namelesstavern.net

If you want to argue semantics in sports theology, knock lyion or xaoshen on the forehead.

From Associated Press:

The NFL said the referee made a mistake: Troy Polamalu caught the ball.

The league acknowledged Monday that referee Pete Morelli erred when he overturned on replay Polamalu's interception of a Peyton Manning pass Sunday in the playoff game between Pittsburgh and Indianapolis.

Mike Pereira, the league's vice president of officiating, said in a statement that Morelli should have upheld the call, made with 5:26 left in Pittsburgh's win over the Colts.

"He maintained possession long enough to establish a catch," Pereira said. "Therefore, the replay review should have upheld the call on the field that it was a catch and fumble."

After the reversal, the Colts went on to score a touchdown and a 2-point conversion, cutting the Steelers' 21-10 lead to 21-18. That led to a wild final few minutes and Pittsburgh clinched its win only when the Colts' Mike Vanderjagt missed a 46-yard field-goal attempt.

On the play, Polamalu made a diving catch of Manning's pass, tumbled with it in his hands and got up to run. When he did, he fumbled the ball, then recovered. Colts coach Tony Dungy challenged and Morelli ruled Polamalu had not completed the catch.

Shortly after the game, Morelli said: "I had the defender catching the ball. Before he got up, he hit it with his leg with his other leg still on the ground. Therefore, he did not complete the catch. And then he lost the ball. It came out, and so we made the play an incomplete pass."

Had the call stood, the Steelers would have had the ball at their own 48 with an 11-point lead.

"The definition of a catch -- or in this case an interception -- states that in the process of making a catch a player must maintain possession of the ball after he contacts the ground," Pereira said.

"The rule regarding the performing of an act common to the game applies when there is contact with a defensive player and the ball comes loose, which did not happen here."

The NFL almost never makes public the result of its reviews, although it did three years ago, when Pereira said officials should have called pass interference against San Francisco on the final play of a wild-card game with the New York Giants. The correct call would have given New York a second chance to kick a game-winning field goal in a 39-38 loss.

After the game, Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter said of the ruling:

"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."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello had no comment on Porter's statement.

In the past, players who have made such statements have been subject to fines.

Polamalu's overturned interception wasn't the only unusual call. Earlier in the game, when the Steelers were preparing to go for a fourth-and-inches from the Pittsburgh 48, two Colts defensive lineman ran across the line of scrimmage, pointing at the Steelers as if one of the linemen moved.

The officials stopped the game, but called no penalty.

Replays appeared to show Alan Faneca barely flinched. But Steelers coach Bill Cowher argued the Colts made contact with the linemen, which would have forced an offside call and a first down. Instead, Ben Roethlisberger ran a quarterback sneak for a first down, which allowed Pittsburgh to use another 5:02 before punting.

there were a fair amount of really odd calls(and non-calls) this weekend


none of those fuckers should get to work another playoff game

They need to fire all the refs, hire twice as many at half the price who are also half those bastards age. Then have pay based on accuracy and correct calls.

Definitely not a good called weekend. The only positive is none of the calls really changed the outcome in any game.

Even though he fucked up the called, this is undeserved.

From Fox sports:

NFL referee Pete Morelli is having a rough week.

On Sunday, Morelli made one of the more controversial calls in NFL history, overturning what appeared to be an interception by the Steelers' Troy Polamalu. On Monday, his Stockton, Calif. home was vandalized, according to police reports.

Lieutenant Thomas Wells of the Stockton Police Department told FOXSports.com's Jay Glazer that a police report was filed after a rock was thrown through Morelli's living room window late Monday night after Morelli and his wife had gone to bed. Lt. Wells emphasized that police had no suspect and no motive in the case and could not say with any degree of certainty whether the act of vandalism was related to Sunday's call.

"We are aware of the situation and we're cooperating with police in any way we can," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello.

On Monday, the NFL admitted that Morelli had erred when he used instant replay to overturn the interception. Mike Pereira, the league's VP of officiating, said in a statement that the call on the field should have stood.

"He maintained possession long enough to establish a catch," Pereira said. "Therefore, the replay review should have upheld the call on the field that it was a catch and fumble."

Fortunately for Morelli — and the Steelers — while the botched call allowed the Colts to eventually pull within a field goal, it ultimately did not play any role in the outcome of the game, which Pittsburgh won, 21-18.

I have a hard time believing someone wasn't paying him to fuck that call

He lives in Stockton California...........

If you dont get a rock thrown through your window at least once a week it would be odd. That place is the worst place in the United states for crime per capita, if there was an Arm pit of California, Stockton would be it.