[MACster]

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/spo...a.html?sid=102

Interesting.

Marion Franklin, the AP Poll Champion in Division II, files a complaint over officiating in their Regional Semi-Final loss to Sunbury Big Walnut, 24-12. Big Walnut was penalized 6 times, while Marion Franklin was penalized 21 times. Marion Franklin is also accusing the referees of saying in appropriate comments to the Marion Franklin players.

[com.lb.fraxr]

It will be interesting to see the outcome of this. It happens often where you see or hear of how bad some of these officiating crews are, but seldom do you get to see how an appeal process goes.

[bigdogdad]

So who or what are the Marion Franklin people going to blame next when the OHSAA determines there was nothing inappropriate? Will everyone drop it? The fact of the crews in the second round and beyond are chosen due to their merits has been lost along the road here. If they had any complaints against them, I'm sure they would not be working playoff games.

[Hank_Hill]

It all comes back to one thing....and we all know what that is.

[herrenj]

Originally Posted by Hank_Hill

It all comes back to one thing....and we all know what that is.

What is it?

[rogerthat1]

Originally Posted by Hank_Hill

It all comes back to one thing....and we all know what that is.

Perhaps could it be that Marion Franklin got so many penalties becasue they committed so many penalties? Maybe its on the coaches, and not coaching their players up on what not to do.

no no no, that can't be, it must come back to that "one thing". Its probably the refs fault.

[North/Side]

Is it true that one of the officials were related to a Big Walnut player?

If so, maybe its just me, but shouldn't that be avoided when assigning officials?

[HistoryBuff]

Originally Posted by North/Side

Is it true that one of the officials were related to a Big Walnut player?

If so, maybe its just me, but shouldn't that be avoided when assigning officials?

Highly doubtful. The OHSAA pre-selects the crews based on ratings provided by coaches from the year before. (hence the 2009 ratings by the coaches select the 2010 officials, etc.). Although officials aren't assigned as the crews that they worked as during the season, most playoff game crews are from the same district. (all one one crew from the NE District, all on another from the Central, etc.). Officials also are selected based on their position... referee, umpire, field judge, etc..

The OHSAA then ships the crews to a different part of the state. NE crew to Central Ohio possibly for example. They are careful to make sure that the crew does not have a connection with the teams involved and the officials don't even know where they are going until they are notificed after the sites are announced. (notice the "Crew #" number line on the site listings on OHSAA. They are blank until the OHSAA cross checks.)

So not only is it unlikely that the official was related to a player, the crew most likely wasn't even from Central Ohio. If the official happened to be related to a player, I would hope that he would have enough integrity to call the OHSAA and asked to be re-assigned.

Personally, I think part of the problem with playoff officiating is that these crews are not selected as crews but rather individuals. These playoff crews have most likely never worked together like regular season crews do. I think that hurts the ability of the crew to call a good game.

[HistoryBuff]

Originally Posted by com.lb.fraxr

It will be interesting to see the outcome of this. It happens often where you see or hear of how bad some of these officiating crews are, but seldom do you get to see how an appeal process goes.

Originally Posted by bigdogdad

So who or what are the Marion Franklin people going to blame next when the OHSAA determines there was nothing inappropriate? Will everyone drop it? The fact of the crews in the second round and beyond are chosen due to their merits has been lost along the road here. If they had any complaints against them, I'm sure they would not be working playoff games.

Originally Posted by ff23

I guess the thing to do is have OHSAA just declare Marion-Franklin the DII state champs!!! Tell the other teams that earned the right to play in the regional finals to just play X-box or something Friday night. We can tell the other #1 seeds that got beat that they can claim a share of the title if they whine and cry enough to OHSAA.

The answer to this is quite simple..... the OHSAA does not accept protests of contests due to officiating. They have NEVER overturned the outcome of a game due to officiating. (finding that a team used an ineligible player can overturn an outcome but not officiating.)

The OHSAA will investigate the more serious charge of inappropriate comments by the officals and, if true, should (and will) take disciplinary action against the official(s). (anything from a multi game supsension to total loss of officiating liscense.) Hence the reason the OHSAA wants to know WHAT specifically was said and WHO specifically said it. Generalizeations don't allow for punishment.

They may review the game tape and if they see that calls were missed or rules inappropriately applied, then they will mark down the official and they won't be working tournament games for quite a while.

But there is NO appeal process for OHSAA contests and they will not overturn the result. The AD at Marion Franklin should know this and the only reasons to file the protest is over the inappropriate comments and to prevent these officials from working tournaments again. (of course, it might also be to satisfy some whining parents or coaches so he can say, "well I tried, but OHSAA didn't do anything.")

Filing a complaint over the innappropriate comments, if they occrued, is the correct thing to do. Filing a whining protest over bad officiating is not good. (he could have simply written about the poor officiating and asked it to be reviewed for future tournament assignments without it being a protest.)

[Cadillak]

It will definitely be interesting on how the OHSAA handles this. I wasn't at the game, but I saw the film this week. I have been coaching high school football for 18 years and have seen some horrible officiating (as I'm sure everyone else has too). I counted at least 4 flags that you can't even consider questionable. The calls were absolutely wrong. Also, the spots were crazy with adding on yards in short yardage situations. When these things happen that many times in a game; it makes you wonder.

[bigdogdad]

Originally Posted by Cadillak

I counted at least 4 flags that you can't even consider questionable. The calls were absolutely wrong. Also, the spots were crazy with adding on yards in short yardage situations. When these things happen that many times in a game; it makes you wonder.

First of all, I'm sure a film shot from 30-40 yards away on top of a press box is real clear and such a better vantage point than what the ref's had.

Second, please share which plays these were. I have a copy of the film and would sure like to reference them. Now, when you reviewed the film, did you also count all of the "no calls" in the first half. Like the first t.d. when #58 from BW was blocked in the back, and at the very end when #24 from BW took a haymaker from the MF player near the end zone. That went on all night long. If you want to single out plays, back it up by hard proof.

[ff23]

I guess the thing to do is have OHSAA just declare Marion-Franklin the DII state champs!!! Tell the other teams that earned the right to play in the regional finals to just play X-box or something Friday night. We can tell the other #1 seeds that got beat that they can claim a share of the title if they whine and cry enough to OHSAA.

[mlisi39]

Originally Posted by ff23

I guess the thing to do is have OHSAA just declare Marion-Franklin the DII state champs!!! Tell the other teams that earned the right to play in the regional finals to just play X-box or something Friday night. We can tell the other #1 seeds that got beat that they can claim a share of the title if they whine and cry enough to OHSAA.

Settle down there. It's about fairness, and if it is found out that one team had an unfair advantage, then that's just wrong.

No one mentioned declaring anyone the champs except you.

[Walking Boss]

I obviously don't know all the specifics as I was not on the field. However, I believe the complaint would carry a lot more credibility if Marion Franklin wasn't notorious for penalites. I think they had 20+ in a opener against Brookhaven in '09 and they ~15 for 150 yards in a game I witnessed against Dublin Scioto this year. I believe Hefferle himself said in an interview before the playoffs started that the team had to keep penalties in check. Jus tmy 2 cents.

[alene10]

Bigdogdad

Amen to that.

[ff23]

No, it not about fairness, its about blaming someone else for your own failure due to your behavior. We cheered the penalties because history tells us that they were going to play that way, and they didn't let us down. Our players were told by coaches and their parents not to retaliate and stoop to MFs level. History told us that once MF got behind , they would react the way they did. Is MFs AD going to complain about all the regular season games that MF averaged over 10 penalties for 150+ yards? Just maybe you should look at the way this team has played all season and not expect something different to happen just because its a play-off game that you were supposed to win. Noone owes you a victory just because some writers voted you #1.

[NewarkCatholicFan]

I would be shocked if the O.H.S.A.A. did anything about anything.

[covercorner]

Really Marion Franklin? Really?

[Al Luminum]

I believe football officiating in Central Ohio was a lot better a number of years ago. With that being said, I think the OHSAA should review the BW-MF film and declare a winner. I'm sure every member of the board has officiated football for a number of years.

[USA70PP]

^^^
How about all of the teams still playing send game films to the OHSAA, let them review them, and then declare the 6 division champions.