Businesses relish opportunity to poke fun at replacement refs
MILWAUKEE -- Complaining about officiating is as old as competition itself. But the dynamic in play now is because of replacement refs -- the guys who many say blew the call in Monday night's Packers-Seahawks game.
The replacement refs are on the field due to a breakdown in talks between the NFL and the referees' union regarding contracts.
At the end of Monday night's game, Seattle faced a 4th-and-10 from the Green Bay 24 with eight seconds remaining in the game. Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson threw a pass into the end zone. Several players, including Seattle wide receiver Golden Tate and Green Bay safety M.D. Jennings, jumped into the air in an attempt to catch the ball.
While the ball is in the air, Tate can be seen shoving Green Bay cornerback Sam Shields to the ground. This should have been a penalty for offensive pass interference, which would have ended the game. It was not called and is not reviewable in instant replay.
When the players hit the ground in the end zone, the officials determined that both Tate and Jennings had possession of the ball. Under the rule for simultaneous catch, the ball belongs to Tate, the offensive player. The result of the play was a touchdown.
Replay Official Howard Slavin stopped the game for an instant replay review. The aspects of the play that were reviewable included if the ball hit the ground and who had possession of the ball. In the end zone, a ruling of a simultaneous catch is reviewable. That is not the case in the field of play, only in the end zone.
Referee Wayne Elliott determined that no indisputable visual evidence existed to overturn the call on the field, and as a result, the on-field ruling of touchdown stood.
The result of the game is final.
Suzann Campbell was one of many frustrated football fans following the infamous final play of Monday's night's Packers game.
"I don't usually get very emotionally involved, but I was yelling at the TV and kinda pounding on the chair," Campbell said.
Tuesday morning, on her way to work at Milwaukee's Miller and Campbell Costume Service, Campbell came up with a way to cope.
"Let's think about referees, and how we can jump in on this and kinda make fun of the 'blind' referrees, and then we expanded to the 'zombie' referees, and the 'nerd' referees," Campbell said.
Meanwhile, to get the bad taste out of fans' mouths, at Club Paragon in Greenfield, the owners offered a newly-named "Bad Call Burger" to commemorate the creative catch. As peeved Packers fans bellied up to the bar for some thirsty therapy, they could drown their sorrows in the "Failed Mary."
"I think it kind of is a way to say, 'Alright, we're moving on, but we're gonna celebrate this way,'" Robin Williams said.
At Stack'd Burger Bar, there's an NFL boycott following Monday night's game.
"We're not gonna televise any games until they replace the replacement officials, and we're gonna have referee jerseys blocking the TV during NFL games," Joe McPherson said.
At North Avenue Grill in Wauwatosa, those who tell a server "The Packers Were Robbed" can receive 10% off their meal through Sunday, September 30th.
Read more about the controversy surrounding the Packers-Seahawks game-ending call by CLICKING HERE.