REGINA \u2014 It was the penalty that\u2019s been the main topic of conversation for Saskatchewan Roughriders fans since the end of Thursday night\u2019s 34-32 loss to the Edmonton Elks at Mosaic Stadium.<\/p>\n
Late in the fourth quarter and with the Roughriders looking to potentially take the lead, Saskatchewan quarterback Trevor Harris found receiver Sam Emilus in the back of the end with a perfect touch pass for the go-ahead touchdown.<\/p>\n
But Emilus had made contact with a defender during his route \u2014 and the officials decided it warranted an offensive pass interference call that took the major off the board.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what it looked like, and if you don\u2019t automatically go to the spot, it\u2019s at 8:39. Emilus is the receiver at the top of the field.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Needless to say, the Roughriders faithful have been incensed ever since, expressing their rage on social media ever since the call came down.<\/p>\n
And on Friday, it was one of the main topics of conversation for all of The SportsCage\u2019s legion of analysts, with the general consensus that it was a bad call at a bad time, but maybe not as bad as some would believe.<\/p>\n
First, here\u2019s what the man himself had to say about the play that took away his touchdown.<\/p>\n
\u201cPersonally I didn\u2019t feel like I pushed him, but I don\u2019t think you make that call in the fourth inside of three minutes, I think you make it in the first or second quarter,\u201d Emilus said during the post-game interviews. \u201cIt\u2019s tough, you know. I feel like a touchdown put us in a better position to defend and win, but it\u2019s just tough.\u201d<\/p>\n
A diplomatic reply, as one would expect given certain statutes with regards to commenting on officials.<\/p>\n
Longtime Canadian sports analyst Farhan Lalji was up first on The SportsCage and was in the camp where there was enough contact to maybe warrant a call.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u201cI didn\u2019t like it, but I didn\u2019t think it was egregious,\u201d he told the \u2018Cage\u2019s Barney Shynkaruk. \u201cHe absolutely does get his hand on the defender. He does, and he is attempting to get separation. But does he extend, or was it simply a matter of hand-fighting and that he got contact during the hand-fighting? I think it was more that. I don\u2019t know that there was ever full extension on this play that was enough to have it called back.
\u201cI thought it was marginal. I didn\u2019t like the call, but, again, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s egregious. I think it was close, but I\u2019m not calling that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arash Madani on the other hand, was having none of it on his Coast to Coast segment.<\/p>\n
\u201cTerrible,\u201d Madani began when asked for his opinion of the call. \u201cThere\u2019s no need, there\u2019s just no need for it. In a game that\u2019s been so excellent and had so much on the go, it\u2019s time to just keep the flag in the pocket unless it\u2019s beyond egregious. And I\u2019m not saying that because I\u2019m on a Regina station, but in general. \u201cThat football game had all of it, so let the players decide it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Riders Broadcast Network analyst Luc Mullinder had to call the play in real time and voiced his displeasure on air with how it went down, but was a touch more circumspect in the hours after the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought that both players had the right to battle it out there, so I thought it was a bad call, but I also wasn\u2019t surprised about the call, where this is a league that\u2019s trying to figure out what is the allowable engagement?\u201d Mullinder said. \u201cIt\u2019s getting better, but I think PI is still a little bit inconsistent, because there have been times against the Riders specifically where I felt like the opponent has been done wrong in terms of what they got called for\u2026 so I think they\u2019re still trying to figure out what the balance is between a PI call and just hand-fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mullinder went on to point out that Emilus did end up with his hands in a bad position and made the call a little too easy for the officials.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Emilus\u2019 hand came over the top and was so exposed, the referee was just like \u2018oh yeah, have to throw that\u2019. He just got his hand in a place where the ref saw it too much and it was one of those deals.\u201d<\/p>\n
One would think that TSN CFL analyst Glen Suitor would be completely torn on the call, being a former defensive back with 51 interceptions in his career as well as a member of the Riders Plaza of Honour, but he left little to question where he stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, that\u2019s not interference,\u201d he said matter-of-factly, adding that he\u2019s been harping on this very issue on CFL broadcasts in recent weeks. \u201cI just think this is getting way too far to the soft side of these calls, and it could be offence or defence. These are pro football players, and I\u2019ve said it many, many times, the difference between fighting for a rebound in the NBA and PI, offence or defence, in Canada, it\u2019s more physical under the basket.\u201d<\/p>\n
Suitor disagrees so vehemently with the current situation that he feels the CFL and the rules committee should have a chat about fixing things before Labour Day comes around.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo through and look at every PI this season and find a consensus on where they\u2019re going to go,\u201d Suitor said. \u201cThe precedent right now is if you get close to a guy and breathe on him you might get a penalty. It\u2019s just too soft, and the players don\u2019t like it that way. They want to be able to determine the outcome of that play and they want a little handfighting, the receivers too\u2026 that type of jostling position should be allowed and the flag should leave the ref\u2019s pocket only when he has no choice, not \u2018pretty close, I\u2019m going to call it’.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo there needs to be a summit so they can make adjustments, find some consensus, allow the coaches to understand what the standard is and let the guys determine the outcome of plays. I really think that\u2019s where we\u2019re at right now.\u201d<\/p>\n