I'm tired of hearing about how we can crucify the young adults and fans participating in American Sports. Where are the sanctions against the Officials of the games and the over aged athletes that call themselves announcers? There comes a point where even the ignorant must come forward. I have never been so proud of an Auburn team as I was today. Through out the season the Auburn players have had to hear how over rated they were at the beginning of the year (mainly ESPN, but many others) and how they didn't deserve it (ESPN morons again, Tennessee game) Coming into a game that decided whether or not you appear in a championship game, being the best team on the field, and yet losing the game because of poor officiating has become a norm for out team. What does it take to ensure the officials do their jobs and earn their paycheck (as the majority of us do), and put as much into the game as each young player for both teams do? I have been a football fan for 34 years and I am fed up. Young men get out on the field every fall for ten plus games, brutalizing their bodies, and yes, even risking their lives to entertain our nation. Worse, every weekend during this time many of them are brutalized, not by the fans or coaching staff, but by the men officiating the games. And Heaven forbid they take money for doing so. Every person around them gets paid, yet the capitalistic county of the world expects them to ignore what they have been taught. I feel as if I'm in a beauty salon while watching every game...criticize and demoralize more often than commending and raising esteem The time has come for us, as parents of these young men, to step forward and demand that the adults being paid to announce and officiate be held responsible for their words and actions. I realize that everyone makes mistakes, but the NCAA needs to buckle down, admit that there is a MAJOR PROBLEM, and most importantly, do something about the PROBLEM. Not only is it unfair to these young men to watch them put their hearts and souls into something then beat them down when they do not deserve it, but it is not fair to make them believe that they have put forth the winning effort when they did not. This is not to say that they should not be recognized for the effort they have put forth, but to make people admit that many young people are MADE to feel they are losers when they are truly the winners. As an Auburn University Fan I can take it no more. The announcers on many of the television stations are so unbelievably incompetent that if had not been "TOLD" otherwise, I would swear they had never been involved in any sporting event. This is not the first time that I have witnessed such poor officiating or felt the need to protest it, but the first time I've bothered to try and do something about it. Just to prove my point, I want to invite anyone who cares or thinks I may be wrong to review the Auburn vs. Ol Miss game today. Eli Manning threw a minimum of 4 (I believe 5) incomplete passes today that warranted intentional grounding calls, yet the appropriate call was not made and the well paid television announcers (along with the paid officials) refused to acknowledge the obvious infractions. To top the injustice off, the most important non-penalty non-call of the day happened on the final play of the game. Pass interference rules must have changed sometime during my years as a college football fan and I somehow am unaware of these changes. I was under the false impression that when a quarterback threw the ball, the player defending the potential receiver, had to turn is head and look towards the ball before he could attempt to obtain the ball or keep the potential receiver from catching said pass. Is it not true that when the defender sees the ball coming by turning his head around and seeking eye to pigskin contact, they are commended for a good defensive move? On the flip side when the defender virtually locks headgear with the potential receiver (i.e. staring the potential receiver in the eyes), knocks the potential receiver down and keeps the potential receiver from catching the ball, all while never even seeing the ball, he has committed an infraction (i.e. pass interference). Once again, I ask that someone please review the Auburn vs. Ol Miss game today (11-08-03), and if nothing else, take a look at the final play of the game to ensure me that I am wrong and the officials and "announcers" were right. How many interceptions, intentional groundings, and pass interference infractions does it take before the yellow flag goes down? Is there a handicap issued to inferior teams in college football, as in bowling, that I am unaware of? Please would someone attempt to educate me on these matters...Oh and by the way, will you also educate Archie Manning at the same time. Biased or not, every reasonable person watching this game knew that it started on a wrong note with the first Eli Manning ignored intentional grounding and ended on the ignored pass interference, one that literally broke your ear drums. Believe me, as a parent, I ‘m sure the expression on my face would have been the same. I want to be proud of my children for the things they accomplish not the “accomplishments” that are GIVEN to them. The look of amazement on Archie Manning’s face and total lack of emotion at the end of this game says it all...”I can't believe we won the whole thing, we shouldn’t have won it.” Can our children and young adults truly be proud of themselves by being told they are winners while the true winners stand dejected on the sidelines? I am amazed that we bother to ask ourselves what is wrong with today’s youth after contradicting ourselves. We tell them to put forth all they have and after slapping them down, remind them that there is always going to be someone to take up their slack. So after a most valiant effort, hang your helmet and uniform up, have as many kids as you can (not necessarily that you want), pick up your food stamps, and “Oh yeah, be PROUD of yourselves.

D. Clay

What on earth does that have to do with the post?

Does the word sanctions not ring a bell?
The young adults (players that had nothing to do with the infractions) and fans(that also have nothing to do with the infractions) are the ones that suffer. Why don't we start penalizing individuals, officials etc. for their errors?