ACC stands behind phantom fair catch signal

[TarHeelNation11]

and which ACC crew is your dad , brother , uncle or cousin on?

My (great) uncle was an ACC ref for like 30 years and retired 5-6 years ago. Despite that, I still have no problem saying ACC crews suck. FWIW, they USED to be better. My uncle officiated a couple national championship games.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

Also, I watched this again on the game broadcast and it got me mad all over again. It was just such a horrible, horrible call.

We all know what happened. The refs ASSUMED (you know what they say about assuming things) he'd call a fair catch, but he didn't, and they couldn't believe it and figured they must have just missed seeing him do it, so they blew it dead.

It is an amusing case study on how bias can blind you though. They showed Clawson (sp?) right after the play and he was motioning by waving his head way above his head...............yeah that's not what Switzer did at all, bud.

 

[HeelFan58]

Yes, I can remember the days that if there had been chat boards (LMAO) there would have been 0 discussion about the refs.

 

[Archer2]

and which ACC crew is your dad , brother , uncle or cousin on?

I had to laugh at that conspiracy theory myself.

 

[angelo_sellers]

The specific language in the rule defines an invalid fair catch signal as "any waving signal" that doesn't meet the requirements of a valid fair catch signal (hand above head, etc.).

The problem with that definition is the word waving. The motions made by Switzer and Reid in no way resembled waving. If the effing rule is that the returner can't make any signal that could be misconstrued as a fair catch signal, then just say that. But don't say it can't be a waving signal, because that's not how the rule is being interpreted. Mark is exactly right that fair catches should be one of the simplest determinations in football.

They'd be better off just removing the "illegal signal" from the rule book. Either you make a valid fair catch signal or you don't - and if you don't, you're fair game.

 

[angelo_sellers]

wow- that one is worse.

Ours was worse, only because FSU wasn't penalized 5 yards in addition to having the return nullified.

 

[heelmanwilm]

and which ACC crew is your dad , brother , uncle or cousin on?

The one serviced by yo momma

 

[HeelFan58]

The one serviced by yo momma

my mother is 90 years old and in the Alzheimer's ward at a nursing home. Congratulations on your wit. Do you always react this way to a good natured joke??? I was just ribbing you for taking up for the refs but it is good to find the posters who are wrapped way too tight.

 

[JimmyinVA]

They'd be better off just removing the "illegal signal" from the rule book. Either you make a valid fair catch signal or you don't - and if you don't, you're fair game.

good point.

 

[WoadBlue]

Just now in Pitt-Cuse game:

Cuse guy is back about the 5 to catch the punt. He puts his hand well above his head and waves furiously, and then he takes off running as fast as he can to his right. The Pitt man hits him after he runs about 4 yards. The ref flags the Pitt guy for interfering with a fair catch.