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Dear Soccer, It’s Time to Use Replay Technology to Help Referees and Linesmen Correctly Identify Offside Goals. Sincerely, Irate Chelsea Fan

This past weekend in the Barclay’s Premier League there were a number of controversial results directly tied to offsides decisions. And in each of these situations, replays showed that the offsides decisions made by the linesmen in-game were incorrect:



Manchester United defeated nine-men Chelsea 3-2 on a 75th minute strike from Javier Hernandez who was in an offsides position before scoring. This was after the Blues were incorrectly reduced to nine-men by the sending off of Fernando Torres for suspicions of diving. Replays clearly showed that Hernandez was offsides and Fernando Torres didn’t dive. 

Liverpool were held 2-2 in their derby match against Everton after Luis Suarez’s game winning goal in stoppage time was disallowed by the linesman who incorrectly ruled the play offsides. Replays clearly showed that Suarez was onsides.







Arsenal crept past QPR 1-0 after Mikel Arteta scored the game’s only goal in the 84th minute from an offsides position. Replays clearly showed that Arteta was offsides.



The cliché around soccer and sport in general is that refereeing is “an impossible job” and because referees and linemen are prone to simple human errors, they deserve some level of sympathy when they do in fact make the wrong decision. Often times it is said that this is just part of the game and we as fans have to learn to live with it when things don’t go our way … Or do we?

For a league as grand as the Barclay’s Premiership, games deserve to be decided by moment of brilliance and deft skill, not simple human errors! I simply don’t buy the argument that offsides decisions and goals scored from offsides positions are just part of the game, especially given the day of age we currently live in. For each of us, technology is a part of everyday life and I see no reason why it can’t play a more influential role in soccer.  

Now to be fair, the International Football Association Board (I.F.A.B.) is taking steps to come into the modern era through the implementation of goal-line technology to the game of soccer. This past July, the I.F.A.B. recommended to FIFA to allow the implementation of two technology systems that will help referees determine if the ball fully crossed the goal-line. At a cost of approximately $200,000 per stadium, once implemented the Hawk-Eye and Goal Ref systems will help referees determine whether or not the entire ball crossed the goal-line (see below):

Although this landmark decision will help with disputed goals which have marred the sport at its highest levels for years (see England v. Germany in the 2010 World Cup here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV4nc_sjW9Y), I believe that soccer can go on step further in its use of technology to help the game.

In a manner similar to the NFL, soccer should have a replay official who reviews all goals scored. His job above all is to spot goals scored from offsides positions, which will help to alleviate the pressure that linesmen currently feel to get it right.

In the time it takes to restart the game after a goal is scored, this replay official could in theory radio in to the referee and linemen that the goal scored was from an offsides position. In a matter of merely seconds, goals scored from offsides positions that change the dynamic of a game would be correctly nullified and big decisions that change the landscape of a season like the ones made this past weekend would be reduced.

In closing, the argument that these things even themselves out over the course of a season is at best bull-s*** and at worst horse-s***. Chelsea are currently atop the table but now only lead by one point. QPR is at the bottom of the table after being robbed of a potential one point that could be the difference between them staying up or going down. And as for Everton, that one point they stole from Liverpool currently keeps them in 5thplace ahead of Arsenal for a Europa League spot.

These decisions this past weekend, which I believe would have been avoided with the implementation of replay technology, will have dramatic implications for the remainder of the season. Without the further implementation replay of technology, referee and linesmen will continue to be at risk and undermine the integrity of the beautiful game we all currently enjoy … Okay that last line was a bit melodramatic I admit but you catch my drift!











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From a win-loss perspective, the Texas Longhorns can no longer afford to have Mack Brown as their coach

First let me say that my heart goes out to Texas DT Brandon Moore who was injured in the third quarter of today’s game. He has movement in all of his limbs and is in stable condition at a local hospital. This post or better yet rant is clearly irrelevant in the grand scheme of life given the fact that it’s only football games I am talking about.
I started calling for Mack Brown’s resignation after last weekend’s 48-45 home loss to West Virginia, a move that had most of my Texas brethren calling me ungrateful. On Thursday, I wrote that today’s game against Oklahoma would be a referendum on the tenure of Mack Brown. And after today’s 63-21 shellacking, no Longhorn fan can deny that the time has come for the Texas Longhorns to part ways with Mack Brown.

Since 1998, the Longhorns are 145-41 under Mack Brown. With a win percentage of 78% (give or take a couple decimal places), Mack Brown’s tenure at Texas has been one of the most successful in Longhorn history. But like the old adage says … All good things must come to an end.

Since 2002, the Texas Longhorns have had recruiting classes ranked higher than the Oklahoma Sooners 7 out of 11 times (see following chart).
Final Recruiting Rankings Based on Rivals.com
Texas Longhorns
Oklahoma Sooners
2012
2
11
2011
3
14
2010
3
7
2009
5
13
2008
14
6
2007
5
14
2006
5
9
2005
20
3
2004
18
11
2003
15
4
2002
1
7
But during this same time period, the Longhorn’s record against their arch rival has been downright abysmal. Since ‘02 (including today’s game), the Longhorns are 4-7 with blowout losses of 65-13 (2003), 55-17 (2011) and 63-15 (2012). To make matters worse, there was also a blowout in 2000, 63-14.

After today’s game the ‘Horns are now 6-9 overall against the Sooners during Mack Brown’s tenure began in 1998. Like I said in Thursday’s post, this is simply not good enough given how much money Brown is currently being paid by the Texas athletic department and how much next-level talent there is in the program.

My issue with the Longhorns during Brown’s tenure isn’t talent level. Since Mack Brown has been at Texas, 52 players have been drafted into the NFL and 20 have been first round picks. Since Bob Stoops has been at Oklahoma, 53 players have been drafted into the NFL and 12 have been first round picks.

But given the fact that the ‘Horns out-recruit the Sooners (at least based on class rankings) their record against their biggest rival is downright appalling, and the number of blowout losses is unsettling. From and X’s and O’s and motivational standpoint, when it comes to Oklahoma vs. Texas, Bob Stoops is simply better at getting his boys ready to play. His 9-5 record against Texas post today’s game only serve to further proof this fact.


Football can be a very cruel sport to head coaches. When their teams win, they get a fair bit of credit. But when their teams lose, they get all the blame. Fans like me start criticizing their tactics and schemes and start (at times irrationally) calling for their heads. An argument can be made that this isn’t right, but regardless this is the way it is especially given the amount of money coaches are making in college football. Something is no longer working anymore and that something is William Mack Brown. From a purely win-loss perspective the Texas Longhorns can no longer afford to have Mack Brown as their lead head coach.

After today’s dreadful performance, the Longhorns are now 17-14 since their 2009 BCS National Championship appearance. What was once considered the strength of the program, this year’s defense is average at best and the offense is … well … they scored 21 points and gained a total of 289 yards in four quarters of football so enough said. The game was so bad today that ABC stopped showing coverage in my area with 9:00 minutes left in the 4thquarter (probably better for my overall mental health).

The “blame” shouldn’t fall solely on Mack Brown’s shoulders especially since he’s not out there actually playing. But ultimately as the head coach, he is supposed to push the right buttons to get his players to play at their best level. Because he has been unable to do this recently (over the last three years) as the “CEO” of the Texas Longhorns, it’s time for him to step aside and open the door for someone new.
2005 was such a long time ago ….


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Saturday, October 13, 2012 … Dallas, Texas … Oklahoma-Texas … Mack Brown’s last stand…?

Every year about this time (Thursday evening before the Oklahoma-Texas game), I start to get butterflies in my stomach as if I am taking the field in Dallas on Saturday. You may think I’m crazy for this, but if truth be told, my nerves are simply a reflection of the magnitude and importantance of a win in this game (clearly not life magnitude or a matter of life and death but still very important).
Once known as the Red River Shootout (still my favorite name), the OU-Texas Game (now known as the Red River Rivalry) has been played 106 times since October 10, 1900. The Longhorns lead the current series 59-42-5, and since 1945, one or both of the two teams have been ranked within the top 25 61 out of 66 games. This Saturday is no different.


The #15 Texas Longhorns hobble into Dallas to face the #13 Oklahoma Sooners and the stakes couldn’t be any higher. Given last weekend’s home loss to West Virginia and Oklahoma’s early season loss to Kansas State, Saturday’s game is pretty much for all the marbles.
The winner of six of the last ten matchups between the Longhorns and Sooners has played for the BCS National Championship (the Sooners 4 times and the ‘Horns 2 times). The loser of Saturday’s game will have two conference losses, which will all but relegate them to a second place finish and an outside chance at a BCS bowl (although stranger things have happened… See two-loss LSU vs. two-loss Ohio State circa 2007).
To call Saturday’s game “Put up or Shut up Time” for the ‘Horns is an understatement. Since the Mack Brown era began in 1998, Texas has only won six of the last 14 matchups against the Sooners and has lost the last two consecutive matchups. In the past two seasons, the Longhorns are a measly 13-12 and will be taking an eight-game losing streak against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 into Saturday’s Red River Rivalry. To make matters even worse, the ‘Horns are 1-10 in their last 11 games against Top 25 teams. To be frank, things haven’t been this bad in Austin in a while. Saturday’s game in Dallas may be a referendum on the 15 year tenure of William Mack Brown.
Now to be fair, from 2001 through 2009, Mack won 10 or more games each year, won a national championship, played for another, and went 3-1 in big time BCS bowl games. He has worked tirelessly to make Texas relevant on the national stage once again. But like a Fortune 500 CEO, his recent performance is simply not good enough given his annual salary of $5.2 million (which makes him one of top three highest paid coaches in America).
So this Saturday, the Texas Longhorns have a chance to right the ship and stay in the national championship picture. A win Saturday will go a long way towards erasing some of the ‘Horns recent failure. A loss Saturday and the ‘Horns will drop to 1-2 in conference all but sealing their second place finish.
No pressure ….
So let’s hope that Saturday my ‘Horns feel like this ….














And not like this …. 














Favorite Red River Rivalry Game:
October 11, 2008:
Texas 45, Oklahoma 35
Hands down one of the best regular season college football games ever played. It ended as the highest scoring game in the rivalry’s history with the most fans to ever see this game. My boy Chris Ogbonnaya sealed the game with a 62-yard run … Hook ‘Em



Most regrettable Red River Rivalry Game:
October 6, 2001
Texas 3, Oklahoma 14
Down 7-3 late in the 4th quarter the Longhorns had the ball on their own three-yard line. On first down the ‘Horns decided to air it out. As Chris Simms (who I’m still irrationally angry at) dropped back to pass, Roy Williams, starting safety for the Sooner leapt over an offensive lineman (see picture below) and deflected the pass which fell unfortunately into the hands of Teddy Lehman, the Sooners starting linebacker… Game, Set, Match Sooners