Consider this a bonus blog.
Like so many Lion’s fans, I am trying to understand the what and why of the Lion’s successful two-point conversion, only to have it taken away by referee Brad Allen. I have watched countless videos and listened to more pundits than I have ever listened to because of the call. Here is my perspective from a sport official’s point of view,
As an official blown calls are part of the game. The Lord, coaches, players, and fans know that I made my share. It happens and 99% of the time players and coaches accept it. What should not be accepted are blown calls related to the administration of the game, which is what this call was.
In all sports, the head official has certain administrative duties that are an important part of the game. In baseball it involves lineup changes, keeping track of trips to the mound, putting the ball back in play following time-out, etc. In basketball it involves lineup changes/substitutions, administration of foul shots and out of bounds plays, correctly identifying the person who committed the foul, correctly identifying the person who should be shooting the foul, etc.
We are taught to make sure the situation is correct before you put the ball back in play. When in doubt, call time and get it right. This is why basketball officials count how many players are on the court before they put the ball in play, or they remind basketball coaches how many time-outs they have left, or remind baseball managers how many trips to the mound they have made. We try to avoid problems before they happen. We call this “preventive officiating”.
Any good basketball official will feel terrible when a team must be given a technical foul for having too many players on the court following an inbounds play. Ninety-nine percent of the time, the problem could have been prevented if the officials had just done their jobs and counted the players before putting the ball in play.
In the case of the Lion’s game, it is clear the official Brad Allen, made a mistake when he announced over the loudspeaker and to the Cowboys that #70 was eligible as a receiver. In the video only #s 58 and 68(Decker) were seen talking to Allen. Number 70 was still running onto the field when Allen left Decker to announce to the Cowboys and over the loudspeaker that #70 was eligible. My guess is that he assumed number #70 was the one who was eligible because on multiple occasions in the game, it was #70 who declared he was eligible. It was a mistake on his part and none of his partners caught the mistake either, even though someone should have.
Where I get perplexed is what happened afterwards once the game ended, and Allen had a chance to review the video. Rather than admitting his mistake, he stood by his call and tried to explain it away as follows.
“So, we had a situation where if you were going to have an ineligible number occupy an eligible position, you have to report that to the referee. On this particular play, number 70 [Skipper,] who had reported during the game a couple of times, reported to me as eligible. Then he lined up at the tackle position,”
Clearly the video does not support Allen’s call or his explanation.
In contrast, I compare his postgame reaction to umpire Jim Joyce’s reaction after he blew the call at the end of the game that deprived Tiger pitcher Armando Gallaraga of a perfect game, which is one of the rarest of pitching accomplishments. As Joyce said, it was a history making call. Joyce, one of the best umpires in the history of MLB baseball, blew the call and once he saw the video, he admitted his mistake and most importantly he faced the press and answered the questions. No BS answer, no excuses, no avoiding his mistake. Joyce is class through and through.
See my Videos of the Day. The first is Joyce’s press conference after the game. The second is one of the greatest displays of sportsmanship in the history of baseball and all of sports.
As an official, I was never afraid to admit I blew a call regardless of the circumstances, neither were most of my peers. Depending on the situation, I would do it quietly during the game, to either the player or coach, or after the game. I never left until I had a chance to apologize when I knew I blew a call. In my 50 years this philosophy served me well.
Feel free to share my blog. To receive it in an email, please see the subscribe button below the Video of the Day.
Video of the Day:
I agree. The call was mistake. The Lions should have won the game. They do have a chance to redeem themselves in the playoffs and I would make it a mission to do it!