That love has since eroded into the usual disdain that everyone has for the zebras, but at least the number of horrendous calls has seriously diminished. They are not gone of course, but they never will be.
In the weeks following the end of the ref lockout there were a few inquiries made as to what's next for the replacement refs. These folks were put in a pretty difficult spot and for the most part really did their best. We can't blame them for being overwhelmed with the task. If the NFL came knocking on your door and wanted you to do something, understood that you would be way out of your league, and agreed to pay you a good chunk of change you would have jumped at the chance.
That being said, we are all glad they are gone, but the question remains as to where are they now. Apparently there were some working the Penn State/Nebraska game this past Saturday.
About midway through the final quarter the Nittany Lions were in reach of taking the lead. With the ball inside the five on second and goal QB Matt McGloin passed it to tight end Matt Lehman who was hit pretty hard at the goal line and the ball popped out. It was recovered by Nebraska in the end zone and called a fumble.
Upon review the call was upheld.
Now the crappy part--and where the replacement refs must have been involved--was the review. From the video it is pretty easy to see that Lehman reached out with the ball and crossed the goal line with it before losing it.
According to the rules, once the ball crosses the plain of the goal line the TD is scored and the play is over. Should the ball carrier lose control of the ball after that is a moot point.
Nebraska went on to win 32-23 so you can say that the blown call is also a moot point, but had the Cornhuskers been down rather than nursing a lead the game could have very well been different. Nebraska would have likely played the game a little differently in order to regain the lead which would in turn alter how the Nittany Lions would have called their defense.
While Penn State would have still been trying to score, when you have a lead you call the game in order to kill the time as much as you do to score.
This call was blown. That is pretty clear. I'm not one for thinking conspiracy theory like McGloin referred to in his comments after the game, but having been one that used to coach I've been told by some refs that they do call the game often times according to their perception of it. Should one team be expected to dominate they call the game in order to make that more likely. Should another team be expected to suck they call every penalty under the sun in order to support that perception.
Past members of the Nittany Lions family did some horrible things. Those people and the university are or will be paying for those horrible things. The perception that many have about Penn State is tied to those horrible things.
Folks--referees and otherwise--need to remember that Matt McGloin and the rest of the student-athletes that make up the football team had nothing to do with it, and should be treated accordingly.
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