Congrats, SEC. After signing that 15-year contract worth a reported $2 billion to television your football games, you finally decided to splurge and purchase some HD televisions for your replay officials.
David Parry, the national coordinator of football officials, confirmed that the SEC was making the move, along with three or four other conferences -- the Big Ten, Big 12, and most likely the SEC.
“It’s a good move,” Parry told The Birmingham News’ Jon Solomon. “Sometimes a guy at home with high definition was getting a better view of replay than the guy in the stadium at the booth.”
Apparently the schools will shop at THE MOST EXPENSIVE STORE IN THE UNIVERSE for the new televisions, because Parry estimates that the installation in the booths -- where crews are ALREADY WATCHING THESE GAMES, JUST NOT IN HIGH-DEF -- will cost schools $40,000 to $50,000 per school.
“It’s quite expensive,” Parry said.
(They’re probably holding bake sales to raise the money, considering each team will get about $167 million if my rudimentary math skills are correct...)
In other news, we can expect referees to get even more in the way of football, when they begin calling unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that will nullify touchdowns. If a player starts “high-stepping” or “prancing” into the endzone at the 15-yard-line, it’ll cost his team a touchdown.
“I’m sure there will be a time or two when it gets called and someone says that’s technical and really splitting hairs,” Parry said. “But at the same time, if it cleans up some of the acts we’ve seen, it’s probably worth it.”
I will now bang my head off my desk for three straight minutes. God help us.
