Packers vs. Seahawks: Replaying the debacle [Video]

September 25, 2012|By Houston Mitchell

<p>Monday night's game between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks may have had the most surreal ending of any game in NFL history. And it has brought renewed focus on the less-than-average performance of the NFL's replacement referees.</p></div></div><div class="float" style="clear:both;height:1px;line-height:1px;"><img src="/images/pixel.gif" height="1" width="1" alt="" /></div><div id="mod-ctr-lt-in-top" class="mod-latarticlesadcpc mod-adcpc with-fourth-cpc"><script type="text/javascript"> var adSkipCounter = 0; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ var loc = window.location.href + ""; var float = ""; google_hints = "seattle seahawks replacement big game";google_ad_client="pub-0227802054925200"; google_ad_output="js"; google_ad_channel="5212128158,9744208858,8321278795,8261105409"; google_ad_type="text"; google_image_size="300x250"; google_safe="high"; google_feedback="on"; google_max_num_ads="2"; google_skip="" + adSkipCounter + ""; google_adtest="off"; google_page_url=document.URL; function google_ad_request_done(ads) { if (ads.length == 0) { return; } // If no ads are returned then dont build the ad block if (ads[0].bidtype == "CPC") { adSkipCounter += ads.length; } // Increment ad skip counter when cpc google_ad_request_done_internal(ads, "", "", "true", "medium_rectangle", "", "", "pgtp=article&pi=34&ci=34085963&cat=sports&pe_id=34085963&tv=ap-LA12-G02&rna=pub-0227802054925200&rn=g&rnrci=5212128158&rnrcn=CMI-A-002&rncci=9744208858&rnccn=CMI-A-028&rnpci=&rnpcn=&rntci=&rntcn=&rnlci=8261105409&rnlcn=8261105409&rnp=c&rt=cpc&paidClick=1&placement_id=ctr-lt-in-top", "", "", "", "", "", "ap-LA12-G02", "Los Angeles Times Articles"); } //]]></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/google_ad_request.js.php"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script></div><div id="mod-a-body-after-first-para" class="mod-latarticlesarticletextwithadcpc mod-latarticlesarticletext mod-articletext"><p>Trailing 12-7, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson lofted a pass into the end zone on the final play of the game. Packers safety M.D. Jennings outjumped a crowd of Packers and Seahawks to grab the ball. Though when he landed, Seahawks receiver Golden Tate grabbed the ball too, it was clearly an interception.</p><p>But the replacement officials saw it a different way: Touchdown Seahawks. Victory Seahawks.</p><p><strong><a href="http://graphics.latimes.com/ranking-la-sp-times-nfl-rankings-week-3/">Full list: Times' NFL power rankings</a></strong></p><p>Or, as Times columnist Bill Plaschke <a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/football/nfl/la-sp-0925-plaschke-nfl-officials-20120925-28,0,1808277.column">put it</a>:</p><p>"Three weeks of gross incompetence by unqualified replacement officials crystallized in two moments Monday night that pushed the league's integrity to the brink.</p><p>In one moment, Packers safety <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/football/m.d.-jennings-PESPT0013795.topic">M.D. Jennings</a> clearly intercepted a final-play pass while falling upon Seahawks receiver <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/football/golden-tate-PESPT0014277.topic">Golden Tate</a> in the end zone, preserving an apparent 12-7 Green Bay win.</p><p>In the next moment, the replacement officials ruled that Tate had made the catch, and upheld that ruling after replay review, giving the Seahawks a 14-12 victory.</p><p>Said Packers Coach <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/football/mike-mccarthy-PESPT00008924.topic">Mike McCarthy</a>: "I've never seen anything like that in all my years in football."</p><p>Hall of Fame quarterback <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/football/troy-aikman-PESPT0014773.topic">Troy Aikman</a> tweeted: "These games are a joke."</p><p>It's finally happened. After three weeks of forgetting the rules, losing track of the ball, and haphazardly administering this country's national pastime as if they were salesmen on vacation from <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/economy-business-finance/foot-locker-incorporated-ORCRP006068.topic">Foot Locker</a>, the replacement officials have finally done serious, irrevocable damage. The arrogant NFL's middle-school and small-college substitutes for the locked-out regular officials have finally, actually, literally made one wrong call that decided the outcome of a game."</p><p>Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. You can watch the play in question above.</p><p><strong>ALSO:</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0925-packers-seahawks-20120925,0,7682666.story">Seahawks stun Packers on disputed play, 14-12</a></p><p><a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-seattle-seahawks-golden-tate-20120925,0,7010029.story">Golden Tate's big game overshadowed by controversy</a><strong><br /></strong></p><p><a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-green-bay-seattle-twitter-reax-20120925,0,4743840.story">Packers players, NFL fans tweet frustration over replacement refs</a></p></div><div id="mod-a-body-after-first-para-ad-cpc" class="mod-adcpc"> <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ var loc = window.location.href + ""; var float = ""; google_hints = "seattle seahawks replacement big game";google_ad_client="pub-0227802054925200"; google_ad_output="js"; google_ad_channel="5212128158,9744208858,9488961041,8261105409"; google_ad_type="text"; google_image_size="600x125"; 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