Dean Blandino

[Rob12]

The Vice President of officiating is on NFL network. Clearly stating that he thought it was a "bat" ( on KJ end of game). I have never heard a front office officials calling out their own refs. This is unbelievable. He has given the media a major headline tomorrow.

At the very least it was close and it is a subjective call. What a douche. Kam made Calvin Johnson fumble the ball, that's the story. Detroit should not have even been in that situation. They were not robbed! Total BS.

Close?

Look man, I'm damn proud to get that W. But KJ batted out intentionally. 99 percent of us didn't even know that was an actual rule until now. It's an obscure one, and I'd guess that most players in the league didn't know it was a rule either.

We were not given a win, but a non-call shot our win probability through the roof. I'm good with that. But KJ absolutely batted that ball intentionally to get the TB called, and it worked.

The ref said he thought it was inadvertent. I'm guessing he didn't know the rule either. And he was just covering his ***.

Either way it's a JUDGEMENT call by the official in question who say the entire play in full view. If it wasn't a penalty in the judgement of the official (for whatever the real reason was), then it isn't a penalty. Otherwise holding would be called on every play in football.

Fair enough. The still shots of KJ right before he hit the ball show intent to me though.

I'm happy. I just know that if we were on the opposite end of that call, we'd be having a good old fashioned .NET meltdown. And calling for some zebras jobs right now.

 

[Exittium]

"If it happened to us we'd be furious."

Exactly. I know I would. We got bailed out by ignorance of the rule book, IMO. Or at the very least, the ref knew the rule but just couldn't process it because it's so rare.

Dude.. not only did the ref not know the rule but blandino, who was on the mic in NY didn't know the rule up until the old fart said something, (because if he did, that call would have been called) at which point shit started rolling down hill.. And now, thats all we'll hear about throughout the season. Rather than the amazing play by Kam

 

[JAGHAWK]

Everyone is on the losing end of the rule book at some point. Sucks but what can you do?


2-2

 

[Seafan]

"If it happened to us we'd be furious."

Exactly. I know I would. We got bailed out by ignorance of the rule book, IMO. Or at the very least, the ref knew the rule but just couldn't process it because it's so rare.

Dude.. not only did the ref not know the rule but blandino, who was on the mic in NY didn't know the rule up until the old fart said something, (because if he did, that call would have been called) at which point shit started rolling down hill.. And now, thats all we'll hear about throughout the season. Rather than the amazing play by Kam

Incorrect. The ref knew the rule, it requires a judgement call and he made it. The judgement may have been wrong but the ref had the right to exercise his judgement. Deano is wrong.

Get rid of the rule.

 

[Hawkpower]

"If it happened to us we'd be furious."

Exactly. I know I would. We got bailed out by ignorance of the rule book, IMO. Or at the very least, the ref knew the rule but just couldn't process it because it's so rare.

How were we bailed out?

That ball was going out of the endzone or into KJs hands anyway

Even if the ref knew the rule, throwing the flag there would have BAILED OUT Detroit, not us.

 

[Polaris]

"If it happened to us we'd be furious."

Exactly. I know I would. We got bailed out by ignorance of the rule book, IMO. Or at the very least, the ref knew the rule but just couldn't process it because it's so rare.

Dude.. not only did the ref not know the rule but blandino, who was on the mic in NY didn't know the rule up until the old fart said something, (because if he did, that call would have been called) at which point shit started rolling down hill.. And now, thats all we'll hear about throughout the season. Rather than the amazing play by Kam

Not only that but no one at ESPN either in the broadcast crew or the support staff back in Bridgeport knew it either for a SOLID TEN MINUTES after that play happened. Remember that this play happened with 1:40 left to play with two Detroit time outs remaining (and they used them both).

This didn't erupt into controversy until one retired ref came out of the woodwork apparently (IMHO) with an axe to grind.

 

[johnnyfever]

If he wouldn't have held out his hand and just ran into it, that would not be a punch or a bat correct? I agree he batted it, but I do not agree that it should have been called hence changeing the game massively off of semantics. We have had plenty of non calls that would have changed games in our favor, and have actually argued in favor of the non call even though it beneffited the other team. I turn on the tv to watch football not officiating. Non calls are always much better than tictacky ones.

 

[themunn]

What advantage did KJ gain?

He could have just as easily just grabbed it and thats that.

Probably one of the many reasons why no penalty was called.

We didnt get away with anything, no call was the proper choice there.

Then he should have caught it.
The rule is to prevent a situation arising where KJ is challenging another player for the ball and he can just bat it out of the endzone while the other player needs to catch it. That's not what happened in this case, and so it looks a case of a penalty not being called by the letter of the law.

I think in this situation it's a good no-call, purely because KJ hasn't tried to get an unfair advantage, he, like many others didn't know the rule, otherwise he'd have surely caught it.

 

[YYZHawksFan]

Well, if ANYTHING, the Seahawks now know that next time, you put your hands together just before you grab the ball and then hit the ball with the pointy tips of your fingers as you just "miss" the catch...

Or PA will have to find a person to go on the party buses in Dallas with this guy.

 

[YYZHawksFan]

Then he should have caught it.

should have at least "tried" to catch it....

 

[HawkGA]

"If it happened to us we'd be furious."

Exactly. I know I would. We got bailed out by ignorance of the rule book, IMO. Or at the very least, the ref knew the rule but just couldn't process it because it's so rare.

I doubt it actually. It's not like it was a non-call that affected the way the play would have gone if the "foul" hadn't occurred. That is, the ball was going out of bounds whether KJ touched it or not. If anything, I think most of us would have felt a little dirty getting a second chance because of a call like that. We would have taken it sure, but it would feel dirty. We wouldn't be furious if it wasn't called.

Now, if Calvin was being horse-collared when somebody knocked the ball loose, something like that would be worth getting furious over because the foul would have been instrumental in the way the play went. Not so in this case.

Honestly, I was aware of the rule. But it hasn't been enforced in years. Kind of reminds me of the crowd noise rule. I think the league made the conscious decision at some point to stop enforcing it and everybody forgot about it.

 

[Blitzhawk]

The other thing is at full speed without the freeze frame review (that is not supposed to be used to call a penalty) how is the ref to know that KJ was not trying to grab the ball with one hand and knocked it out accidentally which would not be a penalty by letter of the law. I know KJ said otherwise after the game and the freeze frame shows "more probable than not" a bump of the ball out.

As has been stated by others, this is a bit of a judgement call by the officials...done. Also, I believe the intent of the rule comes off the heels of the Raider's fumbleroosky where they intentionally fumbled and batted the ball forward back and forth all the way to the endzone. I think there is a big difference between the intent of a rule and the letter of the rule that should be interpeted by the refs as it was.

 

[canfan]

Just checked the standings. Nobody has erased the number 2 under the win column, so I guess that the win will stand despite the mostly manufactured outrage (I mean really, did you know that the Lions had so many morally outraged defenders?). So if the press and the trolls - who are sometimes one and the same (yes, I'm looking at you Pete Prisco) want to spend the week stewing in their own bile about this, that's cool. Sometimes you get the calls, sometimes you don't and people will only remember the ones that fit with their love or hate of the team involved. We get the win and I get the additional satisfaction of knowing that last nights outcome has ruined the day of so many incredible assholes! It's a great day to be a Seahawks fan!!

 

[Seahawkfan80]

Well, if ANYTHING, the Seahawks now know that next time, you put your hands together just before you grab the ball and then hit the ball with the pointy tips of your fingers as you just "miss" the catch...

Or PA will have to find a person to go on the party buses in Dallas with this guy.

We call that the "Whiff". LOL oops I missed the ball and my hands went all the way around me. Heck he could have just blocked anyone trying to get to the ball too. THey do it on punts.


GO HAWKS