Quote:
Originally Posted by MD Longhorn
?????
Why the shot?
What do you think I don't understand?
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What I don't think you understand, Mike, is exactly what the covering official believed he saw, that prompted him to throw that flag. On the field, at that very moment, there's really not a whole lot of difference between what he may have seen and what he truly believed he saw, as least as far as reaching for the flag is concerned.
Considering the speed of play, the skill of the players and the nature of this particular contact, I would think most officials, who may have walked in somewhat similar footsteps, would be inclined to give the covering official the benefit of the doubt. Thankfully, that circumstance doesn't seem to fall under the reviewable situations, so often the final judgment is determined by what the covering official believes he sees, which hopefully matches what he actually sees, and prompts an appropriate reaction.
That official made the call, presumably based on what he believed he saw, without the benefit or the hindsight of replay that slowed the action down to that of a gnat winking as viewed from multiple angles and positions.
Whether from a "fan" perspective or not, there's a point where even constructive criticism, especially when it cannot change or make any difference to anything, can become hyper critical and lose any value it might otherwise offer.