Sports Illustrated photo confirms Saints benefited from bogus TD vs. Dolphins

Critical play, early 3rd quarter when Miami led, 24-10. Ted Ginn bobbled an accurate downfield pass from Chad Henne. The ball was intercepted by New Orleans safety Darren Sharper, who returned it down the right sideline until being stripped by Ginn approaching the goal line. It was ruled a TD. Miami challenged the call and when the referee announced the challenge he said it would be one of two outcomes, a confirmed TD or a Dolphin touchback. The TV angles weren't the best, and it appeared very close, but seemed to indicate the ball did not cross the goal line. However, it was ruled inconclusive. This is the first photo, published in Sports Illustrated this week, that reveals the truth, that it left Sharper's hands before he even reached the 1 yard line but somehow a referee in perfect position botched the call.

That specific play was talked about in this forum however I didn't get the game in my area so I waited for ESPN highlights. ESPN not once slowed it down for a closer look but you see the ball bounce out of the end of the end zone and you figure it's something they would slow down and look at again like they did with the Reggie Bush touchdown several hundred times.

That's the maddening aspect, as a Dolphins fan. The Saints trailed 24-3 with 12 seconds remaining in the second quarter when a pass to Colston was originally ruled a TD. Replay indicated he was down at the 1/2 yard line. If it has been called that way originally, with the running clock since the Saints had no time outs, Miami would have led 24-3 at halftime. Instead, the replay system allowed time for another play, and Sparano idiotically called time out instead of forcing New Orleans to put the ball in play with a running clock and only 5 seconds remaining. Brees talked Payton into the correct strategy during the time out, switching from the planned FG attempt to a QB sneak, which Brees converted for 24-10.

I know you're talking about the Colston catch. As I post below, that was properly overturned, so I don't see anything phony anywhere. Don't fault the refs there for calling a VERY close catch a TD, which was then properly reviewed and properly overturned. That's just a bad break.

The only fault in that TD was on the part of Sparano for stopping the clock (you're right about that), AND the Miami defense for allowing the sneak to get in (oh, AND allowing the Saints to get to the goal in the first place).

This whole thread makes me think of the (once) great Jim Mora's tirade that inspired the Saints to go on a 9-game win streak that brought them their first winning season and playoff appearance: "Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda".

I didn't realize the ref was right there. What a doofus (I'm not swearing). Thanks refs for giving the game away!!

As I said---The Ref's sucked on both sides of the ball.

He's a full yard and a half from the endzone. Note to the right--- that's a fricking Ref right there not 2 yards away-- looking intently at the play---and he missed that?

Maybe he closed his eyes for a full minute. They were tired you know. It was hot and all in Miami. And you know us Miami Fans only complain!!

Do I need this??:sarcasm:

That play is moving at high speed. The referee in that case has to make a lot of decisions.

Did he fumble before he crossed the goalline?
Was he out of bounds?
Are there any fouls on the play?

And while this is happening, he has to not get killed by the stampeding herd. There is one apparent problem though. The referee should be planted on that goal line 2-5 yards off of the sideline. He has a bad position for determining if the ball crossed the goal line at all.

Like I said, this is an extremely difficult play to officiate. I'm surprised replay didn't get it, but football is officiated and played by people. Some calls will be missed even at the highest levels.

But the F'ing replay clearly showed it....

Again---the Ref is right there and it was a full yard in a half.

That was one problem in this case, the camera angles were not down the line so while it looked obvious it was a fumble and touchback, I knew the original call wouldn't be reversed.

At least now maybe we can stop hearing about the Pats-Fins "Snow Bowl". :eyes:

So I wasn't exactly furious at that call.

Ideal scenario would have been Dolphins win by 1-7, equating to a Miami win and Saints second half cover. :)

But let me guess, if the identical call had been made against Hawaii two seasons ago, costing a win and unbeaten season, it's an all time travesty. :rofl:

1) NFL teams can absorb a mid-season loss and still get into the playoffs, and ultimately the Super Bowl. College teams usually cannot (e.g. USC).

2) The 2007 Warriors did indeed fall behind an opponent by 21 (would you believe U-Dub?!) -- BUT they had already begun their comeback with considerably more than two seconds remaining in the second quarter.

3) I can assure you with absolute confidence that the San Jose State Spartans will never, ever put me in that kind of a position. :-)

Miracle comeback indeed.

... the picture does not tell us whether the ball went out of bounds before it crossed the end zone. The replay is not clear on that, either. The ball in fact first hits the ground well out of bounds. If it went out of bounds before crossing the pylon... Saints' ball at the one or so... likely TD anyway. If not, Miami ball at the 20. There's nothing to clearly show the former couldn't be the case as much as the latter. The only thing we know for sure is that Sharper intercepted and got it to the one.

Since there is no conclusive proof (even in the replay) as to where the ball went out, then if the refs reverse the call to say "fumble", they then have insufficient evidence to decide who even gets the ball, and it's a 7-point change depending on what they decide. The refs have no option but to let the play stand as called on the field. Not enough evidence to overturn the ruling on the field.

Re the end of 1st half TD (overturned then Saints scored anyway), Miami fans say "if it was called correctly on the field" the clock would have run out. Seriously, that catch by Colston was SO close that it was entirely reasonable to call it a TD. It was reviewed, automatically, as it was in the final 2:00. That's just the rules. There was no horrible call initially calling it a TD. It was damn close, and it was rightfully reviewed and overturned. But the facts are: Colston made a great long catch, Fins coach made a bonehead decision to stop the clock, Brees took advantage.

Ricky Williams scored his long run on a blatant no-call (holding), too. You play the game. Dolphins can't complain that one play gave the Saints the turnaround. You play the game.

First off the ball did go through the end zone and the replay clearly showed it..

Also: You got a picture of the blatant holding call?

Didn't think so.

:nopity:

http://www.neworleanssaints.com/Home.aspx
Watch Vilma (51). Clearly held. But my point is, calls go every which way in games (they went both ways in this game). You have to play past it. Saints did. Miami didn't.

Re the Sharper fumble/TD, again, one still pic doesn't tell the entire story. Neither you nor I (nor could the refs tell) where the ball went out of bounds. Video on the same link has 2 angles and neither is clear. One DOES see where it hits out of bounds, though, and it is almost at the edge of the white border. Came loose around the one, landed well to the right of the sideline about 5 yards down. Ref couldn't tell if it crossed the pylon first. Guess you can. Congrats ;)

Saints scored 43 pts to Miami's 10 from the point Colston caught the ball at the one at the end of the half. That's what happened. It wasn't down to one play. I'm not trying to be ugly or mean, and for the record, I am a Saints fan. My point is, it didn't come down to this play, and it wasn't that blatant of a missed call even if it was missed. It was incredibly fast, in a crowd, and the refs did their best. We just have an admittedly great still pic from a SI photog that clearly shows at least a fumble. But I think we all knew that.

The call isn't going to be changed and the game is over. But the next one isn't.

and clearly blamed the poor play of the secondary, etc.

My original complaint was about the poor refereeing league wide and in the NCAA.

The fans can gripe as long as they want. The team has to put it behind them.

13th, 14th.... man

I really hate it if/when my team ends up winning because of botched/stupid ref calls.

Because the Football Gods have a way of coming back to bite teams in the ass.

So if the Saints ended up winning not by their own efforts, then they should probably watch out because they could end up losing in a most humiliating way to a team that's not even good enough to appear in the same stadium with them.

It's been tough being a Saints fan for 40-plus years. I'm reminded of a post I read somewhere else recently, remembering one time when Joe Montana was kind of winking and lauhing about a blatant bad call that gave them a game against the Saints. You know, the 49ers? Multiple SBs? No one's talking about one bad call decades ago. The Saints had to play second (and third and fourth) to the 49ers for a LONG time in the old NFC West. But the 49ers did what they did, and props to them (and the Steelers, and the Pats...).

No, the Saints haven't done it yet, but they don't really deserve "bad football karma" based on a difficult to call play that, at worst, would have meant 7 less points in a 43-10 run where the Saints completely turned the game around. Despite the call, the Saints still began to harass and cover much better, and intercepted 2 Miami passes in ther 2nd half. They figured out the Wildcat. They also figured out the Miami pass rush, and Brees began to shred them effortlessly, from late in the first half on.

One tough call has nothing to do with those things, so Miami fans need to stop making excuses.

Now I guess we have to come up with some stupid name to call the Saints, a la "Belicheat" and "Stealers," two Bosshog standards.

Any ideas?

When they do something that others are jealous of like they are with the teams that win we'll think of something. Until then Pittsburgh and New England will take the rings, the trophies AND the lazy ass names.

originate Bilicheats or Cheatriots or Stealers. A "journalist" with integrity would know that. They are not Bosshog Standards, they are football fan standards. Do you make a living by writing stuff?