The concern over officials is in particular regards to last year's game against FL where the game was practically handed to the gators. Multiple issues throughout the game that were so egregious the SEC was forced to bench the officiating crew. Not that this helped us any after the fact... the damage was done.
Let's hope the game is clean and there are no questionable calls either way.
Hi, Tiber,
1) I think most everyone here agrees that there was shoddy officiating in your game with Florida last year. That being said...
2) Even if you had won the Florida game, we STILL would have won the West, we STILL would have played and beat Florida, and we would STILL be national champions. If you had won it would have gotten them a better bowl, but it's not like you would have won the SEC West if you won that game.
3) That simply does not explain my own experience living among Hawg fans in the mid-1990s. I know there are some good Arkansas fans, I don't dispute that - just like we have some rotten apples in Tideville. Take my example of Wally Hall - since you guys lost to Florida and the refs were suspended then does that mean the SEC is trying to suggest that you were robbed? Or are they saying Florida "really" beat you guys? All I'm saying is you can't have it both ways.
4) Bad officiating calls are a part of the game. We have been on the receiving end as much as anybody. Simply check out 1983 Penn State, the 1990 Sugar Bowl, 1995/2000/2003 Arkansas, 2004 LSU, and even 1989 Auburn for some good examples. But we've also benefited like in the 2006 Cotton Bowl and the 1994 Ole Miss game.
But you're probably dealing with some sensitive people in Alabama because every time we got hosed back in the last decade, all anybody wanted to do was accuse us of cheating. Tennessee is still crying about Cody's helmet being off at the end of the game last year. Never mind there were some flagrant holds on the right side of the O-line that were right in front of the refs and NEVER called. Somebody estimated eight blown calls AGAINST us - to that one that some suggest was "for" us.
The bottom line is that Rogers Redding did not block Dan Lincoln's field goal tries; a mountain did. So the notion the refs cost them is nuts.
I hope there's no close calls, but let's not be priming the "if we get a fair shake" argument that some of your fans are using a week before the game.
