Suing the NFL

[Mr. Goodbytes]

Ok, tell me this really can't happen. I know people sue over the stupidest things like McDonald's making them eat a million burgers that make them fat. But now we have a guy suing the NFL over the officiating at the Giants/49ers wildcard game.
Story.

''New Jersey taxpayers may have been cheated of tax revenue the state would have earned from players' income and other Giants-related enterprises had the team advanced in the playoffs,'' Impreveduto said in his letter to George Zoffinger, the sports authority president.

Here's his reasoning for such a moronic statement:

On Monday, the NFL's director of officiating apologized to the Giants, acknowledging that the team was denied the chance to kick a potential game-winning field goal because the officials failed to call pass interference penalty on the final play of their game against the San Francisco 49ers.

There should have been no apology whatsoever. The reason the pass interference call could not stand was that the player who was pulled away from catching the ball should not have been there in the first place. The man was an ineligible receiver downfield. Only a certain number of players can be eligible on a botched (or fake) field goal attempt. They can't all just run to the end zone and try to catch the ball. That's not how it works.

So besides this guys lawsuit just being completely stupid, it's based on false pretenses. And the giants wouldn't get homefield advantage anyway. What a freakin moron!!!!!!

[Redwolf]

Sue happy b***ards!

[Gomer]

Get your facts straight before you start ranting on and on.

The refs ruled correctly that New York had an ineligible receiver downfield. But they did not throw a flag when Rich Seubert was yanked to the ground as he tried to catch a pass near the end zone after the Giants bungled the field-goal attempt.


"How they missed that, I do not know,'' Giants coach Jim Fassel said. "That is very disappointing.''


The teams would have had to replay the down with an offsetting pass-interference penalty, said Pereira, who reviewed videotape of the play. Seubert was an eligible receiver even though he is usually a guard....

Seubert lined up as an eligible receiver. He told the officiating crew before the game that he would be in that position on field goals.

http://msn.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs0...6/1487933.html

And it's worse than the league admission makes it sound. Check the official Game Book( http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/gamebo...0030105_NYG@SF ), and you will see that guard Rich Seubert, who had reported eligible, was the one flagged for being illegally downfield. He was a legal receiver and should have drawn the pass-interference flag. Another Giants OL was downfield illegally, which is why the correct call would have been offsetting penalties and do-over for Jersey/A.

the Giants before kickoff told the officials they would have linemen in eligible positions on every field-goal play

http://espn.go.com/page2/s/tmq/030107.html

Just wanted to make sure you were clear on the fact that the officials did indeed really REALLY foul up the call. NM the fact that the G's blew a 24 point lead... the officials denied them a shot at winning.

[kenyg]

The game can't end on a defensive penalty - so yes, the Giants should have been allowed one play with no time on the clock.

but, mistakes happen - thats part of the game. Sometimes you eat the bear ---- sometimes it eats you.

I sure hope this Jersey legislator doesn't wind up spending taxpayers money on this.

[ziggie]

folks sue over almost anything now days..:-(

[pickel]

It's there own fault cause they moved to Jersey!!!!!!!!

[MrBaseball]

there were bad calls all game long, this is stupid

[tarpat1]

The officials have been making bad calls all season and have made them before and will make them again, to sue is ridiculous but I am sure that this suit will make it to court and the citizens of NJ will have to pay for the wasted time of the judge and other court costs.

[Mr. Goodbytes]

Yeah, my bad. I was wrong about who specifically was ineligible. And by rule they should have been able to play with zero seconds as the penalties offset. But ultimately the guy who decided to throw the ball rather than spike it should get the blame, not the officials. If he would have spiked it as soon as he caught the awful snap, the giants would have had time on the clock to attempt another field goal.

[J-Excel]

Why not sue the long snapper? It's OK for him to make a mistake but not the refs? Or the whole GIants organization for blowing such a large lead?