Nice find !
Edited excerpts:
By Steve Czaban
Special to OnMilwaukee.com
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INDIANAPOLIS -- The NFL's version of a mid-season Super Bowl between the powerhouse Colts and Patriots turned into a fiasco for the ages on Sunday.
....the NFL's incomprehensible decision to send one of its youngest, greenest head referees to officiate the most important regular season game the league has seen in more than 20 years.
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I mean, really.... A game this big, and Ed "Hercules" Hochuli isn't your FIRST choice? If not him, how about Pete Morelli, Walt Coleman or the take-no-guff Mike Carey? Hell, give me Larry Nemmers in a pinch.
I won't get too in-depth about the actual calls in this game, although there were plenty to make you raise an eyebrow in suspicion:
The first long pass interference on Reggie Wayne was marginal.
The sideline call that Patriots coach Bill Belichick successfully overturned should have never been called in the first place.
The missed pass interference on third down against Kevin Faulk got Tom Brady hopping mad.
The offensive pass interference against Randy Moss was a total joke.
All told, the refs were merely a drag on the Patriots, not fully conspired against them like a good old fashioned NBA screw job.
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It would be like CBS telling Jim Nantz and Phil Simms to take a seat, so they could work Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots into a big game for a change.
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So, why did the NFL assign a total greenhorn to such a huge game? I'm stumped. I am sure the league will spin some jive about random rotation of crews, express total confidence in all of their referees and point out that instant replay is always there in case something really egregious happens.
Maybe, just maybe, they wanted a "pure" referee and crew, one that hadn't been tainted by previous Colt-Patriot showdowns. If you recall, the Patriots manhandled Colt wide receivers in their first two AFC Championship beat downs. Then, when Peyton and Company whined loud enough, the league tweaked the rules and Manning ripped the league for a record breaking 49 touchdowns.
This time, the league got lucky, and the team that got hit with a franchise-record 10 penalties for 143 yards actually won the game. Next time, just send the A-team in the first place.
