Worst Call Ever Sparks Weirdest Question Ever?

Now that I am old with a wife, kids and a million other responsibilities, I don't get to just hang out in bars and argue about sports. One of the things I like most about blogging is that it can be the next best thing to those old bar stool debates. One of my favorite tings to do while drinking a bourbon and trying to balance my wobbly bar stool is to toss out a question for my buddies and I to argue. Sometimes the questions are intentionally loony.

Well blockchain buddies... here's a crazy question.

Wait. You can't see the ball. Oh that is because it is not there yet.

Alright I lied, the question will be posed in a minute. Before I do, let me establish the background for it.

After my Bears and Chargers were knocked out of the playoffs (both in incredibly frustrating fashion) all I really cared about was not seeing New England win... again. As a result, I did not care at all about the Rams vs Saints game. I like Drew Brees so it would be cool to see him compete for another title. However, I also think a 32 year old wunderkind coach is a pretty cool story so I would have been fine with the Rams representing the NFC as well. Long story short, I didn't have a dog in the fight. I just wanted to see an exciting game.

And it was incredibly exciting... until that terrible no call with 1:45 left to play. My question is not going to be "Is that the worst mistake you have ever seen a referee make?" That is pointless. Although there may be some calls equally as bad, I can't imagine any are actually worse. I know Saints fans will never be convinced otherwise. I won't even ask if that was the worst blunder in the biggest spot in the history of sports. Again that is relative.

All that matters for the purpose of this exercise is that pretty much everyone universally agrees that the refs completely screwed the pooch by not calling either penalty committed by Rams DB Nickell Robey-Coleman. If you were thinking of arguing that it was not a terrible mistake, please save your breath (or your fingers in this case). After the game, Robey-Coleman himself said:

"Ah, hell yeah, that was PI"

"I came to the sidelines, looked at the football gods and said, ‘Thank you, football gods. Thank you.’"

If that isn't enough, there is an article full of quotes here.

The fact that it was such a terrible call left me feeling hollow. Instead of being blown away by ice water pulsing through the veins of Greg Zuerlein as he drilled a 57 yard field goal in OT to send his team to the Super Bowl, I slumped on my couch, shrugged my shoulders and thought, "That should never have happened. I feel bad for the Saints. This isn't fair at all."

I realize the game is 60 minutes long and the Saints had plenty of opportunities to win the game. But they pretty much did. It just wasn't acknowledged. I don't even want to argue that point. If someone argued that the Rams deserved to go because calls are part of the game, I'd have no legs to stand on. So that argument is no fun.

But how about this...

The referees immediately knew they blew that call. They were being booed mercilessly by a very loud hometown crowd (and rightfully so). I bet they wish they could have done anything to fix it. Unfortunately the rules don't allow. At least the official rules that is.

Before proceeding, it is important to note that the referees can probably call a penalty on either team on every single play of the game.

Although no where in the NFL rule book will you find a section titled "Make Up Calls"... we all know they exist (just like "Code Reds" aren't in the Marine handbook... just ask Tom Cruise... if you can handle the truth.) So if make up calls really do exist, should Sean Payton have given the referees a chance to fix their mistake?

With the score tied at 20 with 1:45 minutes left in the 4th quarter of the NFC Championship game, do you think Sean Payton would have been smart to go for it on 4th and 10 from the Rams 13 yard line? Although ridiculously bold (and possibly insane) there is a great possibility that one of the following three things would have happened on that play (assuming it were a pass).

1. The Saints score a TD on a successful pass to the endzone.

2. The Saints receivers curl out of the endzone and pick up a 1st down inside the 3 yard line.

3. The refs save face and call any of the following on the Rams: Defensive Holding, Pass Interference, Roughing the Passer, Hitting a Defenseless Receiver... or one of the myriad of other calls that make it impossible to play pass defense now.

Would you gamble your season on the idea that the refs were so desperate to fix their mistake that you were guaranteed a first down?

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