Looks like there is no major infraction according to Spurrier. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3654428 The collision between South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia and umpire Wilbur Hackett Jr. in Saturday's loss to LSU has drawn a lot of attention over the past two days, but Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier says Hackett did nothing wrong. Hackett, a former linebacker at the University of Kentucky from 1967-70, ended up making contact with Garcia after the Gamecocks' QB rolled to his left and headed for the end zone in the second quarter. Hackett and Garcia collided at the 5-yard line as the LSU defense closed in. "He was trying to get out of the way," Spurrier said of Hackett, according to The State in Columbia, S.C. "Stephen sort of cut back right into him. Sometimes that will happen." When contacted by ESPN's Joe Schad, the Southeastern Conference office said after reviewing the play, it believes the umpire was in appropriate position. A spokesman said the umpire raised his arm to defend himself after a change of direction by the runner. Garcia took over at the LSU 8 after a 46-yard interception return by Carlos Thomas. On first and goal, Garcia started running to his right before the hole on the line closed. He then rolled to his left and cut upfield, where he ran into Hackett. Three plays later, Mike Davis scored on a 1-yard run to give South Carolina a 17-10 lead it would hold at halftime. LSU scored two second-half touchdowns for a 24-17 victory.
while the second clip really makes it look like he's shuffling over, squaring the guy up, and then lowering the boom, the first one makes it look more accidental. it looks like he thought the qb was going inside so he tried to move outside out of his way and then the qb went outside so then he tried to turn his shoulder real quick to get out of the way, but ended up slamming the guy (and being a former LB he was big enough to knock him down). i'm not sure why he didn't turn backwards so that any contact wouldn't have been going into the runner, but he didn't really have a lot of time to plan it out.
he was intercepting the qb's path at every step and shift of direction.. just coincidence..? and... a turn of his shoulder to get out of the way..? when you turn your shoulder in a reflexive response to avoid something.. do you lunge toward it and lift your forearm..?
This entire incident would be entirely different had South Carolina not run it in for a TD. It really did seem like the ref moved before the QB made his cut upfield and thats he fell-because the ref had the bigger momentum. Simple physics.
the ref is waiting the qb, you can see he is moving where the qb, and when the ref see the qb, he is just standing up, waiting for the qb to come where he is, and most of the refs, stay still, not trying to do anything, but this ref, throws his arm to the player, and to defend himself, but to slow him down. I think they have to investigate this referee, Maybe is not obvious to see it live right on the play, but when do you see the replay its seems so obvious.
Okay, if he was really going to hurt a team he would have blocked an LSU player instead of a SC player. He's a UK grad, he knows which team to hit. Oh no wait.. SC is ahead of UK in standings. Good job old man, even if it didn't work.
Sorry man, but all I'm seeing from any angle is a referee tracking down a QB and laying a hit on him. I've played plenty of sports and there have been times when I've needed to avoid running into someone else. There's only one thing I can say to that ref... Spoiler
I don't see how anybody could call this an accident or "incidental". It's obvious the ref was trying to hit the QB...just look at his feet - he tracks the player down and steps into him to deliver the hit. The guy should never ref another game on any level...
Wow, how does someone explain that? Is there a video with commentators? Im sure someone will say something, or will the be fined for mentioning the situation. Aside from that its crazy how the quarter back was somewhat stopped by the ref. If this did become an issue about whether it was an accident or intentional, Im sure the fact that the ref pushed in on the QB will show enough to say that it was intentional. Any thoughts?
I've never ref'ed football, but I have been a high level ref in soccer. The most important thing you can be taught is that the game is about the players. Get out of their way whenever possible. You bat balls down? Why would you do that when you can just duck? As far as the run of play is concerned, you are not there. No one should notice you. If they use you as a pick, so what? If you're getting poorer grades because you don't possibly affect the outcome of the game, then those grading you have no clue what they're doing.
The league you're in is teaching you wrong. Plain and simple. There is not a referee in the world that will tell you that you are SUPPOSED to impede progress of the ball. If anything, as a ref, your job is to blend in as much as possible. You need to tell your league to watch some of the tutorials that professional referees from various leagues give.
Maybe the moral of the story is that you don't put a former linebacker in his old position. That makes a lot of sense to me. "You stand behind the defensive line...kind of where you lined up your whole career". I think his body was on auto-pilot. Did you see his gap discipline and how he filled the lane?
The man that taught our class was an NFL official for over 17 years. I will try to find his name for you. Im just telling you that, though it rarely happens, he did what he was supposed to do. While it doesnt look like the team was trying to use him as a pick...he did exactly what our instructor said was appropriate. While it clearly is not right to go out of your way to knock down passes or take out runners.....you can see that neither team even had a problem with it. Now someone brought up the fact that a line or head judge shouldnt be doing this......and they are correct. Those judges are also NOT on the field either, therefore it would never occur with them. We are talking umpires and referees. On a sidenote.......if you ever get a chance to talk to an NFL or college referee or unpire.....ask how many knee surgeries theyve had. Its amazing how dangerous their jobs are and how many scars they have around the knee area.
That was exactly my reaction when I first saw this. Even before I found out the ref was a former linebacker, I watched it and thought that maybe the guy was just having a brain fart, a minor flashback to his playing days and found himself going after the QB. That's the only thing that I can think of that explains it.
