It looks like FIU has at least turned down the right road.
UM, so far has touched the brakes, and put on the turn signal.
Both the ACC and Sun Belt Comissioners have said the right things.
And the NCAA will vow to 'crack-down' on such things in the future, including issuing statements about 'such will not be tolerated' in the future, come up with
some new statements and positions about 'crowd-taunting' and pointing to the crowd, etc. Oh yeah! AND the officials will be 'briefed' on the new 'guidelines'. AND Larry Coker may well lose his job over this!
Here's my own not-so-humble opinion of what SHOULD occur. (And I assure you, I'll not hold my breath waiting for it to happen.)
There needs to be a big pow-wow with the NCAA, the ACC and Sun Belt Comissioners, the Administration and Athletics Directors of both UM and FIU, and the NCAA should declare the game a 'double-forfeit', and saddle both teams with a loss, and bar both schools from Bowl participation, for five years, or thru the first 'Bowl-eligible' year, whichever comes first. Further, any players who might transfer would still be under the same ban, with any new team they might transfer to. That will virtually assure that any and all members of both teams, as well as both schools involved, will miss one potential bowl game.
Second, the officials that let this game get out of control, in the first place, should be relieved for the rest of the year, and should they work again in the future, not as a unit, to guard against this sort of thing happening again.
Third, a few of the rules should be changed or strengthened, as to penalties.
"Trash talking" should get a first warning, and a second offense by an individual on the field gets an automatic unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Trash talking from the bench gets the same treatment except for being assessed against a particular individual. The second offense from the bench gets recorded against the individual involved. (That will figure in a later suggestion.) The third offense from the sidelines results in the disqualification of the head coach for the game, who must leave the playing field. A fourth offense results in forfeiture of the game by the team involved. 'Bench jockeying' is a long established tradition in baseball, without the attendant venom. Football can have the same, if the powers-that-be so choose, without the "getting in your face" bit.
The personal fouls of late hits, hits out-of-bounds, 'roughing' a passer or kicker, spearing, helmet removal, kicking a down player, fists, flagrant unnecessary roughness, plus all unsportsmanlike conduct in direct language or gestures should be made cumulative. A second infraction by any player on one of these calls results in disqualification for the remainder of the game, and an ensuing one-game suspension. Two such disqualifications in a season result in automatic ineligibility and permanent suspension from college football, for the individual, plus a fine on the institution.
Third, penalties should be cumulative, as well, and should not offset as they often do now. In other words, if three flags are thrown, all three penalties are enforced as to distance and result, except where this would reward one team unfairly. Example: Offensive and defensive holding on the same play should offset, as the automatic first down for defensive holding gives an unfair advantage. Offsides and illegal motion should offset as they are both five yards. Offsides and defensive holding should not, resulting in a five yard differential but the down is replayed, from the new spot. Offside, offensive holding and defensive holding on the same play are all enforced, with the resultant 'new first down' from the same spot.
The Conferences should fine both schools the visitor's guaranteed monies, and use it for financial need scholarships for students at all the conference schools, on an equal basis. This would ensure that this money goes where it actually should do some small amount of good.
And I hope Larry Coker does not 'take the fall' alone for this, although I assure you, I am no Miami fan, in the least, these days. I have been a Miami fan in any way, exactly two times in the past; As a Kentuckian when Howard Schnellenberger was the coach in the 80s, and in the late 60s and early 70s when Charlie Tate was the coach, and I was good friends with his oldest (I believe) daughter, who was an outstanding Christian, a beautiful and talented young lady who happened to work at the Christian Book Store I frequented while I was in Bible College, and was active in a ministry I was also involved in. Aside from that, they have been and are a team I 'love to hate' for the most part. That's my take, overall. And I'll still not hold my breath waiting.
Ed
UM, so far has touched the brakes, and put on the turn signal.
Both the ACC and Sun Belt Comissioners have said the right things.
And the NCAA will vow to 'crack-down' on such things in the future, including issuing statements about 'such will not be tolerated' in the future, come up with
some new statements and positions about 'crowd-taunting' and pointing to the crowd, etc. Oh yeah! AND the officials will be 'briefed' on the new 'guidelines'. AND Larry Coker may well lose his job over this!
Here's my own not-so-humble opinion of what SHOULD occur. (And I assure you, I'll not hold my breath waiting for it to happen.)
There needs to be a big pow-wow with the NCAA, the ACC and Sun Belt Comissioners, the Administration and Athletics Directors of both UM and FIU, and the NCAA should declare the game a 'double-forfeit', and saddle both teams with a loss, and bar both schools from Bowl participation, for five years, or thru the first 'Bowl-eligible' year, whichever comes first. Further, any players who might transfer would still be under the same ban, with any new team they might transfer to. That will virtually assure that any and all members of both teams, as well as both schools involved, will miss one potential bowl game.
Second, the officials that let this game get out of control, in the first place, should be relieved for the rest of the year, and should they work again in the future, not as a unit, to guard against this sort of thing happening again.
Third, a few of the rules should be changed or strengthened, as to penalties.
"Trash talking" should get a first warning, and a second offense by an individual on the field gets an automatic unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Trash talking from the bench gets the same treatment except for being assessed against a particular individual. The second offense from the bench gets recorded against the individual involved. (That will figure in a later suggestion.) The third offense from the sidelines results in the disqualification of the head coach for the game, who must leave the playing field. A fourth offense results in forfeiture of the game by the team involved. 'Bench jockeying' is a long established tradition in baseball, without the attendant venom. Football can have the same, if the powers-that-be so choose, without the "getting in your face" bit.
The personal fouls of late hits, hits out-of-bounds, 'roughing' a passer or kicker, spearing, helmet removal, kicking a down player, fists, flagrant unnecessary roughness, plus all unsportsmanlike conduct in direct language or gestures should be made cumulative. A second infraction by any player on one of these calls results in disqualification for the remainder of the game, and an ensuing one-game suspension. Two such disqualifications in a season result in automatic ineligibility and permanent suspension from college football, for the individual, plus a fine on the institution.
Third, penalties should be cumulative, as well, and should not offset as they often do now. In other words, if three flags are thrown, all three penalties are enforced as to distance and result, except where this would reward one team unfairly. Example: Offensive and defensive holding on the same play should offset, as the automatic first down for defensive holding gives an unfair advantage. Offsides and illegal motion should offset as they are both five yards. Offsides and defensive holding should not, resulting in a five yard differential but the down is replayed, from the new spot. Offside, offensive holding and defensive holding on the same play are all enforced, with the resultant 'new first down' from the same spot.
The Conferences should fine both schools the visitor's guaranteed monies, and use it for financial need scholarships for students at all the conference schools, on an equal basis. This would ensure that this money goes where it actually should do some small amount of good.
And I hope Larry Coker does not 'take the fall' alone for this, although I assure you, I am no Miami fan, in the least, these days. I have been a Miami fan in any way, exactly two times in the past; As a Kentuckian when Howard Schnellenberger was the coach in the 80s, and in the late 60s and early 70s when Charlie Tate was the coach, and I was good friends with his oldest (I believe) daughter, who was an outstanding Christian, a beautiful and talented young lady who happened to work at the Christian Book Store I frequented while I was in Bible College, and was active in a ministry I was also involved in. Aside from that, they have been and are a team I 'love to hate' for the most part. That's my take, overall. And I'll still not hold my breath waiting.
Ed
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