The two dudes from the Pac-10 defending the asinine unsportsmanlike conduct penalty call on Jake Locker last Saturday, Dave Cutaia and Larry Farina, certainly know from experience what constitutes bad officiating.
… The game referee, Farina, was in charge of the worst-officiated Pac-10 game of the ‘07 season: Oregon State-Washington, in which the officials lost control, fights broke out, players were ejected and Yvenson Bernard’s knee was clearly, obviously down before he fumbled at the goalline.
Everyone saw it, and yet Farina and his gang missed it — missed it so badly they were banned from working any bowl games in 2007.
And then there’s Cutaia, the Pac-10’s coordinator of officials who defended the Locker call. He was only the lead ref for the Oregon-Oklahoma game.
Cutaia and his crew bungled that game like no game has ever been bungled — so badly the Pac-10 apologized to Oklahoma and Cutaia was suspended for a game by the league.
Cutaia said Monday that it seemed “pretty cut and dried” that the penalty should have been called on Locker…
Contempt – that’s what makes Pac-10 officiating so special. Every conference will have its share of bad calls and arrogant officiating. But no other conference cares less about it.
Let’s hope these guys don’t impact the Arizona State game in any meaningful way.
(h/t The Wizard of Odds)