SEC Officiating Twitter Account Seems Like a Poor Idea

There is no winning when it comes to officiating. There will always be issues, regardless of the sport. Fans are nothing if not passionate and quick to let the zebras know when they’ve screwed up or slighted their team in some way. Sports have a funny way of giving everyone at home a persecution complex and delusions of grandeur.

We’re just months removed from one of the most egregious miscarriages of justice in that regard, considering the circumstances. The good people of Louisiana remain decidedly aggrieved about the pass interference flag that wasn’t during the NFC Championship. It’s only a matter of time until that rage is replaced by a new catalyst.

Having said that, officials and leagues take heat due to the perception that they aren’t transparent enough about rulings in real time. So while one understands why there’s been an increased push for there to a more fullsome accounting of what the hell’s going on, it seems like a particularly fraught idea for the SEC to launch an officiating account.

The responses have already gone off the rails. Who could have predicted that?

All the pleading in the world won’t be enough to save this page from full-on abuse come fall Saturdays. I’m legitimately concerned on a personal and human level for the operators of the account, who simply cannot be ready for the toxic sludge about to be shoveled their way.

It’s not my business to pay out of other people’s pockets, but those tweeting and responding from this account need to be compensated handsomely for their efforts. An occasional all-inclusive retreat to a place without internet connection would also be something to sweeten the deal.

Detox will be needed.