Officiating Crew Suspended
 

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4583642

Crew removed from Oct. 31 gameComment Email Print Share Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Southeastern Conference has suspended officials from last weekend's Arkansas-Florida game after the crew was involved in its second controversial call of the year.

Referee Marc Curles' crew called a personal foul on Arkansas defensive lineman Malcolm Sheppard in the fourth quarter as the Gators were rallying for a 23-20 victory. The league said there was no video evidence to support the call.

The same group of officials called the LSU-Georgia game earlier this month, which included a late unsportsmanlike conduct penalty the league said shouldn't have been called.

"A series of calls that have occurred during the last several weeks have not been to the standard that we expect from our officiating crews," SEC commissioner Mike Slive said Wednesday. "I believe our officiating program is the best in the country. However, there are times when these actions must be taken."

SEC associate commissioner Charles Bloom said this is the first time the league has publicly suspended a football crew like this.

The SEC says the crew will be removed from its next scheduled assignment Oct. 31 and will not be assigned to officiate as a crew until Nov. 14.

The league said the crew's bowl assignments could also be impacted.

"The entire crew shoulders responsibility for each play. I have taken this action because there must be accountability in our officiating program," Slive said. "Our institutions expect the highest level of officiating in all of our sports and it is the duty of the conference office to uphold that expectation."

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said in a statement: "We took the appropriate steps to address any issues we had with the league regarding this matter earlier in the week. Our focus as a football team has been and remains on this weekend's game against Ole Miss."

They were terrible! I believe they lost the game for Arkansas

Good... they screwed the Hogs late in the 4th. Florida should have lost that game...

Hunh. Who woulda thunk that? Officials want the 2 best teams in the SEC to win? :hmmm:
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Here is a video from a Gator fan having fun... some of those were BS.

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I want at least 2 of the top 3 teams to lose so Boise State can get into the National Championship game. They were robbed the year they beat Oklahoma.

yea there were some baaaad calls on that drive that went floridas way.

good god those were AWFUL calls.

The refs got paid off. That's the only way they could have really called that the way they did.

Now if the Big 12 would address the Ref Crew from the OSU v MU game.

Yeah, that was a pretty serious screw job. The Hogs shot themselves in the foot quite a few times as well, so official don't get all the blame. That being said, Florida shouldn't need any freaking help from the officials to win games.

It would be awesome to see them and Cinncinati play for it.

Mr. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, are you watching?

with millions of dollars being gambled on these games and people with deep pockets wanting their team to win, you'd be very naive to think that refs don't get paid off.

Never happen.

The Big 12 has proven consistently that they lack the balls for something like this.

Worst leadership in the BCS.

Didnt MU get an apology letter from the officiating crew a few years ago?

Yes it would. I'll buy a Bronco Jersey if they make it! But you know the BCS doesn't want that to happen.