That's because the judge would have looked straight at the law, or, in this case, the rule, examined closely whether it was properly enforced, and then chucked all the emotion out the window.

Yeah, the actions of Husky quarterback Jake Locker immediately following his touchdown with a couple seconds left didn't appear to be anything but unadulterated jubilation. Based on that, I wouldn't have expected any kind of flag to be thrown for what Locker did. That is just plain common sense.

But common sense, however that's defined, isn't what the ref should be looking for in that circumstance. His call should be based on whether a rule violation occurred, just like on any play at any time throughout the game. That's what a football official is paid to do: enforce the rules and call the game.

And that's exactly what the officiating crew did on Saturday.

It enforced a rule, the one that disallows a player from throwing a ball into the air while celebrating the results of a play. The ruling was upheld on Monday by the Pac-10.

It matters little whether the rule is seen by you or me or any members of the media or fans of the Huskies or Cougars or players and coaches for either team as stupid or nitpicking or inappropriate or wrong, which is exactly what I think it is.

The rule, in my judgment, is idiotic.

After all, what is improper about a player, filled with happiness, tossing the ball into the air before hugging his teammates, all out of what appeared to be pure joy?

Nothing.

There was no throat-slash by Locker, no pointing in the face of any opponent, no disrespect, intended or unintended.

But it is not the job of the officials to not throw the flag because the people who wrote the rule were in error when they wrote it. Or, further, because Tyrone Willingham might eventually lose his job if the Huskies don't win, or because certain columnists and commentators might get upset about their adhering to what is written in the rulebook.

It is the officials' job to see what happens on the field, to take note of any infraction, no matter how stupid, and make the attendant call.

Refs aren't empowered to write the rules. They are empowered to enforce the rules - without emotion, without consideration for what the consequences will be.

That's exactly what happened at the end of Saturday's game.

Leave it to everybody else, then, to react however they may.

But ripping the refs for calling the celebration penalty on Washington is misplaced. Locker, in fact, broke the rule. The refs had to throw the flag. Here's what is on-target: ripping the suits who wrote a dumb rule.

Why not allow college players to celebrate a big play? Why make them hand the ball to an official or immediately drop the ball in a dead area?

What are they supposed to be ... automatons? Zombies? Cub Scouts? Polite dinner guests?

Whether the 15-yard penalty actually caused the subsequent extra-point attempt to be blocked, I do not know. Whether it altered the ultimate outcome, as far as who won and who lost, I do not know.

But I do know that Judge Wapner, or any sound judge or mediator, would have backed the refs, because he would have looked at the law, and - without feeling, sentiment, and sensation - executed it. ---

GORDON MONSON hosts "The Monson and Graham Showî"weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on 1280 AM The Zone. He can be reached at gmonson@sltrib.com.