Violated By Rule 9, Section 2, Article 2c

That's right, America ... the officials stole the game from the Washington Huskies ... the guys in the zebra outfits, according to some mighty self-righteous media types, committed an unspeakable gang-rape and, thus, decided the outcome of the game which BYU won, 28-27.

America will, most assuredly, put an asterisk next to this result (although, one month from now, that asterisk will have shrunk from "gigantic" to "who gives a crap?"

For those of us who actually watched the game, we are disturbed not by the call of unsportsmanlike conduct against Jake Locker when he was flagged for flinging that football wayyyyyy too high skyward mere moments after he'd crossed the goal line on that TD scramble w/ :02 showing on the clock.

No, we who actually watched the game are hurtin' real bad for BYU's two 245-lb. RBs -- Harvey Unga (23 att., 136 yds.) and Fui Vakapuna (#1 on his jersey, #1 in our hearts who tied the game, 21-21, with that 11-yard TD rumble).

Because of the reaction to the refs (not from a ref's action), Unga and Vakapuna might not receive enough recognition for the heroism they displayed in leading the Coogs' program to its first nonconference road win since beating Utah State in '02 in addition to its first road win vs. a BCS opponent since beatin' Miss. State in '01.

And, for those of us who watched the game, the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Locker was no worse of an alleged "blown call" than the three other "misses" earlier in the final minute -- 1) Locker's flip of the football which looked more like a fumble than intentional grounding 2) The pass that D'Andre Goodwin was ruled to have caught when he actually did not possess the ball until he was out of bounds and 3) The no-call against BYU DB Scott Johnston two plays before the Locker's TD when Johnston clearly interferred with Kavario Middleton in the end zone.

Unfortunately, people who DIDN'T watch the game will play judge, jury and executioner with "how we need to change the rules, goddammit!"

Some of us, though (call us the ones who watched the game), are intelligent enough to realize that America needs these rules -- just as we need to flag violators of said rules, even if the application of those rules seems arbitrary and capricious.

Without the yellow hankies thrown against QB rule-breakers, chaos would yield to anarchy -- and, before ya know it, these QBs are in the NFL, breaking rules on a grander scale, such as fathering bastard children out of wedlock (Brady, Leinart) and/or acting as ringleader to dog fighting (Vick).

The Disneyland Football Network known as ESPN will, no doubt, weigh in on this sensitive issue by telling us what to believe and when to believe it.

It's very amusing, to say the least, considering that the Espy Channel plays video montages every 15 minutes of that famous "hard hit" wherein USC LB Rey Maualuga destroys UCLA QB Patrick Cowan in that game from '06.

For those of us who saw THAT play when it happened, we're still waiting for someone somewhere somehow to throw the flag on Maualuga.

You can watch that one on YouTube over and over -- and it still turns out the same.

Maualuga led with the crown (top) of his helmet and smashed it into Cowan's facemask as the QB was going out of bounds ... a hit which should have drawn a personal foul penalty as well as led to Maualuga's ejection from the game.

RIIIIIIIGHT ... as if Myles Brand and/or Pete Carroll give a shit about player safety and/or good sportsmanship.

Ditto for those three eggheads on "College GameDay."

Their lack of outrage is further proof that football is about two things:
1) Talking trash and 2) Thinking about talking trash.

Which is why a class act like Tyrone Willingham probably won't react too angrily (outwardly) about Locker's end-zone antics.

Coach Will knows that the quote-unquote "controversy" didn't have a damn thing to do with why his Husky D yielded 475 yards of total offense and allowed BYU to convert 12 of 14 third downs.

Unfortunately, Tyrone's even-keel temperment is probably going to get him fired at season's end -- and another "real" issue re: college football (such as another quality black head coach getting the axe) will get swept under the carpet because, WHAT AN OUTRAGE, THE REFS STOLE THE GAME!!! WE'VE GOTTA DO SOMETHING!!!

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