One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show
Eric Tabor
Tuesday May 8, 2007
Bette Midler recorded a song by that title and apparently, the South Georgia Wildcats' and the Rio Grande Valley Dorados loved it so much they danced to it.
What was suppose to be a battle of two high powered offenses, turned out to be referees in the spotlight, an avalanche of flags, and a deluge of penalties.
Amid three turnovers, eleven penalties, and an offense that couldn't find a way to finish its drives, South Georgia (3-2 overall, 1-1 South Division) fell to The Rio Grande Valley Dorados (4-1, 3-1 Southwest Division) by a score of 45-42.
The 42 points came out of a total of 290 yards of offense, significantly higher than Rio Grande's 200 yards.
By the end of the first quarter, it looked as though the Cats had come away from the bye week tired and unprepared, particularly after the team's blowout win over the Tennessee Valley Vipers. South Georgia managed only two first downs, 58 yards of total offense, and an interception in the first stanza.
Those numbers tell only half the story. South Georgia was whistled 11 times for 71 yards. Rio Grande valley was nailed 11 times for 69 yards. The 22 combined penalties was one short of an af2 record.
Now, I'm not going to say South Georgia and Rio Grande were flawless and undeserving of being flagged. But the constant blown whistles were downright monotonous. Action was constantly stifled. Fans were agitated and cascaded the field with well-deserved boos.
Again, penalties happen. But Saturday night's game was too closely called -- almost as if prison guards were in charge, not professional referees.
"Those refs are flag happy," South Georgia Wildcat Radio Announcer Tim Dix said. “There are more flags on the field than at the United Nations.”
Ironically, most officiating crews prefer staying out of the way and let the game unfold. Instead, this game seemed to unravel at times.
The turning point in the contest was a fumbled snap between Wildcat quarterback D Bryant and newly activated center Lunda Wells. The ball was recovery by Rio Grande with 6:32 left in the game. That resulted in a field goal to all but seal the victory for the Dorados, despite a touchdown by South Georgia with only 1:06 left.
One monkey don’t stop no show, unless it’s wearing black and white stripes, carries a whistle, and throws a yellow handkerchief.
