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Packers Fall to Seahawks After Terrible Last-Second Call by Replacement Refs

Sep. 25, 2012 2:47am Jason Howerton

The furor over the work of replacement officials reached a fevered pitch during Week 3 in the NFL, especially Monday night when Seattle beat Green Bay on a desperation pass that appeared to be an interception.

Seahawks receiver Golden Tate was awarded a touchdown on the final play after a scrum on the ground in the end zone. Packers safety M.D. Jennings appeared to catch the ball against his body, with Tate getting one arm around the ball.

After a few seconds, one official indicated a stoppage of play, but another signaled touchdown for a conclusion former NFL coach Jon Gruden, working the game on TV, called “tragic” and “comical.”

Packers Fall to Seahawks After Controversial Last Second Call by Replacement Refs

(Credit: Timothy Burke via ESPN)

Tate clearly shoved cornerback Sam Shields to the ground on the play, but as Gruden noted, offensive pass interference almost never is called on desperation passes.

Watch the unbelievable video of the final play in the Monday night game:

“Very hard to swallow,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “I have never seen anything like that in my time in football.”

The refs ruled that the wide receiver caught the game winning touchdown on a simultaneous catch with the defensive player. Only, the tape clearly shows that the defensive player, M.D. Jennings, first established possession of the football.

Here’s how the NFL official rule book defines a simultaneous catch:

If a pass is caught simultaneously by two eligible opponents, and both players retain it, the ball belongs to the passers. It is not a simultaneous catch if a player gains control first and an opponent subsequently gains joint control. If the ball is muffed after simultaneous touching by two such players, all the players of the passing team become eligible to catch the loose ball.

It is a call that will be talked about for days to come.

It came just one day after New England coach Bill Belichick was confused about a decisive field goal he thought was off-target and Detroit’s Jim Schwartz couldn’t understand a 27-yard penalty walk-off for unnecessary roughness.

“These games are a joke,” Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman tweeted.

McCarthy was measured in his postgame remarks.

“Most unusual football game I have been a part of,” he said. “I know it’s been a wild weekend in the NFL and I guess we are part of it.”

Speaking after the game, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was a little more straightforward, saying the replacement refs’ call at the end of the game was “awful.”

Packers guard T.J. Lang was even more emphatic, tweeting that the Packers were “f**ked by the refs. Thanks NFL.” He followed up that profane tweet with another that said, “F**k it NFL.. Fine me and use the money to pay the regular refs.” The latter tweet had more than 64,000 retweets as of 2:30 a.m. ET.

Take a look at his tweets below:

Got fucked by the refs.. Embarrassing. Thanks nfl

— TJ Lang (@TJLang70) September 25, 2012

Fuck it NFL.. Fine me and use the money to pay the regular refs.

— TJ Lang (@TJLang70) September 25, 2012

Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings joined the chorus of his teammates in criticizing the refs, tweeting:

#NFL C’MON MAN! Can’t even be upset anymore. All I can do is laugh. Laugh at the #NFL for allowing America’s game to come this. WOW!

— Greg Jennings (@GregJennings) September 25, 2012

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll had a different opinion, likely from anyone who isn’t a Seattle fan or player.

“From what I understood from the officials it was a simultaneous catch. Tie goes to the runner. Good call,” Carroll said.

But wait. It get’s even better.

Following Monday Night Football’s fiasco, the Lingerie Football League (LFL) released a statement, first reported by Deadspin, that revealed the league was actually forced to fire some of the refs that are now serving in the National Football League due to incompetence. Here’s the LFL’s statement:

Because of the LFL’s perception it is that much more critical for us to hire officiating crews that are competent, not only for the credibility of our game but to keep our athletes safer. Due to several on-field incompetent officiating we chose to part ways with with a couple crews which apparently are now officiating in the NFL. We have a lot of respect for our officials but we felt the officiating was not in line with our expectations.

We have not made public comment to date because we felt it was not our place to do so. However in light of tonight’s event, we felt it was only fair that NFL fans knew the truth as to who are officiating these games.

And as Deadspin points out, “If there was ever a reason for a public statement from a third-tier football league at 12:28 a.m. on a Tuesday, tonight’s debacle was it.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

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Comments (156)

TJexcite
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 7:27am
They are doing the bad calls on purpose. They are not really scabs just part of the plan to make the NFL get the real refs back. When there is a teachers strike they do not call in the guys off the street to teach well that is what they did here and the NFL players union went right along with it knowing it would make the NFL cave to the real refs. When the players union play they are crossing the refs picket line which use to be a no no when there was sympathy strikes unless they are all in it together to show how bad it is with replacements.

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- denispaul
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 8:51am
  thank you i’ve been thinking the same way for awhile.
  
  Report this comment
- denispaul
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 8:58am
  How about blameing the regular refs for being so greedy,What do they want.-200,000 dollars for working 20 games a year.
  
  Report this comment
- dcx10music
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 10:57am
  There had to have been a better way than that. By my count on the season, so far these idiots have cost the following teams wins:
  
  1) Seahawks (week 1 vs. Cardinals)
  2) Ravens (week 2 vs. Eagles)
  3) Patriots (week 2 vs. Cardinals)
  4) Buccaneers (week 3 vs. Cowboys)
  5) Patriots…again (week 3 vs. Ravens)
  6) Now the Packers (Week 3 vs. Seahawks)
  
  In addition, they’ve potentially screwed over the following teams:
  
  1) Broncos (week 2 vs. Falcons)
  2) Jets (week 3 vs. Dolphins)
  3) Vikings (week 3 vs. 49ers)
  4) Redskins (week 3 vs. Bengals)
  5) Titans (week 3 vs. Lions)
  6) Raiders (week 3 vs. Steelers)
  
  There’s gotta be a better way to get the refs back than by giving them all the leverage by continuing to compromise this season.
  
  Report this comment
- encinom
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 1:05pm
  denispaul
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 8:58am
  
  How about blameing the regular refs for being so greedy,What do they want.-200,000 dollars for working 20 games a year.
  ________________________________
  Of course, the real greed is on the part of the owners, the Refs are asking for $3Mil in their pension of a business whose net worth is over $9Billion. Anti Union scabs of the Tea ****** party, just want to be serfs and they protect the greedy from the workers.
  
  Report this comment
soybomb315_II
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 7:21am
that call was almost as bad as picking romney in the primary

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- bpodlesnik
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 7:47am
  Duh dum tsss
  
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- CALL ME SNAKE
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 8:24am
  Actually, it was almost as bad as all those that voted for Obama in’08, thinking he was going to affect any positive change in the country.
  
  Report this comment
mrpips
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 7:21am
It was the right call. Simultaneous possession goes to the intended receiver. The regular refs aren’t any better.

Article 4 Section B of the Rule Book:

If the ball is declared dead while in the simultaneous possession of two opposing players, the ball is awarded to the receiving team.

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- twbranch
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 7:33am
  Two problems….one it was not a simultaneous catch. Packers DB had two hands on the ball and Seahawks WR had one arm hooked under the DBs. Second issue is the Seahawks WR should have been penalized for the two handed push off. What a joke! I watched a game the other day where they blew two or three calls that were reviewed and still blew them. I don’t have a horse in the race and I do not like the Packers at all but the NFL needs to do something about the refs. I will not watch another game until the regular refs return.
  
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- Meggars53
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 10:37am
  @TWBranch, you are correct in your analysis of the play. What struck me more than the ridiculous TD call was the non-call for Offensive Pass Interference, (OPI). Two refs were within 10 yards facing the play where the OPI happened right in front of them. One was as close as 15 feet and yet neither one saw the OPI. There was no way they couldn’t have seen it. I saw it as it happened and was saying the game over no matter who caught the ball. Terrible non-call, terrible weekend for football because of the miserable job the refs are doing.
  
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- Dan_o
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 10:52am
  It’s more common than not to let those calls go on the game ending play. It’s been that way as long as I can remember and in all sports.
  
  Report this comment
- Charybdis
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 1:07pm
  TWBRANCH – Wrong! Your analysis on the initial part of the catch was BEFORE the DB’s feet touched the ground! Play is still going! By the time their feet were on the ground, both players had possession of the ball. If the DB had truly tucked it in, you would not have been able to see the ball as easily. At that point both are down by contact and the play is dead – tie goes to the receiver. Period. It doesn’t matter what happened before or after that moment. There were some bad calls both ways in that game, but this wasn’t one of them. A tough call – yes. But the right call was made within the rules, and was confirmed by instant replay. Touchdown, Seahawks!
  
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commonsenseguy
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 7:10am
the packers are blaming everyone but themselves they had a ton of penalties from holding to false starts, if they would have played better then they would not have had to count on this score, they blame the refs,but the play was reviewed but a union replay ref, he has the final say, i don’t hear people bitching when their teams do something stupid the fans just boo, but the coaches and players being union want the union buddies back so they will do what all unions do bitch , complain and moan it wont be long until they start tearing stuff up. if you thing this is fun wait until all health care is provided by union workers because that is what is about to happen, they will bitch and moan and start tearing stuff up when they don’t get their way and the patients will suffer for their greediness.can’t wait it will be fun.

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Sloburn
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 7:02am
Has anyone else noticed that The Blaze has the worst commenting. You never know where or when your comment will post.

Now their is something we could all get behind, fire a intern and hire a good commenting program.

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- M13
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 10:31am
  I think the packer fans need a little whine with that cheese they are eating.
  
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- bloomytoad
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 10:34am
  That’s because all comments are reviewed and censored. It’s not nearly as bad as the Feed, though. There I doubt 1% of comments actually get posted. Nothing that is critical at all of Glenn is ever seen there.
  
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Sloburn
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 6:55am
Of all the places I expected to see this, The Blaze is the last.

A small union tells the NFL to drop it’s pants and enjoy being gang rped and the Blaze supports them. Doesn’t seem right to me.

A couple of things staff of The Blaze might want to keep in mind 1) gambling on NFL Football is illegal so since it didn’t cost you money why all of the concern? and 2) The games I saw didn’t have any bad calls, and even your highly paid AFofL union certified ref’s have made bad calls in the past.

So tell me again why The Blaze is supporting union thugs?

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RepubliCorp
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 6:55am
Most people go to work…..some play a game
who cares, its just meaningless entertainment

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- fdraiden
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 1:24pm
  You’re right, the world is on fire and we’re worried about a lousy call in a football game. Glad we have our priorities straight!
  
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ree758
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 6:52am
All the games are silly everyone needs to to some thing else on sunday boycott the games

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Molaki
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 6:49am
How sad that people value their existence by how well their football team performed. Instead of watching football you should take the time to sit with your children and talk to them about life, read a book, watch a movie or god forbid actually talk to each other, adult-to-adult!!! IT IS A GAME……and you should walk away from it and never look back. Trust me, your life on Sunday, Monday and now Thursday will be much richer for having forsaken this craven idol called football.

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- ree758
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 6:54am
  My children are grown may I watch
  
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lassiegirldawn
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 6:37am
We won the game, but not by our skills. My grandsons High School referees’ did a better job than last night. Yes we won, but we are embarrassed here in Seattle. To own this one, I have to say the Packers really won.

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- 338lapua
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 7:18am
  The officiating was pathetic, that is true. But even with competent refs there are bad calls. Hopefully the real refs are working by thursday and the stupidity will end. I live a bit south of G.B. and am a huge fan of the Packers. I cannot honestly say, after Sundays games, that i didn’t expect some comedy from the refs. Take your win, the Packers just may win one the same way on Sunday.
  
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- Charybdis
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 1:12pm
  Speak for yourself, Lassie! I’m proud of my Hawks today! I can think of many reasons to celebrate a deserved win last night!
  
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- help me world
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 3:24pm
  CHARYBDIS:
  You are just like your incredibly incompitent HC, who cheated all during his days at USC. You can have your VICTORY, but the REAL people know who really one. YOU are AUSELELL IDIOT
  
  Report this comment
80mesh
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 6:17am
GO SEAHAWKS !!!!!!!

and take the NFL with you when you go

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Gary_K
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 6:07am
Who cares? I sure dont !

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On The Bayou
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 5:44am
The NFL is under attack from the inside just as the country is ! We are supposed to believe that game after game these guys are too fricken stupid to call a game. There have been strikes before and we haven`t seen anything like this. Rush may be right again, Roger Goodell is a Liberal and his intent is to end the game as we know it. The Saints are another example, get rid of Rodger Goodell and the replacement REFS will go away also. You can`t have a sport that millions of people love in this country, that`s just wrong.

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FightingBear
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 5:40am
I’m a Bear’s fan…so a Green Bay loss is the best outcome in my opinion….that being said, it was a horrible call…Green Bay got screwed.

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Country_of_Arizona
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 5:37am
You know I have really understood why multi-millionaires athletes would need a UNION, but anyway in my punkish days I belonged to the Teamsters and we never crossed any picket-lines. I guess that is a non-rule here in the NFL; so it’s funny to watch everybody bemoan the NON-UNION refs. Oh yes I am a Seahawk fan-had season tickets from 77- 92 and in those years Seattle was on the other side of those calls. One very vivid game ( a playoff ) he Seahawks stopped ny jets qb (vinnie something) 1/2 yd from the goal line and the UNION refs called a td (b-4 replay rules) and the hawks lost the jets went on. They say it all evens out….so stuff it everyone.

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asybot12
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 5:06am
I just realized after reading the comments so far why the US is in the sewer. IT IS A GAME!! . are any of the fans making money ? all you do is spend a fortune on buying tickets, t-shirts etc.,wake up a.. je..ks you are being taken for a ride. I love sports, I buy a few brews on the weekend have a few friends over and watch on the tube when a “game ” does not work for me we switch to another one or Golf! or the fishing channel or go and sit on the sun deck have BBQ and have a conversation!!!! (go sh..t hawks !)

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- D-Fence
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 5:30am
  I remember when i was a young whipper snapper going to watch the Redskins play and 4 tickets would cost me around $125. Now I couldn’t take my kids and get the same seats for under $500+. The NFL is a Union run beast. I agree that they’ve been taken advantage of for years by the owners and other entities.. The owners like the Tampa Bay owner are such dicks. Tampa gets blacked out for the local Tampa market when the game isn’t sold out. They changed it to 75% sold but still no one goes. All I know is that it’s becoming less and less entertaining to watch. The players are wife beating, drug using, gun toting thugs. The owners are greedy, know it all bastards. The fans are fair weather fans. It’s a problem all the way around
  
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- mersey
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 6:04am
  Heck D-Fence, it probably would cost you $125 just to use the parking lot at FedExField today.
  
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rightleaningCree
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 4:31am
Why waste a good Monday night watching ESPN after what they did to Hank Jr last year. They can keep the change.

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JACKTHETOAD
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 4:12am
Shut down the NFL for the season. No great loss.

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Master_and_Commander
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 4:03am
Hahahaaa, wowww, I’m beside myself laughing. Let the bar fight between the Packers and NFL begin, ladies and gents, while the Sea Hawks sit quietly by in the corner…

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- bates8963
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 4:47am
  I think it is just funnier than hell…… look, these replacement ref’s let the players play….. I love the ass kicking beatdowns, and just nasty ball. Reminds me of the 1970′s Raider teams vs the much hated Steelers…. Talk about ass kicking entertainment. Of course, the civilized world….. i.e. progressives which includes ESPN… are screaming for the league to settle a CBA with the Ref’s union….. for consessions the NFL have deemed completely unacceptable at this point…….. Just watch…. this strike will be settled in favor of the union this week….. after a call to the NFL from Obummer…. sorry, just sayin………..
  
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- Charybdis
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 1:20pm
  I didn’t hear so much whining and griping when the Seahawks were denied a playoff spot in 1998 after Testaverde’s helmet was confused with the ball and given a free TD for the Jets! Nor was there so much hand-wringing after the Hawks got totally screwed in Super Bowl XL because the NFL decided the Steelers needed to be handed a 5th title. Freebie touchdowns have been awarded many times at the expense of the Seahawks. So I say what goes around comes around! Not that I disagree with the call. I thought it was one of the few ones they got right last night. But this was only a Week 3 game. It’s not like it’s the playoffs or anything.
  
  Oh, and btw, it was the “regular” refs who blew those HUGE calls I was talking about. So go figure!
  
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PoliticiansRCrooks
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 3:53am
Payback towards another team? As I recall you said Steelers, not Packers. Packers had nothing to do with Seahawks losing to Steelers so do me a favor commie and go to sleep and act like a good little sheep you are.

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rat_bat_blue
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 3:38am
Let’s go Vick! Set the dogs on ‘em!

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DavidCH
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 3:35am
Remember the 05 Super Bowl! The Seahawks were screwed out of three TDs by “professional” refs on the take for the Steelers that are no longer working for the NFL Don’t tell me it was a bad call. I will just say that pay back is worth it!!

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jmanuola
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 3:32am
I am neither a Packers fan nor a Seahawks fan, but I was beside myself with how the entire last 8+ minutes of the game was called. The roughing the QB that negated the FIRST interception. The pass interference call that extended the drive just before the last one. The last play was pure poetry…for incompetence.

I’ve already decided I am not watching anymore NFL until the League gets their heads out of their ____ and works out a deal with the officials. MY GOD, MAN, we’re talking about 1% (ONE STINKING PERCENT) of the entire league’s revenues.

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Joe
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 3:32am
So I decided to take a break from politics and watch a good football game. Yea right! The refs screwed up the penalty walk off in the Lions game on Sunday and then screwed the Packers on Monday. The NHL has locked out their players. So there’s no Football or Hockey. Well I guess there’s always Curling, eh?

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Buddynoel
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 3:23am
These officials will be fired just in time to be hired by the White House to count the votes this fall. I can see a very similar result coming in just 42 days. Good times for all!!!

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- PoliticiansRCrooks
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 3:56am
  Your in denial if you think Romney will win this election.
  
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- Buddynoel
  Posted on September 25, 2012 at 11:38am
  Is this Al Gore? Look pal, you blew the debates and lost. If Packers fans can live with it and move on, so can you.
  
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