Erin Gignac
Editor-in-Chief
Photo courtesy of Scott Janssen
Last night, a Green Bay Packer caught the game-winning touchdown for the Seattle Seahawks.
Wait, what? Either you’re sick of hearing the complaints, or you’re hearing it for the first time. Either way, Scott Janssen, a Western Michigan University alumnus, Packer fan, Kalamazoo native and blogger for the Huffington Post wrote an article today addressing the uncanny connection between collective bargaining rights and the Packers/Seahawks upset.
“That’s the worst loss I’ve seen since Green Bay lost the Super Bowl,” Janssen said. “It was really painful to watch. If it’s clear that one player has the main amount of possession and the offensive player is trying to change that, then it’s not simultaneous possession.”
I’m sure you’ve heard, but let me explain for those who haven’t. The referees called a touchdown for the Seahawks during the last seconds of the game on Monday night even though the Green Bay Packers safety M.D. Jennings appeared to have control of the ball before Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate.
Speculation surrounds the call since the referees are temporary replacements filling in for the usual referees, who are on strike because of collective bargaining negotiations.
“I found it a little ironic that the first state to restrict union rights is the victim of the lockout,” Janssen, a WMU graduate with a master’s degree in political science, said.
According to the 2012 National Football League Official Rulebook, “If a pass is caught simultaneously by two eligible opponents, and both players retain it, the ball belongs to the passers. It is not a simultaneous catch if a player gains control first and an opponent subsequently gains joint control. If the ball is muffed after simultaneous touching by two such players, all the players of the passing team become eligible to catch the loose ball.”
In the video, it appears that M.D. Jennings had control of the ball first and then Tate tried to get control. It’s questionable if Tate ever had simultaneous possession.
However, the NFL has decided not to overturn the ruling given in last night’s game, making the result of the game final, according to their website.
“It’s a shame they’re sticking to that story,” Janssen said.
Scott Walker isn’t.
“That’s going to get interesting,” he said. “Now [Walker] wants the union workers to come back to work because it cost Green Bay the win.”
At least Walker’s reaching across party lines for something, Janssen said jokingly.
His article, amassing 124 comments since this morning, was just meant to be a casual observation of a random connection, he said. “Wisconsin has no bearing on the fight between the NFL and the National Football League Referees Association.”
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