I thought I was through fuming about the officiating in last Saturday’s game. Well, I’m not.
Caleb King suffered a busted jaw on this hit (h/t David Hale):
Nice form.
Let’s see:
- Helpless player? Check – he’s already in the grasp of a defender and being tackled.
- Lead with the head? Check – Alem’s upper torso is parallel to the ground.
- Left his feet? Check.
The only thing missing from that list? You guessed it. No flag was thrown.
I guess Alem was smart enough not to celebrate after the play.
**********************************************************************
UPDATE: In case you were wondering if Alem really left his feet (that left toe could still be touching the ground, right?), well…
Nothing to see here... just move on. (Photo courtesy UGASports.com)
Get The Picture 
That LSU player is lucky he’s not a quadreplegic after that kind of hit.
As for the referees, why should this surprise any of us? It’s just my opinion, but I wonder how long the fine officials of the SEC are going to penalize us for the 2007 Florida game? I’m not saying we lost this game, or any other one, solely due to bad officiating. On the other hand, it would be interesting to see how we could do given a fair shake from the zebras.
LikeLike
The answer to the question “how long” is: As long as we let them get away with it.
LikeLike
Lawdy-Lawd, yall are some of the whiniest college football fans around. Get over the loss and move on. Its not LSU’s fault nor the officials’ fault that UGA has a horrible offense (By the way, Cox is a terrible qb.) and can’t tackle. Maybe because the team – like you schmucks – is too busy complaining and blaming anyone and anything for its lack of execution instead of focusing on the game at hand.
LikeLike
Cox is currently ranked 36th nationally in passer rating. I didn’t realize there were so many lousy D-1 quarterbacks playing this season.
Thanks for bringing that to my attention.
LikeLike
Rahim Alem has shown on numerous occasions that he’s nothing more than a talented thug.
And of course, SEC officials have shown on numerous occasions that they’re nowhere even in the neighborhood of being able to call a fair game.
This may just be the pessimist in me talking, but … I’m gonna go start getting excited about college basketball and just wait the rest of this football season out. When our coaches aren’t screwing things up, we’re getting screwed by awful (and frankly, suspicious) officiating. I mean, really, why continue to get excited week after week about watching a team full of exceptional athletes that won’t be given a fair chance at success?
LikeLike
For everyone who wants to talk about EB spearing – here’s a textbook spear. That’s ridiculous that there was no flag, and he should be reprimanded regardless. That is extremely dangerous for both players.
LikeLike
Somebody needs to send this picture to that worthless asshole Mike Adams and demand that he take this up, as UGA President, with Mike Slive. This guy should be suspended for the rest of the season.
LikeLike
Damn. I wish you hadn’t posted this. It really is injury to insult, huh? Now King’s out for the week, Samuel’s the starter against an NFL type defense, and Ealey doesn’t know how to passblock.
All of this to add on top of an offensive line that seems to commit more penalties for an experienced group than I’ve ever seen. Ben Jones, the leader of the group at center, gets flagged for false starts and has low snaps at inopportune times, and this is on top of the injuries that already happened earlier this season.
Finally, I’m tired of feeling like all of this has to be justified somehow, but there’s no way the coaching staff OR the team is bad enough to deserve these breaks or good enough to overcome them. [puts on hairshirt to wear for remainder of the season]
LikeLike
Ben, I wish the Senator had not posted this, too.
I was on the verge of moving on.
Thanks, Senator. I think.
LikeLike
That is so ridiculous the picture almost looks photoshopped.
LikeLike
Auburn Tiger here….damn, just damn. I was beginning to wonder if the SEC officials are THE worst in college football….after the UGA- LSU game, I’m heading to YES with a bullet.
LikeLike
Also aren’t these types of hits reviewable after the game? Seems like I remember that being part of the new “stepped up” enforcement of this rule. That the league office could review and suspend a player for a hit like this after the game, even if no flag was thrown for the hit during the game. Seems like the folks over at B-M should be all up in the SEC office this week.
LikeLike
“This is ridiculous.”
The SEC doesn’t think that phrase means what we think it means. They have to hear it explained to them just like the young people would
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=redonculous
On the bright side we almost pulled off a victory only getting one first down in the first half…
Meanwhile, notwithstanding an unwarranted loss and a broken jaw, as a result of the ‘anonymous’ FTD deliveries since Saturday, The SEC has this response message to Georgia…
LikeLike
Refs hardly ever call helmet to helmet when a QB is not involved. Can’t remember seeing one. Take the face mask off and a lot less guys will be sticking their head in like that.
LikeLike
My problem is less with the helmet to helmet and more with the spearing. When a player launches himself like a missile like this, all that force is hitting the opposing player in that one spot. The fact that all that force hit him in the face just makes it that much worse.
LikeLike
Tell that to Reshad Jones.
LikeLike
Can this photo be forwarded to Damon Evans? If so – please do it!
LikeLike
Did anyone notice when one of the UGA defensive linemen (Atkins?) was called for a facemask yet one of the LSU players had their fingers all in his grill like a bowling ball? And of course I believe that helped set LSU up for their fist touchdown. Add this no-call to that (not to mention the A.J. fiasco) and I’m starting to buy into this conspiracy theory. These are the times I wish Richt would show a bit of fire and attempt to do something about this crap. Or was it the wind?
LikeLike
I saw the facemask on the player penalized for the facemask also, actually, my wife who knows nothing about football pointed it out to me on the replay. I am all for Coach Richt’s beliefs and demeanor, but I’m tired of turning the other cheek just to have it smited also. Can anyone remember when UGA was the beneficiary of a questionable call that was a game changer? Maybe pass interference against Tech on Corey Allen?
LikeLike
By league rules CMR is not allowed to publicly criticize the referees. When he is asked about the officials from the press you can tell that he is measuring his words carefully to comply with league rules. The press knows he can’t criticize the refs and that is why they ask him anyway to see what kind of veiled criticisms he might give. His comments after after the Arizona State 4th down non-call was pretty strong and is about as strong as you will get.
After a game CMR had better be looking at the next game. Its up to Damon to call the league office to scream and bitch like hell. I wonder if anyone in Birmingham cares if Damon calls. I’d like a reported to ask Damon if he’s made a call.
LikeLike
Damon Evans as AD is the same as having no AD at all–except when he is putting the Dawgs behind the 8-ball with poor scheduling.
LikeLike
that call on the defender who had a handful of Corey Allen’s jersey was not questionable. It may have been controversial, given when in the game it occurred, and given that seconds later, Corey reeled in the game winning TD from Bobo. But, it was ABSOLUTELY the correct call.
It’s only questionable, or even controversial, to lying and cheating Tech fans, who profess to stand on the moral high ground, but who prefer “situational ethics” in situations where ignoring the rules would have let them steal a win.
LikeLike
Lawsuit. Make Lesticular pay.
LikeLike
We’ve got more questions swirling around than the SAT and GRE combined.
But, it appears that the…..
“answers, my friend, are blowin’ in the wind.”
LikeLike
Another one:
Did anybody else notice that just before UGA’s 2-point conversion attempt, LSU had two defensive line men yelling at one another/an official??? and one took his helmet off. This happened right in front of where I was sitting, but I have not seen a replay of this play. Isn’t it an automatic 15-yard penalty if a player take shis helmet off on the field? Yet no call. Keep in mind this was seconds before the ball was snapped.
LikeLike
Yes. I saw it, too. It was actually the aforementioned Mr. Alem who took his helmet off.
Nothing to see here. Move along. This is all in your imagination.
LikeLike
I am more upset Alem wasn’t blocked on the play.
LikeLike
Am I the only one who saw the LSU player hold Bryan Evans on the LSU game winning TD run?
I’m not buying into these conspiracy theories, but the refs were absolutely ridiculous on Saturday.
Seems like the only thing to do now is to take it out on Viles in Knoxville this weekend. Time to bounce back … Go Dawgs!!
LikeLike
As for the winning TD play. Rennie was held, blocked in the back and tackled all on the same play – by the same player!
However, I’m supposed to say that it didn’t impact the game and move along — until it happens again and again and …
LikeLike
By the way, don’t know know if it’s been mentioned, but King suffered a concussion on this play as well. So, even though the broken jaw (thankfully) turned out to be minor, he can’t return to practice until he’s no longer showing any signs of concussion.
Poor kid.
(ht: Hale)
LikeLike
From Hale’s blog:
“Tavarres King added that, beyond common sense things like spiking the football, the players really don’t have any clear understanding of what constitutes excessive celebration because the rules are enforced so differently from game to game, team to team and player to player.”
LikeLike
It’s great to be a Georgia Bulldog,
I said it’s great to be a Georgia Bulldog!
LikeLike
Thanks Big Muddy. That did help.
You are damned right. It’s GREAT to be a Georgia Bulldog, I said it’s GREAT to be a Georgia Bulldog!
Fck Tennessee, Fck Vandy, Fck Florida, Fck Auburn, and by all means Fck Tech.
LikeLike
Forget the conspiracy theory (although it may be true). How about just plain old fixing a game for money? The actions of this crew of refs smells of having been paid off or betting on the game themselves. Don’t think it doesn’t happen. Last year an NBA ref got caught shaving points in NBA games he was betting on himself. Turns out he had been doing it for quite some time, too.
LikeLike
I was an O-lineman for a SoCon school in the late 80’s.
After years of watching crappy game films where I drew numerous penalties, & thus was at the sadistic mercy of pissed-off coaches, one could say that I’m hypersensitive in spotting penalties that others would easily miss.
With that in mind, the Dawgs ‘regularly’ draw flags at key junctures where their opponents do not.
The King photo above, along with the blatant nature of the tit4tat situation in the LSU game where the ref was basically obligated to penalize LSU in order to cover his initial B.S. flag, have both gone a long in finally highlighting to many, & mostly confirming to me, a general anti-Georgia bias in the treatment Dawg-Nation receives by the refs.
As for the reasoning behind it, I’m still noodlin’ that one out.
LikeLike
On that show “Around the Horn” (which I despise), they were just talking about “the Penalty.” And according to Woody Paige, “Georgia’s in no position to whine [about the call against A. J. Green] after what they did in the endzone in Jacksonville a couple years ago.”
Now, clearly, that’s insane, and it betrays the fact that he both (a) did not watch either game and (b) knows nothing about Georgia’s football program. But despite all of that, I’m seriously afraid that there are many who agree with him.
LikeLike
To Paige (and SEC referees): 2007 is OVER. We accepted our penalties for the Celebration, and also took a timeout prolonged beating from UF last year for it. Furthermore, A. J. Green was still in high school in South Carolina in 2007, so yes he is in a position to whine about that BS call on a foul he didn’t commit.
And while I was already ticked about the call on A. J., I cannot express how intensely livid I am about the cheap shot on Caleb King. If these same officials knowingly and purposefully allowed King to be illegally hit and consequently seriously injured without any sort of penalty to Alem, immediate termination of the entire crew is not sufficient punishment.
LikeLike
For all those who think the officials have it in for the Dawgs, remember: just because you’re paranoid, it doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.
LikeLike
Why can you always count on U(sic)GA fans to whine after every loss. At best, you get the patronizing, “I don’t wanna take anything from the winning team, but…”
LSU had a 33-yard scamper up the gut with a minute left on a porous GA defense. All a 15-yard penalty would have done is make it a 48-yard TD run. As for the “hold,” there was a hold on UGA on their TD play to Green (you can see the left guard tackle his guy to the ground when the guy starts to get by him). Losers complain about penalties.
LikeLike
LMAO. “Losers complain about penalties”?
Go back and read some of the Tech boards after the last basketball loss in Athens, dude.
I’ve never blamed the loss on the refs. But I’m not going to excuse the shoddiness of the officiating, either. King has a broken jaw and a concussion from that cheap shot. What would you like us to do, applaud Alem for good sportsmanship?
If you don’t have something concrete – and that doesn’t mean pro-Georgia – to add to the conversation here, kindly take your smug ass elsewhere. You’re making us all stupider for reading that drivel.
LikeLike
Sure, here’s my reply. UGA lost. Plain and simple. I’m sure that LSU can hand in a tape to complain about officiating as well. UGA was outplayed and they will lose at least two and possibly up to four more games (FL – loss, Auburn – loss, GT – probable loss, Tenn – maybe loss).
And really, how can anyone make UGA fans stupider? My dog is housebroken. He picked it up in a day. UGA fans appear to have difficulties with this into adulthood.
LikeLike
There are days when I probably spend too much time surfing the web, reading blogs about college football, and even contributing to discussions here and there. It’s on those days that I think thoughts like, “Gosh, I need more of a life.”
And then I encounter people like Jeremy here.
What’s worse than spending too much time on the internet reading college football blogs? Spending that time visiting the blogs of rival teams and getting one’s rocks off trying desperately to poke fun at their fans. Really quite a pathetic show you’re putting on for us here, Jeremy.
Tech fan, I presume?
LikeLike
This was also referred on another blog, which is one of the two I read about college football. I watched the game and thought that was some of the crappiest defense I have ever seen in the last minute of a game. What kills me is the whining. It’s like all the sportswriters can’t stop talking about the call, which was called on both teams. I saw this blog referenced, read it, and felt like I needed to state the obvious:
It didn’t decide the outcome of the game because LSU would have called the run from farther out (they were on the 33; faced with a 50 yard field goal is not the time to bleed the clock). LSU figured that UGA can’t tackle up the gut and they were right. Fix your defense and quit whining about the officials.
And not that it’s anyone’s business, but I’m getting a Ph.D., published, have patents, and engaged. How is the delivery business?
LikeLike
Jeremy, that’s classic. The only thing you left out is how well hung you are.
Does your mom know you use her computer to surf the ‘Net?
LikeLike
1. Why would LSU assume that Georgia couldn’t stop the run up the gut? (1) It’s basically the only thing we’ve been doing well defensively this season; (2) we’ve got two future pros at DT; (3) Scott had racked up a whopping 12 yards on 5 runs in that second half; and (4) LSU’s most successful runs the whole day came on perimeter scrambles by Jefferson. You either didn’t really watch this game, or you just have no idea what you’re talking about. Without that ridiculous penalty, LSU likely starts on their side of the field. And they’d most certainly be throwing the ball. Would they still have won the game? Obviously, we can’t say for sure. But I sure as hell would’ve liked to have found that out.
2. One of our top-2 RBs suffered a concussion and a broken jaw because of an illegal hit that never got flagged. And the officials themselves have admitted to botching the call on Green. We’ll complain about the officiating all we want, thank you very much.
3. I don’t know about any of the other people that post here, but you really, really do not want to engage in a pissing contest with me. There are probably many things in this world that you have and I don’t. Degrees, accomplishments, and female companions, however, are not among them.
LikeLike
“My dog is housebroken. He picked it up in a day. UGA fans appear to have difficulties with this into adulthood.”
loL HE SHOREdid tell yoau dumn doggs us teck plyrs r shore SMRTER then U LOLzer
LikeLike
Who the hell is disputing that Georgia lost? If you actually look at any of the comments, none of them suggest that officiating is the reason we lost this game. You can’t successfully argue that it didn’t have some effect, but the point of this post (and the aim of most of the comments) is to bring to light an egregious “no-call” that has left our 1st/2nd string running back (and #1 threat in toss sweep plays) with a broken jaw and concussion. This was a dirty play, plain and simple and deserves to be reviewed by the league office. If you want whining, how ’bout this: SEC officiating has been headed by a GT graduate for the past 21 years, and the head of the officiating crew in Athens this past Saturday is also a GT grad. I don’t think either qualifies as objective when calling or reviewing a Georgia game.
LikeLike
Actually, this 69 IQ moron makes the rest of us look smart.
LikeLike
Hold on, gotta go make poop.
LikeLike
Oh. Fixing dinner, Jeremy?
LikeLike
+1
LikeLike
LikeLike
Porous defense? This is the same defense that held the great LSU offense to 6 points for more than three quarters and had to be bailed out by an incompetent official who was covered for right after the game by his idiot boss, who obviously hadn’t reviewed any film from any angle. The league office, at the very least, should review this spearing play and issue the proper penalty, but they won’t.
LikeLike
Since we’re on the subject of missed calls in the UGA-LSU game. How about when Aron White got tackled from behind in the endzone prior to watching a would-be 3rd down TD catch graze his outstretched fingers. UGA missed the FG on the next down. Aron White briefly held his hands up in disgust but quickly ran back to the sideline, knowing all-to-well the futility of complaining to that ‘officiating’ crew.
LikeLike
YOU GOT KNOCKED THE FUCK OUT KID!!!! damn get over it pussies
LikeLike
No one here is bemoaning the loss. That, we are collectively over. Georgia has too many shortcomings to count for sure, and there are many posts out there that identify them plainly. Georgia lost the game. This is not in doubt.
This fact, however, in no way excuses what has become a near weekly tradition of “iffy” calls (that’s being extremely generous if you ask me) that have gone against Georgia.
Reshad’s personal fouls, AJ’s non-touchdown, the celebration penalty, the umpire being pushed into the offensive line on 4th down, etc. These are all too frequent and all too one-sided to be an unhappy coincidence. While there is no grand conspiracy against UGA, there is an obvious element of subconscious prejudice carried by the officials that manifests itself on gamedays. I’m not saying they are intentionally trying to screw Georgia over. That’s ridiculous. But when all the evidence points to the contrary, there must be some explanation.
But, WIGFU, thanks for the commentary. Your discourse really put things in perspective.
LikeLike
Face it. The game was fixed, plain and simple. LSU scores a TD to take the lead with 2 minutes left in the game. The refs have managed things great thus far with mostly no-calls to make sure LSU wins. The Dawgs get the ball deep in their own territory. Refs think , “We’re fine. Time will run out before UGA can score.” Suddenly, along pass completion and the Dawgs are at the LSU 36. Then another long pass completion and the Dawgs have the lead. Refs think, “EEEEEKKK!” Refs huddle in middle of the field. (I wonder what they are saying. There’s no flag on the ground. Millions of people just saw UGA score a clean TD.) Refs announce a “celebration” penalty which effectively gives the ball to LSU around midfield with 1 and 1/2 minutes to go and a field goal will win the game. (Turns out LSU scored a touchdown to win.) Replays reveal no basis for a celebration penalty being called. That, my friends is how you fix a college football game. You guys are all hung up on who missed what tackle or blown assignments on the LSU kick return to see the obvious.
LikeLike
I did not see this hit during the game…I am now amazed that Caleb was even able to play in the second half. Why is ESPN not running this shot over and over …….If this were to happen to Tebow in Baton Rouge this Saturday night we will be.
LikeLike
Jeremy, with all your degrees, they forgot to teach you that stupider is not a word.
LikeLike
Jeremy sounds like a typical Tech grad. He thinks that knowing Pi to 10 decimal places makes him a genius, despite the fact that writing a simple declarative sentence correctly is a skill that eludes him.
English? Bah. It’s just words. It’s ok to be dumber than the average 6th grader when it comes to verb conjugation, as long as you can do a little math, though, right, Jeremy?
Stellar showing against Miami, by the way. I would think you’ve got other things to worry about at this point besides taking comfort in a close UGA loss to a team that took your ass to the woodshed in the most recent Chic-fil-A Bowl.
LikeLike
#84 is the player who hit King above. I am sure I was not the only one who noticed that after the late UGA touchdown that #84 removed his helmet and was arguing with his team mates, etc. Isnt removing the helmet a penalty that would have offset the bad call on AJ Green?
Just sayin’
LikeLike