Pac-10 commissioner addresses replay criticism

By Andrew Bagnato
Associated Press

The Pac-10 suspended the entire seven-man crew from the Oregon-Oklahoma game, along with two replay officials, but it had to stagger the penalties throughout the season so it would have enough officials to cover games.

That’s why suspended referee David Cutaia and umpire Dennis Angel were part of the crew assigned to the USC-Arizona Pac-10 opener in Arizona Stadium.

In Seattle, suspended head linesman Dan Antonietti and side judge David Curschman were working the UCLA-Washington game.

“We never said they were all going to sit out this week,” Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen said before the USC-Arizona game.

“We’re going to take them out as best we can to maintain the integrity of the crews that are working the respective games.”

Coincidentally, Arizona coach Mike Stoops is the brother of Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, whose Sooners received an apology from Hansen after officials erred in giving the Ducks possession after their late onside kick. Oregon went on to win 34-33 in Eugene.

The conference suspended the seven field officials, the replay official and his assistant one game apiece.

Replay official Gordon Riese was later granted a leave of absence for the remainder of the season.
Hansen said the furor over the Oregon-Oklahoma game did not shake his support for the league’s officials.

“I have confidence in all the officials,” Hansen said. “They had one horrible series of problems on one play that we will regret for a long time, but it’s not a condemnation of either those seven officials or of the [Pac-10’s officiating] program, for sure.”

Hansen said the conference had received “probably over a thousand e-mails” this week, many from irate fans.
“It was all-consuming,” he said.

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