Biggest Referee Gaffs in History

Many of you are now very familiar with what happened Wednesday night at the conclusion of the "Imperfect Game." Umpire Jim Joyce called Cleveland Indians' batter Jason Donald safe when he clearly wasn't with two outs in the ninth to ruin pitcher Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers perfect game.

While all parties involved have handled the situation with class and dignity and the debate to use more instant replay in baseball heats up (of course being baseball it will take forever for that to happen). It got me thinking about some of the biggest gaffs by officials in sports.

Baseball

Don Denkinger Calls Jorge Orta Safe
In 1985, the St. Louis Cardinals were on the verge of their 10th World Series title. Up 1-0 in the 9th inning of Game 6, umpire Don Denkinger called Jorge Orta of the Kansas City Royals safe although pitcher Todd Worrell, covering first, clearly beat him to the bag. The Royals rallied for two runs to tie the series, then blasted the Cardinals in Game 7 to win the World Series (yes the Royals used to be good).

12-year-old Helps Yankees
In Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS, 12-year-old Jeffrey Maier reached over the right field fence and grabbed Derek Jeter's fly ball before Baltimore's Tony Tarasco could snatch it. Umpire Rich Garcia opted not to call fan interference despite Maier's glove being obviously over the fence. The home run in the 8th inning tied the game and the Yankees won 5-4 in 11 innings. New York won the series 4-1. Being an Orioles fan, and watching this happen live was unbelievable. What made me even more upset was how Maier was treated like a conquering hero afterwards. If I ever see him in person I will punch him in the face.

Basketball

USSR Wins Olympic Gold on Third Try
The U.S. men lost for the first time in Olympic History, 51-50 to the Soviet Union, after referees twice put time back on the clock, enabling the Soviets to score at the buzzer. In the confusion legendary Oklahoma State and U.S. team Head Coach Hank Iba had his wallet stolen. The Americans protested and never accepted their silver medals. To this day they remain unclaimed. American player Kenny Davis has a clause in his will forbidding any of his descendants to ever accept the medal. Of course in 1980 in Lake Placid the U.S.A. got their revenge (do you believe in miracles?).

Hockey

Brett Hull in the Crease
Brett Hull's goal in the third overtime of Game 6 of the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals was allowed even though his skate entered the crease before the puck. The goal lifted Dallas to its only championship and further devastated Buffalo's long-suffering fans.

Soccer

Hand of God
Diego Maradona punched the ball into the goal in a 2-1 quarterfinal win against England, helping Argentina claim the 1986 World Cup. Later, Maradona described it as, "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God." In reality it was pretty much all hand.

Football

Colorado's Fifth Down
Referees failed to change the down marker when Colorado spiked the ball on its final drive. The Buffaloes scored a touchdown on "fifth down," the final play in a 33-31 win at Missouri. Colorado went onto share the 1990 National Title with Georgia Tech.

In stark contrast to what happened in a similar situation in 1940. Cornell scored a last second touchdown to defeat Dartmouth 7-3. However, when it was later ruled that officials lost track of downs and Cornell had scored on a "fifth down," the president, athletic director, and coach of Cornell ruled that they would forfeit the game. Today the game stands in the record books Dartmouth 3 Cornell 0. The Big Red was ranked second in the nation at the time and gave up the possibility of a National Championship. Imagine what would happen today if say Alabama or Tennessee did something similar with millions of dollars and a BCS Title on the line?

So there you have it. Yes, human error is part of the game, but sometimes you just have to scratch your head and wonder what were they thinking?

Vols One Point Short of Making the Final Four

So close, yet so far for Tennessee. J.P. Prince's desperation heave fell short as the Vols fell to Michigan State 70-69 in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. The Big Orange certainly had a chance to make it to their first Final Four in team history, but missed free throws down the stretch really hurt the Vols.

Sad ending aside, this Tennessee team will go down as one of my favorites. They may not have won an SEC Title like the Bernie and Ernie show in the 70's or achieved a number one ranking like the 2007-2008 team, but they overcame so much and got further in the Big Dance than any Vol team before.

Remember your reaction when your heard the news about the New Year's Day arrests and the dismissal of Tyler Smith? All the expectations we had for this season were thrown out the window.

Then days later the Volunteers upset top ranked Kansas with only six scholarship players, knocked off Kentucky, and made a gritty run through the NCAA tournament.

This team is by far Bruce Pearl's best coaching job. He had to change the way the team played after the arrests, and use literally everyone on the bench. When people say it was a team effort, they really mean it with this Vol squad. We all know the contributions of Wayne Chism, J.P. Prince, Bobby Maze, Brian Williams, Scotty Hopson, Cameron Tatum, and Melvin Goins.

However, you can't forget Renaldo Woolridge's huge three point baskets against Kansas, Kenny Hall stepping up when Chism and Williams were in foul trouble, Steven Pearl playing great defense and taking charges, Josh Bone coming up big in the OT game against Ole Miss and the great play in the Tournament, and of course Skylar McBee's huge three point dagger against Kansas.

When I look back on this team I will always smile. Thank you Bruce Pearl and the Volunteers for a great season! IT IS GREAT TO BE A TENNESSEE VOL!

Tennessee Finally Among the Elite

No one ever saw this coming on New Year's Day. After four Vols were arrested, Tyler Smith dismissed from the team and three others suspended, not even the most optimistic Tennessee fans could have seen this.

Tennessee dominates in the paint and J.P. Prince blocks superstar Evan Turner's desperation three at the buzzer as Tennessee defeated Ohio State 76-73 and advanced to their first Elite Eight in school history.

It was a complete contrast in styles. Ohio State had to rely on their superstar to do everything, while Tennessee used almost their entire team to get it done. Led by the seniors, Wayne Chism scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half, Bobby Maze made the clutch free throws at the end, and of course Prince had the big block.

I am so proud of my Vols. You have to admire everyone on the team. After the nightmare of New Year's Day, this team has rallied and taken the Volunteers somewhere they have never gone before. And they are not done yet!

Tennessee Dominates Ohio and is into the Sweet 16

This Cinderella had enough. The great Ohio perimeter shooting that took the Bobcats through the MAC Tournament as a ninth seed and blew out Georgetown in the first round of the NCAA Tournament was shut down by the Tennessee Vols. Tennessee won 83-68 and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the third time in four years.

You have to credit the great defense of Bobby Maze, Scotty Hopson, and J.P. Price. Ohio guards Armon Bassett and D.J. Coleman lit up Georgetown in the first round, but the Vols were ready on the defensive end and stifled their attack and did not let Cinderella work her magic again.

The Vols did a fantastic job of defending ball screens, which the Bobcats use to try and get their shooters open. Instead, they were harassed by the long arms of Hopson, Maze, and Prince. Bassett, who had scored in double figures in 14 consecutive games, made only two of 10 field-goal tries and scored seven points. Cooper had 16 points but made just five of 13 shots.

Tennessee did have prior experience in defending quick players out on the perimeter this season. South Carolina's Devan Downey (the conference's leading scorer) made just nine of 38 shots in two losses to the Vols.

The Bobcats were no match for Tennessee in the paint either. Every time Tennessee got the ball down low, something good happened. Credit does have to go to the Bobcats who tried to claw their way back into the game behind Tommy Freeman who had 23 points and cut the Tennessee lead to five with a three with 13 minutes left in the game. Tennessee was able to break through Ohio's press for some quick and easy points and they never looked back.

Tennessee did not play a perfect game by any means. They have to cut down on some of the turnovers. Tennessee had 16 turnovers and many of them could have been avoided. Most of them came on very sloppy and lazy passes. If Tennessee wants to advance past either Georgia Tech or Ohio State, they will have to be more careful with the ball.

Still, it is great to see the Vols back in the Sweet 16!

Tennessee Gives Seth Davis a Big Orange Middle Finger

The first thing out of Sports Illustrated/CBS commentator/douche bag yesterday was that Tennessee would be upset by San Diego State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Well the Vols shut him up for at least a little while as they beat the Aztecs 62-59 in a slugfest last night to advance in the big dance.

Melvin Goins led the way for the Volunteers scoring a career high 15 points and hitting a clutch (or as Bill Raftery says, "ONIONS"!) three pointer with 14 seconds left in the game to give the Vols a four point lead. Goins then of course gave those three points back after fouling Aztec D.J. Gay shooting a three who then made all three free throws to shrink the Vol lead to one.

It then came down to senior and team leader Wayne Chism who made a pair of free throws with 7.4 seconds left to put the Vols up three. Aztec star Kawhi Leonard then missed a three at the buzzer to give the Vols the win and give head coach Bruce Pearl a nice 50th birthday present.

Yes Goins led the way in scoring, but it was the Vol Seniors who refused to let the team lose. Chism had the clutch free throws and 11 points, Maze added 11 points and played solid defense, while J.P. Prince scored 15 and more importantly played great defense holding Leonard to 12 points on 5-of-15 shooting while also pulling down six rebounds.

Up next for the Volunteers is a second round match up against 14 seed Ohio tomorrow at 3:35 pm. Ohio surprised everyone and ruined many brackets by dominating Georgetown last night 97-83.

I think the Vols will matchup well against the Bobcats. D.J. Cooper scored 23 and Armon Bassett scored 32 for Ohio, mainly from three point range. Good thing the Vols have a great three point defense. If they shut down the three and play great in the post the Vols should be in the Sweet 16.

Enjoy the Madness today and this weekend!

Vols and Lady Vols in the Big Dance!

Since Bruce Pearl has been at Tennessee it has been real nice to cheer on both the Vols and Lady Vols in the NCAA Tournament. During those four "glorious" years under Buzz Peterson, I was at Tennessee as an undergrad and only had the Lady Vols to root for. With both teams in, March Madness is even better!

So let's take a look at what the Vols and Lady Vols have in store for them. Ladies first!

After an absolute dreadful year last season, in which the Lady Vols failed to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in their history, Pat Summitt put the Lady Vols to work and they are back where they belong as a number one seed.

Tennessee is also back to being absolutely dominant in the low post with Kelly Cain, Alyssia Brewer, and Glory Johnson. The Lady Vols averaged ten more rebounds a game then their opponents. Add leading scorer Angie Bjorklund with do everything Shekinna Stricklen running the point and the Lady Vols are a very dangerous team. The biggest problems this season for the Lady Vols is that Cain and Brewer have to stay out of foul trouble, and as a team they are only shooting 67.8% from the free throw line.

The team to beat for the Lady Vols is UConn who have now won an NCAA record 72 straight games. If things go the way they should, Tennessee would meet UConn in the national semifinal. This is actually better historically for the Lady Vols because they have not defeated UConn in a NCAA Championship Final. Looking forward to seeing if Tennessee can bring home title number nine!

Meanwhile, the Tennessee men's team end up with a six seed and face a good San Diego State team in the first round. Many are disappointed with the Vols' seed, myself included. What I think the selection committee looked at was that Tennessee's eight losses were by an average of 14.9 points. On top of that, the last loss was the 29 point beat down by Kentucky after the Vols had cut it to six midway through the second half. I still think Tennessee should have been a four seed but we can't worry about that now.

I still think the Vols can make a run in the tournament. Tennessee matches up well against the Aztecs. Both teams score in the low 70s and that scoring is spread around the whole team. SDSU is led by freshman Kawhi Leonard who plays a lot like Wayne Chism but lacks some experience. Tennessee is finally up against a team that shoots worse free throws than they do. SDSU only shoots 61.7% which makes the Big Orange's 66.9% look outstanding.

What Tennessee also has going for it is that all the so called "experts" including Sports Illustrated/CBS douche Seth Davis think Tennessee has nothing left and will be out quickly. I believe the Vols can beat the Aztecs and then play a possible second round match-up against Georgetown.

This is one of my favorite times of year. LET THE MADNESS BEGIN!!!

Vols Win Ugly and Advance

I have always said, I will take an ugly win over a fantastic loss. Tennessee was in that category as they really did not get into the flow of their first round SEC Tournament game against LSU.

Wayne Chism led the way with 17 points and 11 rebounds, and doing everything he could to fire the Vols up and lead them to victory. Brian Williams answered the call, pulling down a career high 14 rebounds, while Bobby Maze scored 14 points, nine of them from the free throw line late to seal the win.

Bottom line is, Tennessee will have to play much better today against an Ole Miss team that has won four straight games and are squarely on the bubble. A win over Tennessee would definitely help their resume. Meanwhile, if Tennessee can keep winning they might just move up in the seeding from a 4 to a 3, and if they win the whole shindig, they might move up to a 2 seed.

Today's winners:

Kentucky over Alabama/Tennessee over Ole Miss/Florida over Mississippi State/Vanderbilt over Florida

Enjoy the games and the Madness!

SEC Tournament Preview

March Madness is here! I love this time of year! You have all the small schools competing for their place in the dance, while the losers have to sit there and watch the other team celebrate.

Also, some of the greatest basketball games in history take place in conference tournaments. Who can forget UConn and Syracuse playing a 6 OT classic last year? Jesse and I sure don't!

Today the SEC Tournament tips off and the Vols face LSU. What stinks about this is that Tennessee is the #13 team in the country and had the third best record in the SEC, yet they still have to play on day one because of the way the seedings in the SEC Tournament work.

In the other conferences that have 12 teams (Big XII and ACC) they do not divide the teams into divisions in basketball and rank them 1-12 and the top four teams would get a first round bye. Here is how it would look in the SEC:

1. Kentucky 14-2
2. Vanderbilt 12-4
3. Tennessee 11-5
4. Florida 9-7
5. Mississippi State 9-7
6. Ole Miss 9-7
7. Arkansas 7-9
8. South Carolina 6-10
9. Alabama 6-10
10. Auburn 6-10
11. Georgia 5-11
12. LSU 2-14

In this formula Tennessee would have a first round bye and play the winner of Ole Miss vs. Georgia. However in the SEC, the teams that finish 1 and 2 in both the east and west divisions get the byes. So despite the fact that Tennessee has a better record and beat MSU and Ole Miss head to head, the Bulldogs and the Rebels have the byes and if Tennessee is to win the tournament, they would have to play four games.

Yes it is not fair to Tennessee this season, and I am sure this system has benefited Tennessee in the past, but it should be something the SEC changes for next year.

As for today, Tennessee has to be on the lookout for LSU. Yes they were only 2-14 in the SEC, but the Tigers played the Vols tough in Baton Rouge earlier this season and Tasmin Mitchell is a great player who can take over a game. I still think the Vols get the win but it will not be easy.

Today's winners:

South Carolina over Alabama/Tennessee over LSU/Florida over Auburn/Georgia over Arkansas

Enjoy the games and the Madness!

Rocky Top Rocks this Weekend

So both the Vols and Lady Vols were in action at Thompson-Boling arena this weekend and they both came out on top. The Vols of course knocked off Kentucky in an incredible game on Saturday, and the Lady Vols outlast a game Ole Miss squad this evening. Both teams look like they are ready for a decent run in the post season.

Under Bruce Pearl, Tennessee always seems to be better as the underdog. They knocked off number one Kansas in January with only six scholarship players, and beat number two Kentucky on Saturday after getting blown out earlier this week at Florida. After all Tennessee has been through this season, this squad just tries to find a way to win. It may not always be pretty, but they get the job done. Tennessee had a 19 point lead early in the second half, only to see the Wildcats make a run to tie it up. Tennessee showed incredible heart and did not wilt as they scored the last nine points to win the game.

Tennessee has two more games left in the regular season, against Arkansas and at Mississippi State. The Vols will most likely finish in third or fourth place in the SEC East which will set them up to play against LSU, Alabama, or Auburn in the first round of the SEC tournament. I think the Vols will be primed to make a run in the SEC tournament. I still like Kentucky to win the tournament, but if they run into Tennessee or Vanderbilt they can get knocked off.

Speaking of the Wildcats. It looks like their three point shooting may be their undoing. In their last four games they are only shooting 19% from beyond the arc. As talented as John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins are, you need a shooter to hit that big shot in the tournament. I do not know if they can hit that clutch shot to get them to the Final Four.

Meanwhile, the Lady Vols are back where they should be. On top of the SEC. They may not dominate every opponent like UConn has this season, but they also know how win in the clutch.

Looks like the Big Orange will be a force in March Madness! It is finally here!

Bye Bye Cats!

Awesome game by the Vols! The Big Orange showed incredible poise once Kentucky tied the game late. Tennessee then closed the game on a 9-0 run.

More in depth opinions on this game tomorrow!

It sure has been a crazy week. My girlfriend decides the best way to break up with me is via text message, I see an awesome show by Flogging Molly, and Tennessee beats Kentucky!

UT commit Justin Hunter in action

So as many of you know, I am an announcer at my old high school in Virginia Beach. Last night Kellam played Ocean Lakes in basketball. Ocean Lakes is the high school of Tennessee football and track commitment Justin Hunter.

I was announcing the football game between Kellam and Ocean Lakes when he caught 3 huge touchdown passes. Now I finally got to see him up close sitting at the announcer's table while he played basketball. I had joked with the Kellam players earlier in the week to go ahead and win but try not to hurt Hunter (they all know I am a UT grad). They got a laugh out of it and said they will do their best.

Anyway, the first thing I noticed about him is that he is very thin. Yes I like that he is 6'4" and is very quick, but I think he will have to spend some time in the weight room and get stronger if he is going to be able to battle for balls in traffic in the SEC. I do not know how that will effect his leaping ability for track and field, but for football it is a priority.

What impressed me the most was his crazy leaping ability. He really got up above the rim on the two dunks he had in the game, however, basketball is definitely his third best sport as he could not sink a free throw to save his life and Kellam won the game 50-44.

I do think Tennessee has a great player in Hunter and will be a huge help for the Volunteers in both football and track and field.

Another name I want everyone to remember is Kellam basketball player Ramone Snowden. He is just a freshman and only 14 years old, but plays like a senior and at 6'5" 200 lbs (and still growing) he looks like one too. I am not a big fan of these scouting services that are ranking high school freshman, but he is near the top of those lists.

It will be fun to watch Snowden's progress from up close.

Hopson hits clutch shot to beat Florida

Earlier this week Bruce Pearl challenged Scotty Hopson to take more shots as Tennessee's offense has struggled lately. Hopson came up big when it counted hitting a fall away shot with 21 seconds left to give the Vols a one point lead against the Gators.

Tennessee then turned up the defense and did not give Florida and easy shot, got the rebound and ran out the clock defeating the Florida Gators 61-60.

Hopson's basket gave Tennessee their sixth straight win over Florida and it also kept Tennessee from losing their third straight game in a row. While a win over Florida always makes me happy, Tennessee should have won this game by much more.

Tennessee played a slow and sloppy first half, falling behind by 10 at one point while letting the Gators shoot 57.7 percent. Tennessee got tougher on defense in the second half, holding Florida to only 36.4 percent and outrebounding them 27-12.

What really hindered the Vols in the game was their poor free throw shooting. Tennessee was 4 of 12 from the charity stripe against the Gators. This has become a trend for Tennessee. They have not shot well from the line all season, shooting only 66.4 percent which is ninth in the SEC. If the poor free throw shooting continues, it might cost Tennessee a game they should win.

Laughter takes pain away from Tennessee loss

So my family had tickets to see Bill Cosby last evening and it was awesome! Bill Cosby: Himself was the first stand-up I ever saw and I had never laughed so hard. I spent the next few years memorizing the album, much to the chagrin of my parents. At 70 Mr. Cosby can still make me crack up. He told some great stuff about getting married and what to look forward to after 40+ years or marriage. If you have the chance, go see his show!

All that laughter sure took the pain away from the Tennessee loss at Georgia last evening as well. I kept getting score updates during the show, and it just kept getting worse and worse. I think the Vols were due for a wake up call. They had been very resilient since all the arrests and suspensions, it was about time they walked into a buzz saw. Georgia may have been 0-3 in the SEC but they had played every team close, including Kentucky on the road.

I wouldn't worry about the Vols too much. They will be just fine this season. Bruce is one of the best coaches Tennessee has had in any sport, just keep the faith in him.

One other note, my Championship game picks:

Colts over Jets

Saints over Vikings

Enjoy the football today!

Big Second Half for Tennessee Blowing out Auburn in SEC Opener

I expected Tennessee to have a little bit of a hangover from the big win over Kansas. So it was no real surprise to me when Auburn jumped out to an early lead at Thompson-Boling arena. Then the Tigers behind 10 first half three pointers, stretched the lead to 12, and I got a little worried.

However, Bruce Pearl got the Vols back on track and the Big Orange went on a nice run to take a one point lead at the end of the first half. Tennessee then went on to shoot 65.5% in the second half, while Auburn went cold from three only going 1-11. When the buzzer sounded, Tennessee won 81-55.

The what really sparked the turnaround was Tennessee's defensive pressure. When they were down 12 midway through the first half, Tennessee turned up the intensity on defense and Auburn could not respond. Bobby Maze also got on track and made things look easy in the second half, earning my player of the game honor ending the game with 14 points and nine assists.

In the Kansas game, Scotty Hopson, Bobby Maze, and Renaldo Woolridge had to step up when Wayne Chism and J.P. Prince were in foul trouble. Chism and Prince returned the favor leading the charge for the Volunteers. Chism has a double-double, 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Prince added 14 points.

Things do not get any easier for Tennessee. They have to get ready to host Ole Miss on Saturday, and then head to Tuscaloosa to play Alabama on Tueday.