TCTI: Too Crazy Too Ignore
 Dave Ross

Who refs the refs?

September 25, 2012 @ 8:33 am (Updated: 9:15 am - 9/25/12 )

Last night's Monday Night football game ended with the most controversial call since Athens versus Sparta -- last chance for the Seattle Seahawks, no time on the clock, Hail Mary pass, and it's caught but:

Refs can't decide - was it caught by the Seahawks for the win or intercepted by the Packers? And eyes of of the world fall on a group of substitute officials, because the regular ones are locked out in a contract dispute, and one official rules touchdown, the other simultaneously rules interception. And in that split second, the mighty NFL, custodian of the greatest game ever conceived by the mind of man is reduced from a sacred American institution to a game of rock, paper, scissors.

"Who do they give it to? Touchdown!" yells the announcer.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy couldn't believe it:

"Don't ask me a question about the officials, alright, so we'll just cut to the chase right there," said McCarthy.

And even Seahawks fans couldn't believe it. But they remember Super Bowl 40 when the Seahawks challenged that questionable Steelers touchdown and so they accept last night's decision as Karma.

That was a game where the REGULAR officials were so bad that four and a half years later, referee Bill Leavy publicly apologized.

But there's one thing we can be sure of: Just as that apology didn't change the winner of the Super Bowl, an apology for last night's game won't change the winner either.

Football may have become rock paper scissors, but at least it's not the Tour de France.

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Comments (18)


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  • Rasta Hawk wrote...
    Who Ref's the Ref's
    September 25, 2012 7:44 am
    The Bookies
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    Something the Packers will not forget the rest of the season . . . .
    September 25, 2012 7:45 am
    tie goes to the receiver. Good enough for me.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    The referees make judgment calls
    September 25, 2012 7:48 am
    No way are they always right. Like any judgment, they consider the evidence and make a decision. If both teams possessed the ball at the very same instant, (I can't tell, personally), the refs were right. If the Packer had the ball and it was only afterward grabbed by Tate, the refs were wrong.

    "The judge isn't always right, but he's always the judge."

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    Look, Chuck. ... We stole that game fair and square.
    September 25, 2012 9:14 am
    Besides, it was karma payback for the dumb reviewed spot of the ball that handed GB the go-ahead TD in the first place.

    And right now, and in the record books, it no longer matters what was 'right'. ............. It's a win.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Lonestar wrote...
    The Packers only TD
    September 25, 2012 8:05 am
    Occurred because the refs ruled the tip of Rodger's football touched the invisible line that you can only see on TV and is, as we are constantly reminded by the announcers, not accurate. So kwitcher bellyachin'!
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  • jeffdb wrote...
    SAD!
    September 25, 2012 8:22 am
    Seahwaks won the first half, Ref's won the second half! Packers got screwed! totally sad it was for the reason of ref's and not just 'the bounce of the ball'
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • MossBro wrote...
    Strike One !!!
    September 25, 2012 8:32 am
    I could care less about the NFL , Im a Fan of MLB , Where Umpires NEVER have to make Judgment calls ! ! !
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • dcramer wrote...
    Super Bowl Jobbed
    September 25, 2012 10:50 am
    Have we ever been victimized by a blown call? duh. It happened not so long ago. The response form most of the nation was "Sorry, we blew it, deal with it. People are so forgetfull. Wait 5 years and then we will own it was ruled wrong. But for now, we are 2-1 Sorry Green Bay.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • soo purletiv wrote...
    @ MossBro
    September 25, 2012 8:14 pm
    I am sure you are being facetious! Or at least for your sake I hope so!

    If not, I hope Jeffrey Maier rings a bell and brings you back to reality... ;-)

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • DesertRez wrote...
    Both teams are winners...
    September 25, 2012 10:51 am
    Just look at the payroll.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Pete in Seattle wrote...
    Don't assume "regular" refs are better
    September 25, 2012 11:05 am
    But first, start with the players. Preseason and into the first week they behaved themselves mostly, and refs let them play without ticky tacky flags. Much much better than regular refs who don't need runny noses as an excuse to get their hankies out. But once regular season started players started trying to see what they could get away with, and that is bad. It is bad to play to the refs anyway, which some players do if they "know" the crew - i.e. pull the o-linesman's arm out so it looks like he's hooking you, or receiver throws hip into defender knowing ref is only seeing the arms and hands. The other problem with the regular refs is that the NFL secretly (or sometimes openly) focuses on certain areas of the game and then the refs "find" that situation a lot more often than it exists. Some games last year it seemed there were no fouls at the point of attack but bloody murder on the other side of the field. Bottom line is that the players will play to whatever the conditions are as far as officiating goes. And lastly, for what it is worth, there are a few regular crews who come onto the field each week thinking THEY are the stars and the players merely their puppets.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • B Roudy wrote...
    So one finally.....
    September 25, 2012 11:08 am
    went our way. For the first time seattle benefitted from the bad call. I keep pointing to another play earlier that could have been the game changer. The third and ten play where Cam broke up the pass play perfectly but was called for interference. If that call hadnt been made this may have never been because the pack would have probably punted the ball away and the game would have gone a whole different direction. WHO knows We won thats all that matters.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hpygolkyone wrote...
    Only My Opinion..........
    September 25, 2012 11:39 am
    The loss in Super Bowl XL should no way be compared as redemption for this win. This game can and should stand alone on it's own merit for ridiculousness.

    The Super Bowl XL officiating debacle was forgotten by the world 1 second after Pittsburgh was crowned as champions. The only people left crying and talking about it were the fans in Seattle; some just won't let it die.

    This game will be talked about FOR YEARS, ad infinitum because of the fact that the Packers are the darlings of the media and are an east coast team and Seattle is......well, Seattle.

    Face it folks, Seattle will always be an outcast, even it they went undefeated in all sports for one solid year and won every championship (including competitive eating!). This game just solidifies our place as the pariah in the world of sports.

    ..............SIGH..............

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Dizzle wrote...
    hpygolkyone
    September 25, 2012 12:28 pm
    Speaks the truth.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • William Lawn wrote...
    He might speak the truth
    September 25, 2012 12:53 pm
    But the citizens of Wisconsin might be a little surprised that they reside on the "east coast".

    Perhaps the "east coast" of Wisconsin though.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    You're right, HGFKJH...whatever
    September 26, 2012 5:56 am
    Its the immaculate reception meets Heidi.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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