NE Media Already Getting Whipped Up Over Officials

[FredFan7]

Stabile made a controversial call against the Pats in 2009 and WEEI radio is helping the fans remember it.

bit.ly/Az4hQR

[Brent]

Kind of an innocuous little piece. Sure it points out a controversial play, but it gives the article something more than just the names, and 99.9% of the people who watch football (other than us weirdos) don't have any idea who the officials are other than maybe the white hat...

[zebrablog]

Video of that play: refs.ws/f

I pulled out my write-up of that week's "Official Review" (ahh, remember those?):

Also under “Official Review” was the oft-talked-about 4th-and-2 play where the Patriots attempted to get the first down to run out the clock, rather than punt to the Colts. Because the ball was juggled (and clearly indicated by headlinesman Tom Stabile), forward progress cannot be granted until the player gets control. It was a good call by Stabile in real-time, and a tough call to make on such a pivotal play. With the benefit of replay, it would appear that the Patriots were further back even. When Kevin Faulk maintains control, he is in the air and going to the ground. Even though he has caught the ball, he has not by rule caught the ball until he plants two solid feet, or has gone completely to the ground. (For spotting purposes, forward progress would be given at the point of any body part other than a hand or foot hitting the ground, provided the receiver subsequently completes the process of a catch.) Pereira should have stopped talking at that point, because he said that if the original call was first down, and if the Colts challenged the call, that the original call would have stood. This is a wishy-washy answer, as Faulk is clearly bobbling the ball and not touching the ground until clearly behind the first-down marker.

[JugglingReferee]

Any other angles?

[JugglingReferee]

Jan 26, 2012 12:47:01 GMT -5 JugglingReferee said:

Any other angles?