"Third Party" overruled all officials in Pac-12 game

Submitted by Monocle Smile on October 11th, 2018 at 12:38 AM

According to this document, some Pac-12 suit phoned in to overrule the officials both on the field and in the booth on the matter of a targeting foul in the Washington State vs. USC game on September 21.

This discovery is, to put it mildly...troubling. What other implications could this have? Why does this guy's opinion matter in the slightest? Is this merely clickbait and not the mess it appears to be?

Arb lover

October 11th, 2018 at 9:02 AM ^

usually when people say "third party" they mean someone not part of the agreement/scenario or someone not involved in the actual process. Like they could just mean the involved parties (which could be 2, 5, etc) vs the uninvolved (3rd) parties. 

I'm just saying don't interpret too much and try to find the 2nd party in this situation. 

Michigan4Harbaugh

October 11th, 2018 at 12:49 AM ^

Freemasonry at work?? Smells like fraud to me. This type of shit needs the brightest of lights shined upon it. Bring this type of crockery out in to the open, and expose these behind the scenes fucks who want to have "control" over outcomes in college athletics. Players and coaches work way too damn hard in the off season, and in-season, for these seedy sleaze bags to have any affect on football and or basketball games.

UM Fan from Sydney

October 11th, 2018 at 6:14 AM ^

Free masonry work? I need some masonry work done. Please provide the telephone number.

EDIT: This makes me think there was some third party interaction in the 2016 game in Columbus. I would not be surprised one bit.

schreibee

October 11th, 2018 at 10:23 AM ^

Wouldn't an attorney only be interested in enforcing targeting? NOT overturning? 

For CYA reasons? 

More likely a person within the Pac12 who feels about USC the way ppl within the B1G feel about Michigan-

i.e. "How can we screw these guys, even if it puts us under scrutiny & opens us up to charges of chicanery?"

Remember- the refs at cbus 2016 had been ruled ineligible to work osu games due to stuff they'd posted on Facebook that made it clear they couldn't be neutral about osu.

Yet there they were, calling unsportsmanlike on JH for tossing his clipboard (those 15 yds were MORE than double osu's for the entire 2 OT game), and of course ruling on the famous spot.

Ever hear an explanation of why that crew was working The Game? I haven't 

goblue12820

October 11th, 2018 at 12:56 AM ^

he phoned in? Who did he call? Was he just watching the game and has the replay booth on speed dial? How did he know they were going to confirm the targeting? 

Caesar

October 11th, 2018 at 2:32 AM ^

Yeah, this is really troubling. The dude is just a suit:

“unfortunately a third party did not agree” with the call. That “third party” was Pac-12 general counsel and senior vice president of business affairs Woodie Dixon, Yahoo Sports sources have confirmed.

Dixon oversees football for the conference but is not a formally trained official. Dixon telephoned in his opinion that the play wasn’t targeting, sources said. According to the report, his opinion overruled both the trained officials in the stadium replay booth and in the league’s command center. 

B-Nut-GoBlue

October 11th, 2018 at 3:09 AM ^

But seriously the USC hit later on that went unflagged was more egregious than the hit in question and Scott's comments on it later that week left a lot to be desired.  There are crooks amidst college football but people don't want to believe it because "that would never happen, some calls are just unlucky, the officials really do try hard to be good and aren't bias...ever".

BlueinLansing

October 11th, 2018 at 10:38 AM ^

I watched this game, if I recall this play wasn't flagged or even reviewed.  I was dumbfounded while watching it.

The play that was "overruled" was a WSU player targeting a USC player, I remember it being sort of sketchy as targeting, but I could be wrong

 

I've watched a lot of Pac12 football the last 2 or 3 years, of all the conferences the Pac!2 has been the most cautious and frankly ludicrous at calling targeting.  And also miss a lot of opportunities to review rather obvious targetiing calls (mostly due to high tempo offenses) and review way to many plays that shouldn't be targeting.

Hard-Baughlls

October 11th, 2018 at 5:25 AM ^

Not smart protocol!  Has the PAC 12 learned nothing from B1G commissioner Delaney?

Bias the officiating prior to the games!  Nothing in writing, no communication after games begin, etc, etc

#Delaney’ed, #UM-OSU 2016

The Fan in Fargo

October 11th, 2018 at 10:40 PM ^

It's a rigged system. These kids and coaches work their asses off for us fans and our own enjoyment. It'll be interesting to see if Wiscy gets the shaft in the big house this Saturday. You dumb young little shits on this blog need to look for this stuff. Maybe you'll catch on to what's going on. We've been pointing it out for you know it alls for what seems like forever now. I hope it's a fairly called game. I don't want no fuckhead refs ruining the night, Isn't going to matter though. The fix is always in.