LITTLE ROCK — Pizza Bowl spices up officiating
Sarah Thomas made history at the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl on Saturday, becoming the first woman to officiate a bowl game when she worked the matchup between Ohio and Marshall.
Thomas is one of five women officiating in major college football, but Little Caesars Pizza Bowl spokesman Tim Moore said she was the first to draw an assignment for a Football Bowl Subdivision postseason game.
“It was an honor,” Thomas said while running off the field with her colleagues after Marshall’s 21-17 victory at Ford Field.
Thomas’ position as line judge meant that she spent most of the game in front of the Thundering Herd’s bench, but the Marshall players didn’t pay much attention.
“I noticed her before the game, but that was it,” said Marshall running back Martin Ward, the game’s MVP. “Once the gamestarted, she was just doing the job that the line judge does in every game we play. It didn’t matter that she was a woman at all.”
Thomas, a married mother of two young sons, is a pharmaceutical representative and became the first woman to be an official for a major collegefootball game in 2007. She is also on the NFL’s list of officiating prospects.
Santa Chad
It cost Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco $20,000 when he “offered” an official a dollar bill last month. What will 2,000 dollar bills cost him?
NFL fans might find out after today’s game. According to a post from Geoff Hobson on Bengals.com, Ochocinco revealed Thursday that if he scores a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs today he’ll throw a pinata into the stands filled with 2,000 $1 dollar bills. Since it will be behind the bench and not in the end zone, he won’t cost the team 15 yards. And, he said, since he won’t take it into the bench area, he doesn’t think the NFL can fine him, either.
“That’s what happened with the sombrero and poncho,” he said of the $30,000 fine earlier this month. “It’s just going to be there. That’s my story.”
“That’s my gift for Christmas,” he said.
Primal primates
A troupe of monkeys - trained in taekwondo for theamusement of mall shoppers in Enshi, China - seized their chance for revenge when trainer Lo Wung slipped, the London Telegraph reported. One landed a kung-fu kick to Lo’s head, and the rest joined in.
“I saw one punch him in the eye,” said Hu Luang, who was filming the proceedings. “He grabbed another by the ear, and it responded by grabbing his nose.
“They were leaping and jumping all over the place. It was better than a Bruce Lee film.” In the news
Headline at Fark.com, on negotiations with outfielder Jason Bay: “Red Sox: We’ll give you $60 million over 4 years. Jason Bay: Not good enough. Red Sox: Okay, we’ll let the Mets sign you. Bay: Whoa, let’s not get hasty.” They said it ...
Brad Dickson in the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald, on the Holiday Bowl in San Diego: “I wouldn’t say California has budget problems, but Nebraska was asked to bring a coin for the opening flip.”
ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel, on sponsors dropping Tiger Woods: “Things have gotten so bad, they’re actually going back and changing the name of the dog on The Brady Bunch.”Quote of the day “The No. 1 question
when you walk into the
office is, ‘OK, what day of the week is it?’ ” Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino on juggling coaching responsibilities during bowl preparations
Sports, Pages 26 on 12/27/2009