The Colts' Unearned Superbowl Birth

UPDATE!
The videos have been taken off the internet...the NFL has the rights to all the footacge and is picky about who gets to play clips. I doubt on an NFL endorsed video we will see the absolutely terrible officiating called out for what it was.


Ok so this is the first non-philosophical/theological issue I have posted on I think. Well, wait NO, this IS theological it has to do with justice! Well what I am talking about is the Patriots Colts game from last week. What I witnessed was the worst officiating I have seen since the advent of instant replay, the Colts should have lost the game but there were a few key calls that swayed the game to favor the Colts. I honestly had no real preference to win although I was rooting for the Patriots because you need to root for somebody. I am a Packers' fan, so I am a third party witness to this wretched officiating. There were three wrong calls that stand out which completely changed the game.

1) Pass interference on the Patriots

(Sorry no video)

Since the video isn't on the net here's what happened: a Patriot defender Hobbs, was guarding a Colt reciever in the endzone, the defender never touched the reciever but he did not look back to see the ball and it hit him in the back. FLAG! The announcers told us that a player is not allowed to do what Hobbs did "He didn't play the ball". This indeed USED to be a penalty but actually the NFL rules changed that about six years ago, it was called "face guarding". Now the rules have changed, it is ok so long as you do not physically interfere with the reciever prior to his making contact with the ball. CHECK THE RULEBOOK. So what was the result of this bad call? They get the ball on the one yardline which is pretty much an automatic touchdown for Indianapolis.

A Former NFL referee has a column: Ask Jerry Markbreit had this to say in response to a question about the call I am discussing:

"During the Colts/Pats AFC Championship game, defensive pass interference was called on Pats back Ellis Hobbs in the endzone while guarding Reggie Wayne. Was it because Hobbs bumped Wayne or was it because Hobbs never looked for the ball, jumped, and blocked the pass with his back? --Stephen Griffith, Bloomington, Ind.

Answer: A defensive player who makes no contact with an intended receiver, even though he is not looking at the ball, commits no foul, even if the ball hits the defender before it can be caught by the offensive player. If the defender contacts the offensive receiver without looking at the football, it is defensive pass interference. In the play that you describe, the interference must have been caused by the defender bumping into the intended receiver, without looking at the football."

There you have it folks...NO FOUL. I wish I could put the video up...

2)The UN-called Pass interference on the Colts


Wow, No call...


After seeing the replay online I have to say that this is absolutely ridiculous. This, unlike the other example is WHAT PASSINTERFERENCE IS. He is clearly making contact with the reciever prior to the ball making contact with the reciever. If called the Patriots would have gotten the ball on the one yardline, which is pretty much an automatic touchdown. So how did this change the game? Well, instead of getting the TD the Patriots got three points out of a feild goal instead, going up 34-31.

3)The Roughing the Passer call

Colts vs Patriots - Roughing the Passer

bogus

This is the one that really took the cake for me. CBS briefly showed the replay with no comment from the announcers, what you see for video is all that they showed. Clearly this should NOT have been called. I have seen Quarterbacks get maliciously leveled and there be no call, yet they call this at a crucial point in the game where clearly the defender was not in anyway making a cheapshot. I have put up some videos for comparison. This gave the Colts the ball on the 11, from where they handed the ball off three times and got a touchdown to put them ahead 38-34 to in the end "win the game".

4)Conclusion

I think I got so upset (My family members laughed at my indignation after the game) over this because I have a desire for justice, and when there is flagrent injustice occurs it is natural to be upset, it is part of being made in God's image. And I know it's kinda cheesey, but, this ultimatly should spur us to long for the world to come where justice will be upheld perfectly and there will be no "bad calls".