Posted on 12/12/2002 9:39:47 AM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist
Report: NFL Cites 9 Blown Calls in Game </FONT
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The NFL has acknowledged its officiating crew made at least nine mistakes during Sunday's Green Bay-Minnesota game, including a key pass interference call, two newspapers reported Wednesday.
The mistakes were documented in a confidential memorandum, the Star Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press said, citing unidentified sources.
The Vikings (3-10) lost the game 26-22 in Green Bay. Eight of the affected plays occurred in the fourth quarter, when the Packers (10-3) made up a nine-point deficit with two touchdowns. An interference call negated a Vikings' interception on the Packers' game-winning drive.
Both papers reported the league's correspondence with the Vikings.
"Conversations between the NFL officiating department and teams are confidential," NFL spokesman Michael Signora said. "We do not comment on them."
Vikings coach Mike Tice declined comment. Team officials are prohibited from discussing confidential communication with the league.
On Monday, the Vikings sent in 12 officials' calls the team disagreed with. In a response, league supervisors wrote that Vikings safety Corey Chavous (news) should not have been called for pass interference against Donald Driver (news) on a third-down pass that safety Jack Brewer intercepted.
"It doesn't matter what they say after the fact," Chavous said. "We lost the game."
Under the NFL's instant replay policy, pass interference penalties are not subject to review. Tony Fisher scored the go-ahead touchdown for Green Bay four plays later.
NFL teams routinely fill out such forms on the day after games, seeking clarification or explanations for calls, and it is not unusual for mistakes to be acknowledged affecting both teams.
Among other mistakes detailed in the document, league supervisors wrote that Packers receiver Robert Ferguson should have been ruled out of bounds at the 1-yard line rather than given a 40-yard touchdown reception with 10:48 left in the fourth quarter. The Vikings did not challenge the call via instant replay.
The NFL also wrote that Packers safety Antuan Edwards (news) should have received an unnecessary roughness penalty for hitting Vikings receiver Chris Walsh (news), who had taken a knee to stop the next-to-last play of the game, and that Packers linebacker Nate Wayne (news) also should have been penalized for blocking receiver Randy Moss (news) in the back on the final play of the game.
We talked about organized crime and how far they had penetrated major professional sports. We talked mostly about football. In case you do not know, there in one team in the NFL that is so closely tied to organize crime that the FBI is running around following leads all the time. 'Nuff said.
But my close relative told me about players being paid huge sums to "drop a key pass" in end zone. Or do other things, more subtle things, to cause the game to be won or lost. The players would have large deposits made to secret offshore bank accounts .... and yada yada yada.
If the Big Boys who control professional sports betting wanted to control the outcome of a particular game .... How would they do it? Leave it to you own imagination to come up with the answer.
Now you know why I am not a fan of professional sports, and seldom watch a pro football game on television.
F-A-V-R-E is actually spelled T-H-E-M-O-S-T-O-V-E-R-R-A-T-E-D-Q-U-A-R-T-E-R-B-A-C-K-I-N-F-O-O-T-B-A-L-L.
When was the last time a World Series didn't go seven games? It seems very odd the way that heppens. There are too many miraculous comebacks.
Walt
You have a losing team this year. Bwahahahah.
So? Favre is still overrated.
"Bitter, table for one, your table is ready. Bitter, table for one."
Please don't make me destroy you with stats here.
-- A Dolfan
Ask Brett's kinfolk in Kiln (pronounced "Kill"), Mississippi.
Don't get too excited. Brett Favre has a history of making average receivers look like superstars. I don't think the Packers have had a real top receiver since Sterling Sharpe. But Favre is good enough to keep the passing game going regardless. The offensive scheme itself has been pretty good for that too.
LOL Sinky! He's better than Troy "Concussion" Acheman and all the other clowns that led Dallas.
170+ consecutive starts and counting....how many games in a row did Roger Staubach or Aikman played?
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