So they actually played that Pinstripe Bowl in Yankee Stadium yesterday; I just thought that game was an early April Fools’ prank, but Syracuse and Kansas State actually showed up and played a really good game. But as time wound down, K-State trailed by 8, needing a TD and the 2-pt conversion to tie. They got the TD, and then this happened.

Walsh is gonna be pissed when I tell him that his mighty mighty Orange were handed a bowl victory, but watch that video and tell me how that justifies a 15-yard penalty. How is that “excessive celebration”? It’s barely a celebration at all. Granted, it’s tacky as hell, but that flag was unwarranted, and it changed the complexion of the game.

This is exactly what we saw coming as soon as these rules were passed; officials would be taking the game out of the players’ hands, and the evidence doesn’t get more clear-cut than this. K-State was flagged and penalized 15 yards; their potentially-game-tying 2-pt conversion was attemped from the edge of the red zone. If we have a choice between exuberant players and exuberant referees, which would you rather see? Oh, wait. This is college football. Nobody in that sport cares what we think.

While the San Diego Chargers were busy thrashing the San Francisco 49ers 34-7 last night, Niners defensive tackle Justin Smith got into a bit of a verbal bout with Chargers tight end Randy McMichael. As the two exchanged words in the second quarter, referee Garth DeFelice stepped in to break it up, when Smith unleashed a thousand furies upon him. Or he pushed his arm away.

DeFelice didn’t take too kindly to Smith’s response and he immediately ejected him from the game for making illegal contact with an official. Legal contact, of course, is a gentle nude embrace followed by breakfast. Of the fiery DeFelice, one announcer said:

“This guy right here, that’s Garth DeFelice and he’s one of the toughest umpires in the National Football League.”

I think that marks the first time that a NFL announcer used the “This guy right here” on a non-player. Finally, a breakthrough. As for Smith’s take on the ruling, he seems to be fine with it. Or at least he understands it…

Read the rest of this entry »

After the Yankee Mutant Ninja Turtles managed a 2-2 draw with Slovenia, most of the discussion wasn’t centered around the equalizer scored by Coach’s Kid Michael Bradley. No, it had to do with the bogus call from Malian referee Koman Coulibaly, who nullified what almost certainly would have been the match-winning goal for America.

Second-half sub Maurice Edu appeared to put the U.S. ahead in the 86th, poking in close-range shot after Altidore headed Donovan’s free kick to him. But the goal was disallowed by referee Koman Couilibaly of Mali because of a foul, though it was not clear on whom the foul was called or what was the foul.

“I’m a little gutted to be honest,” Donovan said. “I don’t know how they stole that last goal from us. I’m not sure what the call was. He (the referee) wouldn’t tell us what the call was.” –the monolith

Some have said that it was an offside call while others were calling a foul on the US. Either way, since the game has ended hours ago, Coulibaly’s Wikipedia page has been locked down and been accused of looking like Darryl Strawberry. But in these international competitions, there’s always one horrible, horrible call that screws somebody out of something. I’m just grateful that the call only cost us two points in the standings and not three.

I didn’t know there was anything called “Full contact point fighting,” but I can dig it. But this ref, wearing the shirt and tie, apparently ain’t having it. Skip to the 2:30 mark after the jump and wait for the magic to begin after the ref awards a point, and then the guy in white feigns a punch. And of course, it’s the guy that retaliates that catches the brunt of the referees wrath. That’s a headshot for the ages. Thanks, David. Read the rest of this entry »

From what I can gather from this video, this referee was really trying to humiliate the goalie:

This is what happens when soccer ceases to be the "beautiful game" and transforms into cricket.  I am all about being fair and equitable, but, after the third or fourth time, don't you think the referee would have thought: "I'm going to let that infraction go because they're going to score anyway."  I initially thought the ref was in on a fix and was waiting for the poor goalie to stop one of the strikes.  No, he was waiting for that point and then one or two goals after to insure that the next time this goalie takes a warm bath he will take a razor blade with him. -KD