Accusing the referee of being on the take and physically challenging him is a surefire way to get 15 yards.
Syracuse coach Fran Brown learned that lesson the hard way Thursday night when he seemingly attempted to punk a referee by motioning toward him while also accusing the official of cheating his team — before the referee promptly flagged him.
The failed intimidation added to an ugly night for the Orange in their 27-13 road loss to Pittsburgh that dropped the Orange to 1-2 and 0-2 in ACC play.
“I spoke out of tone, which I shouldn’t have said,” Brown said. “I just stated that, ‘I feel like you’re effing cheating us.’ I said that. I said, ‘You guys are effing cheating.’
“I shouldn’t have said that. I should be able to hold my composure as being the face of our football program. Can’t say words like that to a referee.”
Brown’s pivotal third season in Central New York is off to a poor start following last year’s 3-9 record, and perhaps the frustration of this bumpy beginning got to the head coach Thursday in the Steel City.
He received the flag after giving one referee the business following a second-quarter pass interference by his team on third-and-10 to extend a Pittsburgh drive in a 7-0 game.
The Panthers ultimately scored to take a 14-0 lead.
Brown walked to his right toward the referee, then moved his head toward the official as if he was attempting to make him flinch while giving him a piece of his mind.
He said he asked the referee, the back judge, how the other referee had made the pass interference call since Brown felt it should not have been his decision.
The referee immediately flagged Brown, who kept yelling at the referee while the zebra walked away.
The ESPN announcer criticized Brown for his actions.
“When you’re like this and you’re constantly going after the ref, he must’ve said something he didn’t like, that point right there,” the broadcaster said. “Get into his face, sort of flinching, that is unacceptable.”
Brown’s team ultimately committed 10 penalties for 94 yards, and while he regretted his choice of words, he didn’t lament speaking out.
“At some point you got to try to stand up for your players,” Brown said. “I think I just did it the wrong way.”
He added: “That was very immature of me to tell the ref that he was effing cheating.”
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