Michael Wilbon slams ESPN rules analyst Bill LeMonnier over Ole Miss-Miami pass interference comments

ESPN personality Michael Wilbon has long been willing to speak his mind freely, regardless of the consequences.

For the Pardon the Interruption co-host, that includes calling out fellow ESPN talent when the situation demands it.

Wilbon opened Friday’s PTI with some harsh feedback for ESPN rules analyst Bill LeMonnier over his read of the final play of Thursday night’s Fiesta Bowl.

Down by four points, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss launched a pass from the 35-yard line towards receiver De’Zhaun Stribling in the corner of the end zone. Stribling and Miami cornerback Ethan O’Connor jostled and battled one another as the ball was in the air, and it appeared that O’Connor pulled on Stribling’s jersey.

As the pass came towards them, there appeared to be a lot of contact between the two, so much so that when the ball fell to the ground, sealing Miami’s 31-27 victory, there were various calls for pass interference on the field, in the stands, and from viewers at home.

However, no such call came from the officials.

On the ESPN/ABC broadcast, LeMonnier said afterward that what happened was what officials call “mutual combat,” which most officials avoid calling a penalty “99 percent of the time.” He added that he didn’t feel either the receiver or defender got a “true advantage” in the battle

Analyst Kirk Herbstreit agreed with LeMonnier and also seemed to feel as though a pass interference call wasn’t necessary.

Fast-forward to Friday, and the number of people who felt that the play deserved a pass interference call was sizable, and even included fellow rules analyst Terry McAuley. That list also included Wilbon, who not only felt it was PI but also laid into LeMonnier for his lackluster POV on the situation.

“I can’t get over the end of the game. It was pass interference,” said Wilbon. “So I hear the official in the broadcast come in and say ‘Well, you know, you don’t call that because there’s hand-to-hand combat.’ No, there’s not! Don’t be a sniveling idiot! There’s pass…. interference! Have the guts to call it or criticize your colleagues down on the field.”

The PTI co-host also added that, because this was college football, the ball would only have been moved up 15 yards, not to the one-yard line as it would be in the NFL, meaning there’s less incentive to worry about giving the game away on an officiating call.

ESPN-on-ESPN crime hasn’t been tolerated much historically, but we’ve seen it more and more in recent years, especially among rules analysts. Pat McAfee, the crown prince of ESPN-on-ESPN crime, called out ESPN rules analyst Mike Chase over his interpretation of a call during last week’s Bucs-Panthers game.

That wasn’t the only questionable moment LeMonnier had on the evening. Earlier in the night, he both-sided a controversial targeting call, undercutting the value of having a rules analyst on a broadcast.

“I just want one network executive to tell me what this added to the telecast,” wrote SI’s Jimmy Traina in a scathing review of the moment. “I want to know how this serves the viewer in any way, shape, or form.”