On September 6, 2008 Jake Locker nearly capped the miracle come back against BYU. With two measly seconds left he ran through a couple BYU would be tackles into the end zone for a touchdown. Locker threw (despite all the euphemisms the ESPN commentators have used like flip or toss) the ball into the air drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The potentially game tying extra point was moved back 15 yards. For a collegiate kicker, one that is receiving a good education for kicking a oblong ball through the uprights, a 35 yard extra point should not be too difficult.
However, Jan Jorgensen blocked the kick--sealing BYU's victory over the Huskies. (On a side note why is the Huskies mascot a malamute?)
The media went wild. Granny Holtz claimed that Locker just threw his hands in the air and the ball just happened to be in his hand. That may be the the most moronic statement I heard since the last time Holtz opened his mouth. Really? Really Lou? Come on. If that was the case why did only his right arm go up while the left arm went across his chest? Also, how did the ball leave Locker's hand in a perfect spiral? Why did the ball said high enough to leave the screen and not hit Locker's back again for about three or four seconds? Lou, your comment proved you have the IQ of a granny smith apple... or Bill Walton.
Another ESPN commentator compared the the play to a few other plays that did not receive a penalty flag. In what appeared to be some of the most unethical and dishonest journalism since the New York Times fabricated all of their stories. Every example ESPN showed had the offender finger rolling the ball. Maybe once the ball went over the players head. Jake Locker clearly threw the ball. The ball went up more than 30 feet. I am no physics major but if I remember correctly objects fall at 32 feet per second per second. The ball fell for over a second and a half. I am not sure how a spiral would affect the speed of the fall, but I am fairly certain the ball went up over 30 feet and came back down over 30 feet. To compare that to someone who lightly throws the ball about a foot and a half is to attempt to manipulate an audience.
The rule book specifically mentions throwing a ball high into the air. The infamous flag was the right call. The rule itself is faulty. The ref made the right call by the book.
Another defense of Jake Locker by the media said that Locker was not taunting. He was an excited, emotional kid. Because he was excited and emotional no foul should have been called. The ref should have withheld his flag even though the rule was clearly broken.
Using the "he was emotional and excited" defense is specious. Most penalties are due to emotion. A lineman jumping offsides is usually emotion. Taunting is usually brought on by emotion. Fights are a result of emotion. The he was an excited kid argument holds no water.
Keywords: BYU, Jake Locker, unsportsmanlike conduct, Washington
