Opinion: Big 12 suspension of Tech announcers a bush-league move

Sports fans love to “analyze” performances of the officiating staffs. Their team seldom loses a game by itself … it's usually because the referees missed a call or three. At least that's how they see it.

Sports announcers also like to participate in the practice of critiquing the refs. No matter the sport, the arbiters are held up to the light for close examination and ridicule.

Fair or not, it's part of the games.

Unless your team plays in the Big 12 football conference. Then you shall not speak ill of the officials or you might be suspended from your job.

At least that's what happened to a pair of Texas Tech football radio announcers this month. Red Raiders broadcasters Brian Jensen and John Harris were suspended for a week by Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby after they criticized officiating in Tech's 41-38 win over Iowa State on Nov. 13.

It was a bush-league decision by the Big 12.

OK, Jensen and Harris went a little beyond critiquing the refs. They suggested the conference didn't want Tech to win and called out Bowlsby and the refs by name. But that’s not something the Big 12 should have the authority to stifle. It's not like the announcers encouraged fans to kill the umpire.

It's important to point out here that the broadcasters of most college sports events, and many professional sports events, are not known for their objective coverage of the games. Most are loud-and-proud fans of the home team that employs them.

If Texas Tech wants its broadcasters to act like journalists — no cheering in the press box — then it can discipline them when they act like frustrated cheerleaders. The Big 12 is not insisting other teams cut back on the rah-rah. Why single out Tech?

If the Big 12 felt it needed to defend its officiating crew and commissioner from homer radio announcers, a more professional response would have been to seek independent reviews of the plays in question. After that, it could have announced results of those reviews. If the refs got them right, celebrate their success. If the refs got them wrong, admit everybody makes mistakes and they will try to do better next time.

Booing the refs — fair or not — is part of football. The Big 12 doesn't improve game officials' credibility by silencing their critics in the media.

— David Stevens

Publisher