What’s More Unbelievable?
That the Pittsburgh Steelers went into Indianapolis and shut down the Colts well enough to win?
That the Denver Broncos could play as generally poorly as they did and still beat the Patriots?
Or that the referees could perform as poorly as they did in the Pittsburgh/Indy game?
My vote is on #3. I’m really, really glad that I’m writing this after a Steeler victory, because what I am about to write is true, but if the Steelers had lost the game, my words would sound like those of a poor loser. Now, I can write the truth—which would have been the truth irrespective of who won the football game—but it won’t sound like I’m pouting. And the truth is this:
I have been watching football since the 1969 Super Bowl, where the hated Joe Willie Namath and the Jets beat my Colts in an upset. That’s a lot of football games. But in all those years of watching football, I have never, ever, seen a more inexcusably pitiful official’s call than I did today. Never. And that sorry call (and arguably, a couple of others, but that one in particular) almost cost the deserving Steelers their victory.
Did you see it? Troy Polamalu picks off Peyton Manning with under six minutes to go, and the Steelers up by 11. Steelers run the ball three times, take another two minutes off the clock (assuming they don’t make the first down), Chris Gardocki pins the Colts inside their 15, and the game is cinched. Only the referee,after watching the replay, overturns the call on the field (interception), the Colts get it back, drive the field, score, and cut the lead to three.
But there is no way under the sun—none, period—that that is not an interception. It wasn’t even close. It wasn’t even arguable; in fact, I remarked to my friend that, if this were not the Colts’ last hope for the season, Tony Dungy doesn’t even bother to challenge it, because not only was the call on the field unmistakably correct, but the replay, for every honest, non-sight-impaired person in America except one sad, solitary individual, was extremely conclusive: interception! Polamalu caught the ball securely, fell to the ground with it securely cradled, rolled over fully, still maintaining control, stood up, and then knocked the ball free, only to fall on it and recover his own fumble. Watch the replay over and over again from every conceivable angle, and the same result is beyond obvious: it is an interception.
I sincerely hope that the NFL head of officiating issues a sincere apology to the Steelers for their inept referee nearly costing the Steelers the game, for that is almost what happened.
UDDATE: NFL Says Polamalu Call Was Official’s Judgment
I’m sorry, but well, DUH! Of course it was his “judgment”. And his “judgment” was unmistakably, unbelievably, inexcusably, wrong.
UPDATE 2: NFL: Polamalu Call was a Mistake
Yeah, like everyone in America save one official already knew that. But let’s make sure our referees actually know the rules, please! Wow…
This phrase comes from the 1978 "Jonestown massacre" in which most members of the Peoples Temple cult, blindly following their leader Jim Jones, committed suicide by drinking cyanide-laced Kool-Aid.
Osborne: A Contrarian's Guide to Knowing God
Schlossberg: Idols For Destruction
9 Responses to “What’s More Unbelievable?”
I agree! That was the most ridiculous call I’ve seen in any pro sporting event! Glad your Steelers won (even though they kept my 10-6 Chiefs out of the playoffs).
Eric Chambers ~ Jan 15, 2006 at 9:19 pm
Hey, Eric, long time no hear-from! For me, I’m in gravy, man, because my two favorite teams (can’t choose between them) are the Steelers and the Broncos). Go…AFC!
Byron ~ Jan 15, 2006 at 9:40 pm
If the ruling on the field was for an incomplete pass, then you shrug your shoulders and say, oh well, booth must not have seen conclusive enough evidence for a playoff game to overturn. But to OVERTURN the call on the field is one of the worse calls I’ve ever seen. I sderiously almost choked on my sesame chicken when they overturned it.
jaboobie ~ Jan 15, 2006 at 9:54 pm
Maybe…but you know, even had the ruling on the field been “incomplete”, it seemed clear to me that there was plenty of evidence to overturn that! Unbelievably bad call…unbelievable.
Byron ~ Jan 15, 2006 at 9:58 pm
And didn’t you just love the referee’s explanation?
“I had the defender catching the ball. Before he got up, he hit it with his leg with his other leg still on the ground. Therefore, he did not complete the catch. . . . He never had possession with his leg up off the ground doing an act common to the game of football. He was losing it while his other leg was still on the ground.”
Huh????… Does anybody have the slightest idea what any of that means? Last time I checked, “the defender catching the ball†is called an INTERCEPTION.
Don ~ Jan 16, 2006 at 9:40 am
Don, it was unbelievable because it was unexplainable. If he had been touched by a Colt while on the ground, would it have been an interception? If he had just remained down, would it have been an interception? The answer to those to is, of course, YES…which makes it…well, the worst call I’ve ever seen in the history of sports.
Byron ~ Jan 16, 2006 at 9:45 am
go cheifs
colin ~ Jan 16, 2006 at 2:51 pm
Ummmm….yeah.
Byron ~ Jan 16, 2006 at 3:02 pm
NFL says Ref made mistake
Duh! It was either say that or admit their refs are following a script written by WWE honcho Vince McMahon!
Paul - SteelerDirtFreak ~ Jan 16, 2006 at 5:11 pm