Exactly. The NFL is the villain here. They assumed the replacement refs would learn quickly and overcome any controversy when they locked out the regular refs. What has it been, 7 weeks now (4 preseason, 3 season) and they are still screwing up big time. I don’t blame the refs, they’ve been tossed in the oven and it’s hotter than they imagined. The blame goes squarely on the NFL. It’s ironic that the NFL has warned the players and the coaches that any criticism would result in fines.
To be fair, Tate did have clear possession of Jennings.
That has to be the defining quote for this entire event. Well done.
Yet another aspect of this train wreck:
$150M-$250M in MNF bets shifted
If it wasn’t clear before this, it is now. Anybody in Vegas putting money on an NFL game right now might as well be playing roulette. Most of the money out there was on the Packers, so the sports books made out very nicely on this.
What I don’t understand is, Goodell is the one taking the heat for this, but he’s only working for the owners, and it’s the Monty Burnses of the league (Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft) that are really pushing to break the union, and it’s costing them wins! NE should be 2-1. Patriots fans should be slashing Kraft’s car tires and leaving flaming dog poop at his door until this thing gets settled. Do the Cowboys need to get gypped out of a win before they’ll decide to resolve this?
That still photo doesn’t convince me as they were already on the ground at that point. I won’t believe they got it wrong (other than missing the Tate push off) until someone can cite a rule. There is no such thing as ‘more possession’ when talking about simultaneous possession.
Let’s add more fuel to the fire
Someone said earlier that you cannot have possession while in the air. While there is no doubt Jennings controlled the ball first *in the air * it seems that had Tate also controlled the ball before they both landed that it would be simultaneous possession. That is what I said earlier about maybe there is a technicality to the rule that we are missing.
Now I just need to see the replay and see if Tate actually got control while in the air with Jennings.
I was wrong about reviewing the play, apparently:
Tate got control … of Jennings. The ball was pinned, by Jennings, to Jennings’ chest the entire time, with Tate reaching his arm around to touch it. Give Tate credit though, it was a pretty good tackle.
"The most telling part of the replay, if you watch closely, is that Tate’s right arm, as the pile of bodies fall to the turf, flails out for a moment when Jennings has the ball, and then Tate puts his arm back in the scrum. Easley should have been able to see that.
It’s hard to watch any replay and rule Tate had simultaneous possession with Jennings, but the pool report after the game with referee Elliott said that was his ruling – simultaneous possession. And in that case, the ball is awarded to the offensive player. "But look at the play,‘’ said Daopoulos. "Simultaneous possession is two men catching the ball at the same time. Tate sticking his hand in there is not enough for simultaneous possession.‘’
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/peter_king/09/25/replacement-referees-packers-seahawks/index.html#ixzz27V3cu2ZZ
One more shocking thing to me, the lack of a shot from behind the end zone. That angle would have been definitive on how much of Tate’s hands were grabbing the ball.
Or that the officials were so out of position to make the call. Neither apparently saw Tate push Shields down and neither had a good view of the pretend touchdown.
In other news, here’s part of the NFL’s statement:
“While the ball is in the air, Tate can be seen shoving Green Bay cornerback Sam Shields to the ground. This should have been a penalty for offensive pass interference, which would have ended the game. It was not called and is not reviewable in instant replay.”
they also went on to the old standby:
“Referee Wayne Elliott determined that no indisputable visual evidence existed to overturn the call on the field, and as a result, the on-field ruling of touchdown stood.”
Raise your hands if your surprised.
Josh Sitton just said he thinks the officials thought Jennings was a receiver for the other team.
You would think that a joke except just a few minutes earlier there was a 15 yard penalty that was called on the Seahawks and then the Packers.
They really were that bad.
All this stuff about batting down the ball is nonsense. The ball was in his hands. No one would have batted that away.
Yeah, the only things theycan’t review are the things that need to be reviewed.
Yeah, I swallowed my hatred of Jim Rome just long enough to hear the Sitton interview too. I especially liked how many times he used the word “crap” - I can only imagine how hard it must have been to keep remembering to substitute it for harsher terminology.
/hand stays down
So, which big game will get fucked up the most this week, Cleveland @ Baltimore, Oakland @ Denver, or New York Giants @ Philadelphia? I think someone mentioned earlier, if we’ve still got scab refs this week, pleasepleaseplease let something happen in Philly. The first bad call is going to have an epic bullshit chant, too.
Did you really just list Cleveland/Baltimore as a “big game”?
I think he meant “big” as in “big beating” or “big point spread”.
Only big because it’s a rivalry (hatred on one side) and because of Modell’s death last week. I just think that the NFL would rather see a shitshow in a game like Buffalo @ San Diego than Cleveland @ Baltimore. If it were in Cleveland, then even more so.
Why must you lash out and be so hurtful?
I’m taking the bus home, and you will NOT see me at the pancake social tomorrow.
And this is what I mention by people not knowing the rule. If Jennings catches the ball and pinnes it to his chest but Tate’s left hand is on the ball actually between the ball and Jenning’s chest and while in the air brings his right hand over and controls the ball and they land that way, then it is a touchdown as both had simultaneous possession when they landed. Simultaneous possession goes to the offensive player and so it is a touchdown and the play is over.
So that means it does not matter who caught it first or what happened after they landed and it certainly does not mean both caught it at the same time. It means do both players have control at the moment they land.
Look at this video (admittedly a bad angle) and pause at 0:58 then 0:59. At 0:58, both players are coming down and Tate is bringing his right hand around. At 0:59 Tate had landed and Tate has his right hand on the ball. The question is not who has more control but does Tate have control yes or no? Take the shot at 0:59, remove Jennings and ask yourself if Tate is controling the ball? If yes then simultaneous possession = touchdown. If no then interception.
Think of the children, Moidalize. How do you think they’ll react when you don’t show up to brighten their day at the pancake social? Haven’t the children suffered enough without forcing me to explain why they can’t see “Uncle Moidy”? Don’t do it for me … do it for them.