betED.com - The View from the Couch - by Gavin McDougald!
January 18th, 2006 - Bad call – before, during and after.
This wagering game is a funny little bidness idn’t it? No matter how much you know, or how detailed your research may be and regardless of how good your inside information is –-as the football experts tell us again and again-- it all comes down to what happens between those white lines…
…which is, as two games on the weekend demonstrated, completely wrong.
The outcomes of far too many gridiron battles are determined elsewhere – or more precisely – else who.
For many it’s not that surprising that the Colts, the Tony Dungy-coached team who was supposed to win the big one, again lost the big one. Or that Peyton Manning, who is 3-6 in the playoffs, didn’t rise to the occasion. (More on that guy later). Nope, none of that should worry a gambler. That’s just football.
Also, I’m not talking about that “Gods must be on dope” post-Bettis fumble run-back followed by Ben Roethlisberger’s all-world bad tackle on Nick Harper. (By the way, Ben was sure on target all day wasn’t he! Nice job whacking Harper on the exact spot where his wife had stabbed him only the day before.)
Rather, what was the surprise was, late in the game, the Colts were in a position to win the thing in the first place. All because of that terrible call by referee Pete Morelli, who decided, all evidence to the contrary, that Troy Polamalu didn’t intercept one of Manning's many stray ducks.
Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter will be almost assuredly fined for stating this truth:
"I know they wanted Indy to win this game; the whole world loves Peyton Manning, But come on, man, don't take the game away from us like that.''
Morelli’s decision – which took up five TV minutes – or about an hour in real time, was acknowledged by the NFL on Monday as being a world class boo boo. But what about the missed false start by the Steelers? Or the Manning sack for the safety? Both of those were obvious gaffs by the crew in stripes, (who should be behind bars), but no mention of those by the best league in the world.
Nor of the calls that screwed the defending Super Bowl champs out of a chance to three-peat.
The Steelers may have had it bad – but at least the Zebras didn’t cost them the game as they did the New England Patriots.
At the end of the first half New England was leading by a field goal when they were called for on a brutal pass interference call in the end zone. Replays showed it wasn’t close to a penalty – but what’s 7 points on a fluke? These things tend to balance out right? Wrong. The Pats were flustered and fumbled the ensuing kickoff. A few plays later Denver set up for a field goal when one of their linemen clearly false-started.
No whistle. The ball is up and just good. The five yards would have put the Broncs out of range for the kick. Denver was gifted the 10 points and the lead and the Patriots lost their composure and couldn’t recover.
Dan Jenkins used to write books about how zebras must be plotting new ways to screw up the game. Even a legendary imagination like his must be in awe of their weekend performance.
So – what to do? The solution is actually simple. Afford the refs the same luxury we have. Put one on a couch at each game and let them watch the thing on the tube. Let them make the tough calls. Give them a Tivo and let them replay the play on a 60” hi-def plasma instead of that dinky little TV the guys on the field have to use.
And also – start zebra drug testing. Today.
And speaking of drug testing, what kind of mind-altering substance was Peyton Manning on on Sunday?
Seeing the All-American quarterback, who hasn’t put a foot wrong media-wise during his tenure in the league, complain about his teammates’ protection as a reason for the loss was completely classless. It might have been true, but it was still nothing short of a whine.
If Manning wants to be remembered as one of the greats, there are three things he’s gotta be able to do. First, if he’s given the ball in the playoffs in his end, with time left on the clock, he should drive down the field a la Elway or Montana and not get sacked on the two. Second, if he does get sacked on the two, blame himself, not anyone else.
Third, win at least one really big game.
Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch
Remember to drop us a line at rants@betED.com to voice your opinion on one of McDougald's articles or on anything else you read at betED.com!
January 18th, 2006 - Bad call – before, during and after.
This wagering game is a funny little bidness idn’t it? No matter how much you know, or how detailed your research may be and regardless of how good your inside information is –-as the football experts tell us again and again-- it all comes down to what happens between those white lines…
…which is, as two games on the weekend demonstrated, completely wrong.
The outcomes of far too many gridiron battles are determined elsewhere – or more precisely – else who.
For many it’s not that surprising that the Colts, the Tony Dungy-coached team who was supposed to win the big one, again lost the big one. Or that Peyton Manning, who is 3-6 in the playoffs, didn’t rise to the occasion. (More on that guy later). Nope, none of that should worry a gambler. That’s just football.
Also, I’m not talking about that “Gods must be on dope” post-Bettis fumble run-back followed by Ben Roethlisberger’s all-world bad tackle on Nick Harper. (By the way, Ben was sure on target all day wasn’t he! Nice job whacking Harper on the exact spot where his wife had stabbed him only the day before.)
Rather, what was the surprise was, late in the game, the Colts were in a position to win the thing in the first place. All because of that terrible call by referee Pete Morelli, who decided, all evidence to the contrary, that Troy Polamalu didn’t intercept one of Manning's many stray ducks.
Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter will be almost assuredly fined for stating this truth:
"I know they wanted Indy to win this game; the whole world loves Peyton Manning, But come on, man, don't take the game away from us like that.''
Morelli’s decision – which took up five TV minutes – or about an hour in real time, was acknowledged by the NFL on Monday as being a world class boo boo. But what about the missed false start by the Steelers? Or the Manning sack for the safety? Both of those were obvious gaffs by the crew in stripes, (who should be behind bars), but no mention of those by the best league in the world.
Nor of the calls that screwed the defending Super Bowl champs out of a chance to three-peat.
The Steelers may have had it bad – but at least the Zebras didn’t cost them the game as they did the New England Patriots.
At the end of the first half New England was leading by a field goal when they were called for on a brutal pass interference call in the end zone. Replays showed it wasn’t close to a penalty – but what’s 7 points on a fluke? These things tend to balance out right? Wrong. The Pats were flustered and fumbled the ensuing kickoff. A few plays later Denver set up for a field goal when one of their linemen clearly false-started.
No whistle. The ball is up and just good. The five yards would have put the Broncs out of range for the kick. Denver was gifted the 10 points and the lead and the Patriots lost their composure and couldn’t recover.
Dan Jenkins used to write books about how zebras must be plotting new ways to screw up the game. Even a legendary imagination like his must be in awe of their weekend performance.
So – what to do? The solution is actually simple. Afford the refs the same luxury we have. Put one on a couch at each game and let them watch the thing on the tube. Let them make the tough calls. Give them a Tivo and let them replay the play on a 60” hi-def plasma instead of that dinky little TV the guys on the field have to use.
And also – start zebra drug testing. Today.
And speaking of drug testing, what kind of mind-altering substance was Peyton Manning on on Sunday?
Seeing the All-American quarterback, who hasn’t put a foot wrong media-wise during his tenure in the league, complain about his teammates’ protection as a reason for the loss was completely classless. It might have been true, but it was still nothing short of a whine.
If Manning wants to be remembered as one of the greats, there are three things he’s gotta be able to do. First, if he’s given the ball in the playoffs in his end, with time left on the clock, he should drive down the field a la Elway or Montana and not get sacked on the two. Second, if he does get sacked on the two, blame himself, not anyone else.
Third, win at least one really big game.
Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch
Remember to drop us a line at rants@betED.com to voice your opinion on one of McDougald's articles or on anything else you read at betED.com!
