Taylor Mays and Officiating Inconsistencies

by Paragon SC on Oct 27, 2009 8:00 AM PDT in USC Football Comment 9 comments

More photos » Mark J. Terrill - AP

I noted earlier today that the Pac-10 suspended one official from Saturday's game against Oregon St. for the non-call against Taylor Mays' apparent face mask against James Rodgers.

Here is a quick re-cap...(emphasis mine)

The Pac-10 Conference has suspended an official for one game for missing a penalty call on Taylor Mays during the USC-Oregon State game on Saturday.

Mays ripped off James Rodgers‘ helmet in the end zone, but no call was made. The Pac-10 did not name the official who’s being suspended, but Commissioner Larry Scott did issue this statement:

"Our members expect a high level of officiating in all our sports, and the conference office shares that expectation. We have taken this action in light of the blatant and dangerous nature of the missed call. We have full confidence in our highly trained and qualified staff of football officials, but they, like the coaches and players, are accountable and must meet the high expectations placed upon them."

They are kidding right?

So, they suspend one member of the crew for a missed call but they do nothing in regards to the other missed calls in the ND game including the officiating not even knowing the rule book in regards to an illegal play on the fake field goal attempt.

This is beyond laughable.

The bigger problem here is that you know the ref's will over compensate and absolutely hammer SC on Saturday in Eugene.

Here is Pete Carroll's take on it.

Pete Carroll said he was against a suspension.

``It was definitely a penalty that should have been called,'' Carroll said. ``There's more than one guy out there. That's too bad that one guy takes the hit.''

He is right...singling out one guy really doesn't fix the problem or prevent it from happening again. There just isn't any accountability or consistency in the officiating and it has been that way for a very long time. Larry Scott misses the boat here, either suspend them all or suspend no one.

Of course the bigger question in some peoples minds is whether or not Taylor Mays is a "headhunter." I think it is a legitimate question but I certainly don't think so.Mays is a freakish athlete. There is no other player like him in the college game, you simply cannot hold back that type of talent. He is asked to do a lot back there because of that talent. Whether or not he ends up as a Safety or a Linebacker at the next level is a whole other question. He does need to work on his tackling technique but Mays should not have to temper his athleticism and he should not be singled out because of it.

I would have no problem if he was called for a penalty on that play but make it consistent...the phantom calls in the ND game should never had happened and they go a long way to portraying Mays in bad light. I think if Mays focused a little more on his technique then a lot of this would go away. Use your athleticism to make clean tackles and a lot of this goes away...

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The funny thing is ...

The officials made up for missing Taylor nearly decapitating Rodgers on the ensuing kickoff! I recall watching the game with the wife, and remarking in disbelief how the official didn’t throw a flag on that helmet rip.

The wife made a comment about the officials obviously being given instructions to never call penalties on SC, but I replied along the lines that those instructions only applied to minor infractions, every other pass interference call, and awarding touchdowns without necessarily scoring one, and that trying to rip someone’s head off was still a foul — even on SC.

Anyway, the kickoff came and there was a flag, and then there was that extended meeting with the officials, and I remarked that they were trying desperately to think of something to call on SC now as a means of making it up — because much like traffic violations, one can always find some penalty or other on any play in any game.

Sure enough, there was some phantom call about blocking below the knees and, surprise surprise!, OSU was awarded a new kickoff 15 yards further down field. Almost as if they did call the facemask on Mays.

So, since the refs made up for the non-call, I don’t see why that one guy is suspended now. Silly, actually.

Oh, and as to whether Mays is a dirty player? Nah … I don’t see it. He may be intense, violent, and a bit insane, but from what I see he isn’t a cheap-shot artist or anything like that.

On ATQ I'm known as JSoCal Oski

It's spelled J-etc

by SoCal Oski on Oct 27, 2009 8:22 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

If they want to hard hits to stop they got to get a handle on the trash talking.

Whether it’s the guy talking trash or the person taking it in somebody’s going to get in an extra shot, this has been going on since the start of time. I still remember the time I line up on the Centennial Compton dee and the tackle across from me said white boy I am going to knock you on your a$$. Well I just kind of owned that guy the rest of the game and I never said anything back, but this did give me a little extra push all game.

If the the pac-10 office would send out a memo which informed the teams that they are not going to tolerate trash talking, it would help. But then they have to worn a player the first time, then if they persist hit them with a 15 yarder. If they continue kick the dude out, I guarantee this will put a stop to trash talking. This in turn should take the revenge factor and drop anger out of the game.

Player: coach Wooden how do ya bounce the ball

Wooden: ups and downs

Player: thanks you are a wizzs

by so.cal.native1952 on Oct 27, 2009 9:52 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

With all due respect

I think this is a completely ridiculous idea. I see by your screen name that you are a little older, and I want to be respectful of how things were done a long time ago.
But trash talking (like you said) has been around forever, and it will always be a part of the game. It won’t be eliminated because it can’t be eliminated. And why, why, why would you ever want to “take the revenge factor and drop anger out of the game”?! Football is a game in which the primary purpose is to hit the guy across from you as hard as humanly possible. It is a violent game. And these are good things, not bad. It just always cracks me up when people suggest everybody act like they’re at a cocktail party.
The NCAA has already greatly hurt the game by adding those ridiculous “taunting” penalties for such egregious acts like high-fiving your teammates or smiling at someone in the stands. Now you want to sissify the game more … unbelievable.

I needed a team so I wouldn’t turn into one of the eighty million pink hat-wearing Bud Light-drinking mulleted idiots at Fenway.

by Vacafan on Oct 28, 2009 7:50 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I get what you are saying but it has gotten out of hand, if they don't tone it down there will be more Bosie-Oregon games

So lets say they at least get control of the after the play stuff, and the bad language. That would at least take some of the Bad Hits, and revenge on the streets usually turns to violence.
But go your own way

Player: coach Wooden how do ya bounce the ball

Wooden: ups and downs

Player: thanks you are a wizzs

by so.cal.native1952 on Oct 28, 2009 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I get what you are saying but it has gotten out of hand, if they don't tone it down there will be more Bosie-Oregon games

Player: coach Wooden how do ya bounce the ball

Wooden: ups and downs

Player: thanks you are a wizzs

by so.cal.native1952 on Oct 28, 2009 9:41 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Shoulda declared last year.

If you are a first round draft pick, it no longer makes any sense to stay an extra year. See Bradford, Sam, University of Oklahoma QB. Last year was a weak year for safeties in the draft. TM would have gone in the top 15. Now he’s dealing with the lingering effects of a knee injury and referee’s who are not qualified to call his game.

What refs or Pac-10 officials call penalties, the NFL will reward with bonuses.

by Zoulou on Oct 27, 2009 10:12 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yah in the NFL they don't call touching a 15 yard penalty!

I mean why in the heck is there such a difference everybody needs to be on same page, but heck we are talking NCAA here.
NCAA= no supervision

Player: coach Wooden how do ya bounce the ball

Wooden: ups and downs

Player: thanks you are a wizzs

by so.cal.native1952 on Oct 27, 2009 11:14 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That official saw that hit and let it go Why?

A) the fact the the Rogers both were talking trash all game.
B) was afraid that Mays would line him up next
C) Felt that TM was just letting Rogers get some air
D) Was showing Mexi-bruin what would happen if he keeps telling Lies
E) Was just trying to stuff the helmet down his throat, ala Fat S. Williams

Player: coach Wooden how do ya bounce the ball

Wooden: ups and downs

Player: thanks you are a wizzs

by so.cal.native1952 on Oct 27, 2009 11:36 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

NCAA Rules State that.....

a facemask penalty is for grabbing, shaking, twisting, pulling or torquing the mask (or something like that.) A simple grab is not a penalty..

I still did not see Taylor grab the facemask. So, what exactly is the call? There is another roughing penalty for prolonged hit to the helmet (or something like that). I wonder if that is the penalty that they are talking about? Yet, if Rodgers hadn’t fallen down, then Taylor would have hit the body and not the head. And, it clearly wasn’t intentional.

I’m still confused as to what penalty should have been called, and why announce a suspension for a non-call without explaining the correct call. Morons!

by DFWTrojan on Oct 27, 2009 1:37 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs