San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
Late holding call ruined Super Bowl
Sez Me … The holding call should have been put on hold.
Maybe for Flag Day, another time, another place, another moment. The Super Bowl completely lost its breath — and, with that, possible greatness.
It’s what pockets are for. To keep things in until they must be removed.
The NFL doesn’t have a money problem. It has a credibility problem. The so-called stars are in stripes. And officials are supposed to be in a whodunit’s appendix, not its denouement, not the spoiler, not so much as a red herring.
We have to stop remembering officials. The thundering hoofs of the zebra herd is heard too often.
Not that The League is alone in its room with officiating. Baseball’s umps believe a ball is a dance and a strike is a union decision. Basketball’s refs wouldn’t call traveling on Rick Steves.
But the NFL plays 17 games, a maximum of 21. One controversial call can ruin a season, or turn what could be a great game, a Super Bowl, no less, into a roadside flat.
What happened at the end of last Sunday’s Super Bowl LVII is happening far too often. The official score is up to the officials.
They are ruining our games, and worse, they are being allowed to. Speaking strictly NFL, it has to get its haughty rear end off its pile of money and do something about it. Some 113 million people watched the Super Bowl, and if they weren’t rooting for Kansas City, their stomachs, full of wings and things, had to feel empty.
Was that a “hold” by Eagles corner James Bradberry on Juju Smith-schuster, the Chiefs only receiver who isn’t a tight end? Maybe. Not even Juju, who wildly complained Bradberry was holding him earlier in the game, tried to plead his case. Bradberry admitted he held, which was noble of him.
But so did everyone else, and you don’t throw a flag there unless it’s knock-down ridiculous. It was the only holding call of the game on either side, and there probably were dozens left unsaid.
Those who say it should be called the same late as it is early don’t embrace the occasion. This was a Super Bowl.
As Chick Hearn would say: “Ticky-tack. No harm, no foul.”
It was a classic case of the better team not winning and getting outcoached, but what always will be known as The Flag didn’t cost the Eagles the game. It cost them a chance to win the game. K.C. deserved the win, but Philly didn’t deserve to go out that way.
We, after sitting through an entertaining 58 minutes of football, bad commercials, and a halftime show flop, didn’t deserve it.
We’ll never know if the Eagles could have scored in those final two minutes, but Philly QB Jalen Hurts was the best player on the field, and it would have been dramatic fun to see him try.
The NFL needs a fair-andsquare-hard-ass sky judge up in a booth to make the final decisions on the goofs’ crucial calls — and not just in January and February. Maybe a judge would have let the call stand.
But, maybe, just maybe, that judge, for the good of the game — the game at its highest level — would have determined there’s a time and place for everything, and that wasn’t it. It wasn’t enough.
The horses should be allowed to seize the moment. Not the zebras. …
But Rob Ninkovich made a great point on the hold. If your opponents are in white jerseys, don’t wear black gloves. …
Adam Silver says the NBA doesn’t publicize discipline on officials. “We don’t think that will be appropriate.” Why? What makes them so special? …
The Super Bowl MVP was/ were “MVPS” — the Chiefs’ offensive line. The League’s best sack bunch Blutarskied. …
But, did the slippery turf affect the Eagles’ rush? Absolutely. K.C.’S too, but not as much. Watch the film. …
Do Zambonis work on lawn? Fabled NFL groundskeeper
George Toma, 94, and failing miserably on his final gardening gig, should have ordered one. …
The next Arizona Super Bowl should have cactus turf. It grows freely in the desert and should have a sticky surface. There can be no excuse for spending $800,000 and taking two years to grow a beyond embarrassing surface suitable for Peggy Fleming and Dorothy Hamill .…
Travis “I’m Full Of Something That Doesn’t Smell Good”
Kelce: “Not one of y’all said the Chiefs were going to take it home this year.” Not one? This is such tired crap. K.C. had won five straight AFC titles and been to two Super Bowls during that span with Patrick Mahomes. No reason to believe they could win. …
But, there isn’t a quarterback in history who couldn’t have completed those two beautifully designed short touchdown passes. The DBS were in Tucson. …
It was Andy Reid’s finest hour, earning him a first-class, first-ballot ticket on the Canton Express. …
The Packers reportedly want
Aaron Rodgers to leave and are “disgusted” by him. How? He’s spending four days in darkness. They can’t even see him. …
Know what Aaron’s going to say when he emerges from that dark house? “Six more weeks of winter.” …
Looks like the NFL will eliminate the “quarterback push” the Eagles perfected. Good. Should be banned everywhere. Run the ball on your own. The only one I ever liked was Reggie Bush’s on
Matt Leinart, but that allowed USC to beat Notre Dame, so it was excusable. …
What right does Rob Manfred have to comment on Padres spending? The better question is: Rob, what the hell do you do to make $17.5 million a year? …
Here’s hoping Manny Machado plays baseball better than he’s handling his opt-out, saying there’s a lot of money out there. He should be opting out, and it’s absolutely no surprise. But openly talking money when you make $30 mil per season is unseemly. …
But, do the Pads want to throw Manny shade over what could be such a sunny season? …
Fernando Tatis Jr. has said his favorite position is center field, Petco’s most important territory. That’s where he should be. Put the game’s greatest athlete in center, and let him roam and learn. …
Mike Trout, the forgotten best player in baseball, hopes to convince Shohei Ohtani, the recognized best player in baseball, to remain an Angel. Shohei should convince Mike to leave the Angels. …
MLB again is going with a ghost runner at second base in extra innings during the regular season. As Helen Seinfeld would say: “I hate it like poison.” …
Going to the mattresses. After intense negotiations with
MLB, Ortho beats out My Pillow Guy as official base manufacturer. …
Belated Happy Valentine’s Day to Hallmark and See’s. …
Great players — Mahomes and Tom Brady — acting like drunken idiots during championship parades is classic modern American role-modeling. …
Was Tiger’s handing a tampon to Justin Thomas after outdriving him at Riviera denigrating to women? Yes. Another bad joke by one of the great role models (not one of mine). …
Saw photos of weightlifters the other morning, and looking down at my “Equator” (which is Tom Cushman for midsection), I realized the last time I had a six-pack on me was when I carried beer into a fraternity party.