That reversal of the fumble call was about as ridiculous as it gets....wow.
From what I've been hearing and reading, it wasn't a bad call.
It's a bad rule.
From ESPN's site: espn.go.com
After a number of minutes and plenty of head scratching, the play was ruled an incomplete pass.
The ruling of referee Walt Coleman: while Brady was trying to tuck the ball, his arm was moving
forward, thus the play was ruled an incomplete pass. This was based on Rule 3, Section 21,
Article 2, Note 2 of the NFL rule book: "...any intentional forward movement of [the passer's] arm
starts a forward pass, even if the player loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck
it back toward his body."
Explained Coleman to a pool reporter, "When I got over to the replay monitor and looked it was
obvious that his arm was coming forward, he was trying to tuck the ball and they just knocked it
out of his hand. His hand was coming forward, which makes it an incomplete pass."
Asked to explain what it would have taken for it to be ruled a fumble, Coleman said, "He would
have had to have brought it all the way in and got it all the way underneath his arm in order for it
(to be a fumble)."
(Westy would be proud of me...) <g>
If you ask me, I would think that as soon as the QB makes it evident that he does not intend on
throwing the ball, and his arm motion is stopped, the ball should be considered in play.
Why should he be given the extra second to tuck it away safely?
The league should look at that rule again and consider changing it.
All in all, I think this was an incredible game.
Hopefully the Raider fans will be able to see it as that, also.
That game will be on highlight reels for years to come.
-FootballFan |
