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Posted on 10/1/15 at 9:42 am to boogiewoogie1978
I know a former SEC official here in Alabama. I have had MANY conversations with him and know him well. I won't say how, as that will surely give his identity away.
He will tell you that not all of his colleagues are able to be objective on the field. He said it is very hard to set aside your loyalties but some guys are able to do it better than others. He is a Bama fan and not allowed to officiate an Alabama game, and he made sure he never called an Auburn game and tried not to be on crews for a game that immediately influenced Alabama's position, but not all situations can work out that way.
The biggest problem? Some guys are just really good at being opportune- the opportune holding call, the opportune block in the back on a kick return, the opportune time to let the coach know who is boss, the opportune retaliation, the opportune make-up call from a colleague on the same crew, the opportune no call, the opportune pass interference, and the opportune personal foul of who initiated and retaliated- their choice on who the flag is on. The big deal from supervisor of officials is to recognize your own bias and try to set it aside and be blind to the team colors, but if you can't do it, don't get caught. The opportune penalty is the best penalty because you can't be caught.
There is zero doubt in his mind that the attitude of the coach is number one on the minds of the officials. Some really dread officiating certain teams because of the coach, and that in turn affects how they view things on the field against that team.
One thing that intrigues me is how certain teams are pattern penalized. He says that programs and fans have reputations among the officials. Certain programs are considered rogue and they are going to catch everything they can. Florida is hated most and it isn't really close and it doesn't matter who the coach is. The perception is that they are not really a southern team but a Yankee team and only one step up from Miami Thugs. Georgia will get a lot penalties and LSU will also. Mostly, those fans are not well-regarded by the officials. Other times, they feel bad about calling costly penalties at times that really hurt that team. Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, and Kentucky fit that category most.
And, yes, some of them are influenced by the fans, but not in a way you expect. Some like to egg on the fans and if they get a bunch of loud boos, they will find yet another penalty to call and piss them off even more. Many will also watch the replay on the screen, but they are not supposed to.
Another thing that is interesting is his perspective on neutral officiating crews: crews that officiate out of league games. He said it is really difficult because of lack of familiarity. Certain rules have different nuances in different leagues. And, it is a myth that it is more neutral. Officials are very aware of how those games affect the big picture of what is happening. And, they do indeed have conference loyalty that gets in the way. The bottom line is that they are college football officials because they love college football. It is impossible to be completely objective and it is unreasonable for fans to expect them to be. It is part of the game.
He will tell you that not all of his colleagues are able to be objective on the field. He said it is very hard to set aside your loyalties but some guys are able to do it better than others. He is a Bama fan and not allowed to officiate an Alabama game, and he made sure he never called an Auburn game and tried not to be on crews for a game that immediately influenced Alabama's position, but not all situations can work out that way.
The biggest problem? Some guys are just really good at being opportune- the opportune holding call, the opportune block in the back on a kick return, the opportune time to let the coach know who is boss, the opportune retaliation, the opportune make-up call from a colleague on the same crew, the opportune no call, the opportune pass interference, and the opportune personal foul of who initiated and retaliated- their choice on who the flag is on. The big deal from supervisor of officials is to recognize your own bias and try to set it aside and be blind to the team colors, but if you can't do it, don't get caught. The opportune penalty is the best penalty because you can't be caught.
There is zero doubt in his mind that the attitude of the coach is number one on the minds of the officials. Some really dread officiating certain teams because of the coach, and that in turn affects how they view things on the field against that team.
One thing that intrigues me is how certain teams are pattern penalized. He says that programs and fans have reputations among the officials. Certain programs are considered rogue and they are going to catch everything they can. Florida is hated most and it isn't really close and it doesn't matter who the coach is. The perception is that they are not really a southern team but a Yankee team and only one step up from Miami Thugs. Georgia will get a lot penalties and LSU will also. Mostly, those fans are not well-regarded by the officials. Other times, they feel bad about calling costly penalties at times that really hurt that team. Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, and Kentucky fit that category most.
And, yes, some of them are influenced by the fans, but not in a way you expect. Some like to egg on the fans and if they get a bunch of loud boos, they will find yet another penalty to call and piss them off even more. Many will also watch the replay on the screen, but they are not supposed to.
Another thing that is interesting is his perspective on neutral officiating crews: crews that officiate out of league games. He said it is really difficult because of lack of familiarity. Certain rules have different nuances in different leagues. And, it is a myth that it is more neutral. Officials are very aware of how those games affect the big picture of what is happening. And, they do indeed have conference loyalty that gets in the way. The bottom line is that they are college football officials because they love college football. It is impossible to be completely objective and it is unreasonable for fans to expect them to be. It is part of the game.
This post was edited on 10/1/15 at 9:53 am
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