If you used "worst" or "horrible" or "ever" or "inexcusable" the past few days, move along to ESPN.com or elsewhere, because the reality isn't so clear about The Call and its impact
Little did I know that the decision to postpone the second and third state title games Friday would bring me some joy.
Instead of watching Warner Robins and plodding around on the old Twitter and such, I was able to give the social media outlet the night off. Had to.
For two hours after Peach County’s 10-6 loss to Calhoun in the Class AAA championship game, it was remarkable.
Misguided outrage. Social media posturing, and posturing from those expected to be a little smarter, a little more objective than the average fan. Blaming the GHSA because blaming the GHSA is a daily ritual for a couple million people in the state no matter the topic.
There it was, Peach County and Calhoun, and The Call, a game that will live in infamy, and in realities clouded by anger, ferocious acrimony and almost hate, hamstring-pulling knee-jerk hyperbole to a disappointing level.
Scores of people called it “the worst” call they’d ever seen. Worst. Lawd have mercy, in all their years, they’ve never, ever seen a call like that.
Which is patently absurd, because A) people say the same thing about every other week; B) what was the second-worst call? Fourth? The last five times, since they’re rankable, one has from their living room or computer screamed about the worst call ever? C) there are similar, or worse, calls every single week of every season on every level that only five people see and no doubt had an impact on winning and losing, and perhaps on who makes it to a championship game. Check out certain associations, and check out a rural South Georgia game on a given Friday night, and the accompanying message board tirades.
But all have impeccable vision and judgment when there’s a replay and the perfect views that officials and umps don’t have.
I’M AGREEING IT WAS A MISSED CALL, THE WRONG CALL.
“Ref is garbage. Should never be in a uniform. How’d that crew get that game? Stick to rec ball, if that. Horrible crew. Abolish the GHSA.”
Based on one call. That people saw. Because of replay. Period. That’s the reaction we want kids to see from adults because of a game, and a person who made a mistake, huh?
Unforgivable human error?
Now, on to the normal defense of officials that folks just never want to hear:
Forgotten is the simple fact that refs/umps/etc. are human beings – I’m as sorry as I can be with that reminder - and if you’re executing at 100 percent every day, or at a stunningly exemplary rate, in all you do, whale away. Then please submit some video of that perfection so we mortals can perhaps learn something.
Mistakes happen. Ask the coaches who make wrong calls, or players who fail to execute what they’re taught all season to execute. Both happen multiple times in every single game. Human beings miss things. And it’s a little different sitting in the living room and not getting upset until the second replay than it is actually doing the job.
People love throwing out the “well, did you play?” missile when logic and context are winning a debate. OK then, do you officiate or ref or ump?
At a minimum, when was the last time most people saw a game for a few minutes from field level and got that vantage point, which is completely different than the living room or 37th row, and offers no replay?
Second, the grousing about the quality of officials is usually off-base.
Think there aren’t enough good officials? True. Hey, there aren’t enough officials, period. In every sport, everywhere, all levels. Teams play a scheduling dance because of a lack of officials.
And here’s the regular reminder: applications to offer eagle-eye, quick-thinking services in the world of reffing or umpiring are available everywhere.
Ah, no, no, no. Too much effort. Might get yelled at. Might make a mistake on an unfamiliar stage. Might have crazy people want you beaten and fired and flogged, or find out your name and post it online so other crazy people can threaten you. Which, of course, is already part of this process. People want the ref’s name.
Really? Again? Is civility and maturity that painful?
All for doing something very difficult that people don’t want to do. Hey, more people are leaving the ref game than joining it, and we're amid a prime example.
Come on, join the fun. It’s so blessed easy, and they make so much money. Just ask ‘em. And you might get to travel to Homerville and Homer, Alma and Alamo, Pearson and Pelham.
Third, talk about using replay was predictably shortsighted.
Let’s start with not showing controversial plays on big video boards with no replay in place (and it won’t be, so let’s just do this starting now). For high school games. Exercising proper judgment here isn’t hard. Just don’t do it. You only show good plays.
It’s high school. Let’s celebrate, not instigate. There’s not nearly enough of the former and too much of the latter in our daily lives.
Replay won’t necessary decrease the ref ripping much anyway, because it’s there every weekend with major colleges and the NFL. The replay process is imperfect, in part because, well, it’s manned by them damn imperfect humans.
Too, you go all season without replay, and then you have it for one game?
Think there wasn’t loads of work that went into the first year of replay, that first week and month? Think they got it right all the time? Think the stress level when they went live after scores of run-throughs wasn’t high?
You’re talking about needing multiple games – scrimmages, etc. – to work on it, and you have to know the championship crews far ahead of time, and, well, there’s a whole lot more to it than just cameras and another ref.
Replay for one game only increases paranoia that the replay ref doesn’t want to show up the other official. And there are always several versions: what happened, what different refs saw from their different angles, and what those SOBs did to your team.
Don’t forget: Friday’s games would have had replay and the rest of the title games wouldn’t. Get penalized because of weather? No, they wouldn’t be able in any form or fashion to set up a bunch of replay booths at all the sites. Not fair. We’re about fair, right? Not perfect. Fair.
One of the many bottom lines here is that if Friday’s game wasn’t on TV, this wouldn’t be the biggest travesty since your favorite team/player (fill in the blank). Again, calls like happen that all the time on a different stage and with only a few nearby witnesses. Yes, the stage matters, but we could see the same type error this Friday but we wouldn’t see the same type error because there is no multi-million dollar video board or TV cameras to replay it over and over.
I’M AGREEING IT WAS A MISSED CALL, THE WRONG CALL.
Impact of missed/wrong call is missed/wrong
*Deeeep breath*
Had to let this exasperation sit overnight, twice (wish a lotta other folks would have withheld judgment just the least little bit).
Now, to the game and situation itself.
Nobody ever wants to point out perceived negative items under such circumstances, for it interrupts agendas.
“Why can’t you just have fun piling on, and just blow off common sense and logic?”
Wish I could. Life would be markedly easier. Nevertheless, that call did not rob Peach County of a win. Absolutely not. Was big, was painful, was crucial, was incorrect, was of impact. Noooo question.
Re-read that. I’M AGREEING WITH YOU, to a point.
But robbing the Trojans of the win? Nope. It perhaps robbed them of the lead, yes, and that’s all. Period. The lead. Different than robbery of a win.
First of all, the drive started with nearly five minutes left. A full 42 percent of the quarter.
Second of all, it’s arguable that Peach County should have used the trusty Division I leg – even if Division I coaches keep overlooking it - of Mitchell Fineran again and gone for the field goal – my first thought - to pull within 10-9.
That puts more pressure on Calhoun, which was also having trouble on offense. After Fineran’s first field goal, Calhoun got a first down and fumbled. After the second one, the Jackets went three and out and used less than a minute.
Peach County took over with 4:53 left, got two first downs and stalled. Again. Both offenses stalled all day.
Please give players from Calhoun some credit for their part in that. I certainly didn’t expect it. Picked the Trojans by 16. Still fine with that pick. They had an off day.
So PC had fourth and 8 at the 21, and called timeout with 3:40. Again, Calhoun’s previous two possessions lasted 1:04 and :59. No reason to believe that would change.
A one-point game puts more pressure on that team with the lead knowing the kicking weapon on the other side. You go from needing every yard for a touchdown to needing 30 or fewer for field goal range. That’s a lotta turf a team doesn’t need for a touchdown.
As it was, Calhoun used up 2:02 on the ensuing three-play, two-penalty drive after The Call, and the Trojans took over with 1:31 left at their 42. Instead of needing 25 yards to get into range for a 12-10 lead – yes, assuming Fineran cruises through another 37-yarder - they needed 58 for a touchdown.
Lost 15 yards on a sack, got 16 back on a pass, incompletion, and pass for 5 yards on fourth and 9.
Please, somebody, give Calhoun some credit for the sack, one of five, for the QB pressures it had all afternoon.
All that – AGAIN, I AGREE IT WAS A MISSED CALL, THE WRONG CALL – came around The Play.
There has to be an attempt to have a grain, a grain of objectivity. No fun, true, but it clarifies.
This, without being overly specific in this forum, is the evidence you’d present (and this has much less flavor) had your rival been on the wrong side of The Call:
Peach County had 13 possessions. Average starting field position by quarter: own 34, 28, 30, and 48. Calhoun’s: own 28, 26, 29, and 28. Advantage, Peach County.
Had great field position on its first drive, own 45, and got picked off (a play that has joined the debate). Got to the Calhoun 21, had a penalty and a 15-yard sack to fall out of field goal range. End of first quarter.
Improved field position to near midfield, had a second and 3 and third and 2, had to punt. Started on own 45, got 2 yards, punted. Started on own 31, Calhoun returned an interception for a touchdown with 23 seconds left in the first half.
Remember that there was only one touchdown scored in this game, by a defense..
The second half was more of the same.
Peach County was 1 for 13 on third downs, the one conversion coming in the second quarter. Calhoun recovered its onside kick to start the second half and got a field goal.
Punted on fourth and 18, got a roughing call and first down, fumbled for an 8-yard loss on second and 1, punted. Started on own 41, punted on fourth and 3.
Drive started on 29, got to Calhoun 31 in one play, lost two yards on two plays, settled for 50-yard field goal. Started on Calhoun 24, gained two yards on three plays, settled for 37-yard field goal.
Plays galore both teams left out there, and stats were as even as you’d expect from two quality and similar teams.
And then things got tight, and crazy.
“Why you gotta go specific and nitpick?”
Forced to by the overreaction, misinformation, inaccuracy, and venom. Can’t let that much go.
“Masochist.”
No question.
Now, again, can somebody credit Calhoun for making plays, too? Please? Just like you’d want Peach County credited if all this was flipped? Both defenses had the better day. Defense scored the only touchdown.
The Call did not come on the last play, or in the last minute.
“Yeah, but they made the play.”
And a human being made the wrong call. Hate sounding like Grampa, but that’s life.
Again, let’s put your rival in the same scenario. Think the same way then? Nope.
“Deal with it. Missed calls happen all the time. You had all game to avoid getting into that situation and chance afterward to make plays. People make mistakes.” And you’d run down the aforementioned examples of missed chances or good play from the other side.
OK, don’t admit it, but you’ve done it before and you’ll do it again. Probably this month.
Almost nobody else wondered at the time if Peach County’s receiver had gone out of bounds and returned just before the catch. Many more have noted as much since, and there’s more evidence he took a step or two out of bounds – without being pushed – than not. The problem: perhaps officials missed one call that would nullify another missed call.
Is there a level of justification, if that’s the right word, in there? Damn, I can’t figure that one out. Seems like there should be.
“Great. Missed call negates another missed call.”
Semantics is a huge part of the reaction.
A major, major question is why officials didn’t gather together. We’ve seen enough conferences to discuss a basic 5-yard pre-snap flag – oh, goodness – last 5 minutes, how in the world did this play not merit a chat? Even while slyly peeking at the big board?
There are those pointing out that officials apparently missed or miscalled a pair of fumbles that Calhoun recovered earlier in the game. And, well, maybe you don’t want to look at those, because they were fumbles and they were missed. (Links are in story on Peach County appeal).
Damn human beings.
What impact would just one of those being called had in the game?
No doubt you feel for Peach County. Holy cow. You can’t not feel for a team that lost starters late in the season and powered through to the final.
They, like most championship teams and programs, were pretty much a joy to watch. Peach County doesn’t get enough credit at times for being as fundamentally sound as it is. Always physical, athletic, and tough, but really much better at proper football than most realize.
That’s why Friday was so even.
But again, please give Calhoun some credit. Please. If you want it, you’ve got to give it, and the reality is that Calhoun made the play that won the game, and did it in the first half.
Reminder: I’M AGREEING IT WAS A MISSED CALL, THE WRONG CALL.
A life lesson? No doubt; Heartbreaking? Oh yeah
There is nothing that’s not gut-wrenching about the whole deal, including for the team that has the trophy. People have step back and put themselves on the other side for at least a second. They are kids, after all.
As for Peach County’s appeal and the apparent accompanying reaction – which led to a second shutdown of one man’s computer, except for actually looking at scores of video and pictures that … never mind - that’s a whole ‘nother discussion.
People conveniently use their Andy Griffith voice on setting examples and giving the proper messages to kids about life and all, messages that have sure been obliterated the last 48 hours. Don’t talk to kids about dealing with adversity like adults and then go deal with adversity with exaggeration, immaturity, falsehoods, and foot-stomping.
To smother all this with indignation about human error is, of course, the wrong thing for kids, and those involved in the game deserve better for the effort they put forth. Calhoun and Peach County earned applause, and people soon enough may have to just live with that as the most important thing coming out of this game.
That, and for one side, a painful life lesson. Bless them that this is their most painful life lesson for awhile.
Moving on is a life lesson, too, for any age.