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Big intersection games need neutral officiating

What is your main takeaway from last weekend’s officiating? By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com We all know the officiating of the Penn State-Auburn game was maybe the worst we’ve ever seen at Beaver Stadium. There have been blown calls in the past, certainly, but as far as a body of work — 60 minutes — it was an inexcusable exhibition. Obviously, the SEC knew it: The conference issued a statement correcting the most embarrassing call — losing track of the downs — on a night when there were a half-dozen situations, calls, spots or non-calls that were ...

Coaches should be able to criticize bad calls

What is your main takeaway from last weekend’s officiating? By Cory Giger cgiger@altoonamirror.com I have watched the video about 20 times, and laughed every time. It’s a halftime interview where ABC’s Holly Rowe asked James Franklin what explanation he got from the officials for ridiculously taking a down away from Penn State during a first-half series against Auburn. Franklin just stares at her. For a full second. Saying nothing. Then shrugged his shoulders. “That’s the explanation we needed,” replied Rowe, a savvy pro reading the moment ...

Europeans able to handle friction at Ryder Cup

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — Friction within the team is nothing new at the Ryder Cup. Except for the Americans. Europe has been dealing with it for decades, whether it was the enmity between Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia, the grievances Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn had with Colin Montgomerie or the general dislike between Ian Woosnam and Nick Faldo. It hasn’t kept the Europeans from winning with regularity. Woosnam and Faldo were even partners in 1987 at Muirfield Village and didn’t lose any of their four matches. But this is different. “I think it was kept pretty quiet. ...

No Tiger, Phil, but maybe a US Ryder Cup victory

Tiger Woods won’t be at Whistling Straits this week, for obvious reasons. Phil Mickelson will, but for the first time since 1995 won’t hit a shot in the Ryder Cup. The storyline in the Ryder Cup hasn’t changed, but the marquee players have — at least when it comes to the beleaguered U.S. team. Woods is still mending from a car accident, while Mickelson will end a streak of 12 straight Ryder Cups as a player to be a non-playing assistant captain for a team tasked with wrestling the cup back from Europe. That may prove a bit of a disappointment for the tens of thousands who ...

Franklin-Southern Cal speculation will continue

There’s a definite subplot that has developed to the Penn State football season. And that’s whether James Franklin is coaching his final team in Happy Valley. Since USC fired Clay Helton on Monday, Franklin’s name has been widely speculated to be among the most likely successor. Some have him at the top of the list. He was asked about it several times this week before steering the narrative back to the game at hand, No. 22 Auburn (7:30 p.m., ABC). Franklin said he plans to handle the buzz “internally’’ with his team, but we all know it’s not going to away until he ...

PIAA changes its tune on ‘no-contests’

Last high school football season, it seemed as though everyone involved was willing to do whatever it took to have a season after the 2020 PIAA spring scholastic year was completely wiped out. That included making regular-season games a “no contest” when one team could not compete due to the coronavirus pandemic. In the postseason, district and PIAA officials had no choice but to make schools who were dealing with COVID-19 issues forfeit, such as Southern Huntingdon being forced to in its scheduled District 6 Class 2A quarterfinal game against Cambria Heights. Following guidance ...