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By TONY CASTRO SPORTS EDITOR

Hernando Today

Published: September 18, 2008

Several sports tidbits have been dispensed lately inviting commentary.

N-C-T RULES

Shame on anyone who did not attend last Friday night's wonderful Springstead at Nature Coast Technical prep football game. Any one who missed that game is in the minority. Every one was in Brooksville.

From the size of the gate - a record 3,000 fans were at Shark Tank Stadium - to the behavior of both teams' coaches, players and fans, congratulations are in order.

Whoever said going to NCT was like FIU vs. Miami?

You know, 'Take me out to the brawl game.'

Now mind you, the antithesis of Springstead vs. Nature Coast isn't like Central vs. NCT. No. No.

The fans - except for the arrested 18-year-old who decided to bring brass knuckles on campus to settle a score over "a common female acquaintance" - were lined up three-deep from end zone to end zone on the visitor's side.

P.S. Memo to NCT. When will Shark administration spring for the much needed (larger) visitor's bleachers to accommodate say the county's overflow game crowds and any playoff contingency's attending Shark Tank?

Imagine if there was more available seating? Wow! More revenue. Also, there would be no one lining the fences around the field, blocking spectators' views from the existing eye-level bleacher seats. Just a thought.

Meanwhile, a sea of dark T-shirts on "Black Out Night" dotted the home sideline while AC/DC blared through the speakers introducing the Columbia Blue and Black-dressed Sharks.

And yes, there were still plenty of T-shirts from the team's first meeting in The Tank in 2006. You remember, on the front: "What's the Word?" On the back: "Kill the Bird."

Okay, so this time it was toned down a notch.

Mother Nature also cooperated in this early September game featuring no shower activity except for a pregame sprinkle. That did not hurt the gate, either.

Before a jam-packed audience, the Sharks eventually eked past Springstead, 20-15. In fact, in a game featuring six turnovers - the last two mistakes by the Eagles cost the Spring Hill team a chance to take over first place in the Hernando County standings.

An Eagle fumble with less than 70 seconds remaining at the Shark 1-yard line permitted the hosts to notch their third straight series win.

The overflow crowd then needed over an hour to clear the congested parking lots to meander its way home.

The scene reminded me of rush hour on the Santa Monica Freeway in Los Angeles. It was nearly gridlock. That too, also needs to be addressed in the future.

OHIO WHO?

Like many football fans, I tuned into the heavily hyped ABC/ESPN college football game featuring No. 5 ranked Ohio State at No. 1 ranked Southern California.

Is it just me or is the Big Ten Conference still referred to as the Big Two and Little Eight?

Sure, traditionally the Buckeyes and the University of Michigan Wolverines have ruled that hen house.

But how can national TV audiences continue to see propped up, overrated Big Two teams on such a grand stage?

No more, please. The Buckeyes are a fraud.

Saturday night before nearly 94,000 fans in the Coliseum and a national television audience, Head Coach Pete Carroll's Trojans tomato-canned Ohio Who? 35-3.

It was like watching Nature Coast Technical vs. Fox Chapel: a huge mismatch.

Please, after the BCS debacles the past two Januarys how can any sports writer or football coach continue to vote supporting Buckeye Nation?

Sure, Jim Tressel has done an outstanding job at the helm of the Horseshoe House. OSU fans and alumni are not chewing on his back like they were his predecessor, John Cooper, for one reason: Tressel's teams beat Big Blue.

But watching anymore Big Two football on prime time is nauseating. Keep the Tums and Pepto handy.

Let Ohio Who? continue to beat up on the Little Eight. A trip to Tampa's Outback Bowl isn't bad. Visiting Busch Gardens on New Year's beats shoveling snow in Columbus.

Locally, our fans will continue to be treated to Alabama vs. Auburn, Georgia vs. Florida and even Tennessee vs. Kentucky. (FSU will be added to the conversation after they stop scheduling Division-IAA patsies).

Heck, UCF vs. USF was more palatable than watching OSU quarterback Todd Boeckman dropping back (are you kidding, he was a statute) and repeatedly getting pressured by USC defenders Clay Mathews, Brian Cushing or Rey Maualuga.

Memo to Madison Avenue executives - who schedule these no contests - no mas on ramming Ohio Who? down our collective throats.

P.S. OSU dropped out of the Top 10, plummeting to 13th overall after the disaster in LA.

WASHINGTON HUSKIES: 'LOCKED OUT'

Finally, to any fan, coach or parent who contends that too many times game officials dictate any game or match - instead of the kids of the field - I offer the officiating crew working the BYU at Washington football game.

With two seconds left in the game, Huskie sophomore quarterback Jake Locker completed a miracle drive by diving to the end zone from 3-yards out. The score capped a 17-play, 76-yard drive.

In reacting to the moment, Locker jumped up in celebration and flipped the football high over his head before sharing the jubilation with his teammates.

The alert (?) officiating crew - guided by referee Larry Farina - threw a flag for taunting. The unsportsmanlike penalty cost the Huskies 15 critical yards.

All UW had to do to complete a comeback and force an overtime against heavily-favored and No. 15 ranked BYU Cougars was connect on an extra point.

But the Cougars' Jan Jorgensen blocked placekicker Ryan Perkins' PAT attempt. Game over, 28-27.

"After scoring the touchdown, the player threw the ball into the air and we are required, by rule, to assess a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty," Farina said in a statement given to Washington officials. "It is a celebration rule that we are required to call. It was not a judgment call."

Are you kidding?

The question afterward begs to be answered. Did the officiating crew "unintentionally" decide the outcome?

You betcha.

Like a lot of outstanding officiating crews, they could have huddled or consulted together after throwing that penalty flag. As a crew, they could have waived it off.

Let's face it, Locker was in no way intentionally trying to showboat or flaunt his last-second score.

That flag penalizes the emotion that is necessary and is a crucial element in football and in all sports. It's the essence of the game.

The better call would have been either a no call, or simply pick up the yellow hanky.

As it was its another reminder of how game officials can dictate play instead of the other way around.

In my book, let the kids play. Let the players dictate the game's outcome between the lines.

Sports Editor Tony Castro can be reached at (352) 544-5278 or online at acastro@hernandotoday.com.

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