ABC's "Nightline" examines "worst calls ever" tonight

[Coltdoggs]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

"Coach, I didn't even make the Top Ten."

Cha-CHING! We have a winner!

[Smitty]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

Is this rule not unlike 3 seconds in the key? How would we view a game winning goal scored by a player who had one foot in the lane for 3 seconds before receiving a pass tha they turned around and scored as time expired?

I'm merely a hockey fan, not a hockey official, but I do know that a successful hockey goal is a much rarer occurrence than a successful basketball shot. I don't see it at all like the 3-second rule. I think (I really have no clue) that the foot in the crease rule was put in to protect the goalies - keep players away, but again I really have no idea. The point is, they called it to an excruciating extent in the regular season - seriously, the slightest bit of skate in that blue area and they'd disallow the goal. Plus they have the luxury of replay to use. The fact that this particular goal was in the 3rd overtime (I think) of a critical Stanley Cup Final game magnified it to certainly belong in the top 10 botched calls of all time. For a Buffalo fan anyway.

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by pizanno

Yeah...you're right JR...should let this be such a big deal...sigh...of course you are correct in pointing out that three of the examples were not even incorrect calls.

What bugs me about this are the sensationalistic captions on the top ten "worst calls ever". These calls (and they are clearly mistakes) are more accurately the "most visible" or even "infamous" calls. The captions imply that these top officials -- who likely earned their assignments with stellar credentials and preformance-- are cavalier, uncaring and even inept.

If you really wanted to see the worst calls, just do a youtube search for "worst calls" and you'll find plenty of worthy candidates.

For Nightline to take this on as a "newsworthy" topic is stooping to the tabloid tv junk that poliferates the tube these days. Again, I'll withhold judgement about the show until I see it, but the subject of "examiing bad calls the latest technology to prevent them" seems to be an opportunisitc pile-on to the Donaghy scandal during a slow sports week.

None of those top "Dewey Beats Truman" however.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by 26 Year Gap

None of those top "Dewey Beats Truman" however.

Actually, it was "Dewey Defeats Truman". I know that because that was the Chicago Tribune headline the morning I was born (not kidding) in Chicago. My mom used to have a stack of those but they got lost over the years. I think I read that one was recently donated to the National Archives.

And that's been the story of my life - Dewey Defeats Truman.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by sseltser

Since when do the officials judge how stupid or important rules are? I'm guessing you don't officiate hockey, but I've witnessed you and others here criticize basketball officials for ignoring rules that they think are stupid. Your analysis on hockey rules doesn't matter. This post is a little hypocritical imo.

And yeah... nothing wrong with the goal, except for breaking a rule. (Isn't the view I just took a reasonable one?).

I'll acknowledge that you make a fine point. However, I'm not totally ignorant about hockey. Although I have never officiated the game, I did grow up playing it and got to a pretty high level in junior hockey. Let's just say that I was good enough that Kevin Constantine was my coach at one point.

I just think that the league was mistaken and that rule was ridiculous. I'm glad that the goal counted.

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by Smitty

I would vote for the Brett Hull "foot in the crease" being on the list. The officials didn't even go to replay to check it, and it was a Stanley Cup Final game. Inexcusable. And yes, I'm a Buffalo fan. We have so little to remember, but we will never forget the foot in the crease.

I would put the blame on the NHL bigwigs in the replay booth for being gutless. Sorta like calling a game one way for 31 minutes and calling your first hand check then. All season they had disallowed goals for that reason.

[Smitty]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

I just think that the league was mistaken and that rule was ridiculous. I'm glad that the goal counted.

As a rules junkie, you are being incredibly hypocritical in agreeing with a very specific rule being ignored. You just lost a lot of credibility with me.

[TussAgee11]

Thought I would chime in...

Frankly, it was a 3 OT Game 7, that means I'd been skating for at least 100 minutes. Hull scores, hell breaks loose, everybody is on the ice.

Here comes the cup!

But wait, that a-hole ref wants to review it! What! His toe was in the crease! That is rediculous!

Everyone off the ice, go put that Cup back on ice, we need to zamboni the ice because of all the crap that is out here now. Maybe get started in 20 minutes. Go pull the Sabres from the locker room. What? LaFontaine just left the building?

What ESPN? You need this game over because ratings are dwindling fast? Gary, what say you?

"Mr. Fraser, you shouldn't have reviewed the goal, we needed the game to be over in dramatic fashion".

-----------

Sometimes, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. No matter what, somebody is going to be pissed off. Notice how a proper enforcement of a rule (the Tuck Rule) made the list? because that is how people remember it - the a-hole ref. No matter if you get it right or get it wrong, even when it comes down to a RULE, not even judgement, it doesn't matter. You're wrong.

Didn't the Cards lose game 7 by about 50 runs anyway?

[Texas Aggie]

but we will never forget the foot in the crease.

Sheesh. Get over it. If they had wiped it out, it only would have delayed the inevitable. Buffalo should be greatful they were even playing the Stars in a game 6 that year, and in OT to boot.

The way the NHL is officiated (i.e. by the seat of the pants), a 10th of a blade in a crease is not anywhere near the advantage some refs give teams by picking and choosing which physical play to penalize.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by Smitty

As a rules junkie, you are being incredibly hypocritical in agreeing with a very specific rule being ignored. You just lost a lot of credibility with me.

My only response to that is that the game was called a certain way and the rules were written a certain way for 70+ years, but it just so happened that for this brief time (a season or so) the NHL brass chose to mess with the rule. It didn't work out and this play shows why it was a poor idea. If this play had happened in any other season, no one would have any problem with the goal. What was done that year was counter to long standing hockey tradition and rules.

JMO.

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by Texas Aggie

Sheesh. Get over it. If they had wiped it out, it only would have delayed the inevitable. Buffalo should be greatful they were even playing the Stars in a game 6 that year, and in OT to boot.

The way the NHL is officiated (i.e. by the seat of the pants), a 10th of a blade in a crease is not anywhere near the advantage some refs give teams by picking and choosing which physical play to penalize.

They called it all year long and for infractions smaller than Hull's. Yes, they should have cleared the ice. All season long they disallowed goals. The rule was changed for the following season officially. But unofficially, it changed when they didn't have the guts to make the call from the booth.

[Smitty]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Thought I would chime in...

Frankly, it was a 3 OT Game 7, that means I'd been skating for at least 100 minutes. Hull scores, hell breaks loose, everybody is on the ice.

Here comes the cup!

But wait, that a-hole ref wants to review it! What! His toe was in the crease! That is rediculous!

Everyone off the ice, go put that Cup back on ice, we need to zamboni the ice because of all the crap that is out here now. Maybe get started in 20 minutes. Go pull the Sabres from the locker room. What? LaFontaine just left the building?

What ESPN? You need this game over because ratings are dwindling fast? Gary, what say you?

"Mr. Fraser, you shouldn't have reviewed the goal, we needed the game to be over in dramatic fashion".

The game was in Buffalo, so I doubt the crowd or anyone other than the Dallas Stars would have cared if they did the right thing and reviewed the play.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by Smitty

The game was in Buffalo, so I doubt the crowd or anyone other than the Dallas Stars would have cared if they did the right thing and reviewed the play.

...and the rest of Canada.