USC AD Pat Haden Fined $25K for Sideline Incident

((ht: cbssports.com))

So maybe someone will act against USC Athletic Director Pat Haden after he inexplicably showed up on the sideline of the USC/Stanford game Saturday and began arguing with the referees.

The incident was apparently prompted by his coach Steve Sarkasian who had Haden "texted" to come down to the field. Which is to say the least a bit odd.

Monday afternoon, Pac-12 Commisioner Larry Scott announced Haden (USC) will be fined $25K for the issue. Haden also "voluntarily" banned himself from the sidelines for at least 2-games.

Huh?

Anyway, all parties say this will have no impact on Haden's standing with the CFB Playoff committee nor should it. We, for now will have to buy the story given that Haden was responding to his coach's request. And the coach says he shouldn't have done it.

But it begs the question: Why would you (Sarkasian) need an AD to fight a fight that you picked and should fight yourself?

Just wondering'...

Cupcake Saturday: CFB World Flips Out Over Pat Haden on USC Sidelines

One of the few alleged controversies in Saturday's slate of crappy college football games came from the USC vs. Stanford game, a game eventually won by the Trojans 13-10.

The debate, and it is a loud one, began when Haden came down from his box at the end of the 3rd quarter.

The reason for the alleged controversy: A segment of the sportswriting public have raised the question of Haden's objectivity as a member of "College Football Playoff Committee".

To which we say: You just noticed this now?

Haden told ESPN he came down to the field after receiving a text from someone on his compliance staff stating the Trojans coach Steve Sarkasian wanted to speak to him.

Why Sarkasian had to talk to Haden late in a close game is a bit of a mystery, but that's the story.

Cameras showed Haden come down and start appear to start questioning the referees about a unsportsmanlike conduct call against the coach.

Which again begs the question, why would Sarkasian need his Athletic Director to defend his honor?

Anyway, the holier than thou voices of concern are now popping up through sportswriters who say Haden can't be neutral when in his committee role. The Playoff Committee is comprised of 13 people who will be the final voice in deciding which 4-teams make this years College Football playoff.



Haden's on-field involvement wasn't illegal. Though technically the text message is. However, per the NCAA, there's no real penalty that can be levied. Haden's appearance was just plain weird.

But the whole implication about objectivity is laughable. Very laughable. Yeah, sure the "Playoff Committee" members who have a vested interested in a potential playoff team have to recuse themselves. But anyone who believes there aren't biases brought into that room is completely ignorant.

While the whole "Committee" system isn't perfect, it's a heck of a lot better than the alleged "Computers" that decided things previously. And it's 1,000 times more effective than the idiotic sportswriters voting ever was.

We offer this final word on Haden's goofiness. Deal with it. Stop whining Sportswriters, this is the system and world we now live in. It's far from perfect, it will NEVER be perfect. But claiming an Athletic Director would be totally biased against everyone but his team because he came down to argue with refs at a game....is just plain idiotic...

Haden explains himself to ESPN:

Stanford's David Shaw vs. Washington's Steve Sarkasian: Who ya got?

Sounds like a little chirping going on from the suddenly powerful Pac 12 football conference.

On the heels of Stanford holding off Washington, 31-28 this past Saturday, a war-of-words has broken out between Stanford head coach David Shaw and Washington coach Steve Sarkasian.

It started after the game when Sarkasian accused Stanford of faking injuries to slow down the Husky offense. He told local radio station KJR; "Their defensive line coach was telling them to sit down" "I guess that's how we play here at Stanford, so we'll have to prepare for that next time. At some point, we'll get repaid for it. That never serves a purpose for us, and we'll never do that"

Ironically, Washington had an assistant suspended in 2010, for doing just that. Tosh Lupoi, then an assistant at Washington sat for a game after having players fake injuries.

Shaw fired back Tuesday on his teleconference saying "We don't fake injuries and never will. I don't teach it, don't condone it, don't allow it. I don't care what Steve Sarkasian thinks he saw. We don't do it. We didn't do it vs. Oregon, so why would we do it against UW? We are one of the most respected programs in the country and I won't put that on the line just to beat Washington."

Oooohhh....slap...

Of course Stanford is not beyond reproach either. The Cardinal, according to many, did exactly what they are being accused of in 2010, when Shaw was the offensive coordinator, against Oregon.