It is important to remember that Gary Danielson and CBS are doing a broadcast for the nation, not just Alabama fans. Also, I think for anyone to assert that they knew definitevly at the time of the kick exactly what the call should have been is probably lying. I know that I did not realize that since there was no time left on the clock that there should have been no penalty. I remember thinking that if the official had seen Cody take his helmet off that Alabama would have the ball less 15 yards.

Gary Danielson was wrong, and he has admitted that he was wrong. The legendary call is going to be Eli’s call, of course.

We as fans get to choose the games we watch yet have zero ability to choose the analyst or commentators that represent these games. We take it on faith that the announcers will be non-biased and accurate in their description of what’s happening. Millions of people tune in to these games accepting the commentary as the undying truth. After all it’s from experts, some of which are legends from their playing days. We trust them and their opinion and why? Because they are supposed to know the rules. And when they blow a call there is zero accountability. So tell me, millions of people have heard and formed an opinion based on one guys wrong interpretation. Followed by his suggestion of a conspiracy theory. How does the network set it straight? They don’t. Gary gives a simple “I’m sorry” to a local radio show that will never reach the millions that tuned in for the play by play. And this is not the first time this commentary crew has stolen the glory from The University of Alabama. I guess we’ll have to take our lumps. The Crimson Tide has dominated the airways on CBS so far this season. Our success has been tainted towards the masses by two biased, omnipotent announcers that CBS continues to put on the front lines of a National Championship charge. The LSU game will be a CBS game lead by Vern and Danielson again. Lets see if the Wonder Twins can realize the impact their rhetoric has on the perception of a team by the listening masses. My guess is they will use the moment to steal the glory for themselves, again.

…Kanye West get to be this week?

but I must at least agree with your point regarding taking away from the moment in some capacity – I talked with several Bama fans who watched the game on TV right after the game, and instead of jubilation, the main thing they were saying was that they should have called a penalty on us and we are lucky to have escaped, a notion clearly fed to them by Danielson’s commentary. These are more casual fans than most of us that post here at RBR, and while it would be an overreaction for me to get really upset about something a commentator says, I think this shows that the casual/less knowledgeable fans really depend on the TV announcers to tell them what is going on, so in that case it is a shame that what happened happened.

Insert “Cody” for “Taylor Swift”…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l60jFFdWfSM&feature=player_embedded