28-12-2004 10:08									#511
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Bulger wasn't 100%, but it was nice to see the running game looking good.

	28-12-2004 20:06									#512
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quote: Originally posted by Ned Has anyone explained that bad call on the Bear touchdown that was called a "non catch." Has the league apologized?

The official on the spot had called the catch good, but OB. The replay official said it was in bounds, but also revealed a loss of control when Berrian hit the ground.

The league office backed the officials.

I can't think of a single case where that play would be anything other than a TD, if the play was by our opposition. Chicagoans' feeling that the league is out to screw The Beloved continues to grow...

	28-12-2004 23:28									#513
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Maybe if the Bears were like going to the playoffs or something, by why would the league want to 'screw' a team with a bad record? All it does is give them a better draft pick.

	29-12-2004 00:09									#514
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And so, the conspiracy theory begins....

	29-12-2004 04:34									#515
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Imran, I'm not serious about that. Even idiot Chicago fans know we need the draft pick more than the win.

It was, however, a bad call, exacerbated by a bad replay analysis. Even Mariucci thought it was a TD, and said so publicly. Not often an opposing coach will do that.

	29-12-2004 05:23									#516
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Eh, the Bears will do what they usually do and botch the draft pick . Just kidding... btw how are Harris and Haynes (from last year) doing?

	29-12-2004 08:22									#517
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Well frankly what happened has left me confused as to what the rule is for legal catch. Do you have to have both feet in bounds regardless of control and also control the ball when you hit the ground? Most people seem to think that if you have two feet in bounds while controlling the ball you have a legal catch even if you later lose control.

What is the rule?

	29-12-2004 08:28									#518
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I'm not sure for the endzone, but in the field of play, I believe you have to have control all the way to the ground (though I could be wrong).

	29-12-2004 08:29									#519
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From the NFL digest of rules:

8. A forward pass is complete when a receiver clearly possesses the pass and touches the ground with both feet inbounds while in possession of the ball. If a receiver would have landed inbounds with both feet but is carried or pushed out of bounds while maintaining possession of the ball, pass is complete at the out-of-bounds spot.

http://www.nfl.com/news/rulesdigest.html

	29-12-2004 08:35									#520
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I guess the difference is on what 'clearly possesses' means.

The NFL said this:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1954029

quote: "The NFL office is saying he didn't have control when he landed out-of-bounds," Smith said. "Just because you have two feet in-bounds doesn't mean it's a catch if you land out-of-bounds without control. That's what they say the ruling was based on. Of course I still see it differently, and we'll move on from there."

	29-12-2004 08:35									#521
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Rrom the Rulebook:

23. Possession: When a player controls the ball throughout the act of clearly touching both feet, or any other part of his body other than his hand(s), to the ground inbounds.

http://www.nfl.com/fans/rules/definitions

There is nothing in the rules to support the ruling by the officials.

	29-12-2004 08:36									#522
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Thanks Imran. But, what they said clearly contravene the published rules. That is why this is a puzzle.

	29-12-2004 08:38									#523
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Doesn't matter... the NFL office agreed with the officials, which means that this is either something that had been happening (and wasn't as controversial before) or the office likes the officials interpretation of the rules and thus is saying that will be the definitive interpretation.

Either way, the NFL Office is the ultimate authority and that means that the officials were not acting wrongly, FWIW.

	29-12-2004 08:53									#524
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Well, that's two games the Bears lost because of this rule. Earlier in the season, Urlacher appeared to intercept a pass at a critical stage in a close game. It was called incomplete. Replays showed Urlacher had the ball, took two steps, then lost control as he attempted to move the ball to another hand. The ball went out of bounds. At the time, everyone thought the refs had it wrong, but Smith, IIRC, did not challenge the ruling.

	29-12-2004 23:19									#525
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Wasn't that the first Detroit game?

Possession calls are notiously tough to be consistent on, and I understand how and why this comes up. I always thought that posession was possession, and what happens later immaterial. Like fumbling once you're already in the endzone doesn't matter, since the TD itself ends the play. In this case Berrian first made the catch, then got both feet down in the end zone, in bounds. To me, that's possession and TD, what happens afterwards doesn't matter. And I've seen it called that way, seems like many times.

The article from the Detroit Free Press (reprinted in Wednesday's Chicago Tribune) quotes Marriuci as saying it was a TD. Harrington calls the call "a Christmas gift." And the writer said no one in the Detroit locker room tought otherwise, except to say that "it's the official's call."

Pretty unusual in the cutthroat world of professional sports...

	29-12-2004 23:22									#526
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Chicago needs a QB. Perhaps with the higher draft position they can get Jason White or Aaron Rodgers.

	29-12-2004 23:34									#527
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quote: Originally posted by pchang Chicago needs a QB. Perhaps with the higher draft position they can get Jason White or Aaron Rodgers.

Probably not. Rex Grossman is supposed to be the QB of the future. He just had the unfortunate (or fortunate) luck of getting injured early.

With Bears fans luck, the Bears will go ahead and draft another RB .

	29-12-2004 23:42									#528
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Or worse, they will draft Jason White.

ACK!

	29-12-2004 23:43									#529
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Then deal him for a 4th round pick and watch White suddenly emerge as a big time QB .

	30-12-2004 19:42									#530
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Ming is really slipping. This one is way past 500 posts.. Maybe he's too depressed over Bears season to care anymore..

Anyway, here is some football humor which you all should enjoy.

http://www.extremeskins.com/modules...ha&file=archive

This website proves that Skins fans are good for something...