I know players don't think about bad calls the same way fans do, and if I had to guess, that's because when you're the one playing the game you can't afford to think like that. The attitude has to be "It doesn't matter what happens, my job is to win the play and the game." I've seen former players reminisce about old games and talk about erroneous calls, but it eats at them more in the sense that they didn't overcome it and get the job done....it's very different than hearing fans talk about those moments, where the bad call itself chaps our hide many years later. In their eyes, their job is to win against whatever they face, not gripe about getting a bad break.
In light of that, I guess I shouldn't be surprised at what I've seen from several former players and a current coach over the past week. Former UGA qb Aaron Murray does several podcasts, one with a former LSU O-lineman, and at least one more with various former UGA players. The former LSU OL guy does ESPN radio in Baton Rouge with another former LSU tailback.
I've heard all of them talking about the Michigan thing this past week. They pretty much all acknowledge that its against the rules, but to a man, none of them seem to care. Murray is the harshest about it, but even he's pretty meh on it. The prevailing attitude seems to be that they all tried to decode the other teams signals when they played, they knew the other teams were trying to get theirs too, and who gives a f, because you still have to go out and play. A UGA O-lineman--I don't know his name--kind of summed it up when he said he didn't care when he knew a defense had their signals, they still had to stop us and I was gonna make sure to flatten whoever lines up on me whether they know the play or not.
Current LSU coach Brian Kelly did his weekly appearance on the Finebaum show yesterday and was asked about the scandal. His answer was basically "everybody is always trying to get your signals, we know that, it's been going on forever, our job is to make sure as best we can that doesn't happen, but also to execute the plays, and it's not our job to fuss if we get figured out, we just have to win games." Something to that effect. He didn't weigh in on the part that breaks the rules or what he thinks should happen or anything like that. Only said people do it, it is what it is, I need to figure out a way to beat Bama, so I don't care.
This is neither an endorsement of their view nor a critique of it either. Just interesting how differently people inside the game seem to view things as opposed to fans, and possibly the NCAA.
