Nick Saban defends officiating

Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban did the unthinkable Monday, he defended SEC officials. He said officials undertake their job because they love the game. He said the officials endure enormous criticism for very little reward.

When asked what he thought of the non-interception call in Saturday’s game against LSU, Saban quickly responded.

“It doesn’t bother me at all,” Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said. “Does it bother you?

“If it were an interception it doesn’t mean they win the game. And I saw it, and it was hard for me to tell on our film. I don’t watch the TV stuff, so I can’t tell you or give you an opinion one way or the other.

“If I were an official, and I were making what I made officiating because I loved the game and I loved doing it and I was getting criticized by the media including our announcers on TV like these guys are getting criticized, I’d step back and say, ‘I think I’ll go to the lake this weekend. You can have this.’ That is what I would do.

“Those guys do a great job. They work their tail off and try to do a good job. We have a guy jump offsides, they don’t get criticized like that.

“Can somebody stand up and fight for these guys and what they do for the game?” Saban asked. “They probably get less for it than anybody.”

45 thoughts on “Alabama’s Saban defends SEC officials”

  1. The times have changed in the SEC — Alabama is back where it should of been in the mid 90’s and early 2000’s — that’s why the officiating is “an issue” now — the opposition just can’t accept the zombie crawling out of the grave that it has been in for nearly a decade to reclaim its’ place in college football — and that is — NATIONAL CONTENDERS year AFTER year —

  2. Of course you feel the way you do…the crappy calls are in Alabama and Florida’s favor! It’s not rocket science when reviewing the replay. The officials need to man-up and admit they are wrong after they review the footage! All I know, is I wish I was the one collecting the “pocket-change” that they are obviously collecting from someone!

  3. BayouBeotch, you had nine yards in the 4th quarter. Saban is correct. That does not mean you would have won the game.

  4. I think what I love more than anything is that Alabama is once again hated. As a kid and when I was at The University that was the case. It is good to see Tennessee, LSU, and Auburn all, once again, hate our program. Thank you.

  5. Saban is probably correct. SEC officials love the game. But they also, apparently, love their favorite teams. Somebody should publish the states in which these guys live. The easiest way to affect a game of inches is to spot the ball incorrectly. Take a look at Jefferson’s first down on LSU’s first drive. Then,check the spot after the penalty for running into the passer. Don’t give me this “9 yards in the 4th Qtr” stuff. Ridley scored on an 8 yard run in the 3rd Qtr. Scott had wripped off 34 yards. Lee would not have had to throw much, trailing by only 6 with about 6 minutes to go. LSU could have won, but the refs prevented it.

  6. It’s unthinkable that Saban would defend a call that helped his team seal a win? Unthinkable to who?

  7. To both of you Bayou Bastards, Ridley got his 8 yard td after Scott set it up on his final carry of the season. Ouch! Ridley never gained another yard and Lee never completed another pass, and the great Russell Shepherd was negative yards for the game, dumbass! You went 3 and out on all your 4th quarter possesions. So just how the hell were you planning on scoring? As for the refs Bayou BITCH, they make about $500 a game. Not enough put up with all this shit! What’s more, it’s not just Bama and Florida. I have watched every televised SEC game this year and every one of them had missed calls that could have affected the outcome. I guarantee, you damn Corndogs were ready to suck the refs dicks for the favor they did you in the Georgia game. You Swamp Turds and Volunqueers and Bald Smeagles are like Black Widows turning on the ones that help you. You’re all penis enviers and your teams suck. Go back to your damn swamp and fornicate with a Nutria or the cadaver of Marie Leveau, whichever you can find first! RTR!

  8. EG White – You can’t make a decent argument for your team in a civil manner so you resort to name calling. Hope you’re not representative of the graduates of UA. I would cringe if an LSU fan wrote something similar to your post.

  9. txtig – don’t you wish the barners had a good physical football team that you could be proud of? pussy.

    l8tapex – you keep looking at the feet. Try looking at the hands! The ball was not caught and under control while Petersen was in bounds. Look at the hands!

  10. You must be demented Txtig. Or else you’re cowering in a corner, drooling out the corner of your mouth, scratching the paint off the wall and cringing right now from the numerous similar posts from your inbred bretherin that have appeard on this board in the past 2 days and before the game too. And this is nothing. Go read the posts on your own Corndog boards, especially the Tiger Sports Forum. And especially from the fine upstanding shitbag MOD and his retarded suck buddies – LSU Wiggz, Mr. Darcy, Dennis4lsu and Friendly Foe! If you really feel that way, then you’ll probably commit suicide from shame! You see I don’t put up with retarded bullshit about Bama. I get down and dirty and don’t pull punches. If you can’t handle the fire then don’t bring it! RTR!

  11. Oh yeah, Saint Nick just showed all the whining, tittie baby coaches in the SEC, how a proffessional with class is supposed to act! And he has just as much reason to bitch as they do. The refs gave UcheaT the opportunity to beat us (you know, one of Slives 2 conspiracy teams) by failing to call either one of 2 infractions UcheaT commited on the onside kick. Then for LSWho they didn’t call PI on Peterson when he tripped Julio from behind after Julio had beat him for a sure td. Then there was the phantom block in the back on Javeys’ return. The refs sucked. But they sucked for both teams. Only thing is that unlike LSWho, they actually cost Bama points. So go whine somewhere else, losers. The Corndogs are back where they belong, in 2nd place. Get use to it cause next year we play you in our other home stadium – Death Valley! Bwwaaa Haaww Haaww! RTR!

  12. Saban will never be our coach at heart we stole him from lsu. We have NO originality could not find our own coach

  13. By the way does bama have any championships in the sec or national level lately. I think not

  14. Yeah Jefferson was real scared considering he drove down the field on you all b4 he got hurt. Not to mention he did not throw any picks against your so called “great” defense. Three of our best players got hurt horrible officiating was present and you all still barely squeaked by. As for this corndog nonsense you all speak of its ridiculous. Our state is way better than the ridiculously boring state of yours. Yall cannot support any pro teams. Our Saints are 8-0, LSU’s baseball team is national champions once again. You all had to copy us and hire our old coach. Have some originality. Our basketball team is consistent. It feels pretty good to be a corndog from the great state of Louisiana in which many people from your state must come to to get a taste of the goodlife. Proud to be a corndog. Ha

  15. You are seriously demented Corndog! Your filthy, ugly assed state has nothing but dirty rivers, dirty bayous and the morally deficient French Quarter. Alabama has mountains, clean lakes and rivers, beautiful forests, the NASA space and rocket center, Huntsville the highest average I. Q. city in the nation, beautiful clean white sandy beaches, and in a few months more, the 4th largest football stadium in America. Yeah you’ve got pro teams. LOL! The basketball team is unstable. You lost the Jazz, LMAO, to Utah! The Saints are the worst team in the history of the NFL. LSWho has had some recent success in the 3 major sports, but just like in football, Bamas’ basketball and baseball teams have dominated LSWho since 1933 and have far more SEC championships than anybody except for Kentucky in basketball. Moron! As for Jefferson, he wasn’t hurt so bad that he still couldn’t have done a better job than the pathetic Lee. He just didn’t want to get his ass busted anymore!

  16. Not to mention EG that we have a 21 game edge in the series in football. I am glad to see your comparisons between the states. One thing that needs to be pointed out is Alabama has surpassed Louisiana in population and this is not due to Katrina. This happened well before. Why? It is called opportunity and job growth.

  17. Furthermore, it doesn’t matter how talented an athlete is. If he can’t take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’, he aint worth a shit for nothin’! McElroy got hit more times than Jefferson because he was in on far more snaps than Jefferson and Lee put together. Ingram had far more touches than Scott. Arenas got busted good on a couple of kick returns, but never missed a snap and outplayed Peterson and he was honored by the SEC. So what good are Jefferson, Scott and Peterson, if they aren’t there when you need them in the most important game of the year? You’re supposed to have the deepest stable of blue chip RB’s in the country. Bullshit! After Scott, you got nothing. Even R. Shepherd did absolutely nothing. Lee was your starter last year and he did nothing. Why? Because you were beatup and beatdown by the 4th quarter. It wouldn’t have mattered much who you had playing! You’re just a bunch of whining pussies, crying over 1 missed call like it was the ballgame. Why? Because it’s all you’ve got! How pathetic. RTR!

  18. HAHAHA. Boy yall bums get so upset. SO im guessing Tom Brady is not an athlete because he got hurt last year or Brian Urlacher is not because hes hurt. That might be the stupidest thing i have ever heard. Why dont you go lose to the WAC. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

  19. Hey at least we can afford pro teams. Your state cannot support them. Still the Saints are 8-0. Please do not compare LSU and Alabama baseball because you do not even come close.
    Peterson is way better than arenas and he is only a sophmore. He shut down Jones and you know it. Oh yeah Utah 31 Alabama 17.

  20. WHo am i kidding cant be mad. I visited Bama before and liked it. Just a lil sour over the loss. CANT WAIT FOR NEXT YEAR. YALL HAVE A GOOD WELL COACHED TEAM. WHEREAS OUR COACH DOESNT KNOW WHAT TO DO AT TIMES. GOOD LUCK. I HOP YALL CRUSH FLORIDA

  21. Alabama has more people than Louisiana and can easily support a pro team. There’s more money on Pleasure Island alone than in the whole state of Louisiana. It’s just that new franchises always lose, and in Alabama we can’t stand losers. LOL. I told you your baseball is better right now. Doesn’t change the fact that we have the most SEC championships. Peterson isn’t even close to Arenas. Arenas is All American Returner, All SEC corner, and SEC defensive POW in the same game that Peterson got nothing. As for Julio – lay off the crack! He had 3 catches while Peterson was in the game, but more importantly, he beat the shit out of Peterson at least 4 times. Twice McElroy overthrew what would have been tds. Once he threw to another reciever, and once Peterson had been passed and he tripped Julio from behind on what was a perfectly thrown undefendable ball. Dude Peterson was just plain lucky he didn’t end up looking like a goat!

  22. Uhh Tigerbait, that will be your job this year – losing to the WAC or MWC! We get Texas! Anyway, I know it’s tough to lose. And generally I don’t feel animosity toward most of our opponents. What pisses me off is the pissing and whining over an unimportant call, and having the audacity to think it cost you a game in which you were totally dominated statistically. I mean come on. You could have had 6 downs and couldn’t have got a 1st in the 4th quarter. Anyway good luck the rest of the year. RTR!

  23. Im not saying we would have won, but we deserved a fair chance. It was not a missed call it was a fixed call. A missed call is where you cannot look it over. Your refs had the chance to look it over, saw it was an interception, and choosed otherwise. Just unfair and not good football.

  24. Tigahbait, was it “YOUR REFS” that handed you the Georgia game?

    What about all those bad calls/missed calls in previous Alabama-LSU games that favored the Tigers?

    Remember 2004? Pass interference? In the endzone? The SEC even admitted the call was screwed up. SEC supervisor of officials Bobby Gaston said referees missed a pass interference call in Saturday’s Alabama – LSU football game.

    “Obviously, if Alabama had gotten the call , it would have had the ball on the 2-yard line (with a first down). Chances are, they would have scored.”

    YOUR REFS screwed us over!!!!! YOUR REFS screwed Georgia!

  25. Yeah but that was on the spot calls, not instant replay which was plain as day. Those calls yall are talking about are not reviewable Scott on that Georgia play would have broke a sixty yard run if you look at it. As for a pass interference call yall did not get in 2004 the final score of that game was 26-10. We had Saban our almighty so according to yall he better well prepares his teams than anyone so there was no way yall could have won. Fact of the matter is it was instant replay everyone including yourselves deep down know it was pass interference and it was given to you all. You won no question i just wanted a fair chance, and btw charles scott got a penalty on his celebration in the georgia game please do not compare that call to the ones on saturday.

  26. Only an ignorant, 3rd grade educated, bayou idiot would believe that the call was fixed. Give me a break. LSU fans who come onto Alabama blogs, post their stupid opins, talk about how much better Louisiana is over Alabama, do nothing but show that they are simply STUPID. STFU and go read Tigershit or whatever that blog is. Oh, correction to my own post, it is 22 game edge in the series.

  27. And i missed the part earlier in one of your post that alabama has more sec hin championships. Rotfl. We have 6 CWS titles. You have not even got to the championship game. Oh wait yes you have twice and one of the times yall were crushed 13-6 by i forgot the team. DAMN WHO WAS IT?

  28. VA YOU LIVE IN THE PAST. ALL I KNOW IS WE JUST GOT US A CHAMPIONSHIP TWO YEARS AGO, AND YOU ALL WERE BEAT BY UTAH. WE WIN OUR BOWL GAMES. I WILL SHUT MY MOUTH IF YOU ALL CAN PULL IT OFF THIS YEAR. BUT I SMELL AN UPSET IN AUBURN. 22 GAME EDGE YEAH NICE JOB BUT NO BCS TROPHIES IT MUST HURT.

  29. In addition, if you knew how to read Tigahbitch you would have read that the head of the National Alliance of Officals said that the call made was the CORRECT call. If the officals on the field had called it an interception there would not have been enough video, yes that wonderful thing that you have to drive 30 miles to see, evidence to overturn it and vica versa. Do you know what vica versa means? In other words it was the right call. Also, the officals may have called it an incomplete pass because Juilo might have touched it BEFORE Peterson toughed it. So, again you had 3 quarters to win the game, you didn’t. You lost. STFU. Roll Tide!!

  30. AND I WOULD NOT COME ON UR BLOG, IF PEOPLE FROM BAMA WOULD NOT COME ON MINE. NO HARD FEELINGS IM JUST BORED

  31. You sound like an Auburn fan. Same mascot, same stupidity. You are showing that you truly are either uneducated or you just don’t have a clue.

  32. I am not going to read a damn thing from an LSU blog. You really are not worth my time. I have to get back to work. That is an occupation that brings in revenue, that is money, so one can pay for things. Auburn is not my worry right now, Mississippi State is numb nuts. Go away, you’re bothering me son.

  33. IM DONE ON THIS BLOG. NO HARD FEELINGS LIKE I SAID I GET BORED. IF YOU WANT TO TAKE IT PERSONAL TAKE IT PERSONAL. GOOD LUCK WITH THE GATORS

  34. Tigahbait

    You sense an upset at Auburn? — Please — this weekend will be the biggest chance for an upset against a Miss. St. team who lost only by 10 to Florida — we have no concerns about Aubawrn.

    E.G. — I loved your ACCURATE description of our state (dead on) — and the ACCURATE depiction of THEIR state — Louisiana is a cesspool of literal SHIT — it smells like it — looks like it — and Less than Mild IS IT. Louisiana is only good for one thing — Mardi Gras — that’s it….that is it. Even that’s fucked up because of post-Katrina.

    I’ll give the LSWho fans credit for posting on here — they seem to have a little more intelligence than the UcheaT fans and some of the Aubawrn fans. I can’t wait until they schedule Alabama @ Death Valley AT NIGHT so we can fuck that stat up about LSWho winning at night there — my focus now — Mississippi State — the team who battles year after year for 3rd place in the SEC West with Aubawrn. That’s all LSWho will ever be — a 2nd place SEC WEST team who will go to the Capital One Bowl (or maybe the Peach Bowl some years) — rick james bitches.

  35. Strange how all those penis enviers come up with their bullshit information. 1. It is now officially verified. Julio touched the ball while out of bounds and the refs missed it because they were focused on Peterson. So if the play had been called correctly, it was impossible for Peterson to intercept a dead ball. Everything after Julio touched it was moot! 2. Yeah you backed into an NC against us in the CWS. We beat your sorry asses like a drum that year. In 5 games 5 wins and we outscored you 62 to 23. In the CWS we drew Miami who was better than LSWho. We lost the opening game to them by 1 run, but beat the shit out of them later. However, from the losers bracket we had to play 2 more games than LSWho. By the time we got to the championship game we had no pitchers left. You backed into it, pure and simple! You should have been ashamed to accept the trophy!

  36. You said LSWho wins bowls? Before Saban came there, LSWho didn’t know what a bowl was! It’s Bama who holds the record for most bowls and most bowl wins. In fact we’ve probably LOST more NC games than all the rest of the SEC has even played in put together! Nobody can win em all! Nuff said! RTR!

  37. Ru kidding me making excuses when we have 6 CWS titles to ur 0. Who cares if u beat us in the regular season we dont choke when it counts. Thats why we have 6 titles and the only reason yall team is halfway decent is because your coach learned at LSU. We also have the better stadium and the better crowd, not to mention best tailgating. Just look it up or ask any players in the sec most intimidating place to play or a sportswriter or even your own kind.

  38. If Miami is better than us how come they could not make it to the championship game. You were better than them that year and we whipped yall when it counted. That might be the stupidest comeback i ever heard ” we beat yall in the regular season” but when it matter choked.

  39. My daughter was researching a paper she was writing for unfair SEC officiating and her ideas on how to fix it. I was reading some blogs to catch up with what she was talking about to give her some of the opinions I read about. This site has horrible language form many and it not fit to be on the web.

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