OT: Dumbest play in football history

[mgteich]

And Jim Marshall, and lett and a few others.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Riegels

Desean Jackson says that guy is a moron.

 

[Tunescribe]

I don't know about the penalty speculation there, but otherwise, I think you're onto something.

The official did not rule the way he did because the player didn't "take a knee" as the announcer keeps saying, but because the player never indicated that he wasn't going to attempt to advance the ball by creating a situation in which the ball would be "dead."

For what it's worth, I went through the NCAA Football Rule book (http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/FR09.pdf) and couldn't find anywhere that it says a player on the receiving team HAS to take a knee to create a touchback because of a "dead" ball (if you can find it, please point the page out to me as I word searched the file and couldn't find it).

If he had just handed the ball to the official, then, by rule, the ball is dead (any ball that touches an official is automatically "dead" and a "dead" ball in the endzone is the definition of a "touchback").

However, before he could do so (and I think we have to give him the benefit of the doubt that this was his intention or he really is as IQ-challenged as some are suggesting here), the player from the kicking team knocked the ball out of his hand.

If you think about it, players either take a knee or toss/hand the ball to an official after a kickoff in order to create a "dead" ball, which, in the End Zone, defines the circumstances necessary to create a "touchback." I also believe, but am not certain, that his other option would have been to toss the ball out of bounds, which would also creates a "dead" ball and, under the circumstances, a "touchback," but would appreciate being corrected on that if I am wrong.

So, the official ruled that the player on the receiving team could have been pulling a "fumblerooski" kind of move and was possibly going to start running after the kicking team was lulled into stopping their attack.

In any event, the receiver was at best sloppy by not securing the ball before handing it to the official or by not otherwise creating a "dead" ball situation and, therefore, a touchback.

What's missing in your analysis is the returner not only failed to down the ball, he also failed to play to the whistle. Handing the ball to the ref before the whistle doesn't kill the play; the ref simply would (should) let the ball bounce off his body and remain in the field of play until it's downed, returned, or recovered by the opponents. Also, if the returner takes full possession of the ball and then intentionally tosses it out of bounds through the end zone I believe it's a safety.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Just guessing this kid is not maintaining a 4.0 grade average in school :snob:

 

[patchick]

That... sucks.

That kid will never live that down. Even when everyone else has forgotten it years later, he'll always feel like everyone is thinking it every time they see him.

(This is from the point of view of a guy who missed an easy shot at an empty net in a big game back in the day)

Yep. What really strikes me about the video is how his teammates sense that and try to console him rather than chew him out.

Anyway...boneheaded play? Totally. But an inexperienced small-college KR trying to hand the ball to a ref instead of kneeling doesn't crack my "dumbest plays ever" list.

I seem to recall Tony Eason's Patriots around the opponent's 10 yard line with 10 seconds remaining in regulation, down by 3, no timeouts left. Just time enough for one last toss into the endzone or out of bounds, then bring in the placekicker if necessary. Eason drops back, sees tight coverage and...runs with the ball. Game over.

Seriously, how can a sophomore for the mighty Wofford Terriers hope to compete with that kind of brilliance from an NFL starting quarterback?

 

[Tunescribe]

Yep. What really strikes me about the video is how his teammates sense that and try to console him rather than chew him out.

Anyway...boneheaded play? Totally. But an inexperienced small-college KR trying to hand the ball to a ref instead of kneeling doesn't crack my "dumbest plays ever" list.

I seem to recall Tony Eason's Patriots around the opponent's 10 yard line with 10 seconds remaining in regulation, down by 3, no timeouts left. Just time enough for one last toss into the endzone or out of bounds, then bring in the placekicker if necessary. Eason drops back, sees tight coverage and...runs with the ball. Game over.

Seriously, how can a sophomore for the mighty Wofford Terriers hope to compete with that kind of brilliance from an NFL starting quarterback?

Here's what's wrong with your argument: there are physical mistakes and mistakes in judgment. There is NO EXCUSE for not knowing/following the rules of the game! All the other examples of "dumbest plays" cited here fall in the former categories. This truly was the dumbest play I've ever seen, and I've been involved with football (playing and watching) since I was a small kid.

Also, compounding the stupidity of this kid's play is the fact that it contributed to the final 7-point margin of loss that ended his team's season (I believe this was a playoff game).

That wasn't Eason on the play you cite by the way, it was Hugh Millen.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Got to still stand with Viking's great Jim Marshall as dumbest play ever,Marshall was one of the greatest players to ever play the game for the Vikings and a HOFer, but this particular play,unfortunately will always be remembered right there over the thousands of other spectacular plays he made his entire career.

This is a professional player which is why it deserves the accolades of dumbest football play ever,this was not an 18 year old kid making a brain fart blunder.

 

[robbomango]

according to Rex Ryan, Sanchez's timeout during a key drive was the dumbest play in football history.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

according to Rex Ryan, Sanchez's timeout during a key drive was the dumbest play in football history.

Rex Ryan's dumb timeout in 2007 cost the Ravens the chance be the only team to beat the Pats in the regular season.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

He would be perfect for the jets

 

[Tunescribe]

Got to still stand with Viking's great Jim Marshall as dumbest play ever,Marshall was one of the greatest players to ever play the game for the Vikings and a HOFer, but this particular play,unfortunately will always be remembered right there over the thousands of other spectacular plays he made his entire career.

This is a professional player which is why it deserves the accolades of dumbest football play ever,this was not an 18 year old kid making a brain fart blunder.

But Marshall's blunder was understandable in terms of being a physical mistake that's occurred multiple times down through the decades. It's not nearly as stupid as what the Wofford kick returner did.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

It looks like the kid caught the ball while jumping across the goalline. Maybe the ref believed he caught it in the field of play instead of the endzone and thus was live.

Regards,
Chris

 

[randomk1]

Mental lapses like that happen.

What about that Vikings lineman( HoF-er i think) who ran a fumble into his own end-zone?

Looked it up..it was Jim Marshall. Crazy that guy isn't in the HOF...dude played on the purple people eaters...,4time NFC champ,127 sacks,282 games,nfl record 30 fumbles recovered.

 

[Patjew]

Poor dude. Hope he can get over it.

 

[Calciumee]

That is brilliant!

Let's hope the Jest sign him!

 

[vyrago]

Poor dumb kid. Too many hits to the head, I guess.

 

[BTTA]

This is where the commercialization of amateur athletics is out of control.

People in their late teens and early twenties have brains that are still forming and in many cases full of natural chemicals that give mixed messages and confusing signals. Let's let them be human.

The job of the ref in a game played by people with still forming brains should be to help them be successful, not to play to the letter of the law. It was obvious the kid had given himself up on the play, that he wasn't running the ball out. The rule should be that the ref makes that interpretation and blows the play dead, not that he is waiting for some specific behavior.

 

[BSR]

Got to still stand with Viking's great Jim Marshall as dumbest play ever,Marshall was one of the greatest players to ever play the game for the Vikings and a HOFer, but this particular play,unfortunately will always be remembered right there over the thousands of other spectacular plays he made his entire career.

This is a professional player which is why it deserves the accolades of dumbest football play ever,this was not an 18 year old kid making a brain fart blunder.

And everyone knows how stupid Marshall is...oh wait.

Seriously, some are making a bit too much about it. It was a mental lapse. Happens all the time. Cut the kid a break.

 

[#56300ex]

At the :50 mark, check out #84.


He doesn't look like he's saying something very encouraging.

He looks like this :enranged:

 

[TruthSeeker]

I don't know about the penalty speculation there, but otherwise, I think you're onto something.

The official did not rule the way he did because the player didn't "take a knee" as the announcer keeps saying, but because the player never created a "dead" ball situation by indicating that he wasn't going to attempt to advance the ball out of the end zone (the usual way to do that is, of course, to "take a knee," but it is not the only way).

For what it's worth, I went through the NCAA Football Rule book (http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/FR09.pdf) and couldn't find anywhere that it says a player on the receiving team HAS to take a knee to create a touchback because of a "dead" ball (if you can find it, please point the page out to me as I word searched the file and couldn't find it).

If he had just handed the ball to the official, then, by rule, the ball is dead (any ball that touches an official is automatically "dead" and a "dead" ball in the endzone is the definition of a "touchback").

However, before he could do so (and I think we have to give him the benefit of the doubt that this was his intention or he really is as IQ-challenged as some are suggesting here), the player from the kicking team knocked the ball out of his hand.

If you think about it, players either take a knee or toss/hand the ball to an official after a kickoff in order to create a "dead" ball, which, in the End Zone, defines the circumstances necessary to create a "touchback." I also believe, but am not certain, that his other option would have been to toss the ball out of bounds, which would also creates a "dead" ball and, under the circumstances, a "touchback," but would appreciate being corrected on that if I am wrong.

So, the official ruled that the player on the receiving team could have been pulling a "fumblerooski" kind of move and was possibly going to start running after the kicking team was lulled into stopping their pursuit of the receiver.

In any event, the receiver was at best sloppy by not securing the ball before handing it to the official or by not otherwise creating a "dead" ball situation and, therefore, a touchback.

When I first saw this I immediately said that the official blew it. Casually walking the ball within the endzone definitely indicates that no attempt is being made to advance the ball out of the endzone. This is particularly obvious when many of the opposing team arrive in the endzone. Poor play by the returner; terrible refereeing by the official.

 

[mgteich]

If the ref has accepted the ball and touched it, that would have ended the play.

Obviously, the player should have put his knee to the ground first, but this play will likely not even make anyone's list of dumb plays come next year (expect for his team's).