Bobref

Aaahhh, lacrosse fights! Brings back the memories. Like football fights ... only the players are armed. Remind me to tell you about the time the Irish played at Denver ...

It’s incredibly difficult. Very hard to juggle preventive officiating, even-handed enforcement, and punishing the instigator to get it stopped. That’s in addition to all the other officiating you have to do during the game.

I’m sorry. But even in this age of PC, I can’t believe anyone would take this seriously. This is a joke, right? One of those internet hoaxes?

It would be the perfect setup. Low expectations = low pressure. #1 pick in the draft. Tons of cap space.

Maybe you could consider adding Tri-West, Triton, and Triton Central.

I’m pretty sure some smart people are going to look very closely at those, and other issues, before they throw $12 million/yr. at anybody.

I haven’t really been involved in the discussion, but I’m sure there’s some of that, too.

You know, everyone talks about the expense involved in traveling distances for away games. But has anyone attempted to quantify that additional expense? I have a good friend who has worked for many years for a company that provides transportation services to the Chicago Public Schools. I asked him what the marginal increased cost would be to take a school bus full of players on a 150 mi. rd. trip vs. a 40 mi. rd. trip. The answer is it costs about $125 more for the longer trip, almost all of which is accounted for by the increased cost of the driver. So, when you’re talking about expense being a barrier to some realignments or scheduling issues, now you have a number to put on it. Question: If, for example, Penn were to move to the Duneland, how many DAC fans would they have to draw to a game at Penn to make up the increased travel costs, compared to the kind of gate they get from the visitors when they play one of the South Bend schools?

Sign me up for this.

If you need to use someone else’s “disrespect” as your motivator, you’re in trouble.

What is going on in the bowl games this year? This wasn’t the only game that saw multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, guys squaring off, I mean, it’s crazy. You’ve got multiple guys opting out for whatever reasons (don’t get me started on that), and on the other end of the spectrum, guys in an all out brawl at the end of a totally meaningless game. I don’t get it.

Hey, IU had a breakout season. Just bad luck that the QB went down. Let’s hope that sort of season becomes the norm instead of the aberration. But come on ... comparing them to ND in terms of the “treatment” they “should” have gotten? You’re fast eroding your credibility.

I can’t emphasize enough to the non-officials out there: when you see the crew huddle like that, it is NOT a sign of uncertainty. It is good crew communication and mechanics. Plays are sometimes like puzzles. They have to be put together one piece at a time.

Yes, the specific foul is illegal participation. Here’s the play from the Case Book: “9.6.2 SITUATION C: K1 free-kicks the ball toward the sideline. R1 runs to a sideline and intentionally steps out of bounds. While R1 is still out of bounds, he intentionally touches the ball as it nears the sideline. The ball is declared dead by the covering official. RULING: Illegal participation by R1. (4-3-1, 6-1-9)” Since the foul occurred while the ball was loose during the free kick, the 15 yd. penalty is enforced from the previous spot, and we re-kick.

Tyler Buchner, IMO, is The Chosen One who will lead us to the promised land. https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/tyler-buchner-207639 I agree that in the last 4 yrs. or so, the Irish have closed the gap. They finally have a defense that can play. Their o-line is the best in the country. Solid skill position players ... except for a game-changer at the QB position. If he lives up to his billing, this kid could be the one.

And, of course, nothing will ever top the brawl at the 1971 Bucket Game in Bloomington. Players, fans, cheerleaders, mascots, everyone was involved. For God’s sake, the marching bands were duking it out with one another! That’s the ultimate!

The first college playoff game I ever officiated was a Juco game at College of DuPage in Illinois. They were a national power, and were crushing the visitors late in the game when their linebacker intercepted a pass on the visitors’ sideline, went out of bounds, and got drilled very late. He got up looking for somebody and all hell broke loose. It happened right in front of me, so when the two guys squared off, I got between them. By this time, they had each other by the facemasks. They were both about 6’3” and 230#. I put a hand on each player’s chest, and shoved them apart ... of course, they didn’t actually move. Not so much as a millimeter. That’s when I knew I was in trouble. We were at the center of a seething mass of people. I realized my feet weren’t actually touching the ground. The mass moved all the way out of the bench area and on to the track, and me along with it. When order was finally restored, I reported the fouls to the Referee (Tom McCabe, a long time Referee in the MAC). Then he asked me “Where is the out of bounds spot?” I told him I had no idea. His response was “well, you better make something up pretty quick.”

The accepted mechanic is to “find the line” on change of possession plays, i.e., the first down to start a possession, so long as the possession doesn’t start inside either 20. For the most part, the decline in measurements is a consequence of the increasing prevalence of turf fields, with their precision markings.

We all deplore fights. They don’t belong in the game. I’ve ejected dozens of players (and others) over the years for fighting. Nonetheless, stuff happens occasionally. I’m not talking about a couple of guys shoving one another after the play. I’m talking about actual Donnybrooks involving multiple players/personnel and lasting a while. What’s the most memorable one you’ve seen?

Excellent. This reminds me of Bo Schembechler obstinately refusing to kick away from Rocket Ismail. This will probably work out the same way.

I’m talking about from the perspective of the people who get to decide who plays who and where.

It is a mistake to think of the bowls — other than the playoff games — as anything other than entertainment with a financial goal. What you’ve “earned” during the season by your play is not as important as whether you can deliver TV ratings and tourist dollars for the host city.

By which I meant, the “line” will be established in the usual way: litigation. A terribly inefficient process, but there it is. Don’t expect the line to be bright.

All will undoubtedly be revealed ... in the fullness of time.

School bus drivers will be glad to hear that. 😆