Whining about Bad Calls

With the furor over the horrible calls that ended the OU-Oregon game, and the controversy over the calls in the Auburn-LSU game, I'm reminded of nothing more than school-yard kids calling names and calling for do-overs in kick ball.

This is not to say that the calls were (or weren't) bad, or that bad calls aren't a part of the game. But bad calls should be complained about by fans, sports writes, and other people who really don't have any ability to affect the game. Complaining about bad calls is as much a part of the game as complaining about the BCS or the new timing rules. Even complaints by coaches and players have their place, at least within the first couple of days after the game. But this, this is something new.

The fits being thrown by the administration of both OU and LSU are unprofessional, and show that both schools are missing the point. OU President (and fans), look - the Pac 10 suspended them, recognized they were bad calls, and you unfortunately got shafted. Guess what? Deal with it. You can't open the door to review these post-game, or no final score will ever be final again. Consider yourself Gore-ed and the Pac 10 refs are your Katherine Harris. But for the sake of the game, you've got to let it go. LSU AD - same goes for you. Sorry everybody decided that the calls you thought were bad weren't bad, but guess what - that's the way the ball bounces sometimes. Sometimes the ball bounces against you.

Hey, here's an even better concept. You want to avoid losing a game due to a bad call? Actually play well enough that the bad call doesn't matter. For all the hullabaloo about the onside kick, no one seems to admit that the OU defense, after the call, couldn't stop Oregon from scoring. If the D holds up, then the call doesn't matter. Or that the OU D couldn't stop Oregon from scoring BEFORE the onside kick. Same deal with LSU - the complaints don't stem from the final drive where JaMarcus Russell inexplicably throws the ball to the one player NOT in the end zone, or his decision to run the ball with time running out, and not get out of bounds. No, the dispute is from earlier in the game.

OU, LSU, and everyone else - you don't want bad calls to determine the outcome of your game? Then win the games on your own, and don't blame the calls for your meltdowns after them.