NFL admits to screwing Hobbs
 

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In response to anitem in our Conference Championship Ten-Packregarding a key pass interference call on Patriots cornerback Ellis Hobbs thatallowed the Colts to complete an 18-point comeback and knot the game at 21, amember of PFT Planet has alerted us to a January 25, 2007 "Q&A" onJaguars.com in which Vic Ketchman writes that theNFL has acknowledged that a bad call was made.

Writes Ketchman,in response to a question that chastised him for suggesting that face-guardingis still forbidden:

"Face-guardingwas discontinued several years ago and I completely missed it. I talked toDean Blandino in the league office and he confirmed what you're saying. Blandino, by the way, was in the replay booth at the Patriots-Colts game. Ellis Hobbs should not have been flagged for pass-interference. He didn'tmake contact with the receiver and in no way did Hobbs impede Reggie Wayne'sability to catch the pass. Blandino confirmed that the incorrect call wasmade. It advanced the ball from the Patriots' 19-yard line to the one-yardline and was the big play in a touchdown drive that led to a two-pointconversion and a tie game at 21-21. Referee Bill Carollo made no referenceto face-guarding in his explanation, but CBS analyst Phil Simms did. Apparently, he, too, doesn't know the rule no longer exists. The next time youhear a TV analyst say, 'he wasn?t playing the ball,' think of the Hobbs play,then turn down the sound."

Make no mistakeabout it, it was a key call. And, to their credit, we haven't heard apublic peep from the "no class" Pats about the play.

Gee, what wouldNapolian have done if that phantom flag had been thrown on a member of theColts' defense?"


Bittersweet, to say the least.

Re: NFL admits to screwing Hobbs
 

Yup - this team and its fans generally don't whine and moan like other team owners and fans.

We know that bad calls are part of the game. They do happen. We've benefitted from some and been hurt, and sometimes they happen at the worst times.

As fans we're also smart enough to know that we need to overcome bad calls and that we had a chance to do exactly that, but we fell short.

It's the no whining/no excuses mentality of this team and the fans that sets us apart. That makes me feel pretty good even if we did get screwed on a call.

Re: NFL admits to screwing Hobbs
 

Maybe BB or SP can get put on the competition committee... too bad they blew this call.. but I expect to hear little crying out of Foxboro.

Re: NFL admits to screwing Hobbs
 

I expect no crying or whining from the Pats, they leave that rubbish to Polian and the Colts.
The fans should take the same clue from the organization, no crying or whining, bad calls happens , and teams should overcome them .

Re: NFL admits to screwing Hobbs
 

So, it's all BS about the defender having to turn around and make a play on the ball. In other words, he can keep his back completely to the ball and it should be no call. Seemed pretty stupid to me that it ever was a rule. I guess nowadays you have to blow out a team to keep it "referee proof".

Re: NFL admits to screwing Hobbs
 

while I agree the calls were bad, the Hobbs play happened on a 2nd and 7 so there was still a chance the Colts could have scored, as far as the Caldwell play, I have no argument there, i was setting right there in that corner endzone and was thinking that could have been called PI and I went home and watched my tivo and yes it was a very bad no call..

Re: NFL admits to screwing Hobbs
 

Much as I'd love to agree, I think that's only half right - the TEAM doesn't whine too much about bad calls, but the fans are another story.

C'mon, there were about 100 threads after last year's Denver game whining about the officiating, and another 50 after the SuperBowl (which we weren't even involved in). We have a current thread here where someone tracked down an official from a game -30- years ago and pissed on his lawn :eek:, and several others talking about how the 2 PI calls/non-calls screwed us over in the Indy game.

Let's not put ourselves on a pedestal here, bad calls will always draw the ire of die-hard fans like the group on this board, that's just human nature.

Re: NFL admits to screwing Hobbs
 

They screwed Caldwell too! Had the refs thrown a flag, the ball would have been placed at the one yard line and Dillon would have walked in for a touchdown. Game over.

Re: NFL admits to screwing Hobbs
 

So, in other words, twice the refs tried to hand the game to the Colts (see 2005 Colts v. Steelers). It's just that this time the Colts were actually able to take the gift they were handed. [No, I'm not blaming them entirely for the loss, just saying that getting those calls right could have been enough to prevent the Colts from winning.]

I guess PATSNUTme's avatar really does exist. :enranged:

If this isn't enough ammo for rule changes, I don't know what will be.

Re: NFL admits to screwing Hobbs
 

Not exactly, if a defender isn't playing the ball then any contact will result in a PI flag. If he is playing the ball, then contact will be judged incidental unless it's something obvious. Hobbs played that poorly, you really are supposed to turn for the ball.