Worst NFL Calls of All Time
Written by Greg Riot, Tuesday November 10 2009
NFL referees have made more bad calls than any other referee or umpire in any sport in the history of sports. That’s just the nature of the NFL.
I believe that one of the reasons is because those dudes on the field are huge and those little dudes dressed like zebras have trouble seeing past the huge dudes. Or, maybe, the little zebra dudes are just stupid.
Whatever the case may be, the worst, worst, most atrocious NFL call of all time didn’t even occur in the field of play. That’s how bad it was.
Top 5 Worst NFL Calls of All Time
1.) Coin Flip? You Blew the Call on a Coin Flip? - - In 1998 on Thanksgiving, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit Lions played to a tie at the end of regulation. NFL official Phil Luckett asked Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh’s running back, to call heads or tails before tossing up the coin to find out who got the ball first in overtime. Bettis called tails. Everybody watching at home heard it. Everybody in the Silverdome heard it. The coin landed tails and Luckett gave the ball to the Lions. Detroit ended up kicking a field goal to win the game, of course. Yes, ref Phil Luckett blew a coin flip. Wow.
2.) Jerry Rice Fumbles the Ball But, It’s Jerry Rice - - In a 1999 NFC Wild-Card Game, Jerry Rice fumbles the ball, it’s recovered by Green Bay and the Packers look like they are on their way to a playoff victory. But the refs ruled that Rice was down by contact and that his knee had touched the ground before the ball came out. Steve Young throws a pass to Terrell Owens some moments later and the Niners win the game.
3.) Emanuel Caught the Ball, but the Buccaneers are Boring - - Bucs wide receiver Bert Emanuel catches the ball for what should be a first down late in the 2000 NFC Championship game between Tampa Bay and St. Louis but it’s ruled that he doesn’t have full control when the ground causes the fumble. Of course, replay shows that he absolutely had full control. So, the ground can’t cause a fumble, but since he doesn’t have full control, Emmanuel never really caught the pass? Incomplete pass, right? Confused again? Me too. The Rams, who are way more interesting than the boring Bucs, go on to win the game and the Super Bowl.
4.) Hochuli Blows it in Denver - - In 2008, referee Ed Hochuli, who must bench press something like 600 lbs, blows the whistle before Jay Cutler fumbles, or during Jay Cutler’s fumble, or…well, he just blows the call. Cutler did fumble, but Denver keeps the ball and scores and beats the San Diego Chargers 39 to 38.
5.) Immaculate Reception in 1972 and Brady’s Fumble in 2002 - - I put both of these together because they are both suspect, in my opinion, and both led to or kept dynasties going.
First, let’s go over the “tuck rule”. Actually, let’s not. Was Brady’s arm moving forward? Sure, but who cares? The tuck rule is stupid and it should be taken off of the books. Brady’s arm was moving forward but he lost the ball, man. He lost the ball!
The Patriots went on to become a modern day version of the 1970’s Pittsburgh Steelers.
Now, as far as the Immaculate Reception is concerned, rumor has it that one of the referees on the field ran into the locker room and made a phone call asking stadium officials if they could send security down to protect him because he was about to say that the ball hit the ground before Franco Harris ran into the end zone for a miracle TD.
When stadium officials said that they couldn’t, the ref ran back onto the field and signaled the touchdown.
The nose of the ball might have hit the field. Who knows? In any case, the Steelers would win the first of four Super Bowls in the decade making them a dynasty.
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11 comments
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In 20 years it will be the National Flag Football League, NFFL. The place where it's legal to hit a QB is smaller than the strike zone in Major League Baseball.
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Maybe the calls aren't getting worse, we just have a finer scalpel with which to disect plays and see the errors. It's the same reason baseball won't allow replays. The rules still lend themselves to interpretation. The Brady Ball Tuck rule, now the "oh no, you hit the QB somewhere on his body" call; already too many bad calls are made, yet they are still coming up with new rules. It can only get worse.
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Nice article on Top 5 Worst NFL Calls of All Time.
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You know what's the crazy guys? The fact that, even with instant replay, the calls seem to be getting worse every year. Maybe it's me, but it's looks like the league is suffering from a severe case of the blind leading the blind!!
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Phil Luckett is a joke. He should co-write Donaghy's book.
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I cashed on the big buff referee's blow up on Denver. LOVED that call!!! lol
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good list of top 5 Worst NFL Calls of All Time.
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Nice article and good look.
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human error on a coin flip? that's jsut plain ridiculous!
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also - the same thing happened to the Bucs in the 2005 Playoffs against the Redskins
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the call with Brady was complete bull! of course...always delighted to things get screwy for the Raiders