Responsibility of the player to conduct a transfer? That's going a bit overboard don't you think? This isn't a surgeon performing open heart surgery expecting the metzenbaum scissors to be gently placed in his hand by the surgical assistant, it's a ref on a field of collisions and bodies smashing.
Facts:BL threw the ball to the Ref. It was not a hard throw but was harder than a toss. Players commonly throw the ball to the ref after a play is over. The Ref was not ready and/or could not react quickly enough to catch the throw and the ball hit him. The ref didn't like that and threw a flag for USC.
Yet CLEARLY there was not an unsportsman like intention at all. BL was not throwing the ball at the ref because he wanted to ring his bell for being a lousy ref (despite the fact he was a lousy ref). To the contrary, the intention was sportsman like. The player is attempting to help the ref not have to track the ball down on the ground somewhere.
Lastly, take a look at the USC penalties that are commonly called......then compare that to the call on BL. Guess what, not even comparable. Further, take a look at the game and how soooo much was obviously being let go by the Refs. Now go back to BL's call and see how a ticky tack call in a game like that had NO business being called.....period!
First off, this is a ref we are talking about in a professional sport and that is how we need to view this issue . . . and refs are not on the same level as the players . . . plain and simple . . . there is a certain protocol that needs to be followed between the ref and players . . .
There are two things that we know about in the NFL, 1) you can not touch an official in any capacity and 2) there is penalty for placing the ball on the ground such that is moves away and the ref has to run down the ball . . . but even without that it basic human dignity and respect that when you transfer something to another and it is drop and whether its 25%, 50% or 75% your fault you make an apology . . . and given the respect and protocol between a player and official if it is even partially your fault you apologize . . .
now many times i have seen refs drop balls, but all occur when ball is floated to him and or is on target . . . the ref has his hand in front of him and missed the ball and it drops at his feet or it might float high over his head and he and has to reach up for it, and so on . . . okay it happens . . .
but in BL case the ref hands in front of him waiting for the ball to be tossed with his hands (which are in front of him at the numbers if you will) and BL who is only like 9 feet from him delievers a ball to the refs left shoulder, BL who is a professional football player can't hit his the numbers of a person 9 feet from him? ? ? really ? ? ? so yes the ball was off line and yes the ball came to the ref faster than expected and yes the ball landed behind the ref and yes that same ref now has to chase down the ball and yes BL walked away with indifferent body language . . . so was the throw 100% on BL no, but the miss was not 100% on the ref either . . .
but we must understand in a sport in which you can't touch the ref, there is a penalty assessed when a ball is dropped in a manner in which the refs have to track teh ball down, that when you throw the ball to the official who is not expecting that type of throw and it is also off target and due the this the ref is able to corral it, you dont walk way indifferent . . .
now was BL being mean, no . . . did he intend the ball to be missed no, but he cant walk away indifferent when a mishap happens . . .
it is kind of like baseball and the plate umpire and there is a bad call . . .now you yell, swear, ***** and maon all you want if you are looking at your bat and making normal preswing motions in the batter box (btw Ricky Henderson made a science out of this) but if you look at the ump and stomp your foot once or wave you hand in the air, which is a normal innocent act, it going to draw the ire of the ump (cause you are embarrasing the ump in front of the crowd) you might get tossed even if you say more innocent things than the other way . . .
and like with BL, innocent as he is, when you get up (after a frustrating drop i mght add) and throw the ball at the refs left shoulder and not in the direction of his open waiting hands and ref can't corrall it, you don't walk away indifferent, its just gives an impression that it your problem ref not mine . . .
and again, i repeat i think that a stern talking to was in order and not a 15 yard drive kller in the red zone . . .but at the same time what BL did was on the bubble and sometimes refs wont give you the benefit of the doubt
even though a lot of rough stuff was going on in the game, the penatly was, like the player and the ump, one of respect and not one of force . . . and hence one of sportsmanship . . .
