Comments on: Clock error helped Patriots beat Steelers

By: The Tinman

The Tinman — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 12:41:31 +0000

Let’s not make a mountain out of a molehill. I’m a HUGE Steelers fan and when I first saw the headline, I got all spun up about it. Then, when I read the story and found that it happened at the beginning of the fourth quarter, I relaxed. There is absolutely NO way you can say those 52 seconds cost the Steelers the game. The playing toward the end would have been so dramatically altered that there is no way you can make a direct coorelation. The Steelers (sob) got out played by the better team (sobs more) that day.

As for giving both a tie and not affecting playoff seedings, etc, you are dead wrong. That could have even greater ramifications. Imagine the Pats being penalized by having to take the tie and finishing 10-5-1 and the Dolphins finishing 11-5 and the Pats beating the Dols in both regular season games. The Dols would win the division when the Pats had really won it.

Errors happen. That’s what makes sports so fun to watch (unless it’s your team doing the error… Ha). All I have to say is Randle El is no longer allowed to watch or try to mimic Burger King commercials!!!

By: gary

gary — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 14:20:20 +0000

Take out instant replay. ref makes the call and it stands. Period. Just let them play football on the field, players and refs.

By: PCD

PCD — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 13:18:45 +0000

Sister,

When Instant Replay was added, it was to correct mistakes. It hasn’t. My team, the Packers got robbed of a Defensive Touchdown by bad officiating. The replay showed that Griese fumbled, but the Bucs got to keep the ball because the whistle blew.

I think the refs should get as publically fined as the players do for massive infractions.

Also, where is the outrage for that ref throwing a penalty flag in Al Harris’ face? Didn’t Zeus Brown in Cleveland lose an eye because of refs throwing their flags into player’s faces?

By: Sister Toldjah

Sister Toldjah — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 03:53:29 +0000

Those are some great points … I mean, imagine that this was the Super Bowl this happened in. You better believe a court battle would be on the horizon in that instance.

By: Bachbone

Bachbone — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 02:45:14 +0000

For mistakes as blatant as this, rules should be added or rewritten. In this case, the game could be ruled a tie that does not bear on the W-L records of either team, nor on play-off positions. One game in a season can mean, literally, millions of dollars to a franchise, and the team’s city, in play-off and championship monies. While they say penalties tend to even out over a game or season, these major kinds of errors don’t. It’s a clear-cut mistake that should be fixed as much as it can. But I’ll bet nothing will be done. (Can you tell I’m originally from the Pittsburgh area?)