10 Ridiculous Refereeing Decisions That Almost Ruined NFL

packref We know how tough it is to referee an NFL game. Plays go by in seconds, rules are broken in half the time, and fans are screaming at you no matter what your decision is. But there are some calls in history that just make us stand up and cry foul. Whether it was lack of foresight, constrained by antiquated laws, or just plain wrong, these decisions have made the NFL referee a position on the field that just can't get a break. Some blown calls are funny, some are heart-breaking, and no matter what, the fans will still be screaming. Keep in mind, though, these referees are human, not saints...

10. The Holy Roller

070512-holy-roller-cp This play didn't seem divine so much as confusing. Bill King, the Raiders commentator, couldn't believe this play was actually happening. Madden didn't believe it was real. No one believed it was real, and yet the play stood. Ten seconds left in the 1978 game between the Raiders and Chargers, San Diego up 20-14. Quarterback Ken Stabler goes back to pass, is almost sacked and then...this happens. The referees allowed because they could not tell if Stabler, the quarterback, or running back Pete Banaszak intentionally flung the ball forward. Thirty-five years later, I could tell that sitting in my living room.
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A recent graduate of Saint Anselm College, Jack is a playwright, fiction author and contributing writer to whatculture.com. An avid fan of theater, movies and the medium that is comic books, Jack is an award-winning lover of the English language.