One SEC stops Madoff, the other stops Arkansas

Mike Slive and his slippery SEC game fixing officials probably think this too shall pass. Once the checks are delivered nobody will care, nobody but those of us that actually care about the sport. He, however, works for the administrators, the guys that rule with the word "amateur" but live by the word "professional". Fairness in athletic sport does not even register on their list of priorities.

Officiating: Slive has Sold the Soul of the SEC
The Gator PR Department Admits SEC Robbed Arkansas

Even Chris Low of ESPN (financial backer of the conspiracy) says that Mike Slive should "Let the players on the field decide the game." He also points out:

For what it’s worth, the crew that worked the Arkansas-Florida game was the same crew that worked the Georgia-LSU game when all the controversy flared up about the excessive celebration penalty on A.J. Green. Afterward, Rogers Redding, the SEC’s coordinator of officials, came out and said there was nothing on the tape that he saw that warranted a penalty being called on Green.

Matt Zemek of Fox Sports:

Hmmmmm ... a phantom defensive pass interference call, followed immediately by a ridiculous personal foul call and later succeeded by a crystal-clear miss of yet another offensive pass interference call on Florida receiver Riley Cooper. This was a hotly contested, hard-fought and heartstopping SEC showdown, and yet — for the third time in as many weeks — the CBS game of the week was overshadowed by the zebras.

John Taylor of NBC Sports calls it what it is:

Arkansas had its hands full trying to upset No. 1 Florida in The Swamp on the their own merits and talents.

As it turns out, the Razorbacks had to battle men in stripes as well.

Two horrendous -- horrendous -- penalties on the same drive allowed Florida to tie Arkansas with just a shade under eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.  And cost the visitors a legitimate shot at an upset.

Charlie Roberts of al.com muses:

Players work too hard to have the officials take the game away from them or even make the proper outcome questionable.

Michael David Smith of Fanhouse.com states

The call is clearly ridiculous: It was Gilbert who tried to level Sheppard with a late hit, and all Sheppard did was lower his shoulder to absorb the hit. Just because Gilbert fell down and Sheppard didn't doesn't mean Sheppard was in the wrong.

Roger Owens points out a call from the first half:

Example: In the first half, slow-footed Hog quarterback Ryan Mallett was speared by a Florida defender while on the ground after a rushing attempt.  Mallett was clearly down on the play.  No call.

Hog fan Hayden vents about the game stolen at "the swamp".

Sean Hannity's message board gets in on the action.