Was the fix in?

[vince]

There's a ton of talk about the end of the Steelers/Chargers game, and how the refs took a touchdown off the board after reviewing the last play. Most people are suggesting that the refs screwed up bigtime. Here's the play on youtube - at really poor resolution.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wdbWt9IZsE

The following images show, IMO, that the refs actually got it right. LT threw an illegal forward pass on the play, which ends the game. Here are the images...

Here's a screen cap at the moment LT releases the ball.


And here are two captures at the moments Chris Chambers receives the ball. It appears that it was indeed an illegal forward pass.



An estimated $20 million dollars went toward those taking the points rather than to those taking the Steelers based on this questionable call.

[red]

i'm pissed, i have the steelers d in FF

[vince]

Correction: After reviewing what the refs said after the game, they said that the play is dead as soon as the ball hits the ground. However, since the ball didn't hit the ground until Paolamalu batted it to the ground on the NEXT lateral, they shouldn't have stopped play after all. It should have gone to its conclusion and the penalty would have been declined.

So in the end, the refs did screw up - and cost a lot of people a lot of money.

Edit: And they cost Red his fantasy points.

[Lurker64]

Well, "was the fix in?" is a different question from "did the refs blow the call?". I don't think there's any question that the rule was misinterpreted on the field, but that's a far cry from there being a fix.

I mean, leaving aside the sheer number of people who would lose their (enviable) jobs over a single point shaving scandal and the number of overseers for all parties involved, it's sort of implausible for there to be a fix considering the goofy circumstances of the last play.

[]{ilr]3]

Isnt Sports betting illegal in nearly every state?

[packers11]

{ilr]3]Isnt Sports betting illegal in nearly every state?

[Guiness]

Re: Was the fix in?

An estimated $20 million dollars went toward those taking the points rather than to those taking the Steelers based on this questionable call.

Was there apparently that much of a swing? I mean, Vegas apparently wants to keep the money even on both sides, so I'm surprised to hear the payout would be that different based on the result.

[vince]

Well, "was the fix in?" is a different question from "did the refs blow the call?". I don't think there's any question that the rule was misinterpreted on the field, but that's a far cry from there being a fix.

Yeah, I agree. It's hard to fathom refs fixing a football game, although it's obviously been done in the NBA. Steelers fans are crying foul very loudly, even though they still got the win.

Guiness, I was referring to the total amount bet, not the difference in winnings of the two "sides" of the bet. It was estimated by a guy on OTL today that there was $20 mil bet on this game just in Vegas, as it was the big prime-time game on Sunday. Vegas (and bookies) generally take 10% of the take regardless of which side wins. The points scored on that last play would have made the difference in which side would have hand the winning bet on this game's 4.5 point spread.