Jay C. Upchurch
9/18/2006, 08:01 PM
NORMAN — Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops reacted sharply Monday night when asked about the PAC-10 Conference's announcement earlier in the day that it had apologized to OU and handed down a one-game suspension to the officiating crew working last Saturday's game at Oregon. The Sooner coach said that the actions of the officials were, "absolutely inexcusable and unacceptable."
Here is a transcription of Stoops' comments ...
Opening statement, regarding penalty and response from Pac-10
Conference:
"At least they have reacted to it and tried. Truly there can be no
amends to it and it can't be corrected. I think (the media) are fair to
discern whether the actions taken against (the officials) or the
individuals who had an opportunity to get it right are acceptable or
enough ... compared to how our season has changed.
"If you're going to write any of this, you need to say it all. I've
made a million mistakes; I'll make a million more. In each game and in
that game included ... there are things I could have done differently or
changed. Unlike officials, players and coaches don't have that
opportunity. They had an opportunity to get it right and they chose not
to.
"So I find it still absolutely inexcusable and unacceptable. In
particular (the) people who had an opportunity to review it all and look
at it and get it right. They chose not to. You discern whether a
one-game suspension is appropriate for those individuals. I'm not
talking about people in the heat of the moment out there in the middle
of the chaos. I'm talking about people who, like every viewer at home,
had an opportunity to see it. It's not for me to decide what is
appropriate, but I think it's fair to say that a one-game suspension
compared to the way our season now is altered, I don't know if that fits
the situation.
"Like I said, I've made a million mistakes. In a game I'd love to have
a chance to replay it and do it over. They get that opportunity, we
don't. To me again it's just unacceptable and inexcusable."
On if the players understand that the season is not lost:
"Our players understand we've got a lot in front of us. The season is
young. We've got a ton to get better at, improve at. I have to deal
with this because I am the head coach, but we're on to Middle Tennessee.
We had a great practice. Our players are upbeat. They understand the
potential that is on the football team and we're going to keep working
to get better."
On President David L. Boren's letter:
"We have a great administration. President Boren is the absolute best
president a head coach can have. And you know what, and a great
president for this university. You look at what he has done for this
university, it's remarkable. He's a great leader for us right through
Joe Castiglione. I've got faith in what they believe is right and trust
their opinions."
On the team's motivation:
"It's behind us. We're motivated. We've got another game coming up and
we're going to keep getting better. That's all the motivation we need."
On accountability:
"I get a 19-year-old kid who's out there in front of the whole country
and out there in front of 60,000 people who makes a mistake and gives up
a play at the end. He's got to talk to (media) and he's a man and walks
in the tunnel and talks to everybody and explains (himself). All
parties involved should have to explain their actions to some degree you
would think. There are a lot of dynamics to it.
"We all make mistakes in the heat of the moment. Every coach in the
country and every kid would love to replay it and say, 'Let me do that
over." (The officials) have that opportunity, so how can it be
excusable and acceptable? It's just not. The people who were in those
positions, I don't know if that's enough compared to what they've done
to our season when they had an opportunity to get it right. And it
isn't like there's 10 minutes to go. We're taking a knee, game's over.
I'm not saying we didn't have our fault in it that we could be better.
But that's the end of the game and there is no refuting that."
OU Sports Info and Sooner Spectator Reports
Here is a transcription of Stoops' comments ...
Opening statement, regarding penalty and response from Pac-10
Conference:
"At least they have reacted to it and tried. Truly there can be no
amends to it and it can't be corrected. I think (the media) are fair to
discern whether the actions taken against (the officials) or the
individuals who had an opportunity to get it right are acceptable or
enough ... compared to how our season has changed.
"If you're going to write any of this, you need to say it all. I've
made a million mistakes; I'll make a million more. In each game and in
that game included ... there are things I could have done differently or
changed. Unlike officials, players and coaches don't have that
opportunity. They had an opportunity to get it right and they chose not
to.
"So I find it still absolutely inexcusable and unacceptable. In
particular (the) people who had an opportunity to review it all and look
at it and get it right. They chose not to. You discern whether a
one-game suspension is appropriate for those individuals. I'm not
talking about people in the heat of the moment out there in the middle
of the chaos. I'm talking about people who, like every viewer at home,
had an opportunity to see it. It's not for me to decide what is
appropriate, but I think it's fair to say that a one-game suspension
compared to the way our season now is altered, I don't know if that fits
the situation.
"Like I said, I've made a million mistakes. In a game I'd love to have
a chance to replay it and do it over. They get that opportunity, we
don't. To me again it's just unacceptable and inexcusable."
On if the players understand that the season is not lost:
"Our players understand we've got a lot in front of us. The season is
young. We've got a ton to get better at, improve at. I have to deal
with this because I am the head coach, but we're on to Middle Tennessee.
We had a great practice. Our players are upbeat. They understand the
potential that is on the football team and we're going to keep working
to get better."
On President David L. Boren's letter:
"We have a great administration. President Boren is the absolute best
president a head coach can have. And you know what, and a great
president for this university. You look at what he has done for this
university, it's remarkable. He's a great leader for us right through
Joe Castiglione. I've got faith in what they believe is right and trust
their opinions."
On the team's motivation:
"It's behind us. We're motivated. We've got another game coming up and
we're going to keep getting better. That's all the motivation we need."
On accountability:
"I get a 19-year-old kid who's out there in front of the whole country
and out there in front of 60,000 people who makes a mistake and gives up
a play at the end. He's got to talk to (media) and he's a man and walks
in the tunnel and talks to everybody and explains (himself). All
parties involved should have to explain their actions to some degree you
would think. There are a lot of dynamics to it.
"We all make mistakes in the heat of the moment. Every coach in the
country and every kid would love to replay it and say, 'Let me do that
over." (The officials) have that opportunity, so how can it be
excusable and acceptable? It's just not. The people who were in those
positions, I don't know if that's enough compared to what they've done
to our season when they had an opportunity to get it right. And it
isn't like there's 10 minutes to go. We're taking a knee, game's over.
I'm not saying we didn't have our fault in it that we could be better.
But that's the end of the game and there is no refuting that."
OU Sports Info and Sooner Spectator Reports