Bad judgment in Pac-10; Pirates raid Top 25

The Pirates raid another Top 25 team. JoePa rallies his troops, or at least what's left of them. Arkansas State goes Kobe on Texas Southern.

Week 2 of the college football season - aka the week before Ohio State plays Southern California - is in the books. Without getting too excited, and risk being flagged by some Pac-10 official, let's review:

The Big Story

Every call is a judgment call.

So don't believe Pac-10 referee Larry Farina when he says that he had no choice but to flag Washington quarterback Jake Locker for unsportsmanlike conduct after the quarterback spontaneously tossed the ball away while celebrating a potential game-tying touchdown against BYU on Saturday. The penalty pushed the extra-point attempt back to 35 yards and the Cougars blocked it to preserve a 28-27 victory.

"It is a celebration rule that we are required to call," Farina said after the game. "It was not a judgment call."

Sorry, that doesn't work. Just ask David Parry, national coordinator national coordinator for college football officiating.

While Parry was in no way critical of the call or the official who made it - there's no doubt Locker broke the rule - Parry said Sunday that all calls are judgment calls.

"I think what he meant is this was so obviously against the rule and flagrant you have no option but to throw a flag," Parry said in a phone interview.

The rules covering sportsmanship and impermissible celebrations were emphasized before this season to college football officials. A video was sent out "stressing major points," Parry said.

But even Parry conceded, "I think it's safe to say on emotional moments officials might become a little more lenient."

Bottom line: terrible call.

The idea behind the celebration rules are to keep players from upstaging or demeaning an opponent. Locker's actions did neither.