Games That Felt "Rigged" By Suspiciously Convenient Calls

[selmaborntidefan]

Everyone whines about SB XL but if you actually watched the lengths the refs went to try to screw Pittsburgh out of the Colts game to get there then you could atleast say it somewhat evened out.

This would’ve been ballgame.

This is one of many many many calls that just happened to go Peyton Manning’s way that day.

I was visiting a friend at a bookstore and didn't see that one at the time. I saw the game later. My Dad - who was for the Colts btw - called me on the phone and said it was the worst officiating he'd ever seen in his life.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Selma —

I’m loath to ask you to re-visit a memory, but here goes....

I know that Mike Guman’s uncle was on the officiating crew for the 1983 Penn State game. (Note for those not yet members of the OFC: Mike Guman was the PSU fullback who was stuffed by Barry Krauss in The Goal Line Stand at the end of the 1979 season. While I’ve heard people claim that he was, Mike Guman himself was NOT on the officiating crew...it was his uncle.)

My admittedly failing memory is that he wasn’t the one that actually called Gothard OB. So I think the idea has been repeated so much over the years that it’s taken on the aura of Truth.

Still, regardless of whether he made the call or not, Guman clearly shouldn’t have been on the crew at all.

This is actually correct. It's one of those things - like Bill Buckner cost the Red Sox the series when the game was already tied when he made the error - that has become truth through repeated re-tellings.

Here are the facts:

1) Ray Perkins requested BEFORE THE GAME that head linesman Don Guman be replaced, a request that was refused.
2) Guman did not make the horrific call


In a twist of irony, Guman's last game as an official was the above mentioned 1994 Orange Bowl where the refs made damn sure Bobby Bowden finally won a national title. I'm serious - I very nearly gave up watching CFB after that game because it was flagrant and obvious. I calmed down by the following fall, but I was angry - and I don't even like Nebraska.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Btw - there was a DIFFERENT problem with Penn State: that kind of crap had been going on in Happy Valley for years. In all seriousness, if not for an awful call in the 1982 Penn State-Nebraska game, they don't win that national championship later on (in fact, Nebraska probably does).

For the record - the archives at the time don't even tell us which official called it a "no catch," which makes me wonder how the hell anyone can be sure it was NOT Guman. Just my two cents.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Everyone whines about SB XL but if you actually watched the lengths the refs went to try to screw Pittsburgh out of the Colts game to get there then you could atleast say it somewhat evened out.

This would’ve been ballgame.

This is one of many many many calls that just happened to go Peyton Manning’s way that day.

The number of bad calls evened out.

The problem in this particular case is that Seattle, who had nothing to do with the Indy game, got royally hosed and didn't win the Super Bowl.

I'll agree with you the officiating was next world atrocious and seemed designed to help the Colts, but I don't think it makes the Seahawks feel any better. Of course, they'd have gone back to back if their stupid head coach didn't call a pass play at the goal line but that's another story.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I found a discussion of this elsewhere, so let me touch on a few things that have become legendary and are not true.

1) 1985 World Series Game 6. Don Denkinger cost the Cardinals the World Series.

Not true. Denkinger did make a horrible call, but he didn't drop the foul pop, didn't have the passed ball, didn't give up the following hits, and didn't lose with a 20-game winner on the mound in Game 7.

2) Colorado - Missouri 5th down play in 1990. Not only was it one of, if not the worst blown call in football, Colorado actually won a national championship that it didn't deserve.

A horrible call, yes. Going a bit far with "national championship it didn't deserve," though.



OTHER POSSIBLE MENTIONS
1995 Iron Bowl - let's face it, Curtis Brown was in
1995 Arkansas - catch, are you kdding me?

The mugging of Roy Jones, Jr. by Korean boxing officials in the 1988 Summer Olympics (absolutely true)

2012 Braves vs Cardinals - that's an infield fly????

 

[4Q Basket Case]

This is actually correct. It's one of those things - like Bill Buckner cost the Red Sox the series when the game was already tied when he made the error - that has become truth through repeated re-tellings.

Here are the facts:

1) Ray Perkins requested BEFORE THE GAME that head linesman Don Guman be replaced, a request that was refused.
2) Guman did not make the horrific call


In a twist of irony, Guman's last game as an official was the above mentioned 1994 Orange Bowl where the refs made damn sure Bobby Bowden finally won a national title. I'm serious - I very nearly gave up watching CFB after that game because it was flagrant and obvious. I calmed down by the following fall, but I was angry - and I don't even like Nebraska.

Thanks for checking. I wasn’t aware that Perkins had requested Don Guman not be on the officiating crew.

And he shouldn’t have been.

Had PSU joined the BIG at that time, or were they still independent?

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I'll add another one that Jadeveon Clowney fixed - that horrible call that seemed designed to help Michigan against S Carolina in the bowl game about ten years ago or so. If that's Indiana or Purdue, I don't think they get it wrong.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Thanks for checking. I wasn’t aware that Perkins had requested Don Guman not be on the officiating crew.

And he shouldn’t have been.

Had PSU joined the BIG at that time, or were they still independent?

They WANTED to - they'd made that clear for years. But they actually ANNOUNCED in December 1989 they were joining the conference. That move right there was the triggering event for SEC expansion, Notre Dame's TV contract, the SECCG, and a bunch of other things.

But PSU was still independent at that point in time. The delay in starting was partly to let them finish out contracts for games they''d agreed to so they could clear out the schedule.

 

[AlexanderFan]

Any game Alabama loses.

Except when Keith Brown got shoved down vs. LSU. We may have Shulaed that game away later anyway, but a touchdown there would’ve given that team the emotional boost his teams always needed instead of the balloon popping that occurred.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Btw, I stand corrected. The official who called Gothard - get this - "out of bounds" was Jack O'Rourke.

 

[ReturnToGlory]

I found a discussion of this elsewhere, so let me touch on a few things that have become legendary and are not true.

1) 1985 World Series Game 6. Don Denkinger cost the Cardinals the World Series.

Not true. Denkinger did make a horrible call, but he didn't drop the foul pop, didn't have the passed ball, didn't give up the following hits, and didn't lose with a 20-game winner on the mound in Game 7.

2) Colorado - Missouri 5th down play in 1990. Not only was it one of, if not the worst blown call in football, Colorado actually won a national championship that it didn't deserve.

A horrible call, yes. Going a bit far with "national championship it didn't deserve," though.



OTHER POSSIBLE MENTIONS
1995 Iron Bowl - let's face it, Curtis Brown was in
1995 Arkansas - catch, are you kdding me?

The mugging of Roy Jones, Jr. by Korean boxing officials in the 1988 Summer Olympics (absolutely true)

2012 Braves vs Cardinals - that's an infield fly????

Forgot about Braves-Cards. I remember the fans throwing stuff on the field after that one, which rarely happens in Atlanta.

 

[TexasBama]

Any game Alabama loses.

Further, any game Bama plays in Coleman Coliseum

 

[TexasBama]

The 2000 Western Conference Finals, Game 7, Lakers vs. Portland, was pretty horrible.
Also, 2006 NBA Finals game 5, Dallas vs Heat, the game cost Cuban 250k.

ETA
Hagler vs. Leonard - a ridiculous scorecard and a bunch of phantom punches gives Leonard the win

 

[DzynKingRTR]

1983 Penn State game and 1997 NLCS was so bad that you have to wonder.

The ump was paid for that 1997 NLCS. There is no other explanation. There should have been an investigation.

 

[JayBama_in_PCOLA]

When I’m not in an alcohol state, I’ll revisit this,
especially Lakers/Kings and Florida/BAMA.

 

[LSUgrad2BamaDad]

Not so sure that the NFL cares about that, but the Saints got hosed so badly that the rules got changed. Yeah, that one was huge.

The Saints continue to be public enemy no.1 in the league’s eyes for “bountygate”. At least, that’s how Saints fans see it. someone who follows it more closely can correct me, but I think we’re the only team penalized monetarily and with the loss of a draft pick for a maskless locker room celebration when other teams were clearly doing the same.

 

[crimsonaudio]

The pass interference no call Saints v Rams 2018 NFC championship game. NFL wanted the LA Rams in the SB and more importantly, the league didn’t want the saints in it.

I had forgotten about that one, wow.

 

[Bama197]

I am very surprised no one has mentioned the 1995 Iron Bowl or the Arkansas game that same year. Arky had 12 men on the field when they scored the winning rd and yes, Curtis Brown caught that rd pass in the Iron Bowl. If I'm not mistaken Al Ford's crew officiated both games.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I am very surprised no one has mentioned the 1995 Iron Bowl or the Arkansas game that same year. Arky had 12 men on the field when they scored the winning rd and yes, Curtis Brown caught that rd pass in the Iron Bowl. If I'm not mistaken Al Ford's crew officiated both games.

I mentioned it in passing above but yeah.

 

[81usaf92]

The number of bad calls evened out.

The problem in this particular case is that Seattle, who had nothing to do with the Indy game, got royally hosed and didn't win the Super Bowl.

I'll agree with you the officiating was next world atrocious and seemed designed to help the Colts, but I don't think it makes the Seahawks feel any better. Of course, they'd have gone back to back if their stupid head coach didn't call a pass play at the goal line but that's another story.

There are 3 calls that everyone talks about in that game.

1) the push off
2) Roethlisberger TD
3) Hasselback’s penalty

-The push off while tacky, was nowhere close as the most egregious offensive pass interference call. I mean Kittle’s OPI was way worse as an OPI last year. But absolutely no one whines about it. But for argument’s sake let’s give the Seahawks that one. Pit 21-14

- The Roethlisberger TD I will level and say I didn’t think he was in. But how many times have we seen this same scenario where our eyes based on the angles we were provided gave no definitive proof. The call on the field was touch down. It was a 3rd down play and Pittsburgh was down 3-0. The only issue is that the refs yelled “CONFIRMED” instead of stands. But say for argument’s sake say that the call goes Seattle’s way. We have no clue what Cowher decides to do on the 1 inch line. At worst we are looking at 3-0 at a failed try, conservatively we are looking at a tied ball game, but likely we are still looking at 7-3 with who Pittsburgh’s beef are that year. But in the grand scheme of things if all the calls go Seattle’s way it’s still Pittsburgh 17-14. But keep in mind Pittsburgh shut down their offense midway through the 4th and they were starting to warm up.

- the hassleback block- this was the wrong call but it affected absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things.

People take issue with SB 40 mostly because it was a completion of a Disney type story. First 6 seed to win it, one for Cowher, and Bettis wins his only SB in his home town and gets to retire. Bama fans take issue mostly because the lack of a ring will probably prevent Shaun Alexander from getting in the HOF anytime soon.

But my point is that people are really taking issue with judgement calls at best when they are looking at best when complaining about this SB. This is not in the same neighborhood as the Colts-Steelers game that playoff season where a correct call on the field was reversed by replay with 0 explanation and was the difference between a blowout and an instant classic.

This article pretty much sums everything up perfectly.

SB XL