REPORT: NFL CITES 9 BLOWN CALLS IN PACKER-VIKING GAME

Associated Press ^ | 12/12/02 | AP

[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.

[justshutupandtakeit]

You have got to be kidding. I am a die hard Bears fan and would rather play against ANY other qb than Favre. He made plays in this game that NO other qb in the league could make. And does it every game I have seen him play.

The man is a wonder and apparently indestructible. If he had receivers his whole career comparable to those he has this year no qb would be close to his records.

I have watched him for over a decade and would take him over any other qb. If the Bears had him during the middle 80s they would have won at least 3 Super Bowls.

Now I have to go wash my mouth out for praising a Packer.

[PLK]

What is the rational for not allowing instant replay review of pass interference calls?

[jpl]

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.

Are you talking strictly right now or his career? If you're talking about just right now I might be prone to agree with you a little. But if you're talking his entire career, then you're smoking crack. He'll go down as one of the top five or six quarterbacks to ever play the game.

[Hatteras]

Sounds like who ever had Favre and the GB defense on their fantasy team needs to do the right thing and give back their points. It will send a clear message to the children that integrity is what's important...

[E Rocc]

I've never understood why a game that's played by some of the fastest, strongest, biggest athletes on earth would be officiated by 70 year olds who can't find their cars in the parking lot after the game.

Who work on a part-time basis.

-Eric

[FreeTally]

I have said for years that sports gambling is just too huge of a money maker for many or most games not to be fixed in some way. And I doubt it is just in professional sports, since its easier to convince players not making money to fix games or shave points.

I'll never forget the 1997 MLB playoffs where Manny Ramirez was chasing a fly ball to the warning track, jumped, and it landed about five or six feet behind him. A professional player, or even a college player, does not mis-judge a flyball like that - and I have never in my life seen a player over run a fly ball and jump like they thought it was going to go further. The worst acting job I have ever seen. The sports highlight shows just acted like it was a bonehead play.

[ServesURight]

So? Favre is still overrated

Your personal opinion, of course, sinkspur...but those darn pesky career statistics keep getting in your way:

- Is the NFL's only three-time MVP (1995-97)
- Is the NFL's leading active passer with a career rating of 86.8; his rating now ranks third all-time in NFL annals, behind only Steve Young (96.8) and Joe Montana (92.3), and just ahead of Dan Marino (86.4)
- Ranks in the NFL's top ten in four major passing categories: seventh in attempts (5,442), sixth in completions (3,311), ninth in yards (38,627) and sixth in touchdowns (287)
- Holds the fifth-highest winning percentage (.656, 103-54) among starting quarterbacks who have begun their careers in 1970 or later (minimum 100 starts)
- Possesses an unblemished 31-0 record at home (25-0 regular season, 6-0 playoffs) when the game-time temperature is 34 degrees or below; quarterback rating in those contests is 99.8
- Has started 157 consecutive games (173 including playoffs), which is an NFL record for a quarterback First NFL completion was to himself, the quarterback snaring his own deflected aerial for -7 yards in contest at Tampa Bay on Sept. 13, 1992
- Started in 1996 the 'Brett Favre Forward Foundation,' which over the past seven years, in conjunction with his annual golf tournament, celebrity softball game and fundraising dinner, has donated in excess of $1 million to charities in his home state of Mississippi as well as to those in his adopted state of Wisconsin
- An avid golfer, possesses a handicap in the "one to two" range, down from a 15 he carried as recently as 1998
- Is a partner in a Green Bay restaurant, 'The Brett Favre Steakhouse.'

Overrated? I don't think so!!

[MotleyGirl70]

Thanks for posting! :)

[Hatteras]

He sure has been throwing a lot of interceptions lately. Is this Cal Ripkin disease where he should sit awhile and get healed but refuses because of The Streak?

[ServesURight]

SOURCE:

WWW.PACKERS.COM

[robjna]

that is very wise of you, so many fans will tolerate thugs as long as they are on their team. i agree, thuigs ned to be eliminated and not given acceptance no matter how good they catch , dribble or hit a ball.

[Hatteras]

Oh sure, who's gonna rely on a biased organization like THAT for statistics...

[ServesURight]

Don't get too excited. Brett Favre has a history of making average receivers look like superstars.

Which makes him all the more better than Montana or Elway.

Other than Sharpe and perhaps Donald Driver now, Favre had to play with mediocre receivers who couldn't seperate themselves from bronze statues.

[A Cyrenian]

You must had missed the Raiders game last year when the refs decided who should be victorious. I don't think the "tuck rule" had ever been called before that night. I don't think the NFL is in business for the sport, but more so for entertainment/monetary reasons.

[BlkConserv]

Other than Sharpe and perhaps Donald Driver now, Favre had to play with mediocre receivers who couldn't seperate themselves from bronze statues.

Absolute horse puckey. Robert Brooks, Andre Rison and even Don Beebe weren't exactly mediocre. And the Packers have always had a good tight end.

I'll agree with you on Freeman and Schroeder, however... those guys couldn't catch the ball and run if they were playing in a backyard.

[joebuck]

Being a life long NFL fan and almost 20 year season ticket holder, I have been disappointed in the quality of officiating for at least the last 5 years. I see no consistency in calls from game to game. At this point I really have no idea what constitutes pass interferance except in the most blatent instances. In one game the cornerback will be allowed to grab and claw at the receiver all the way down the field, in the next game a cornerback will get called if he so much as touches the receiver more than five yards past the line of scrimmage. There are many other examples of inconsistent penalty calling I could cite.

I also believe that instant replay has hurt the game and should be abolished. And I admit that I was all for instant replay before it was put into use. Refs are definitely slower to make the call and seem to have the attitude that they can slack off and pick it up on instant replay. Although instant replay was supposed to help put a stop to game changing controversial calls, it seems to cause as much controversy as there was before it came about. I hate it and would love to see it gone. Since I can't do anything about it I will just continue to ROOT FOR THE COLTS. Go Marvin!

[Hatteras]

This is the same Brett FARVE that layed down for Michael Strahan knowing that the extra sack would be chalked up against his own offensive line. Nice guy, I hope he bought them some pretty nice Christmas presents last year...

[ex-Texan]

I hear you ..... But everyone else is just watching the game. Even Condi Rice was talking about becoming the first female Football Commisioner. Yeah, right.

If I was appointed f.c. the first thing I would do is bar one team in particular from professional sports. Just cancel its license to engage in any activity. Force the owners to file B.K. .... Yeah, well, life is short.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

"Bitter, table for one, your table is ready. Bitter, table for one."

ROTFL!!

(Thanks for the ping, OV...otherwise I would have missed this comment. LOL)

[Senator_Blutarski]

So the refs are favoring the Pack. This is news? Not hardly.

Look, you get what you pay for. Tell your favorite NFL fanchise not to be so cheap.