In case you didn't see this, during the South Carolina vs Louisiana game and umpire block SC quarterback Stephen Garcia! I have no idea if they are going to discipline the umpire but come on guys they only do this for Bud Ads!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcdWdBgUBqw
It was only an arm and Garcia went back really quick.
(10-21-2008 06:49 AM)perry88 Wrote: [ -> ]It was only an arm and Garcia went back really quick.
That may be true, but would you be expecting the umpire to be tackling you. He was likely thinking he needed to avoid being thrown out of the game for roughing the umpire.
So it turns out the umpire who delivered the much-clicked hit to Stephen Garcia at the LSU 5-yard line during Tigers' win over South Carolina Saturday is no stranger to bringing down ballcarriers in the open field: Wilbur Hackett Jr. was a Parade All-American out of Louisville and a three-year starting linebacker at Kentucky from 1968-70, where he was the first black captain in SEC history. The conference won't say whether Hackett will be back on the field this weekend, per its usual policy, but he won't be facing any discipline:
... the SEC office believes Hackett was protecting himself and plans to take no disciplinary action on the veteran official. Rogers Redding, the conference's coordinator of football officials, reviewed the tape of the play and thought it was inadvertent contact.
"Garcia changes his direction just a tad, which ties up the umpire just a tad and makes it look a lot worse than it really was," SEC spokesman Charles Bloom said.
Here is another clip with a little something added to the end (which is about right)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDk6LStfhM8
oh my word how have they claimed he wasn't TRYING to get in the players way he jumps TOWARDS the bloke not away as instinct would tell him to do. Kind of stupid the guy didn't just run through him as happens alot in rugby (not in the premiership but lower divisions). I know if i was in the players shoes that umpire would have been hit into next week!
That was my thought also. I think the ump was looking elsewhere but moving into the path of Garcia. I, too, would have run thru him. But as a former defensive player I think, as the ump, I would also go into a block as a reflex.