Classless AND Clueless Callahan
Nebraska's Callahan says incident overblown (Eric Olson, AP, 11/02/05)
Nebraska coach Bill Callahan dismisses the commotion as nothing more than "Gesture-gate."
And he isn't worried about being disciplined for his apparent throat-slash motion toward an official during the Cornhuskers' 31-24 loss to Oklahoma.
"I don't think they're going to send me to Alcatraz," Callahan said Tuesday.The Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal Star, the state's two largest newspapers, ran pictures Tuesday of Callahan making a slashing motion across his throat with his right hand, index finger extended. The action came after Callahan argued with referee Steve Usechek about no holding being called on Kejuan Jones' 17-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter Saturday.
Callahan on Monday denied making a throat-slashing gesture toward Usechek or any other official. On Tuesday he acknowledged making a "gesture out of frustration," but that it wasn't a throat slash.
"I'm 49 years old, and I don't go around (making) throat-slashing signs and symbols," Callahan said. "I don't use that type of demeanor, and I never have. This is way blown out of proportion. I don't know where we get all these gang symbols and allegations. This is 'Gesture-gate' or something."
The gesture, he said, was one he makes toward his children when "I've had it up to here."
Big 12 reprimands Callahan for gesture toward official (AP, 11/03/05)
Nebraska coach Bill Callahan was publicly reprimanded by the Big 12 Conference on Thursday for making an apparent throat-slashing gesture after an argument with an official during the Cornhuskers' game against Oklahoma.
The disciplinary action came five days after Callahan engaged in a heated exchange with referee Steve Usechek following Kejuan Jones' touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Cornhuskers' 31-24 loss. Callahan argued that holding should have been called on the play.Video showed Callahan raising his right arm to his throat, index finger extended, and making a slashing motion after Usecheck walked away.
[snip]
Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg noted that the kind of gesture Callahan made is prohibited by NCAA football rules.
Had a flag been thrown, Nebraska would hae been penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct.
I watched the game in question, and Callahan clearly made the throat-slash gesture after a big Oklahoma play (here's an AP photo of the end of the gesture). His notion that it was a gesture he makes to his children is laughable, since having "it up to here" would not be a throat-level gesture, but an above-the-head gesture.
Even Callahan is not THAT clueless. Rather, he's classless. The incident should have drawn a penalty on the field, and definitely deserved some sort of punishment from the conference.
What is left unwritten in most of these stories is that after Callahan's little stunt, some overly excited fans actually threw water bottles on the field, apparently trying to hit either the officials or Oklahoma players. Nebraska fans are typically outstanding, and that was unusual behavior for them, behavior that was probably incited at least in part by the classless behavior of the clueless coach.
Kirk Bohls was right; the punishment should have been more severe.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/03/05 23:04 | Big 12 Football | Technorati
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Kevin, believe me, I think there is a reasonably good chance that Coach Callahan will be punished in an absolutely appropriate manner. As many a college football coach has told me, referees have very LONG memories.
Posted by Tom K @ 08:34 on 11/04/05
I think Callahan and his AD may have one year left to get that football program moving in the right direction, so maybe the ultimate punishment comes a year or so from now. :)
I'd have to doublecheck this, but I believe I read somewhere that Callahan has a losing record against I-A opponents during his time at Nebraska. For that matter, I think the same thing is true of Dennis Franchione at A&M (at best, they are at .500). I'm not at all surprised at Callahan's record, but I think most of us expected bigger things from Fran.
Posted by Kevin @ 09:09 on 11/04/05
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