I watched that AFC championship game in the snow against Oakland live. I saw the play 20x. That ball was a fumble, the arm was not coming forward. The call on the field was a fumble, all the refs acknowledge on the field, fumble and than it get overturned "tuck rule" **farrrrt** That is, by far, the worst call in football. [YOUTUBE]pDQAmuZ8t94[/YOUTUBE] Disgusting. And I know that if this was the Jets it would have been upheld, fumble. Thoroughly disgusting.
Like most people that complain about the tuck rule, you don't even seem to understand what it actually was. The tuck rule doesn't state that the quarterbacks arm has to be coming forward when he loses possession of the ball. It also applies to instances when the quarterback begins moving his arm forward (which Brady clearly did) and then starts pulling it back (again which Brady clearly did). NFL Rule 3, Section 22, Article 2, Note 2. When [an offensive] player is holding the ball to pass it forward, any intentional forward movement of his arm starts a forward pass, even if the player loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body. If you pay attention to the video, even though the commentators call the play a clear fumble, their words prove that it met the exact criteria for the tuck rule: "No that's a fumble! The crowds reacting because he pumped... Brady pumps! He does bring it forward, but that's not to pass the ball! And then I think he comes to a stop and then Woodson hits him... He pumped it! He was pulling the ball back! He was not going to throw the ball, he was pulling it back and then Woodson hit him and it came out..." And to be clear, I do not like this rule at all, and I have said so many times. I think that the rule should be the way most people assume it to be, where a QB has to be in the process of moving his arm forward to make a pass when he loses possession or else it is a fumble. But that is not the way the rule was. It was called correctly.
It was, think the terrible fumble by Sanchez right before the end of the 1st half against the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game. That was not and should not have been a fumble.
Here's how I see it: 1) The rule is bad. Thankfully it's gone. 2) The review was not conclusive to overturn the fumble call on the field. 3) When does the tuck end and it's just the QB holding onto the ball because this picture shows Brady having the ball normally. Because by rule The bold is my emphasis To me Brady has the ball tucked away thus cancelling/resetting his forward motion. I think this is one of the plays, if it was called tuck rule on the field, not conclusive enough to overturn via replay to fumble and vice versa. The travesty of the play is the actual rule and then the reversal despite inconclusive evidence in my opinion. It was a fumble on the field and I don't think there was anything conclusive enough to reverse that. EDIT: Watched the clip, still think it's too bang-bang to overturn the call on the field. Don't see any way that's conclusive.
Good catch, and since Brady (in trying to prevent Greg Biekert from recovering the fumble) was guilty of - per NFL Rules definition - "the use of the leg or foot in obstructing an opponent" the Pats should've been slapped with a 10 yard penalty. Adam Vinitieri's game-tying 45 yard FG is now a 55 yard attempt at which point he's got a better chance of seeing God. And even if that's a stretch, phuck it, I'm sticking with it.
And just think , if Custer brings Vinatieri's great grandfather on his little date with Sitting Bull there is a good chance Vinatieri is never born. In fact it's almost a guaruntee so in reality Bellichicken should have a shrine to George S Custer right next to those Vince Lombardi Trophies. If you don't know the story Vinatieri's great grandfather was part of George Custer's unit as the bandmaster. When they marched into their slaughter at Little Big Horn Custer elected to leave the band at home and the decision saved the life of Vinatieri's great grandfather.
Great Little Big Horn vignette-thx for the share BtB. Now if only Belichick's great grandfather was at the Alamo, or grandfather on the Titanic, or .... : )
Haha, that would be great... could you imagine. Pvt. Thomas Belichick serves with Sam Houston at the Alamo. Edit: I just saw that today is ironically the anniversary of Custer's epic fail.
I feel like to everyone else that was a fumble, but I recall clear as day it was not a fumble. They didnt' even review it hardly I remember, and nobody acted like it was controversial.
