Official Confirmation That Jaylen Harrell's Unsportsmanlike Penalty was BS
Most of you likely remember that Jaylen Harrell was assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for doing a "wipe-the-nose" gesture following a sack against Indiana. Brian was particularly incensed about it on the podcast.
What you may not know is that the NCAA puts out a YouTube video every week reviewing some interesting officiating calls from the previous weekend. In this week's video, they featured a play where Miyan Willams of an Ohio State University scored a touchdown and made the exact same gesture; he was not penalized. As the NCAA talking head confirmed, such a gesture is not on the list of gestures that result in an automatic penalty and is only a penalty if directed at an opposing player (taunting).
Video below (scroll to 3:09):
October 28th, 2022 at 8:20 AM ^
Cool, so they admit their mistake well after the fact. Just like they did with the MSU strip sack last year, and then everything goes on, business as usual, ashes to ashes, turn turn turn. Whoops, sorry, totally our bad, we promise we'll do better next time, kay?
I mean luckily, it didn't matter in the final result of this game, but it sure mattered against MSU last year with that strip sack. By the time they admitted their mistake, it was too late. Damage was already done, game was over, result determined. Just like any wide array of bad calls Michigan got in Columbus in 2016. You can tell me two weeks later that you made a bad call. So what? You already cost Michigan the game.
You admitting you made the wrong call after the fact and not doing anything about it from there is merely a hollow gesture. I get it, you can't retroactively overturn the result of a game, and no, there's not necessarily a guarantee that even if that strip sack was ruled a TD that MSU would've lost, but its about time that we start making the refs face the media following the game. There is simply no accountability on them for any of the calls they make. Good, bad or otherwise.
If you're so confident in the call you made on the field, you should be able to explain your decision in front of the cameras.
October 28th, 2022 at 8:33 AM ^
"Cool, so they admit their mistake well after the fact."
No, they did not admit their mistake. They merely pointed out that what the OSU player did was not illegal. If they had admitted to a mistake after the IU game, they would have made it publicly known by saying something like 'Harrell should not have been flagged and we're working with our refs about this'.
October 28th, 2022 at 9:18 AM ^
It would have been a near-guarantee that we would have won. Not only was the difference between 7 and 3 the winning margin for MSU, but it would have absolutely ripped their hearts out and given them no hope going into the second half. Instead they got a huge gift from the zebras, lifting their team and keeping them within striking distance. All they needed was to then convert all of the low-percentage plays, which unfortunately happened. Flipped a coin ten times and it came up heads all ten times.
October 28th, 2022 at 11:28 AM ^
What does a ref having to talk to the media do? It's still after the fact. I bet some of the refs would relish the idea of making a bigger persona for themselves.
Nope. Keep them hidden away from the cameras so their ego's don't grow. Dock them with pay. For any call it's deemed they got wrong, dock them their pay for the next game. Make it severe, make it quick. I bet you would see the quality of officiating increase significantly if their pay check for the next game was on the line because they mess up a play so bad it's deemed wrong after the fact.
October 28th, 2022 at 8:38 AM ^
While it should not have been flagged because players should be allowed to celebrate a big play, I don't get how wiping your nose signifies something good. Wiping runny snot off your face is kinda disgusting - then you just have that snot staining up your hand. I mean, I get it - we all do it because you gotta do something if you don't have a tissue handy, but it's not something most people are proud of.
'Hey look at me, I'm gonna wipe some runny snot on the back of my hand - WOOOO!!'
I just don't understand how that is a celebration...
(My lawn is okay, not immaculate, but okay...)
October 28th, 2022 at 9:15 AM ^
Someone said it means "wiping my face after I just feasted on you." Still weird, but maybe better?
I also agree with others that we shouldn't give the refs more opportunities to screw us over, since they already do that enough. Have fun out there, but be aware as well. Let's win so big that even the refs can't help Sparty.
October 28th, 2022 at 11:16 AM ^
The problem here is that the guidance given to the players is that (1) throat slashes are penalized, and (2) standing over or taunting your opponent will be penalized. Harrell did neither of those things and was hit with a 15 yard penalty that wiped out a sack. Good reffing there dictates not throwing the flag and at best, giving the player a warning (or letting the coach know this is pushing the line).
October 28th, 2022 at 10:07 AM ^
In this week's video, they featured a play where Miyan Willams of an Ohio State University scored a touchdown and made the exact same gesture; he was not penalized.
Well, yeah.
And anyway this is just, "Yeah, we screwed you; whatcha gonna do about it?"
October 28th, 2022 at 10:32 AM ^
It's stupid to call this no matter what, but Williams' gesture was much closer to a throat slash, IMO, than Harrell's was.
October 28th, 2022 at 11:43 AM ^
I saw this when I watched the game and I think I even commented on a thread here if anyone else did too. Good to know I’m not crazy.
October 29th, 2022 at 1:12 AM ^
There is an adage, "It isn't a penalty until they call it." It would then logically follow, "It's a penalty if they call it."