Rules Question from a Basketball Guy
 

Watching the Insight bowl there was a play that made me curious. Stanzi threw an interception, and during the return a Missouri defender sought out Stanzi and "blocked" him.

They threw a flag for unnecessary roughness. Was this because Stanzi wasn't involved in trying to tackle the new runner?

Yup. It is a personal foul for unnecessary roughness to hit a player like that who is out of the play. Same as if a player takes out an opponent 30 yards behind the play on a long run.

The white hat will specifically watch the QB after such a play. He ends up being a target for such a hit and I won't hesitate to flag it.

Not sure the QB was out of the play. Althiugh he was not running, he was walking in the direction where the returner was headed. The block was not extra rough. They did botch the enforcement though as that "foul" was after the change of possession so the offense should not have been allowed to get it enforced. There was another foul against the defense before the change of possession which should have been enforced instead.

Just shows even the best of us can mess up penalty enforcement

To quote our white hat...this game will humble you!

Pinstripe Bowl
 

Does a salute to the crowd constitute a an excessive celebration foul?

I'm wondering the same thing. I'm watching Tenn. v. NC and I just saw a Tenn. player do a similar gesture following their first TD and it didn't get a second glance. I imagine that call against Ks St is going to be debated quite a bit.

(also as basketball guy BTW).

And what the hell is that 3 tweet whistle I'm hearing after many of the plays in the UNC-UT game? Big Ten crew, never heard that before.

Well, I work football too but I'm just wondering if that's something that has been listed as excessive celebration.

I live near Fort Bragg, home of the 82nd Airborne. A local HS player plays at Clemson and was flagged after he scored in a game earlier this season. He saluted in honor of his military heritage, so obviously it made the paper here.

Not saying it's right or wrong, just asking.

Canadian Ruling
 

CANADIAN RULING:

Can't hit a guy obviously not in the play. UR; 15 yards.

Tennessee drum major

Funny. We're sitting in a bar tonight after our hoops game and the first comment my partner made about the salute was "no Big Ten crew would make such a chicken-**** call." And it appears he was right. And wrong. At the same time.

Why in the #@!! the ESPN audio engineer couldn't hear that 3 tweet toot from the UT band and null it is beyond me. It was irritating.

All and all not an impressive performance by the Big 10 last night. So much for the national officiating coodinator.

We'll all be forced to buy some new Honig's invention as penance:cool: