Shhhh, 1389AD won’t like me telling you this, but she has a secret. She is a big NFL Football fan. (That’s “American football” to those of our readers who live elsewhere.) I know that she doesn’t mention it on the blog, but if you can get her talking about football, she really knows the game better than most women. Heck, she knows it better than a lot of male fans who watch but never played. (I did play. The guys I played with all say that I was pretty good. So, hopefully, I do know a thing or two about the game of football.)
That brings me to last night’s (September 24, 2012) game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers. The NFL officials have been on strike and that has been stoking up all sorts of controversy about the quality of the game with the replacement officials. So, 1389AD called to me and asked if I thought the controversial play at the end of the game was a “legitimate call” or not. I had to duck the issue, a little. Maybe you could say that I have a “conflict of interest.” Let me explain.
OK, I am kind of an old man. About the time I was born, the three top American sports were baseball, boxing and horse racing. Professional football and basketball were not that popular yet. In fact, during my preteens and early teens (the years when most boys are sports crazy), if you happened to live in Chicago, Detroit, Boston or New York, you probably would have found it harder to get tickets to your town’s NHL hockey team than to a NFL football or NBA basketball game.
In my family, there wasn’t much reason to follow NFL football. Southerners who liked football were college football fans. The ethnic half hadn’t much interest in it either. On the ethnic side, I had some older cousins who watched the game but it seems they were all college games and the cousins in question were college boys.
Going into fourth grade, I had no idea what the game of football was all about. At some point, my friends taught me how to play. The school had some “programmed learning device” that we could use and take home. I think they called it the “cycle teacher” or “psycho teacher” or something like that. It had a lesson on football and that was how I learned the basic rules of the game. My friends told me when the games were on television. They taught me to play the game in the back yard. And one of my best teachers, who had played a little in college, talked to us about the game one fall.
Officiating, then and now
One of the first things I can remember was a game between the local favorite NFL team and the almighty Green Bay Packers. There was about two minutes to go and the local NFL favorite team was ahead. The Green Bay Packers had the ball. (By the way people reacted, it must have been third or even fourth down.) The Packers’ quarterback threw the ball into the end zone and it bounced off one of the Packers’ hands and out of the end zone. Ready for the officials to rule the pass “incomplete” and bring it back to line of scrimmage, the home team fans were in for a real shock. The officials signaled touchdown. The other team got the ball back, but there was little time left and they couldn’t score. So the Packers won on a “touchdown” that was merely a ball bouncing off a receiver’s hand.
Note that I said “hand” and NOT “hands.” The ball hit only ONE of the guy’s hands! It was NOT even close to what any reasonable person would call a catch.
It was a different world in the 1960s. There were no “challenges.” There were no reviews or appeals of any kind. The decisions of the official were final. Games were won and lost based upon whatever the officials decided.
Supposedly, the rule was that if a receiver had “control of the ball” for any length of time, the ball was considered “caught.”
In those days, it was hazardous to your career to question the integrity or competency of any official, even indirectly. I remember that some coach (I think it was college basketball, but I’m not sure) was fined a huge amount for suggesting that some officials might SUBCONSCIOUSLY have been affected by the cheering of the home crowd. Oh, and in the 1960s, the word “subconscious” carried a lot of weight. Old Dr. Freud was on every “educated” person’s mind and the word “subconscious” worked to magic to explain most everything. So, if adding the word “subconsciously” didn’t save you, nothing would.
Well, there was quite an uproar after that Packers game. The media focused on the poor soul who was in charge of filming the game. The question was put to the film guy, “Is there any way that the receiver could have controlled that ball?”
It was a nasty question. If he’d said “Yes” the hometown fans might have had him tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail. OK, that might be a bit of a cliche, but he sure would have looked like an idiot. If he’d said “No” his career in professional sports might have been over. In those days, no one in sports dared criticize an official.
Exhibiting the wisdom of Solomon, the film guy said, “There is an eighth of a second between frames. You cannot see anything between frames. It is possible that the receiver controlled the ball for an eighth of a second. (Please forgive my poor memory if we find that it was a sixteenth of a second or some other interval of time. Hey, I am an old man and lucky to remember this much. The concept is the same.)
The following week, our great teacher discussed the controversial call and the the film’s guy response. He asked, “Even if he had ‘control,’ how much control can you have for an eighth of a second?”
That was my first exposure to NFL football: The officials cheated and made sure that the Green Bay Packers won. So, I focused my attention on another league, the American Football League (AFL).
Fast forward, and, at the end of each season, the best of my AFL teams were playing in a Super Bowl against the NFL champs. What a surprise! The NFL team in the first two Super Bowls were the Green Bay Packers! All I could see was that ball bouncing off the Green Bay receiver’s hand in the end zone.
1970 came along and the NFL and AFL merged into one league. It would not affect me personally, as injuries ended my personal football career before college. However, that film still stuck in craw.
It may be psychological on my part, but every time I watch the game involving the Packers, it seems as though too many close calls–and even bad calls–go their way. So much so that I wonder if the fix is in. Well, okay, I am sure every fan of every team sees things that way from time to time.
Nobody gets hurt, right?
Funny thing about the Green Bay Packers, they don’t have an owner. The fans own the team. Literally. There is some historical tale about the fans “saving the team.” However, NFL rules won’t allow that for any team but the Packers. I might like to own a piece of the Dallas Cowboys, American’s team. Or maybe we could buy into those Pittsburgh Steelers with all those Super Bowl rings. How about those New York Jets or Kansas City Chiefs, who won Super Bowls while in the AFL? How about those once-perfect Miami Dolphins? Heck, I might even like to buy into those lucky Seahawks after last night’s game. Too bad; it doesn’t seem that the NFL will let me. But owing to a special “grandfather clause” the Packers fans, and only the Packers fans, get to own their team. How is that fair?
OK, so the league plays favorites and the Green Bay Packers are the league’s number one favorite. It is only a game, right? Nobody gets hurt. Or do they?
Green Bay is in Wisconsin. One of the Packers’ chief rivals is just to the south in Chicago, Illinois. In a former life (so to speak), I traveled the Midwest on business. Two such business associates were big Chicago Bears fans. They used to travel to see the Bears play in other cities. After nice trips to Tampa Bay, New Orleans and other places that I cannot remember, they decided to travel north to Wisconsin the next season to see the Bears play the Packers. Big mistake!
The Monday after that game, one of these fellows told me that the other was “still in the hospital.” The next day, I did see the other fellow. He could walk, but his head was all covered with bandages. It seems that the Green Bay fans had beaten these two fellows up.
The one who didn’t get beaten up as badly, had a grandfather come to his office that day. His grandfather recalled that Packers fans had been doing bad things to Bears fans who dared visit Green Bay for decades. Old grandpa said that, as far back as the 1920s, they would smash car windows, slash tires, and the like to any car with Illinois plates that was parked near the Packers home field.
A few years later, I found myself in Minnesota speaking with some Vikings fans. It seems that they knew all about the same kind of Green Bay “welcome mat” for Vikings fans.
So, the officials like to give this team special treatment. The team gets special treatment from the league. And the fans commits minor acts of violence against rival fans and vandalize their vehicles. Oh dear, a call didn’t go Green Bay’s way for a change, and the sports media is all upset? Well, give me a break!
What happened last night?
Last night’s game had some interesting calls. In the beginning, they mostly seemed to go against the Seahawks. As the game progressed, the Seahawks were leading 7 to 6, but the Packers had the ball. A very highly questionable penalty on a third-down play caused a Packers drive to stay alive. The Packers eventually scored a touchdown to take the lead. I thought to myself, “These replacement officials must’ve gotten the memo to call things to aid the Packers.”
It would be one of those exciting finishes. The Seahawks would have to drive the ball down the field and score a touchdown. Early in the drive–with plenty of time still on the clock–a somewhat questionable penalty kept the Seahawks drive alive. Now, the announcers were all upset. How dare those replacement officials made a bad call against the Packers! Funny, how they all but forgot that the Packers were only leading because of a bad call (or two, or three) that lead to their touchdown.
So, the game came down to the bitter end. It was fourth and goal and only time to run one play. The last play of the game would determine the outcome. So, like the rest of the viewing audience, I was watching pretty closely. What did I see?
Well, it looked like the Packers defender did touch the ball first. He certainly had both hands on the ball before the Seahawk receiver. However, they both had hands on the ball soon enough. I could not tell if the Seahawk receiver had one hand or two on the ball. I certainly could not tell who had control of the ball first. So, I focused my eyes on the officials. One signaled touchdown. One signaled something else. However, once the confusion cleared up, the ruling on the field was touchdown.
Then we all waited for replay officials. Ever since the flamboyant Bill Veeck, owner of the Chicago White Sox, who in the late 1950s or early 1960s, put his “eye in the sky” to try to monitor the umpires’ calls, we have had some fantasy that we would have officiating perfection with the right technology. Hmm, it has been 100 years since the “unsinkable” Titanic sunk. Will we ever learn that man is fallible?
As the time dragged on, we heard some speculation about whether or not the replay officials could overturn the play. And finally, an official took the field and tried to speak. When the sound system started working again, the play was confirmed as a touchdown and the Seahawks declared the victors.
In disbelief, the sports media complained about the call, the officials’ strike, and on and on. The NFL team singled out for special treatment had lost a game.
So, let me answer 1389AD’s query: Was it a “legitimate call”? I don’t really know. Somebody caught a ball. That is more than I can say about my first exposure to NFL football on a play where obvious nobody caught anything. And while the whole sports world is focusing on settling the officials strike, let me suggest they find a new focus. How about treating the Green Bay Packers like any other NFL team and not some sacred institution?
Author’s Note: I am NOT a sports commentator. I do NOT profess to right about all my facts. This is based on my memory. Your sports-related comments are welcome, even if they might not normally be acceptable for other posts. Try to keep the profanities to a minimum. And if you have reason to think that I am wrong about a fact, please try to provide a source if you can.
Also see:
- PJM: NFL Says Clown Car Refs Missed Call at End of MNF Game
- ESPN Video: Breaking Down Seahawks’ Game-Winning TD
- Eric Golub: In defense of the replacement referees and the NFL Week 4 Prequel
Tags: CzechRebel, Green Bay Packers, Open thread, Seattle Seahawks
Nice post!
Being a Pittsburgher, I understand a little about football culture.
The biggest play in Steeler history, the ‘Immaculate Reception,’ is the subject of officiating controversy.
It seems the ball MAY have bounced off of the defender which, at the time, would’ve rendered the play dead as an illegal touch.
Bumr50 wrote:
BLASPHEMER!!!!
@ coldwarrior:
I wish I was old enough to have seen Madden’s reaction.
I’ll go OT for a brief comment…
I woke up back in the First World this morning! Travel woes or problems awaiting notwithstanding, that’s a great feeling. Since I’m trashed from travelling, I probably won’t do much of anything today, but if I wanted to, I could do damned-near anything, up to and including running up to the range and blowing off a huge amount of ammo via a full auto weapon (rented -- I don’t own one.) Is this a great country, or what? My congressman (Frank Wolfe (R), VA District 10) sent me an official absentee ballot form, so I’ll at least fill that in today and take it down to the county election office tomorrow, since I’ll be out of the country on Nov. 6.
Mike C. wrote:
Welcome home!
US military deaths in Afghanistan hit 2,000 after 11 years of war
so where are the GRIM MILESTONE stories
What gets lost in this discussion is that there was obvious
offensive pass interference on the play.
At the very least that should have been called.
I went to school in Green Bay & they had a charming
term for us “FIB’S” Fucking Illinois Bastards.
Of course the rejoinder was “Dumb ass Cheddar Heads”
Having said that, I actually like Wisconsin.
@ Mike C.:
Welcome back. Who are you voting for?/
coldwarrior wrote:
Funny that, isn’t it? Also seems to be very little air time about the Camp Bastion attack. I can remember a day when that would have been the number 2 story after the Grim Milestone story (that would run for days before counting up to it and days after as it was exceeded). Camp Bastion would have been a lede for days as questions about why the troops weren’t adequately supplied, why the ROE’s and other regulations prevented ready access to weapons, etc.
Yep, that would have been how the media would have treated those stories 4 years ago. Wonder what changed?
@ Mike C.:
ahh, the joys of returning to civilization!
coldwarrior wrote:
The Supreme Commissars of the People’s Propaganda Ministry have determined that is information that they need to protect you from. For your own good, you know.
AZfederalist wrote:
we have an affirmative action hire that we have to protect?
i’ll bet THAT’S what is different!
huckfunn wrote:
i shall report to gulag now with my own potato.
coldwarrior wrote:
There’s a good lad.
@ coldwarrior:
Wait a minute, Obama has earned all that he has!
Oh wait , I’m thinking of someone else.
Mooch’s food calorie control for children is set to couch potato existence level.
@ coldwarrior:
Can’t sneak anything past some people. Hopefully enough people are like this and decide that the AA presidency was a bad idea come Nov 6
waldensianspirit wrote:
After having read the stories of the inadequate servings in school lunches, particularly for high school students, I saw a TV public service announcement telling us how 1 in 6 children in the country struggle with hunger. I didn’t realize that the administration goal was to increase that number.
@ Mike C.:
Welcome back. Just curious. What air route do you take and how long is the flight?
If you are wondering why Obama is doing so well in the polls,
here is a clue.
The College Boards, the company that owns the SAT”s reports
that of the latest group of high school seniors that took
the exam, 56% tested out unqualified for college!
@ AZfederalist:
They are Maoists affirmatively activated
UCLA Study: Female Democrats Hideous Trolls, Republican Congresswomen Good Looking…
Oh my!!!
coldwarrior wrote:
Half of them during O.’s three and a half year term and thanks to Gen. McChrystal
To all -- thanks; good to be home. I left the hotel room about 6 AM and got to my house about 1:00 AM. KInda long, but there’s a lot of waste time in there in airports. Back when I worked in Maracaibo, I could get from my house here to my apartment there in 14 hours flat, including connection times, driving to and from airports, etc.. But Bolivia is a bit further away than Venezuela. And the connections are worse.
Have I mentioned yet how much the Miami airport sucks? JFK, LAX and O’Hare are at least no worse…
Mike C. wrote:
But they’ve got a cool new reality show coming on Discovery or History channel. So there is that.
Mike C. wrote:
But,…fish art??
@ AZfederalist:
@ Bumr50:
And I never feel as if I’m back in the US until I leave Miami, the northermost city in S. America.
‘Course, arriving at IAD, and just looking at the people, it’s pretty hard to tell where on earth you are. Name a race/nationality, you’re bound to spot a few in any given hour.
RIX wrote:
FIB also has a lot to do with the flood of Illini north in the summer clogging up Wisconsin lakes.
CzechRebel
Lies. All lies.
There is no god but Lombardi and Rodgers is his messenger.
Punish all those who insult the Packers. Clip the unbelievers.
Oops.
@ RIX:
And yet you’ll find most of them on college campuses this fall.
//Future public school teachers
@ Mike C.:
And when I stepped outside for a few mintues in Miami at almost 9 PM, it was freaking 82 F and the relative humidty had to be about 200 %. I think it was about 50 F or less here this morning.
I’m telling you, palm trees are God’s way of telling you you’re in someplace that’s too damned hot. Look for maple trees…
@ Mike C.:
Another extremely well-run airport.
//
When I arrived there in August from Kuwait, there were a grand total of 2 agents working the passport control booths--one for the US citizen line and one for the other line.
@ Bumr50:
What’s even funnier about that play, in which the ball quite obviously hit Jack Tatum first, and not Frenchy Fuqua, thereby rendering the call good, is that if Tatum merely allowed Fuqua to catch the ball and then tackle him, or do anything other than what he did, that game ends in a Raiders victory right there. (the ball was clearly overthrown, and if not for it deflecting off of Tatum, would have resulted in an incomplete pass thereby giving the Raiders the ball with seconds left.) Tatum being Tatum however, decided to attempt his usual decapitation of an opposition player in his usual selfish and idiotic manner. The selfish manner in which he played may have made him one of the all time great corners in the league, but it also cost his team more than a few games. No matter what the situation was, Tatum was looking for the big hit to be added to his own personal highlight reel, and had never given so much as a thought as to what the game situation was, warranted, or who else was affected by his decision making. Tatum followed Fuqua into the Steeler locker room that day sobbing, “tell them it was you, tell them it was you.”
Years later, thanks to the technology of enhanced graphics, we can clearly see a Tatum who cared nothing for the events going on around him which did not involve a life ending hit place on Fuqua, indeed touching the ball first. The officials did get that call right.
As for the replacement refs and that whole debate. I find it absolutely a sad commentary on our society that we would highlight the supposed failures of people put into a tough situation to the point of such asinine scrutiny. For anyone who believes that the, “real,” NFL officials were any better than the replacements must have missed the blown coin toss call of thanksgiving a few years back, or the it would have been an interception if he had stayed down before dropping the ball rather than dropping it after running it back 3 yards call in the playoffs a few years ago.
These guys not only had to do a tough job as replacements, but had to do so on national T.V., and with every moment scrutinized. Not even our President is monitored to that level, which by the way he should be. They did this, so that we could continue to watch the games. I believe they did their jobs every bit as well as the official refs, low as that bar is set.
@ Flyovercountry:
The haters all “know” that the Rooney’s have the NFL in their pocket!
/
As for the part-time, regular officials -- NOBODY gets golden pensions these days. Deal with it.
@ lobo91:
Those places are always understaffed for the load, no matter which airport you enter.
And what’s with the deal of requiring you to hike a fucking mile from the airplane to passport control? That’s a given at every US airport I’ve entered through. IAD, Houston, Miami, Chicago, JFK, SF, LAX -- doesn’t matter. Are we trying to impress people with the geographical size of the country or something?
@ lobo91:
And they will have an eight month work year, a defined benefits
pension and earn 180% of what their neighbor makes.
Then they will go strike because they don’t want evaluations,
but demand a raise.
@ 18 AZfederalist: 50 million people on food stamps? 1 in 6 kids suffers from hunger? Either the federal programs are seriously failing or stat people are pulling these numbers from their butt.
A kid in America hungry today is that way because of parental neglect. The food is just down the street. Real hunger doesn’t exist in America.
@ darkwords:
It’s certainly possible for children to be hungry despite their parents receiving food stamps.
A significant percentage of food stamps are exchanged for cash or prohibited items (alcohol or cigarettes, mostly) under the table.
Like most federal programs, it’s riddled with fraud.
@ RIX:
And they basically can’t be fired for anything short of a felony conviction.
Mike C. wrote:
I think they just wanna run you through the gift shops, its an airport thing.
RIX wrote:
Actually, it is in the story…if you follow the final link: HERE
AZfederalist wrote:
And there’s been a LOT of pushback on that from the kids!
Poteen wrote:
Familiar language. Familiar color, Green. Heard that somewhere before, “there is no god, but _________ and __________ is his messenger.” Can’t think where I heard it before.