Posted on 01/19/2006 5:44:03 AM PST by goarmy
One night after his notorious reversal of an onfield interception threw NFL referee Pete Morelli into a national storm - and nearly sent Denver packing for Indianapolis - Morelli found himself between a hard place and a rock.
A vandal hurled a grapefruit-sized boulder through a plate-glass window in Morelli's Stockton, Calif., home at about 10 p.m. Monday, according to Stockton Police Lt. Thomas Wells. Morelli, who also works as a high school principal, was home with his wife at the time.
"They were in bed or going to bed when he heard the window break and Mr. Morelli came downstairs. He heard a car speed away and saw a rock," Wells said.
"There is no way to determine whether this had anything to do with his NFL job, or his job as a school principal or whether it was just a random act of malicious mischief," Wells said. "There was no note tied to the rock."
Morelli did not return a message left with a family member, who said the referee has received several threatening phone calls this week.
The NFL has asked its security team to work with Stockton police officers already investigating the attack, said Mike Pereira, the league's vice president of officiating.
"When you live in a small town, people know you, know what you do. You get notoriety and normally that's positive stuff," Pereira said. "It's unnerving. It's just infuriating. We say we live in a fishbowl and this is just living proof.
"He's doing all right," Pereira said, adding that Morelli is not scheduled to work either of the conference championship games this weekend.
In an AFC divisional playoff game Sunday between Pittsburgh and Indianapolis, Steelers safety Troy Polamalu made a diving catch of a pass thrown by the Colts' Peyton Manning with 5:26 to play. Polamalu tumbled with the ball in his hands but dropped it as he stood to run. He then recovered the ball. Colts coach Tony Dungy challenged the interception call. After looking at replays, Morelli ruled Polamalu had not completed the catch.
After the reversal, Indianapolis scored a quick touchdown and a two-point conversion, cutting the Steelers' lead to 21-18. Minutes later, Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt missed a 46-yard field-goal attempt, giving Pittsburgh the win. On Monday, Pereira admitted that Morelli had goofed, saying that Polamalu "maintained possession long enough to establish a catch."
(that said, no one should be harassing this guy at home. he's enough of a schmuck already)
oh great, now i have to feel BAD for the jagoff!
Praise the Lord.
Even if he saw who did this it probably wouldn't do any good. All the guy's attorney would have to do to destroy the ref's credibility is to show the jury a tape of the blown call last Sunday.
"OK, how many fingers do I have up r i g h t n o w ?"
that is a keeper!
i bet you would even forgive her a blatant missed call, too!
< insert your own "illegal use of hands" joke here >
"grapefruit-sized boulder"
Imagine how the lilliputian sized Boulder residents feel having to relocate suddenly to her living room floor.
Only if the NFL made it "strip bad call" (blow a call lose an article of clothing).
Hmm... that has potential.
see this is how women and men are different, if morelli was some drop dead gorgeous stud, it wouldn't matter to a female fan if he stripped jaybird nekkid, she would still hate him for the bad call! ; )
Also known as "marriage." : )
I've known some pretty sexy yet vile women, taught me how to enjoy looking at them while avoiding talking to them. Strip Bad Call would be the same kind of thing, also it would mean if you're tuning in late you'd know how well the officiating is, I'm all for giving the person joining late as much information as possible quickly and conveniently.
LOL.
Probly some Bronko fan from Colorado tryin’ to make us Stiller fans look like ignrant younzerz n’at.................... probably from Boulder.
that is some rationalization, but it strikes me as arbitrary and capricious! ; ) how can you compartmentalize bad calls and nakedness????
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