WhoDat!656

3. I think I'd like to thank Mike Carey, the ref in New Orleans-Tennessee, for not overturning a vital call in the end zone in the third quarter. I feel strongly that referees are taking liberties with the "indisputable visual evidence'' being needed to overturn calls on the field. In this game, the official on the field ruled Jimmy Graham had part of one foot on the white sideline as he came down with a Drew Brees touchdown pass. Incomplete -- that was the ruling on the field. Over and over again the replay ran, and it was uncertain whether Graham's right toes touched the white or not. One angle seemed to show they did, the other looked like they didn't. You can't overturn those, and Carey didn't. Good call.


Read more: Marion Barber's mistakes, Matt Prater's*OT field goal lead to Broncos comeback - Peter King - SI.com

"A Veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life."

Crusader

The man is correct. Stop whining we won the game.

Danno

Gotta go with King on this one. It was the right call IMO.

homerj07

We do not like it BUT it was the right call

Halo

The call created spirited discussions even on this website. That's enough for it to be "disputable" on either side of the argument. Therefore no indisputable evidence exists to overturn the call. The booth ref made the right decision on the replay.

The original ref who saw the TD, as he was looking down on the players, I'm sure he thought the toe hit the white line. We don't have eyes at the height of blades of grass so he made the right call too.

I hate the call as a fan but it was the right call and right thing to do.

iceshack149

If the play had been ruled a touchdown the refs wouldn't have overturned that either. It was too close to have indisputable evidence either way.

frankeefrank

Here's the funny standard I hold all replays too. If Me, sitting in a bar in Denver, sees it clearly one way. It shouldn't be hard for a ref, in the stadium, with HD, 4 inches from his face, to be able to clearly see the play.
I saw Graham's heel hit first. Since when is a heel any less than a toe?

saintfan

As bad as the officiating was in that game - ticky tack stuff all day long - that call was the right call.

Furthermore, that crew is known for calling it tight. The coaching staff should have (and who knows, maybe they did), scout this group and warn the players. It is what it is, and we won. Rock on.

claus808

How is that the right call when his HEEL hit the end zone first?! You only need one of those angels to determine it was a touchdown, heel hits inbound, toe does not hit out of bounds. Y'all sound just as bad as the refs!

mighty12

Here are my two cents, I have tried to stay out of this discussion. The call on the field was wrong. The ref standing right there should have called it a touchdown and let it go to a booth review. If he wants me to believe that he distinctly saw Graham's cleat graze the sideline for a spilt second before getting full control, then he needs to put down the hashish. My problem with it is, no one tried to huddle to discuss the play. A good ref sees a player make that catch and gives him the benefit of the doubt, knowing every touchdown call is reviewable. Also, I still haven't been given a clear answer on whether a heel is a foot and if dragged shouldn't it count?