If you stayed awake for the conclusion of last night’s Monday Night Football game between the Packers and the Seahawks, you probably saw what will go down as one of the biggest blown calls in league history. A last second pass from Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson was clearly intercepted by Green Bay’s M.D. Jennings, but ruled a touchdown on the field. After review, the call was upheld, settling off a social media firestorm.
After watching the replay a couple of times, one concludes that the call can’t even be referred to as controversial. It’s simply wrong. The officials got it wrong, and this endgame debacle becomes the ultimate example of the failings of the replacement referee crews, which have gotten plenty of calls wrong in the first few weeks of the NFL season.
If you didn’t see the much-discussed play, here it is:
The reaction was, and continues to be huge. Here are some of the best:
“We are still better than Apple Maps!” -Replacement Refs
If you’re holding your baby & I walk up and hug it, according to the NFL replacement refs, you have to give me your baby. #MNF [Green Bay]
The replacement refs fly to Vegas, collect their money, and stand quietly in front of the fountain at the Bellagio.
I don’t follow football but I assume some replacement refs just walked on a field and spoiled the end of Breaking Bad.
Love the new #replacementrefs something tells me this will be a very very dirty season for the players in the NFL
Even the players got into the fray, with total disregard for any fines that may result from their commentary:
Fuck it NFL.. Fine me and use the money to pay the regular refs.
Of course, the replacement refs are doing the best they can. One could lob the blame on the NFL and the Referees Association for allowing it to come to this. Either way, you can always count on social media to get it right when someone else gets it so wrong in primetime.