Steve Smith confirmed it; Cam Newton also confirmed it. They all seemed convinced that this was a successful passing connection.
Of course, there was also Ron Rivera's own judgment. In the end, he chose the red flag challenge.
The inside of Bank of America Stadium exploded with boos and boos. Especially when Cam continued to incite the fans' emotions, the noise became more and more out of control. They all believed that they had been tricked by the referee. This was already the end of the game. For the second time in the game, the league seemed determined to side with the San Francisco 49ers, which made them collectively angry.
All the boos are outcry: We need a word! We need some fairness!
In the studio, the video playback is also going on in full swing:
"Catch the ball! Tackle! Land!"
"Oh, the football is gone! When Steve Smith was tackled to the ground, because the collision was too violent, his ball carrier was not able to fully control the football, and then it crashed to the ground, and the football was released. , I have to say, Eric Reed’s tackle was really brutal.”
"Immediately afterwards, Steve Smith took control of the football again, but at this time a dead ball was formed. The focus of the dispute now is whether Steve Smith had control of the football at the moment his knee touched the ground. We We should watch the video replay again to confirm the details."
"Pause, pause here. The moment his knee touched the ground, Steve Smith controlled the football. Here, due to the rebound caused by the violent collision, the football seemed to have escaped from the ground again, but from the slow motion, Steve - Smith's palms were padded under the football, which means that it is impossible to judge the issue of 'whether to let go' from an objective point of view. We can only assume that Steve Smith was not out of control."
"In my personal opinion, this is a successful pass, what do you think?"
Kirk maintained his neutral stance and interpreted it from an objective perspective as much as possible. Although he supported the San Francisco 49ers in his heart, he would never favor anyone regarding the fairness of the game because he believed that the San Francisco 49ers could Win the game with dignity and no need for help from the referee.
Kirk discussed the matter and gave his own opinion, approving the connection between Cam and Steve Smith. Of course, he also believed that it was difficult for the referee’s naked eyes to make accurate judgments in the lightning-fast time, even for them. All must be interpreted through slow-motion replay, not to mention the rapid changes in the game?
Aikman shook his head and expressed denial, "I don't think so. The moment the football hit the ground, it escaped from Steve Smith's control due to the violent collision. When his knee touched the ground, he had no control. The football had already A dead ball first is an incomplete pass. While there is a very small difference, I think the referee made the correct call and whether the pass was successful or not has to depend on the receiver's control of the football, here , Steve Smith couldn’t do it.”
Kirk also raised further questions and opened up the discussion, "but then he took control of the football."
"That's the problem, because he didn't have control, and then the football bounced back into his arms, so he successfully controlled the football, but it was already the second catch after the dead ball. Our focus is, the second When he lands, does he have control?" Aikman's thoughts were very clear.
Kirk did not show any weakness, "Yes, what I mean is that at the first so-called 'dead ball' moment, Smith's palm was between the football and the ground. This means that this is not a dead ball, he is 'Catch' the football." Kirk also raised his hands in a catching motion.
According to the video, the referee on the field should have seen the football touch the ground first and bounce back. This proved that Steve Smith was unable to control the football, and then made the penalty of incomplete pass; but the actual situation It’s even more complicated. A lot of things happened in one second. Even slow-motion playback may not be able to accurately judge. Now the referee must review whether his penalty is correct again.
Teddy also showed his usual sense of humor, "Now it seems that Steve Smith may want to rush up and have a heart-to-heart talk with you directly."
The subtext was that Steve Smith's repeated assertions to Rivera that he had control of the football prompted the Carolina Panthers' red flag challenge, but if his feelings were wrong, then the home team would have wasted a timeout. Opportunity.
But in fact, this is not directly related to Steve Smith, because the difference between a successful catch and an incomplete pass is very subtle. Even the studio needs to play back the video and slow down the video, and still cannot get a consensus answer. , Steve Smith is unable to accurately judge amid the rapid changes, which is normal.
Teddy just made a small joke, "But judging from the video playback, I think this is a slight difference. In the end, it still depends on the referee's deliberations." Before he finished speaking, Teddy noticed that Ke With the complaining looks in Grams and Aikman's eyes, they both stated their positions, but Teddy was the only one who cunningly remained neutral?
Teddy quickly added, "If I were at the referee's discussion site right now, based on this video, I would choose to uphold the original verdict." This was a clear statement.
“But I think Kirk’s point of view is correct. At the moment of landing, whether there is Smith’s palm between the football and the ground plays an important role in the control of the football. We can’t see the full picture from this perspective now. Maybe a large area of the rugby ball has touched the ground. Maybe from another angle, the palms are not blocked between the rugby ball and the ground. This is a possibility. I don’t know if there are videos from other angles. We need more Get a full picture of the situation.”
Kirk also expressed support for Teddy and Aikman's statement, "There is no doubt that different angles of the game video can show different faces, and the referees still need to discuss it further, but for the Carolina Panthers , The success of this attack is very important, and we also hope that the home team can quickly find their form and make this game more exciting. This is what neutral fans want to see, isn't it?"
Obviously, the referees are also aware of the importance of this penalty, and they do not want their penalty to become the protagonist of this game. Otherwise, the league will continue to hold them accountable after the game, and even affect their future penalties in other playoffs. Maybe, this is not a joke.
As a result, the video and penalty time seemed a bit long. It took nearly three minutes before and after. The boos inside the Bank of America Stadium had calmed down a little. The studio even switched to three different camera positions for repeated viewing. , and connected with reporters on the sidelines, but the discussion and debate still failed to get a clear answer.
Then, Kirk mentioned a very important detail, "According to league rules, when the head coach raises a red flag challenge, unless there are decisive factors that can overturn the original judgment, in the case of insufficient evidence and ambiguous circumstances, the referee will maintain the original judgment. "Although the results of the discussion have not yet come out, Kirk has raised another possibility, which seems to indicate the outcome.
Subsequently, the referees finally ended the video review process and confirmed the penalty.
Amidst the boos and complaints from the audience, the referee walked onto the court under tremendous pressure and announced the result.
"After watching the video replay, the penalty on the field just now remains unchanged. This is an incomplete pass, and the Carolina Panthers will be deducted the first timeout opportunity..."
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"
"Porphyrin!"
"Oh oh oh!"
The entire U.S. Bank Stadium was in a state of shock. They were more and more convinced of the idea of a "black whistle". Otherwise, why would they go through such a long discussion? This must have been a disagreement among the referees. In the end, the "bribed" referee suppressed all protests and made an unfavorable penalty against the Carolina Panthers.
Strictly speaking, as long as the penalty result is not what the home fans expect, then any behavior may become the target of their anger.
During the post-match interview, the referee team also accepted relevant inquiries from the league. The league official finally gave the answer just as Kirk expected: after watching the video repeatedly, no conclusive evidence could be found to overturn the original verdict, although it did exist. Controversial, but the evidence was too vague and too weak, and in the end the referee upheld the original verdict.
No matter how you excuse it or what the rules are, for the Carolina Panthers, this is a "black whistle". The league used a despicable and shameless behind-the-scenes operation to blow off one of their good plays, just to send the San Francisco 49ers into the playoffs. Game, this is simply the biggest shame of the entire season.
What's even more exaggerated is that the absurd rumor that "Lu Ke is actually Roger Goodell's illegitimate son" has begun to circulate on social networks with nose and eyes, and it has also been supported by a lot of positive remarks with solid evidence, not to mention Lu Ke's draft. The most hilarious thing about the history of losing the draft and being controversial in his rookie season is that he directly ignored the racial differences between the two people. This is really dumbfounding.
Putting aside the craze on social networks after the game, strong protests were taking place at Bank of America Stadium at this moment, and the scene once again fell into chaos.
The home fans burst into unbelievable boos and shouts, and were strongly dissatisfied with the result. The overwhelming curses eclipsed the blazing setting sun on the horizon, and seemed to dye the entire sky red with blood. The vast and magnificent The colors spread out magnificently.
Carolina Panthers head coach Rivera is also asking the referee to further confirm the reasons for such a penalty. Even if the decision is made, he still needs to understand the ins and outs of the matter. This is his right and his obligation; at the same time, There is also a lively discussion in the studio.
