Video: Gordon McCarter & the infamous Polaroid

[ak482]

Not too many people outside officiating buffs will remember the name Gordon McCarter. Those that do will remember him from this 1995 Vikings-Steelers game. After his crew incorrectly determined the Steelers had 12 men on the field on a missed Vikings field goal, Steelers coach Bill Cowher gave him an earful plus. That plus was the Polaroid picture clearly showing only 11 Steelers on the field. And to think in 1995: no replay & still black & white photos as technology.



If any NFL head coach has warranted being ejected from a game, it was Cowher for this action. I don't know if it was coincidental or not, but this wound up being McCarter's last season as a referee.

[zebrablog]

There is a casebook entry that nearly models this situation, and states that the coach is ejected. In 99 seasons, there has not been a coach ejected

[teo]

IIRC McCarter and line judge Ben Montgomery were fined (HL John Schleyer tried to contain Cowher entering the field). McCarter was in his 29th and final season (22 of them as referee), and I think he is the best referee in the Super Bowl era that didn't receive a Super Bowl assignment, not even a Conference championship (he only worked 4 divisonal playoffs as a referee, after the 1977, 1978, 1988 and 1991 seasons).

[FredFan7]

Jul 5, 2019 13:25:41 GMT -5 teo said:

IIRC McCarter and line judge Ben Montgomery were fined (HL John Schleyer tried to contain Cowher entering the field). McCarter was in his 29th and final season (22 of them as referee), and I think he is the best referee in the Super Bowl era that didn't receive a Super Bowl assignment, not even a Conference championship (he only worked 4 divisonal playoffs as a referee, after the 1977, 1978, 1988 and 1991 seasons).

I'll see your Gordon McCarter and raise you a Chuck Heberling. But, Heberling did a few conference championships and was a SB alternate twice. McCarter never got that far, although I think he would have done just fine at those assignments.