All eyes will scrutinize officiating as nation overreacts

There's another side to this national crisis that has gripped the South. Big Brother is now watching every call. Every missed call. Every call that might be a missed call. Cameras from CBS College Sports to ABC will be trained this weekend on the zebras' performance.

'I [still] believe our officiating program is the best,' SEC commissioner Mike Slive says after suspending a crew. (US Presswire)

We've lost faith. SEC Nation is losing its religion. It has the best football. It is finding out it might not have the best officials. Skepticism is spreading. You're likely to see more offside replays this weekend than touchdown catches.

Baseball's recent whiffs haven't helped. At least replay is a meaningful part of our sport, but judgment is still a big part of the process. The recent point of emphasis for officials on excessive celebration and blows to the head has led, in part, to this mess.

You want more competent officials in college football? Hire them, make them employees. As it stands they're still moonlighting on Saturdays. They are insurance agents, financial advisers and bankers first. In time, the part-timers will rebuild their reps. Now it's up to the nation, not just SEC Nation. Let's everybody calm down. Take a deep breath and have some more pork chops (Arkansas), barbecue (Georgia) and Tums (Mike Slive).

There was a time when officiating errors didn't call for crucifixion. Marc Curles -- whose crew was suspended after making a controversial call in the Arkansas-Florida game -- already is reporting the usual harassing phone calls and e-mail that follow in these situations. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a death threat or two mixed in. That's what happened to J.C. Louderback and Gordon Riese.

Don't know them? Their lives were altered forever because of similar circumstances. Louderback was the referee in the Fifth-Down Game between Missouri and Colorado in 1990. Riese was the replay official in the 2006 Oregon-Oklahoma game. Both were suspended for their gaffes in those games. Both were never the same.

Louderback lived in tiny Coffeyville, Kan., and taught tennis on the side. The letters and phone calls found him easily, even before the Internet age. Colorado rode the fifth-down call all the way to a national championship. Louderback went on to finish a long, dignified officiating career but seldom did games at the Big Eight level again.

Riese had his life dissected to the point he disconnected his phone. His longtime Pac-10 officiating career included the infamous Cal-Stanford game in 1982. Riese was a former high school teacher who eventually retired. Let's hope Curles and his crew make it through Nov. 14, when they will next work a game.

First, we must make it through this weekend without needing an oxygen mask. Watch your games. There will be more missed calls. Breathe deep.