after the 15th or 16th slow motion replay that the gotcha occurred. I realized the ump was standing center camera on the replay from the North end zone . So, being the inquisitive fan I am, I decided to observe the observer. By reading the ump’s eyes, I realized why men sometimes fail in their various endeavors. His eyes were fixed on the QB before, during and after the helmet to helmet late hit. It was only after the mugging had occurred that the ump’s eyes shift to his right to observe the end result of a pancaked UT backer. There was the big bad Tech lineman standing over the home town boy. So, the ump reaches for the flag and steps to his right and walks off camera.
So before we condemn Mike Leach for standing up for what he felt deep ht on four of the five calls or no calls. Coach Leach was right on the catch ( the ref and the TV announcer got the ball mixed up with Crabtrees elbow that hit the ground in one of college footballs greatest catches), the pancake block, the roughing and the helmet to helmet and he was wrong on the Britton catch. Four out of five pretty good for not having TEVO. Oh and by the way the giants right hand never closed nor did his left hand participate in the pancake block. I guess it doesn’t matter because no one was watching or were they? Trooper Keeton
trooperkeeton@earthlink.net
Austin

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