The anti-UNC ACC officiating bias

[UNCGridironFanatic]

Look, this is going to be long, and you can call me paranoid all you want, but today was the last straw. I've got a zoom shot of that "first down" awarded to GT in the 3rd Q, and that entire sequence is a disgrace. One, the spot GAVE GT a half yard, clearly....2nd, even with that, THE CHAINS CLEARLY PROVE THAT THEY DIDN'T GET THE FIRST DOWN! As a newbie here, I haven't figured out posting this pic, but I will. As my buddy and I said during the game in real time, the nose of the ball didn't get to the stick. This photo clearly shows that to be the case....it was short by an entire link and a half. And yet, the zebras just gave them the first down, as if no one would notice! Clearly trying to screw UNC, for whatever reason.

I bring this up b/c we won, and it can't be said to be sourgrapes. But this is a pattern of inexplicable calls that ALWAYS go against UNC:
1- this play I have the pic on....
2- roughing the punt snapper at ND last year. Otis didn't even do it, and that is a call I've never seen called. We were ahead, in the 4thQ, by the way.
3- multiple phantom penalties against and overruled UNC big plays by Ron Cherry in games vs. VaTech in 08 and 11. All clearly horrid calls. Mookie catch inside the VT 3 yd line waved off by Cherry from 40 yards away.
4- more Ron Cherry in a debacle vs BC in 09
5- two phantom holding calls on Aaron Stahl on scored TDs @ MooU in 09 in a 1 pt. loss. Neither was any more a hold than were either of today's abominations called on QDavis and Crowley.
6- opposition players go unpunished by the league when they intentionally set out to injure UNC players. See Tim Jackson cut/clipped 30 yds. from the play at the end of the play vs dirty Dook OL dirtbag in 13, and today's high-low of NJones by GT RG-RT duo.

Countless other examples of BS calls to UNC's detriment, like these, not merely missed calls. Blatant, "UNC isn't supposed to win" kind of calls. Today's award of the first down to GT was the last straw. No honest official could look at that measurement and believe that the measurement showed GT to have made that first down. TV clearly showed it, and yet we are to believe that the officials right on the scene made an honest mistake?

I'm sick of this crap, and UNC needs to raise hell w/ the league office about it.

 

[bobby121567]

I have been saying this for years. Saying we always get the short end of the calls in football because the ABCers don't want us to be really good at football to. We are already good at a great majority of the other sports. Basketball Soccer Lacrosse Baseball tennis field hockey and on and on.

 

[franklin street]

 

[Archer2]

I watched the game in a local bar where the majority we're watching the Georgia/Bama beat down. EVERYONE was in agreement that UNC not only got a horrible spot, but that the measurement was short regardless. All the Heels fans, especially yours truly, we're going bonkers. I truly thought it would negate a great comeback by our boys.

Good thing I'm not the coach or I would probably have drawn a flag for berating the officials. Simply pi$$ poor officiating!!!!!

 

[UNC_Blue]

Look, this is going to be long, and you can call me paranoid all you want, but today was the last straw. I've got a zoom shot of that "first down" awarded to GT in the 3rd Q, and that entire sequence is a disgrace. One, the spot GAVE GT a half yard, clearly....2nd, even with that, THE CHAINS CLEARLY PROVE THAT THEY DIDN'T GET THE FIRST DOWN! As a newbie here, I haven't figured out posting this pic, but I will. As my buddy and I said during the game in real time, the nose of the ball didn't get to the stick. This photo clearly shows that to be the case....it was short by an entire link and a half. And yet, the zebras just gave them the first down, as if no one would notice! Clearly trying to screw UNC, for whatever reason.

I bring this up b/c we won, and it can't be said to be sourgrapes. But this is a pattern of inexplicable calls that ALWAYS go against UNC:
1- this play I have the pic on....
2- roughing the punt snapper at ND last year. Otis didn't even do it, and that is a call I've never seen called. We were ahead, in the 4thQ, by the way.
3- multiple phantom penalties against and overruled UNC big plays by Ron Cherry in games vs. VaTech in 08 and 11. All clearly horrid calls. Mookie catch inside the VT 3 yd line waved off by Cherry from 40 yards away.
4- more Ron Cherry in a debacle vs BC in 09
5- two phantom holding calls on Aaron Stahl on scored TDs @ MooU in 09 in a 1 pt. loss. Neither was any more a hold than were either of today's abominations called on QDavis and Crowley.
6- opposition players go unpunished by the league when they intentionally set out to injure UNC players. See Tim Jackson cut/clipped 30 yds. from the play at the end of the play vs dirty Dook OL dirtbag in 13, and today's high-low of NJones by GT RG-RT duo.

Countless other examples of BS calls to UNC's detriment, like these, not merely missed calls. Blatant, "UNC isn't supposed to win" kind of calls. Today's award of the first down to GT was the last straw. No honest official could look at that measurement and believe that the measurement showed GT to have made that first down. TV clearly showed it, and yet we are to believe that the officials right on the scene made an honest mistake?

I'm sick of this crap, and UNC needs to raise hell w/ the league office about it.

Your post could easily be 20X as long by listing more horrendous, biased, calls against UNC.

 

[Louigi]

I agree with OP. Although, they called a "roughing the snapper" yesterday in Alabama \ Georgia game. It too was very schechy.

I heard announcer say that chain link can be included in measurement. Never heard that before and don't know rule, but if true, it is stupid. It is 10 yards, not 9 yards and 11 1/2 inches.

The officiating was terrible yesterday. The holding calls against us in first quarter were ridiculous. GT was doing worse and more, plus blocking in the back, chop blocks, etc.

GT fans are bitching about player ejection, so it is in eye of beholder.

 

[strummingram]

Wow... a game of inches?

 

[Realfreedom]

It was horrible yesterday, although I do have a hard time with the Tech player being kicked out.

The officials helped to stop our first two drives and that is typical. The spot and the measurement were clearing wrong. Thank you for posting the picture. Almost unbelievable.

 

[Roady]

The officiating is taking a beating this morning on many boards...

 

[TarHeelMark]

Wow... a game of inches?

Even though that photo appears to be taken from a slight angle, Stevie Wonder said it should be UNC's ball. That is so unbelievable. I am so proud of our guys for everything they overcame yesterday, including that BS spot and measurement

 

[HeelFan58]

The officiating in the ACC is looking at terrible in the rear view mirror and the ACC office has no concern what so ever or either are too stupid to realize it. I am not sure who the supervisor of officials is but he either needs to fire certain officials or resign himself. Incompetent officiating in the ACC has become the norm and the ACC office has allowed it.

 

[UNCWayno]

Wow... a game of inches?

That picture infuriates me as much this morning as it did yesterday. It was so obvious on the TV screen that GaT was short and they still tried to determine the outcome of the game. Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[HeelFan58]

To be sure these idiot refs know their mistakes/cheating will show up on film. I guess they just have no fear of discipline from the supervisor of officials or the ACC office.

 

[Tigertown_a_Rick]

That picture infuriates me as much this morning as it did yesterday. It was so obvious on the TV screen that GaT was short and they still tried to determine the outcome of the game. Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Officiating is a great profession if you're a dishonest cheater who has an agenda because there are no repercussions for making these kind of blatant mistakes if "MISTAKES" is what you can call them?....

Ron Cherry is still calling ACC games as an example of incompetitence with NO oversight....

Maybe the person in charge of ACC officiating is the problem?

You know it's bad when a Coach has to appeal where the ball has been spotted.....

 

[TarHeelMark]

I honestly find it hard to believe that there is an anti-UNC conspiracy overall, or from the top down. However it does look like we have way too many incompetent refs in the ACC.

 

[UNC '92]

Article 7a of the NCAA rule book states:

"If a yardage chain is used, it shall join two rods not less than 5 feet high, the rods’ inside edges being exactly 10 yards apart when the chain is fully extended."

So they didn't enforce their own rule.

 

[SeaHawk98]

The officiating was just terrible. The refs screwed us early with 2 holding calls on the first drive and a non call on a PI on Switzer. I don't think GTs offensive line got called for a penalty despite being dirty. We lost a DT because of this. Yet the ACC will not do anything. Too many phantom calls for me over the years to not think there is not a conspiracy against UNC. It know it sounds ridiculous, but if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is probably a duck.

 

[JimmyinVA]

The officiating in the ACC is looking at terrible in the rear view mirror and the ACC office has no concern what so ever or either are too stupid to realize it...

it's clear by now that they don't give a damm.

 

[bobby121567]

Even though that photo appears to be taken from a slight angle, Stevie Wonder said it should be UNC's ball. That is so unbelievable. I am so proud of our guys for everything they overcame yesterday, including that BS spot and measurement

We have a winner!!!!! That's funny Stevie Wonder.

 

[bobby121567]

The officiating in the ACC is looking at terrible in the rear view mirror and the ACC office has no concern what so ever or either are too stupid to realize it. I am not sure who the supervisor of officials is but he either needs to fire certain officials or resign himself. Incompetent officiating in the ACC has become the norm and the ACC office has allowed it.

Maybe we can't find and hire better officials. They need to make it more of a full time type job. Then maybe you would get better officials

 

[Archer2]

it's clear by now that they don't give a damm.

Nope, there is no accountability whatsoever. Basketball officiating has been atrocious for years as well.

 

[nolegeorge]

Im just going to confirm that we had some horrible calls / no calls against us in our WAKE game .... so the ACC officiating is pretty bad across the board.

 

[JimmyinVA]

Nope, there is no accountability whatsoever. Basketball officiating has been atrocious for years as well.

i would love to see a weekly tv feature on one of the sports networks to highlight the worst calls in each power 5 conference. you're right -- currently, there is no accountability.

 

[BeezerHeel]

I don't want to be Debbie downer in here, but we are all smart enough to know our eyes could (probably are) be playing tricks on us as far as the pic of the football and 1st down chain goes. After all we are looking at an angle there and we don't know for sure how severe it is.

However, please feel free to continue griping about the placement of the football. There was sufficient evidence to bitch about that. Officials will not change their opinions on those sort of subjective calls. Their ego's won't allow it. It's not always about getting the call "right"; It's about saving some face as well.

 

[BeezerHeel]

I don't want to be Debbie downer in here, but we are all smart enough to know our eyes could (probably are) be playing tricks on us as far as the pic of the football and 1st down chain goes. After all we are looking at an angle there and we don't know for sure how severe it is.

However, please feel free to continue griping about the placement of the football. There was sufficient evidence to bitch about that. Officials will not change their opinions on those sort of subjective calls. Their ego's won't allow it. It's not always about getting the call "right"; It's about saving some face as well.

 

[UNCGridironFanatic]

The angle we are looking at is NOT an acute one. You can tell by the orientation of the nose of the ball. It's inconceivable than ANYONE can look at that measurement and declare it a first down, and do so honestly...to me, that's the measure of the true test DIVIDING incompetence from agenda. What goes on w/ regards to UNC Football in the ACC is an AGENDA.

Since we seem to be in general agreement, let me shift the thread a bit....WHY the anti-UNC agenda? My theory centers around Swofford; if UNC was to become a top ACC program, ALL the other schools' fans/administrations would be in an uproar that Swof was paving our way for us, to their detriment. So, refs get the wink/wink from the league office (b/c Swof cares way more about himself than UNC), and then their own human biases kick into override.

 

[BeezerHeel]

gridiron, you sound like a crackride member more than a TI member when you try to pretend to know why UNC gets the shoddy calls they get.

 

[Roady]

This thread mirrors one current on the FSU Warchant board...it ain't just the Heels.

"I know folks on this site think it is only FSU that gets bad calls. I watch other ACC games and see all the missed/botched calls and just wonder if it isn't just incompetence in general. I thought the UL -State game yesterday was awful. Holding right in front of refs that was missed. Not to mention a lot of other screwed up calls. The GT/UNC game was bad also. "

'The refs seem to get worse every year. There has to be better refs than the ones the ACC keep bringing in. Hell even my gator buddies can't figure out why these aren't being called in our favor."

"I don't think this was a biased game called by the refs, it was more incompetence IMO."

 

[TarHeelMark]

It does seem like overall poor officiating. Players are much bigger, stronger and faster than ever, and with the refs only doing this job part-time, I honestly don't think they can keep up with the speed of the game. Some of these dudes are pretty old... Hell, Ron Cherry is at least 70 himself.

 

[HeelFan58]

Too many of these guys are officiating Friday night HS games and don't belong on a college field. I use to ref HS and I had enough self-awareness to realize I didn't belong on a college field and didn't want to be on one..

 

[UNCGridironFanatic]

gridiron, you sound like a crackride member more than a TI member when you try to pretend to know why UNC gets the shoddy calls they get.

Who said I KNEW why we get screwed so consistently by the officiating? I said that was my THEORY! You should try a reading comp class. Geez.

And yes, general incompetence by officials is an issue. But I'm talking about the phantom calls we suffer endlessly that just kill us, like the measurement yesterday, holding on Freddy Jones on that same field in 1995 nearly 50 yards away from the play on the non-play side negating a 50 yd. gain late in the 4th Q that put us in scoring position for a chipshot FG, down 2 pts. at the time. The Octavus Barnes "fumble" vs FSU, that he clearly never caught. The holds on scoring plays vs Noo in 09, where the flags weren't dropped until after the result of the play was clear, and that replay clearly showed no infraction committed by Aaron Stahl, the accused. Etc, etc...ad infinitum.

No, not incompetence. Intent, manifested by proactively making crap up...that type of biased officiating.

 

[BeezerHeel]

Too many of these guys are officiating Friday night HS games and don't belong on a college field. I use to ref HS and I had enough self-awareness to realize I didn't belong on a college field and didn't want to be on one..

you better be one hell of a HS ref to come up and ref a P5 game.

 

[BeezerHeel]

Who said I KNEW why we get screwed so consistently by the officiating? I said that was my THEORY! You should try a reading comp class. Geez.

And yes, general incompetence by officials is an issue. But I'm talking about the phantom calls we suffer endlessly that just kill us, like the measurement yesterday, holding on Freddy Jones on that same field in 1995 nearly 50 yards away from the play on the non-play side negating a 50 yd. gain late in the 4th Q that put us in scoring position for a chipshot FG, down 2 pts. at the time. The Octavus Barnes "fumble" vs FSU, that he clearly never caught. The holds on scoring plays vs Noo in 09, where the flags weren't dropped until after the result of the play was clear, and that replay clearly showed no infraction committed by Aaron Stahl, the accused. Etc, etc...ad infinitum.

No, not incompetence. Intent, manifested by proactively making crap up...that type of biased officiating.

working theory on a message board translates in to you whole heartedly believing "it". embrace your posting and own it. we don't need code. your examples solidify your belief and that is fine by me. My point is every school can point fingers and look back at a lot of games and say, "see, the refs f*cked us!!" Again, every school can say this ... not just UNC-CH. Who Swofford was once upon a time has nothing to do with it whatsoever. If the ref is screwing us over with intent, it is because of selfish reasons. No more, no less.

 

[strummingram]

I see bad officiating in every game- college or pro. If you're a fan of a team (a passionate fan) then you are going to feel like your team is getting railroaded. And, sometimes they do, and will. I don't think it's intentional to screw UNC only, not remotely.

 

[UNCGridironFanatic]

Well, there is no doubt that when it comes to rooting interest here in ACC country, that there are 2 groups, UNC fans, and anti-UNC fans. Many refs of this era grew up watching UNC OWN the ACC in hoops, and it is natural for people who don't love a team to tire of continued success. So perhaps these individuals' bias is coming thru in their officiating. Human nature being what it is....

 

[UNC71-00]

I honestly don't think there is any bias, other than refs tend to give good teams the benefit of the doubt. Works out well for us in hoops, not so much in football.

 

[Jimmy the C]

I think you guys need a sedative

 

[JimmyinVA]

...Who Swofford was once upon a time has nothing to do with it whatsoever. If the ref is screwing us over with intent, it is because of selfish reasons. No more, no less.

there are a number of schools that unc humiliated over the years in basketball and that created a lot of abc'ers. the ages of today's refs means they grew up during the years of unc domination in basketball. the last thing in the world these guys want is for unc to be a top 20 program in both major sports. i don't think all the acc refs are abc'ers, but some are, and they definitely showed up yesterday.

 

[UNC_Blue]

there are a number of schools that unc humiliated over the years in basketball and that created a lot of abc'ers. the ages of today's refs means they grew up during the years of unc domination in basketball. the last thing in the world these guys want is for unc to be a top 20 program in both major sports. i don't think all the acc refs are abc'ers, but some are, and they definitely showed up yesterday.

Absolutely.

 

[BeezerHeel]

there are a number of schools that unc humiliated over the years in basketball and that created a lot of abc'ers. the ages of today's refs means they grew up during the years of unc domination in basketball. the last thing in the world these guys want is for unc to be a top 20 program in both major sports. i don't think all the acc refs are abc'ers, but some are, and they definitely showed up yesterday.

correct. the intent is on the individual, not the conspiracy of the league.