He’s known by name, but has remained rather faceless these past seven years. Terry Porter made the call which cost Miami back-to-back titles and ended a 34-game win streak and thankfully the Stillwater, OK resident will be nowhere near Columbus, OH when the Canes and Buckeyes go toe-to-toe this weekend.
The Miami Herald’s Linda Robertson touched on “The Call” this week and while she tried to catch up with Porter, she only got as close as another official who worked games with him back on the local Oklahoma high school circuit.
“One thing about Terry, he’s not afraid to make a call,” said Tom Seng. “He’ll make a call against his mother if he has to.”
Sounds nobel on paper, though as Seng went on, things started to sound off.
“He (Porter) said, `I had to make that call. Would you? You got the guts to make it?’ ” Seng said. “He’s not the type to lose sleep over it — and if you do, you can’t continue officiating. He loves making the call in the heat of the moment because he knows he’ll get it right.”
Sure sounds like Porter literally called out Seng’s manhood regarding hardcore officiating. Porter also told Seng that his reputation arrives in town two days before he does. Again, the words of a supposed nameless, faceless, invisible referee.
Reading Robinson’s piece, Porter comes off less like a by-the-books official and more like a referee with a huge ego and god complex. He brings decades of experience to the table, but at day’s end has always been a big fish in a little pond. Porter is revered in middle America, but when reaching the grand stage in January 2003, found a way to become a footnote in college football history – on what should’ve been the game’s final play.
Ohio State fans are quick to retort whenever Miami speaks of the injustice – quickly reminding everyone that Chris Gamble was signaled out of bounds on what should’ve been a catch late in the fourth quarter. Buckeyes contest that had the right call been made the Canes wouldn’t have seen the ball again. Maybe. Maybe not.
There were over two minutes left and more than once in football there have been botched snaps, uncharacteristic turnovers or fluke plays that changed the game’s course. Ohio State believes that the game would’ve been over that that call gone their way. Miami fans – and the entire college football community – know for certain that it was game over had Porter not thrown the flag.
Porter’s call was inconsistent with how the game had been played up to that point. For the most part, the refs were letting the kids play – as they should in a title game. There was pushing, shoving, grabbing and holding by both teams throughout the course of the game and by the time you reach overtime, you have a general feel for what refs are allowing. Are they letting kids play loose or are they making ticky-tack calls any given chance?
I still recall Miami’s opening drive and seeing Ohio State’s Will Smith get a late hit on Ken Dorsey. Miami fans in my section screamed for a flag, to which I muttered to myself something about it being ‘one of those nights’ where the refs let the kids get after it. The refs did – right down to the official closest to Glenn Sharpe – Derick Bowers, the one who signaled ‘incomplete pass’ and started the fireworks.
Of course Terry felt the need to chime in three second later.
The explanation still remains laughable; “I replayed it in my mind. I wanted to make double sure that it was the right call.” As if Porter has some type of photographic memory, which acts as his own personal Instant Replay.
There is no way a human being can be “double sure” while closing his eyes and trying to remember what he just saw a moment ago. Porter’s “logic” defies what the rest of us deem logical.
The article – and interviews with others who worked with him – paint a guy with a god complex. One who sees it as he sees it and has strong conviction in the calls he makes. What it never goes on to say whether he got other past calls right (by public opinion) – or if he simply got it right in his mind, abiding to his own interpretation of what the rule is.
Robertson’s piece isn’t going to make Miami fans feel any better about Porter’s call. If anything, it leads you to believe the guy is nothing more than a narcissist who felt the need to jump on a soapbox, championing a cause based on how he saw it (or ‘remembered it’) as opposed to how it really played out.
It’s not about having the stones to make that call, Terry. It’s about remaining consistent with the flow of the game and not letting a national championship hinge on a game-changing flag. You became a footnote in a game where you were supposed to be invisible.
Lastly, Buckeye faithful, it’s time to can it. You can rant and rave all day about other calls in the game, but those went both ways and none directly impacted the outcome of the game as none were on the would-be final play. Furthermore, you have zero right to tell anyone to get over anything. Until you’ve been wronged at this capacity, you have no room to talk.
Yes, Ohio State played the better game. Yes, Miami turned the ball over too often, got whooped in the trenches and made mistakes at the most inopportune times. Even with all that, the Canes rallied from ten down, scored 17 unanswered, dealt with the loss of a Heisman-worthy running back, surrendered a back-breaking 4th-and-14 AND STILL stopped you clowns cold on that would-be 4th-and-3.
To go through all that fighting back and to be wronged in the end? Please. You’d have blown up downtown Tempe that night had roles been revered. You’re a fan base that burns jerseys in the street when losing a “hometown hero” to free agency. You really think you have the right to be an authority on telling another fan base to get over something? Miami fans don’t think so.
Awesome write up and right on. I find it amazing that if Porter is such an awesome official why did they take him off the field and stick him in a replay booth?