Even opposing teams agree: Iowa State athletics and its fans have been blatantly robbed three times in less than eight
months in big, nationally televised games.
The latest cut came last week in football, when a Texas running back seemed to lose the football near the goal line, and replay officials claimed they didn't have indisputable visual evidence to overturn the call that everyone else could see. Thus, a 90+ yard, ISU game winning fumble return TD was turned into a Texas win.
This piles on top of the two other blown officiating calls that cost ISU dearly in basketball this year. First, the no-call charge debacle against Kansas in February, and then the block-charge screw-up in the NCAA basketball tournament against Ohio State a month later. Both occurred very near the end of the game, and both were clearly declared to be wrong later. (How wrong? Well, the Big 12 apologized and reprimanded the Kansas game officials. And since the Ohio State game, the NCAA has clarified the rules relating to when a player can take a charge.)
National media personalities agree these were all crappy calls, but then most of them eventually say that it doesn't come down to one call. That's true, but also stupid. Bad calls late in a game are much worse than other times, because the offended team has no time to adapt. Don't say there were other times that plays could have been made, when in fact the play of the game was made, but taken away by the officials.
This piles on top of the two other blown officiating calls that cost ISU dearly in basketball this year. First, the no-call charge debacle against Kansas in February, and then the block-charge screw-up in the NCAA basketball tournament against Ohio State a month later. Both occurred very near the end of the game, and both were clearly declared to be wrong later. (How wrong? Well, the Big 12 apologized and reprimanded the Kansas game officials. And since the Ohio State game, the NCAA has clarified the rules relating to when a player can take a charge.)
National media personalities agree these were all crappy calls, but then most of them eventually say that it doesn't come down to one call. That's true, but also stupid. Bad calls late in a game are much worse than other times, because the offended team has no time to adapt. Don't say there were other times that plays could have been made, when in fact the play of the game was made, but taken away by the officials.
The commiseration from national sports media folks on all of these bad officiating calls is nice I suppose, as is the commiseration from other teams' fans. (I wore ISU gear to a Nebraska football game in Lincoln this past weekend, and no fewer than 4 fans spontaneously told me something to the effect of, "You got screwed!") But it doesn't change outcomes or better the attitude of Cyclone Nation. They're just left to know that karma is a bitch - Kansas and Ohio State later lost heartbreakers in the NCAA tournament, and this year's Texas football team is already circling the drain.
It's probably best to simply accept that, home or away, when in doubt, officials' calls are going to favor the traditional national power.
It's probably best to simply accept that, home or away, when in doubt, officials' calls are going to favor the traditional national power.
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