if the refs get this call wrong...

[Eric_Boyer]

I'm having a hard time caring about this particular issue.

I think it is because Seattle played as the better team all game. GB's loan touchdown came on a drive that should never of happened thanks to the refs, and apparently the refs were not going to call holding on the packers OL any longer either.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

Except for the fact that there wasn't simultaneous possession until after the INT. Though, I don't know if what you're saying is even true.

i agree, but if that was the ruling on the field, the replay guys hands are tied.

 

[CowboyGil]

What was the call on the field?? You have two refs signalling two different things. Golden Tate is such a punk! I hope I see the highlight reel when some safety or LB lays him out. That being said, the Seattle D is for real.

 

[Hook'em#11]

While I think the replacement refs were bad this weekend. This one lies on the instant replay officials, who aren't replacements. They are the same "professional" team up there.

Sure , the call was BS, and the replacement refs blew another one. But, in this case, it falls on the Instant Replay booth.

Still, we have all seen the original refs blow calls. Be blind, etc.

And when the originals come back. We will all be complaining about the tick tacky calls that will still be called.

It's a no win situation. All we as Cowboys fans can is hope that it doesn't happen to Dallas in that type of situation.

 

[StarBoyz83]

Clear int and its not debatable or arguable. They messed up!! But oh well the game wont matter to much both teams will still be in the playoffs.

 

[trickblue]

sycophants like Gruden didn't make the mistake as dramatic, but they were.

kind of funny Seattle is in on this. their entire fan base can just point to their super bowl loss as an example of regular refs making a fiasco of things on a much bigger stage.

Yep.

To this day in my opinion, THAT Super Bowl was the worst officiated game I have ever watched. It was an atrocity.

People can act like this is as bad as it gets with the officials and don't get me wrong, it is bad. Just go back in time to all of the other games with the regular guys and you'll realize that it really isn't that much different. Then go back to that Steelers/Seahawks Super Bowl and try not to throw up.

Agreed... and that runs me nuts...

We beat the Stealers by DOUBLE DIGITS in SB XXX yet the media acts like Pittsburgh won. Pittsburgh is GIVEN that SB game and the media acts like they are the most dominant team in history...

 

[bklyn1028]

You know, there were blown calls all night. This had to be the worst officiating game I have ever seen, BUT......bad calls also went in Green Bay's favor. There were a lot of calls against the Seahawks that Green Bay shouldn't have gotten. Yes, that last play was obviously an int...but that Pass Interference call against Seattle where the Db (can't think of his name) against the sidelines shadowing Jennings was bogus. He never touched Jennings, and Gruden and Tirico said the same thing.
Bad calls all night.

If Tate had caught the ball and the call went to GB....the Pack would be celebrating. The regular refs have made some bonehead calls through the years also. These replacement refs were thrown to the wolves with barely time to study and figure things out.

The owners and Goodell don't care because we are still watching and buying $8 hot dogs.

It's the game, love it or hate it, and we will all be watching this Thurs...and Sunday....

Specially Sun nite...hehehe

 

[Idgit]

I know exactly what you mean, and this was my initial thought as well. However, the rule doesn't speak of possession, but of control. I think Tate having only one hand on the ball initially (with his other hand on Jennings' arm and later away from the ball entirely before getting both hands on the ball when going to the ground) while Jennings had both hands on the ball the entire time suggests that Jennings had control. While both guys had possession of the ball at the end of the play, I think Jennings established initial control, with Tate establishing subsequent control, and the play should have been ruled an INT.

It's a poorly-worded rule, and I agree that ESPN did a horrible job analyzing it. They seemed intent on discussing who had "better possession" (or something like that), but it has no place in the rule. I think that if Tate had gotten both hands on the ball initially, and kept them there the whole time, the call would have been correct. With only one hand on the ball though, I don't believe he had control. It's not nearly as clear as most of the talking heads have made it out to be, though I agree with them that it was the wrong call.

I'm curious what the reaction would have been had the call go the other way (i.e. it was ruled an INT). My feeling is that there would be a significant number of people claiming the call was wrong, and that it was a simultaneous catch. I don't think the outcry would be as strong as it is right now, though.

I'm not sure about this, but I also feel that the analysts are wrong in saying that, if nothing else, the play should have been overturned by the replay booth. I'm under the impression that a judgment call like that would not be up for review, only whether the ball hit the ground (or something of that nature). If that's wrong, someone please correct me.

One thing that the refs absolutely did screw up on that play, IMO, was failing to huddle before making a final ruling. It was an incredibly difficult call to make live, and I think a huddle may have resulted in the correct call.

One thing's for sure: the referee should have gathered all of the officials into the center of the field after a play like that, huddled them to collect the info, got a consensus, then made the call to the stadium and explained the ruling on the field and that the play was subject to automatic review.

The appearance of the call being the wrong call, without any explanation of the judgment of the officials in ruling it the way they did, and the subsequent guessing by the analysts in the booth made the whole thing into a circus act. Had the explained themselves, Gruden would have spend the review period talking about their explanation, and fans would have had their expectations for the review set much better, and the whole thing wouldn't have the pop-gun arbitrary guessing feel that it's got now.

It was a moderately tough call that happened to be on the last play of the game, but the way it was handled, it's an absolute fiasco. The good news is that the officials strike will be resolved now before we get back from our bye.