Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images
Confusion in the end zone during the Packers-Seahawks football game on Monday in Seattle, Washington.
President Obama, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan actually agree on something: The Packers were robbed.
In a rare show of bipartisan unity, the three politicians all expressed frustration after the blown call at the end of Monday Night Football's Green Bay Packers-Seattle Seahawks game and pressed for an end to the lockout with unionized referees.
The president "thinks there was a real problem with that call," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday. It's "very distressing for every American football fan."
During the last play, replacement officials incorrectly awarded Seattle with a touchdown, giving the Seahawks a victory with a final score of 14-12.
Obama, a huge sports buff, reminded the NFL via Twitter that fans "on both sides of the aisle" remain hopeful for an immediate resolution to the conflict:
NFL fans on both sides of the aisle hope the refs' lockout is settled soon. -bo
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 25, 2012
Scott Walker, naturally a Packers fan as the governor of Wisconsin, slammed the bad call and demanded the return of the league's unionized officials. Walker, the guy who let's remember made union-busting famous for ending collective bargaining rights his his state, tweeted:
After catching a few hours of sleep, the #Packers game is still just as painful. #Returntherealrefs
— Governor Walker (@GovWalker) September 25, 2012
Ryan, a congressman from the swing state of Wisconsin, also complained about the ruling on the campaign trail. He asked an audience in Ohio, "Did you guys watch that Packer game last night? I mean, ha. Give me a break. It is time to get the real refs." He then compared this sports fail to Obama's record on the economy. "And you know what, it reminds me of President Obama and the economy," he contended. "If you can’t get it right, it is time to get out."
The NFL admitted the flub. In an official statement, the NFL conceded the referees should have ruled a pass interference on Golden Tate instead. However, the victory still stands.
Leave a Comment:
The NFL should have taken their clue from the Lingerie League, which had previously fired this group of refs. Certainly getting some College refs in for next Sunday would do, even with the few differences in rules between the Pro and the College game, such as between the tackles grounding and extra closely called hits on quarterbacks and below the waistline (copious that they are in the pros) blocking.
Either that, or postpone the NFL season, and bring in the Lingerie League! On second thought, that is what I could go for! LOL!!
The NFL will bring back the union refs after actuaries recalculate insurance rates for players injuries and send the bill to the league. The union refs, among other things, are the cheapest insurance policy and the best protection for its players the league has.
Paul Ryan has compared the replacement refs to the Obama Administration...
If he were an honest man, he would've compared them to his Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives.
...
"Thanks to the NFL _RA, we’re paying our way,
So always look for the union label,
It says we’re able to call them, in the U_S of A !!!"
Everybody sing now - from the top.
"When you are watching, a Monday Night Game,
Remember right there, our union's calling
the plays that keep you, right on your seats
But whose complaining ..."