Fiasco in Seattle recalls all-time worst beats
Before offering an apology to fans on behalf of the NFL, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers described Monday’s officiating fiasco in Seattle as "awful." It was more than that. It was a shocking and awe-inspiring saga for several reasons.
We found out how powerful the league is and how too many people take the games too seriously.
President Barack Obama begged for the return of the regular referees. NBA star LeBron James and an assortment of celebrities took to Twitter to vent frustrations.
The Packers lost to the Seahawks 14-12 because of a replacement ref’s bad call as time expired, and it became arguably the week’s biggest story, headlining TV shows and the front pages of newspapers across the nation.
"I turned on CBS News right when they settled it, and that actually was the lead story as opposed to Obama telling Iran they shouldn’t build a nuclear bomb. Think about that, the lead story was the referees settled," said Jimmy Vaccaro, director of public relations for William Hill sports books.
The refs returned to work Thursday, quelling the controversy and returning normalcy to the NFL. But the play dubbed the "Inaccurate Reception" will be remembered for decades, or at least until the world ends in December.
It’s never funny to those who lost money – and I was among the many bettors on the Packers – but I can appreciate the chaos that was unleashed because it revealed how huge football betting has grown.
There was wild speculation about how much money was wagered on the Monday night game in Nevada and around the world. What we do know is the NFL wagering handle has mushroomed, likely up 20 percent in this state from 2011.
"The first three Sundays have been off the chart," Vaccaro said. "Obviously, we don’t get week-to-week figures from Gaming Control on the amount of money bet on football, but trust me, I think we’re on a record pace here."
Almost every week during the football season, a preposterous point-spread result causes an uproar among sports bettors. Bad beats occur daily, especially for those who bet baseball. But what happened in Seattle might be the worst of all time.
"This beat ranks at the top because the call was so blatantly wrong and they had a chance to correct the original call with the review," said VegasSportsAuthority.com handicapper Jim Kruger, who also bet the Packers. "The other bad beats from over the years I have stored away to talk about after I retire."
For those who missed it, and that includes no one, the Seahawks’ Golden Tate was credited for a touchdown catch on a Hail Mary pass that the Packers obviously intercepted. Replacement ref Lance Easley, a banker from California who normally officiates high school and junior college games, blew the call. Millions of dollars changed hands.
It recalled the Timothy Bradley-Manny Pacquiao fight in June, when Pacquiao lost a decision he deserved to win. But we expect the bizarre from boxing, so the outrage lingered only for a day or two.
Last September, Pacific-12 Conference officials mysteriously changed the final score of Southern California’s victory over Utah from 17-14 to 23-14. Hardened conspiracy theorists remember that one, but for most it was forgotten in a week.
Regular NFL refs screwed up the ending of a San Diego Chargers-Pittsburgh Steelers game in November 2008, and it still bothers me, so I won’t get into the details.
More memorable was the Wisconsin-UNLV football game in 2002, the night the lights went out at Sam Boyd Stadium with the Badgers leading 27-7 with 7:41 remaining in the fourth quarter. That result triggered riots in some Strip books.
Going way back, there was first-base umpire Don Denkinger’s blown call in the 1985 World Series between the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals.
The bottom line is the regular refs make unforgettable mistakes, too, and even after arguably the worst beat ever on Monday, the bettors were going to return to lay points with the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday, replacements or not.
"You’ve seen so many bad decisions," Vaccaro said. "This will be around for a long time. But it’s like when you have a beef with your wife. You go to sleep, wake up tomorrow and you’re friends again."
■ CLOSING NUMBERS – Monday was a nightmare, but going 5-1 last week in college football made it easier to sleep. Here are four plays for Saturday (home team in CAPS):
Marshall (+17) over PURDUE; Arizona State (Pick) over CALIFORNIA; ARIZONA (-2½) over Oregon State; Texas-San Antonio (-1) over NEW MEXICO STATE.
Contact sports betting columnist Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. He co-hosts "The Las Vegas Sportsline" weekdays at 2 p.m. on ESPN Radio (1100 AM, 98.9 FM). Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.