[PSU213]

[OK, I guess I feel obligated to say something. First "game of this magnitude..." This part of the quote somehow implies that this game was more important than their other games, NE's other games, and, for that matter, most of the other games in the NFL. The truth is, in the regular season, they are all of the same level of importance (which is not all that high of a level considering all the other bigger issues of the world...). In a football sense it also implies that they should call a 'big game' differently than they would call a hypthetical Dolphins/49ers game, which is something we don't do.

Also, the call was there (on the 4th down play). The NFL has placed big emphasis on receivers taking contact down field. The officials enforced it. I can imagine if that call was made on 2/7 on NE's 20 in the first quarter we would not hear about it, yet we all know that if it is a foul in the first quarter it is a foul at the end of the game.

As for throwing the official's flag into the stands, it was juvenile, silly, showed no lack of control, and that player should be embarassed for the immature behavior in front of so many people who were there and watched on TV.