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.
This was the same loser who handed the Patriots the Super Bowl when he invoked the "tuck" rule on Bradys fumble in the playoff game with the Raiders.
Oh thats right they would have plenty of players from mad town.
Got any cigs you could get lots of helpers from Milwaukee.
In Green Bay we call 8 degrees "a little nippy." It's not cold until it's -10.
Amen. No one knows what pass interference is, least of all the referees.
Antonio would go into his Randy Moss routine except for a few times in a season. Billy Schroeder...what can you say about the Pride of Sheboygan (except that I'm glad he's gone)?
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.Manny was a great player here but he did stuff like that pretty much on a regular basis. There were times when his head was simply not in the game. The times that his hitting was focused more than made up for it.
-Eric
LOL! Poor babies. They're just not hardy enough. (I suppose I shouldn't tell you we're leaving for Florida in a couple days for R & R.)
Ya that Walt sure put a beating on the Rams....
Man he was all over the place.
BTW...the tuck rule is a rule.
Walt made the right call.
Don't forget that all the big bad raiders had to do was get a first down on 3rd and 1 and the game was over.
But they got stuffed.
I guess that was Walt's fault too.
LOL...
How dare you sir!
Goofing on Pat the Patriot and the flying Evis?
Have you no shame?
I would hope you'd consider me and all Vikings fans experts on the subject, since the Men in Purple have been targeted ever since some dumb SOB threw a whiskey bottle at a ref's head.
And that's so long ago you may not even remember it, or have been born for that matter.
I remember. It was against Dallas, after a Golden Richards touchdown reception...
Drew Pearson.
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