PRESS PICKS: Sankey's shot at TV announcers misses the mark
STAFF REPORT
It may have sounded uncharacteristic, but in a recent appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show, Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey took a verbal swipe at members of the play-by-play community, stating their opinions on the game’s officiating was not needed.
And they should keep quite.
"Some of the worst 'officials' in America are those in the announce booth," he said. "I am highly disappointed in the announcers."
High fives for protecting your zebras but let’s be honest - part of the fun of sports is finding fault with those wearing the whistles.
And no, this isn’t about bashing anyone. But when a bad call is made, it deserves to be analyzed.
There has been a lot of pointing this season and in crucial situations. Miami’s incomplete pass didn’t have an SEC connection. But it is still being talked about a week later.
Sankey probably had someone in mind when he made the comments. No guessing here as to who his angst was directed to since there aren’t too many doing the job and most have had something to say about officiating at one time or another. But the fact is part of the job of a color commentator is to … wait for it…. make comments. If the need arises involving a call that is disputable, it is the commentator’s right to say what is on his (or her) mind. Yes, there is a right way, but that’s for another column.
It’s not a matter of attacking anyone. Sure, there are a few who might sound like they are ready to jump out of the booth and physically harm somebody, but that is a digression in the debate.
There are numbers out there that provide the idea that better guidelines need to be put in place.
A report provided the following information…
Through Week 9 of the current season, SEC replay officials had overturned 88 of 144 reviewed rulings, or 61 percent. Compare that to the Power Five average in a 2022 study and the number was 44.5 percent or 16.6 points higher.
Keep in mind that officials are graded n their performance. every time they step on the field. In the past few years, a few have been suspended, although that information (correctly) has been held out of the public eye. The Internet has done its due diligence to find that information and in some cases, published a report that cannot be substantiated.
But there are calls that cannot be reviewed, due to the rules governing replays.
The most obvious one that comes to mind is the non-interference situation on a play late in the fourth quarter of the Georgia-Alabama game. Since no flag was thrown, the replay booth cannot be brought in to make a judgement.
Unfortunately, that one is sticking out like a sore thumb for different reasons, namely, there are plenty of naysayers who believe the CFP committee look at that game as a phantom win for the Crimson Tide. The idea is that If the call is made, it becomes a Bama win… of course, nothing could be further from the truth.
And no, the committee does not consider that a win for the Tide.
But it lends to the perception, the mockery, the shear delusion that a correct call would lead to a team getting the benefit of the doubt. And there are ample number of calls that fit the description, too many to list here.
Sankey chose to speak out against those who speak out. Did he go after ESPN and threaten to pull his league off the network? No, that would be a breech of a contract but then he’s probably sore about losing his $100 million championship game after this year. Most would be.
The league and its leader have been under the gun lately. That makes an easy target for those who are targets of everyone else. TV people are not looked on with positive perception and are certainly not given the benefit of the doubt when being discussed.
So why not take a shot in the week when the entire world of college football announces it is about to have a significant modification to how it decides a national champion?
As we always like to do, blame the officials… make that the announcers… what do they know!
2026 Standings (Last week)
1. Rosie Langello 126-49 (11-4) .720
2. Graham Dunn 124-51 (10-5) .709
3. Michael Butler 122-53 (8-7) .697
Wesley Lyle 122-53 (8-7) .697
5. Lindsey Bonner 117-58 (9-6) .669
Doug Amos 117-58 (9-6) .669
7. Tim Gayle 115-60 (10-5) .657
8. Mike Peacock 114-61 (9-6) .651
9. Mike Tankersley 112-63 (8-7) .640
10. Rick Hendrick 109-66 (10-5) .623
11. Barry McKnight 107-68 (8-7) .611
Rosie Langello (WSFA Ch. 12 New and Sports)
126-49 (11-4) .720
Carver at Daphne - Daphne
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Marbury at Eufaula - Marbury
Mobile Christian at Montgomery Academy - Montgomery Academy
Alabama at Vanderbilt - Alabama
Auburn at Miss St - Miss St
Texas at LSU - Texas
Missouri at Georgia - Georgia
Tennessee at Texas A&M - Tennessee
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Ole Miss
Florida at Kentucky - Kentucky
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Southern Cal at Indiana - Indiana
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Graham Dunn (River Region Sports/WTLS/Voice of Alabama State Hornets)
124-51 (10-5) .709
Carver at Daphne - Carver
Spain Park at Prattville - Prattville
Pike Road at Homewood - Pike Road
Marbury at Eufaula - Eufaula
Mobile Christian at Montgomery Academy - Montgomery Academy
Alabama at Vanderbilt - Alabama
Auburn at Miss St - Auburn
Texas at LSU - Texas
Missouri at Georgia - Georgia
Tennessee at Texas A&M - Tennessee
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Ole Miss
Florida at Kentucky - Kentucky
South Carolina at Arkansas - South Carolina
Southern Cal at Indiana - Indiana
Utah at Arizona - Utah
Wesley Lyle (River Region Sports)
122-53 (8-7) .697
Carver at Daphne - Daphne
Spain Park at Prattville - Prattville
Pike Road at Homewood - Homewood
Marbury at Eufaula - Marbury
Mobile Christian at Montgomery Academy - Montgomery Academy
Alabama at Vanderbilt - Alabama
Auburn at Miss St - Auburn
Texas at LSU - Texas
Missouri at Georgia - Georgia
Tennessee at Texas A&M - Tennessee
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Florida at Kentucky - Kentucky
South Carolina at Arkansas - South Carolina
Southern Cal at Indiana - Indiana
Utah at Arizona - Utah
Michael Butler (WTLS 101.1&94.7 FM/1300 AM/Tallassee Times)
122-53 (8-7) .697
Carver at Daphne - Daphne
Spain Park at Prattville - Prattville
Pike Road at Homewood - Pike Road
Marbury at Eufaula - Marbury
Mobile Christian at Montgomery Academy - Montgomery Academy
Alabama at Vanderbilt - Alabama
Auburn at Miss St - Auburn
Texas at LSU - LSU
Missouri at Georgia - Georgia
Tennessee at Texas A&M - Texas A&M
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Ole Miss
Florida at Kentucky - Kentucky
South Carolina at Arkansas - South Carolina
Southern Cal at Indiana - Indiana
Utah at Arizona - Arizona
Lindsey Bonner (Sports Director - WAKA Ch. 8)
117-58 (9-6) .669
Carver at Daphne - Carver
Spain Park at Prattville - Prattville
Pike Road at Homewood - Pike Road
Marbury at Eufaula - Eufaula
Mobile Christian at Montgomery Academy - Montgomery Academy
Alabama at Vanderbilt - Alabama
Auburn at Miss St - Auburn
Texas at LSU - Texas
Missouri at Georgia - Georgia
Tennessee at Texas A&M - Tennessee
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Ole Miss
Florida at Kentucky - Kentucky
South Carolina at Arkansas - South Carolina
Southern Cal at Indiana - Southern Cal
Utah at Arizona - Utah
Doug Amos (ESPN The Ticket)
117-58 (9-6) .669
Carver at Daphne - Daphne
Spain Park at Prattville - Prattville
Pike Road at Homewood - Pike Road
Marbury at Eufaula - Marbury
Mobile Christian at Montgomery Academy - Montgomery Academy
Alabama at Vanderbilt - Alabama
Auburn at Miss St - Auburn
Texas at LSU - LSU
Missouri at Georgia - Georgia
Tennessee at Texas A&M - Tennessee
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Ole Miss
Florida at Kentucky - Kentucky
South Carolina at Arkansas - South Carolina
Southern Cal at Indiana - Indiana
Utah at Arizona - Arizona
Tim Gayle (River Region Sports/Montgomery Independent)
115-60 (10-5) .657
Carver at Daphne - Carver
Spain Park at Prattville - Prattville
Pike Road at Homewood - Pike Road
Marbury at Eufaula - Marbury
Mobile Christian at Montgomery Academy - Montgomery Academy
Alabama at Vanderbilt - Alabama
Auburn at Miss St - Auburn
Texas at LSU - LSU
Missouri at Georgia - Georgia
Tennessee at Texas A&M - Tennessee
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Florida at Kentucky - Kentucky
South Carolina at Arkansas - South Carolina
Southern Cal at Indiana - Indiana
Utah at Arizona - Utah
Mike Peacock (River Region Sports/ASU Hornets Radio analyst)
114-61 (9-6) .651
Carver at Daphne - Daphne
Spain Park at Prattville - Prattville
Pike Road at Homewood - Pike Road
Marbury at Eufaula - Eufaula
Mobile Christian at Montgomery Academy - Montgomery Academy
Alabama at Vanderbilt - Alabama
Auburn at Miss St - Auburn
Texas at LSU - LSU
Missouri at Georgia - Georgia
Tennessee at Texas A&M - Tennessee
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Ole Miss
Florida at Kentucky - Florida
South Carolina at Arkansas - South Carolina
Southern Cal at Indiana - Indiana
Utah at Arizona - Utah
Mike Tankersley (River Region Sports/WTLS contributor)
112-63 (8-7) .640
Carver at Daphne - Daphne
Spain Park at Prattville - Prattville
Pike Road at Homewood - Homewood
Marbury at Eufaula - Eufaula
Mobile Christian at Montgomery Academy - Montgomery Academy
Alabama at Vanderbilt - Alabama
Auburn at Miss St - Auburn
Texas at LSU - LSU
Missouri at Georgia - Georgia
Tennessee at Texas A&M - Texas A&M
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Florida at Kentucky - Florida
South Carolina at Arkansas - South Carolina
Southern Cal at Indiana - Indiana
Utah at Arizona - Arizona
Rick Hendrick (WXFS 95.1 The Fox/PA Montgomery Biscuits)
109-66 (10-5) .623
Carver at Daphne - Daphne
Spain Park at Prattville - Prattville
Pike Road at Homewood - Homewood
Marbury at Eufaula - Eufaula
Mobile Christian at Montgomery Academy - Mobile Christian
Alabama at Vanderbilt - Alabama
Auburn at Miss St - Auburn
Texas at LSU - Texas
Missouri at Georgia - Georgia
Tennessee at Texas A&M - Tennessee
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Ole Miss
Florida at Kentucky - Kentucky
South Carolina at Arkansas - South Carolina
Southern Cal at Indiana - Indiana
Utah at Arizona - Utah
Barry McKnight (Voice of Troy Trojans)
107-68 (8-7) .611
Carver at Daphne - Daphne
Spain Park at Prattville - Prattville
Pike Road at Homewood - Homewood
Marbury at Eufaula - Eufaula
Mobile Christian at Montgomery Academy - Montgomery Academy
Alabama at Vanderbilt - Alabama
Auburn at Miss St - Auburn
Texas at LSU - LSU
Missouri at Georgia - Georgia
Tennessee at Texas A&M - Tennessee
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Ole Miss
Florida at Kentucky - Kentucky
South Carolina at Arkansas - South Carolina
Southern Cal at Indiana - Southern Cal
Utah at Arizona - Arizona