NFL Officials got it RIGHT by overturning Cleaveland's first down (my title)

ESPN ^ | December 17, 2001 | Associated Press

[TexRef]

To all of the official bashers out there, time to eat a little crow... Take a look at the following excerpts from NFL reviewing end of Browns-Jaguars game (Click the link to read the entire article).

According to the article, the NFL reached a conclusion today that the "...correct procedures were followed and the correct decision made when replay overturned what had been ruled a fourth-down catch by Cleveland's Quincy Morgan."

BUT, BUT... All the Cleveland fans whine -- you CAN'T challenge a play when another play has been run -- EVERYBODY knows that.

Well, turns out that's not really how it played out. NFL's Director of Officiating Mike Pereira described what happened:

"The Browns were in a no-huddle offense trying to get to the line of scrimmage to snap the ball and stop the clock. Things were moving very quickly. When the pager went off (just before the snap), the referee allowed the play to take place before confirming with the umpire and the replay assistant that he was paged for a review."

Now you can sit here and debate about the rule all you want, but the fact is that the officials got it right AGAIN!

[marajade]

There's been so many bad calls this year that I can how it happened. BTW, the QB did double pump the ball so there was a legit question as to whether or not it was intentional grounding.

[fiftymegaton]

Did the ref blow the whistle BEFORE or AFTER the 2ND play???? Enough said. I am a Steelers(Clevelands biggest rival) and still think the call was wrong. I could care less when the official got the buzz in his pants but until he blows the whistle the play keeps going and he didnt blow the whistle UNTIL AFTER the second play which makes the play before that null and void. I hope that Cleveland wins the rest of their games and misses the playoffs all because of these damn referees.

[knowtherules]

I'm a rabid Cleveland FAN. I however, found it a little strange that Al Lerner, the great Republican that he is, hired IX-42's former Chief of Security as the man who would be responsible for keeping plastic beer bottles off the field. Has anyone else found that strange?

[Goodness Gracious]

Spiking it is an incomplete pass, although intentional. Grounding is defined as throwing the ball incomplete in order to avoid a sack. It's a fine line, and I don't think there should be any grounding or spiking involved, but that's the way it is.

[h-roark]

WOW- the NFL reviewed what it's own officials did and said they did nothing wrong. I am so relieved. Was Janet Reno in charge of the review?

[Chi-townChief]

That was the consensus of most of the sports talk people in Chicago today: completed pass, fumble, recovery. And these guys are not what you would call friendly to Cleveland after the Indians vs. White Sox this year.

[willieroe]

The buzz (notification of review) happened BEFORE the snap

We'll never be sure of that. We only have the word of the three officials involved - and they had plenty of time to compare stories and arrive at a consistent story. All that we DO know is that no official physically reacted to his buzzer prior to the first down snap.

[Always Right]

Not according to the NFL or the Director of Officiating.

And they are impartial? Yeah right.

[Poohbah]

Very "classy" graphic...NOT.

[connectthedots]

If the rule is different today, I think that is a good thing.

[rdb3]

Take your Cleveland-hating self elsewhere with your buffoonery!

The refs blew the entire process by allowing the ball to be snapped, which it is stated very clearly that once a play has been run, the previous play cannot be reviewed. The ref hurredly spotted the ball to be snapped, and Couch spiked it.

End of story. No review was to be allowed. This ex post facto review decision is why the crowd (rightfully so in my opinion) went ballistic. They knew the rules. Couch knew the rule, which is why he quickly snapped the ball!

Yes, the 4th down pass was incomplete. The correct call would have been to call that pass incomplete after that play was over, not the completion of the next play. The refs said that the pass was complete, and they blew that call to. No need to lie about it.

Like it or not, the home team normally gets the benefit of the doubt in sitations like these. Do you think there would have been a "buzz" if the play would have occurred in St. Louis? San Francisco? Oakland? Pittsburgh? Not on your life.

Technicalities happen. Just ask district attorneys who have to let suspects go because of Miranda or some other technicality. The refs should have done their job by making the correct call in the first place.

Then it wouldn't have been an issue.

And this is no "whine," but it is the pure unadulterated truth.

DAWG POUND FOR LIFE!

[VaBthang4]

First of all let me say I am a rabid Colts fan and I do not pay attention to Cleveland.

Eitherway...

The official who got the page "before the play" should've immediately began blowing his whistle for the play to stop.

He didnt.

The Ref's got what they deserved. Dont mess with the dog pound.

[TomB]

Sounds like a classic of the NFL covering for the ref's poor judgment.

Hey, I lived through a year (2000) of the Steelers season where the refs screwed up 3 calls that may have cost them games, and the league apologized each time the next day.

In cases where mistakes are made, the league will apologize.

, it looked like a catch and most of the sportscasters agreed that the video did not have the evidence to overturn the call on the field.

I tried to watch all of the coverage after the game, and even spent a few hours listening to the local Cleveland radio coverage, and NOBODY disputed the no-catch call.

[stlrocket]

Maybe the Plastic Beer Bottles are a cover for a bigger problem?

CLEVELAND COKERS?

[knowtherules]

ROLLOVERTHEFLOORLAUGHINGMYASSOFF

[Always Right]

The situation is a played takes a shot as time is expiring, the shot is partially after the shot leaves the shooters hand, and then the ball goes in the baskets after time does expire. What is the call (at least at that time, about 14 years ago? Basket is no good because a shot attempt is over when the ball is touched by an opposing player.

Is it legal to goal tend a buzzer-beater shot? I mean if the game is over, you can't be called for goal-tending then?

[copycat]

Spiking it is an incomplete pass, although intentional. Grounding is defined as throwing the ball incomplete in order to avoid a sack. It's a fine line, and I don't think there should be any grounding or spiking involved, but that's the way it is.

IMHO, spiking is a stupid waste of a play except in the last few seconds. If you can line up to snap the spike, you can line up to run a play.

While we're on the subject, it is also stupid to go for two anytime before the fourth quarter, and always on your last touchdown.

[fiftymegaton]

You are the man.

[Chi-townChief]

The reversal was disputed on TV here last night and on talk shows today by most of the guys talking about it. Roe Conn even tried to imagine what would happen if the refs pulled off such a thing in Chicago. Pretty entertaining.

[TexRef]

I used to think that you were classy too...

How dare you sit there and accuse a bunch of officials of being cheats!!

Unbelievable.