Reputation

The Daily Press’s David Teel continued his strong work on the Gator Bowl and Marcus Vick stomping incident Wednesday by tracking down the Gator Bowl’s head referee, Steve Usecheck of the Big 12 Conference, and getting his comments on Tech’s behavior. His words confirmed a couple of thoughts I had already. From the CBS Sportsline version of the article (which wasn’t edited for length like the DP’s own copy):

“We missed [Vick’s stomp], and I’m sorry we did,” Usecheck told the Newport News Daily Press from his Colorado home. “The TV, everybody saw it but us. I wish we had the opportunity to talk to (Vick) because that was complete (expletive). You bet I would have thrown his ass out.”

Usecheck said he has not seen a replay of the Vick incident but that purposely stomping a defenseless opponent warrants ejection. […]

“I was really disappointed,” Usecheck said. “We don’t see football like that (in the Big 12). Those kids were just completely out of control. Louisville wasn’t as bad. Virginia Tech was brutal.”

Usecheck ejected Hokies All-America cornerback Jimmy Williams in the first quarter for swinging his arm at head linesman Al Green. Williams was jawing with Louisville’s Amobi Okoye, and Green grabbed Williams to separate the two.

“He never hit the official but he swung at him twice,” Usecheck said of Williams, a senior from Bethel High.

First off, Usecheck can be as disgusted as he wants at Vick’s behavior. Lord knows I am. But for him to use two expletives in the same sentence describing the play, to a newspaper reporter, is grossly unprofessional — especially if he still hasn’t seen a replay. For that matter, I can’t recall the last time I saw an official quoted in news media after a game at all — but he wouldn’t care about any rules of that sort, as he’s retiring. Either way, if you’re going to preach about staying under control, displaying your own temper is a curious way to do it. Worth noting: back in the Big 12, Nebraska fans have quite the low opinion of Usecheck.

But the second thing it confirms to me is that the officials came in with a preconceived notion of Virginia Tech as a dirty team, and with the intent to call the Hokies in particular excruciatingly tight in order to establish control over what they expected to be an out-of-control game. The NBC replay doesn’t show Jimmy Williams swinging at all. It shows Williams spinning out of the grasp of an official (presumably Green) and a flag immediately tossed, but no punches. The most generous conclusion I can draw is that the crew was on a hair-trigger when it came to Virginia Tech offenses. Further confirmation of that could be seen rewinding to the kickoff following Louisville’s first touchdown: VT’s #31 Brenden Hill and a Louisville player tangled behind the catch. Hill got his left hand marginally up in the Cardinal’s face while attempting to block him, but the Louisville player then threw four crosses (right, right, left, right) while Hill held onto his collar. Result of that sequence: offsetting personal-foul penalties, when the most Hill should have gotten was a 5-yard hands-to-the-face.

Rational or not, Usecheck’s comments reflect a developing consensus about Virginia Tech football that is exacerbated by Vick’s idiocy. If we play like thugs, talk like thugs (Jimmy Williams’s postgame comments being a great example of the type), celebrate every play like unsportsmanlike idiots, and have off-the-field legal problems to boot, we’ll get a reputation that is very hard to shake. Ask Miami or Florida State about it. Indecisive or ineffectual discipline makes it worse, and this is where Frank Beamer is falling down on the job right now.

Disciplining Marcus could cost us a lot. You can safely presume that brother Michael’s multi-million dollar checkbook would be permanently closed to VT. Fine. Both Vicks plus their hangers-on might badmouth Tech to recruits. Go right ahead. The bandwagon, with corresponding ESPN coverage and marketing income, would leave town. I-81’s that way. But if you offered me a deal right now to take three extra losses next season in return for Marcus being out on his rear now, I’d accept it instantly. At this point, it’s safe to say he’s incapable of learning a lesson from discipline; all that’s left now is to start recovering Virginia Tech’s dignity. Marcus is the #1 public face of this university, and the de facto leader of next year’s football team. That has to end if we want to begin to repair the damage that his acts, as well as those of others in the past three years, have caused.