NFL–Pro Football Player or PPA—Part 2—The 2016 Playoffs
For every olde school NFL Pro football fan, the past few weekends have been a ‘blessing’. A return to the real meaning of professional football was put on display for the most part.
Not all the games were entertaining, but the ones that were, resembled video games being played by the ‘football gods’. During the past few NFL playoff seasons, I have witnessed scenarios, spectacular plays, ‘bolts of injuries’ and ‘bolts of stupidity’ unlike ever before.
When you think you have seen it all in a football game, it amazes one to discover, that one has not.
ESPN.com writes:
“The NFL has confirmed that referee Clete Blakeman made his own decision to repeat the coin toss before overtime in Saturday night’s divisional playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals. Although there is no rule requiring the coin to flip in the air during a legal coin toss, the league said Blakeman acted out of “basic fairness” rather than a misinterpretation of protocol.
“There is nothing in the rulebook that specifies [a required flip],” NFL spokesman Michael Signora said in a statement. “But the referee used his judgment to determine that basic fairness dictated that the coin should flip for the toss to be valid. That is why he retossed the coin.”
The event occurred with captains from both teams gathered at midfield at University of Phoenix Stadium. Packers quarterback and captain Aaron Rodgers called tails, and Blakeman tossed the coin in the air. It did not flip in the air and landed on heads, presumably making the Cardinals the winner.
Blakeman, however, called off the toss, telling both teams that the coin hadn’t flipped. He did not give Rodgers the opportunity to change his call. This time, the coin did flip and landed on heads again.