An Obvious Bias From Bentley

Last night ESPN televised the Western Michigan - Central Michigan football game, a game that had Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship implications for CMU and season-justifying implications for the Broncos, playing at home in Kalamazoo's Waldo Stadium. It was a fabulous, 60-minute game on the field, as the Central/Western game usually is, and ESPN did a fabulous job of showcasing a premeire rivalry game in the MAC.

It was a great telecast to watch, too....until the final 30 seconds, when Ray Bentley, assigned by ESPN to provide color commentary, showed the entire country why bias is constantly harped about by fans watching network or nationally-televised broadcasts.

WMU scored a stunning 14 points in 33 seconds to transform a 27-17 deficit into a 31-27 lead over their archrivals with a little over a minute to play. The Broncos had already lost to in-state rival Eastern Michigan two weeks earlier and a win over CMU would have been the bright spot of an otherwise difficult season coming off a bowl appearance in 2006. Central Michigan was trying to clinch the MAC West crown as defending MAC champs. Tuesday night's edition of college football theater featured a furious Western Michigan comeback followed by a CMU resurrection, a penalty and near-touchdown to put the ball on the goaline for the visitors -- this was great television!

The Chippewas found themselves with 1st and Goal from inside the two with less than 30 seconds to play when CMU tried a quarterback sneak up the middle. The officials ruled the CMU QB an inch or so short of the goalline. As the clock ticked down, Bentley was audibly agitated, complaining that the ball had 'clearly' crossed the goalline and the officials had failed to give CMU a touchdown. Bentley, hired by ESPN to lend perspective to a rivalry game that has little national appeal to someone not from Michigan, is a former CMU Chippewa who went on to play linebacker for the Buffalo Bills and later became a children's book writer. What Bentley did was become a puppet in maroon-and-gold when he couldn't check his emotion at the pressbox door. Replays showed the call couldn't be overturned because the ball couldn't be seen crossing the goalline from any angle, but the only person who wouldn't admit this fact was the former Chippewa.

The dialogue was errily similar to the 2006 World Series, when the Detroit Tigers advanced to play the St. Louis Cardinals. FOX assigned Joe Buck, son of longtime Cardinal radio man Jack Buck, and Tim McCarver, himself a famous, former Cardinal catcher, to call the games. While no one would say the two media-ites had anything to do with the Cardinal championship, it created a misreable television experience for anyone outside of St. Louis having to listen to the biased opinions of two Cardinal backers.

Bentley said the ball had clearly passed the goalline even though he was a couple hundred feet above and away from the play. Replay was obviously inconclusive but Bentley remained adamant. His play-by-play man tried to be diplomatic and offer polite but opposing viewpoints during several different replays; Bentley drove over his partner's statements like a Jeep through jellyfish. The replay did not show the ball crossing the goalline and the play was not overturned.

On the next play, another QB sneak up the middle with 18 seconds to play, it could be argued the WMU defense might have stopped forward progress until a third and final push resulted in a touchdown when the linesman came in and called a score. Now Bentley says the official did a great job of seeing the ball and calling what he saw...huh? The replay on this play was almost identical to the previous play; there was no obvious evidence to see the ball cross the goalline. Yet because the play was called a Central Michigan touchdown, it was a good call, if you want to believe the former Chippewa. This play was replayed just like the first sneak and again, there was no evidence to overturn the call. The score counted and CMU had the lead.

It could have been argued that both plays resulted in score for CMU as easily as it could be argued that both plays resulted in stops for WMU. The officials did the best they could do with two difficult, game-changing plays in a heated rivalry game. Only the officials had a conclusive look at the two plays and I'm willing to live with their well-schooled decision over guessing what happened when I look at replay that doesn't offer obvious, conclusive evidence otherwise. It was a great game to watch until the last 30 seconds, when a former player took a rooting interest in the outcome from the press box on national television.

Everyone had to go to high school or possibly college somewhere, that much I get. Last night was the latest example of why, just like assigning game officials, it's important to assign media members who won't be tempted or betrayed by their personal experiences and allegiances as they offer opinion-forming commentary on national television.

Comments

[jordan burkholder]

I agree with everything you say about Ray Bentley. His commentary on the Ball State - Central Michigan game was very biased. I am extremely disappointed that ESPN chose a Central Michigan graduate, someone with a GIANT conflict of interest, to broadcast the game. Overall, it was on of the worst broadcast jobs I have ever heard.

[randy friesen]

i happened on your blog after looking for who this ray bentley was.the main reason being that for the 7th different announcer this year i had heard them say the defensive back did not get his head turned around and that this was faceguarding.as i have believed for sometime that it is true these ott years are the years journalism has died.nobody does any research anymore they just listen to what their social drinking buddies have to say.just a note to let people know there is no rule against faceguarding in ncaa.hope i am not only person who has noticed this for entire season

[B]

I am currently watching the nationally televised Ball State vs. Central Michigan game and I found my way to this site during the half time. How did I find this site you may ask? Well, during the first half of the game I noticed the color commentator was really pulling for CMU during the first two quarters. (I will stop right there and say that I am a BSU grad. I want to make sure that is clear.)

After a missed facemasking call in the first quarter Bentley made sure the watching audience know the referees missed an "obvious" call and CMU was screwed. It was a facemask but there was also a holding call on the O linemen that Bentley forgot to mention. I also found it very convenient that after the CMU touchdowns Bentley was the first to step in and describe the amazing run or throw. When BSU was to score it seemed like Bentley stepped out of the booth to let the play-by-play commentator describe the throw/run.

My views are a little jaded because I am a BSU grad but according to the article/comments above I am not the only one that has become irritated while watching a CMU game while Bentley is doing the color.

Good call ESPN on sending an unbiased CMU grad to do the nationally televised game. I should have just put the TV on mute.

[themizz]

It's Joe Buck, not Tim Buck. With all of your knowledge on the world of sports, I figured you would know that. Pretty sure all of your credibility just flew out of the window with that statement.

Response: Could it have been an editing error?

[cmuchips]

I agree that Ray Bently was a little biased, but to say that the 3rd down play wasnt a pass interference call? Please you make that call 10 out of 10 times when the game is on the line, if there is contact (especially when the DB has his opposite hand around the body, which he did) is a pass interference call. With the WR getting kicked out...I didnt like to see it, but it was appropriate. Remember rodman kicking the camera man and all the crap he got for it? That kind of action is not allowed, especially at the college level.

Response: Where in this article did I say a DPI was called but not warranted? I thought the ejection was warranted, so much so that I never even mentioned it. I said the game officials did their very best in the last minute of play. When replay was inconclusive, I said that I would take their 'well-schooled rulings' on the plays over guessing at inconclusive replays.

Have you possibly responded to someone else's post? I just re-read the entire article. Show me where I wrote "...the 3rd down play wasnt a pass interference call."

I think you responded to someone else at the wrong site.

100% agreement with you (doesn't happen often). Bentley was awful the last 30 seconds.
What you did not mention (and is only fair to do so) is the officiating in that game was horrendous. Cardinal rule is never become more important than the game, and those officials did just that. By kicking out the Broncos best skill player when stepping in and making CMU's DB let go of his leg would have alleviated the problem put WMU in a huge hole. An awful pass interference call with a minute left on 3rd and ten. Just a poor job of working that game. I think the cameras got to that crew. It almost seemed like that crew went to school with Bentley. Feel for WMU. They have had some horribly worked games this year that have cost them a victory or two (see also vs. Akron).

Response: There are three teams out on the field and every one of them did their best. I'm not in position to offer analysis because I wasn't on the field, but I will say this: Rooting from the press box, practically begging for a TD and saying "the Central players all have their hands up so it must be a score (sic)" is a terrible example of professionalism in media.

[Doug Haggart]

If Bentley showed bias, it is no different than what Lou Holtz, Bob Davie, and others employeed by ESPN show every week. Ray Bentley is a class act, give a it a try yourself.

Response: Doug, I didn't say Ray Bentley isn't a good person, nor did I say he was classless. I said Ray Bentley did nothing to promote himself as unbiased or as a polished professional within the ranks of sports media by allowing his obvious allegiance to his alma mater overshadow a great game. At one point, he claimed that because all the CMU players signaled for a TD, it must be a score. That kind of cheerleading when you are indeed a former All-MAC Chippewa is going to been seen as biased.