[TexRef]

And before the most rabid of you start hurling personal insults against the officials, remember that a lot of Freepers are sports officials (including yours truly) and we do happen to take it a little personally. (Save your insults for people who really deserve them like Chucky and Hitlery!)

BTW, if you've never officiated before and think it's soooo easy, go to Start Officiating and become an official yourself!

[TexRef]

Ping for the officiating crew.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Can someone explain why spiking the ball to kill the clock isn't intentional grounding that would lead to a penalty? I heard some reference to this yesterday, but no one explained why it wouldn't be. After all, the quarterback is still in the pocket and is clearly trying to ground the ball.

[tbeatty]

The reality is the receiver dropped the ball. The Ref's reversed the bad call. The technicality of when the buzz happened must be secondary to getting the right call.

[Arkie2]

I thought the controversy was over reviewing the play after another play had taken place. Doesn't the team wanting a review have to call for it before the next play or forfeit the right? I also didn't think it was the officials call to review the play but the coaches?

[hole_n_one]

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."

Did he swallow his whistle?

What a crock!

[Rockinfreakapotamus]

Threads on this already posted here with 263 comments and here with 160 comments.

GO BROWNS!!

[cactmh]

I was at a Jags vs. Bengals game and they did the same thing. (allowed a review after a play) BTW, I am glad the review is there. I've seen the ball get respotted 5ft forward because of a replay...

[Chi-townChief]

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

[stlrocket]

Did you check with HER First????????????

CLEVELAND BROWN MENSA MEMBER

[DenCos]

It's hard to believe the no huddle defense being used as a "Cr@p did he catch it or not" COVER UP almost worked.

Cleveland lost ... the ref may have been a little slow but Cleveland's attempt at covering up a bungled call was caught on video tape.

You lose.

[Always Right]

"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."

If the refs really got it right, they would have blown the play dead before the snap of the ball. By allowing the play to go on, they made a mistake.

[Wrigley]

BS. Pure CYA mode.

[Rustbelt]

The NFL's (and the national sports media's) spin campaign on this is worthy of Xlinton's greatest efforts. What is so hard to understand about no play can be reviewed after the ball is snapped again? So it's the Browns' fans fault that NFL refs are making up rules as the game goes along?

The fans who chucked things on the field were out of hand, and wrong.

Having said that, where's the outrage over the refs' mega-blunders?

Fans in other towns may go home whining after something like Sunday's debacle. Browns fans are different.

What the NFL wants: pay your eighty bucks and sit in the stadium like a zombie while they blast you with ads and lame music. That stuff doesn't fly in Clevetown. Cleveland is the only city that fought for and got their team back.

Check out www.browns.theinsiders.com. Run by self confessed Evil Republican, Arthur Bietz. Find out what obsessed Brownie fandom is all about.

[knowtherules]

I might not be able to referee an NFL game, but I do know how to spell Cleveland.

[connectthedots]

I used to ref college volleyball in one of the major conferences (The Conference of Champions) for several years making $70 per match + travel expenses. At that time, you did not do it for the money, but for the pride of being one of the best at it.

I also reffed HS basketball and the one call that I never had to make, but would have if it ever came up was this one. 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.

[classygreeneyedblonde]

There are refs that cheat in every game out there from lil league to pros and it happens every week.

And why was it the fans the reporters ,the newscasters all said the same thing ,buttttttttttttttt the refs just happen to be right..........maybe we all were at a different game than the refs....refs should be ashamed of themselves teaching kids it's ok to cheat..

[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.

[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?

[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.

[KSCITYBOY]

I have play sports all my life and have been pissed about the supposed injustice of a ump. or a ref. still I have never done more than say bullsh*t. The fans reaction was way out of line. Americans should save that kind of reaction for terrorists and those who support them rather than refs trying to do their jobs.