OT Right call . Left a mess

[Long Time Fan]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12161 ... s-disorder

Move on dude.

[RiverDog]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12161548/fail-mary-referee-lance-easley-says-post-traumatic-stress-disorder

Move on dude.

Easy for you to say.

There have been a number of umpires and refs over the years that have had to endure what this guy is going through. Don Denkinger comes to mind. It's not something I'd ever want to experience.

[Long Time Fan]

Easy for you to say.

There have been a number of umpires and refs over the years that have had to endure what this guy is going through. Don Denkinger comes to mind. It's not something I'd ever want to experience.

No doubt that living with a consequential call made INCORRECTLY must be hell. But this is a guy that should rest his head on the knowledge that he made the right call. BTW, guy once went to Seattle and was a bit glorified. Even wrote a book, I think.

Now if Bill Leavy were losing sleep after all these years, THAT would make more sense.

[RiverDog]

No doubt that living with a consequential call made INCORRECTLY must be hell. But this is a guy that should rest his head on the knowledge that he made the right call. BTW, guy once went to Seattle and was a bit glorified. Even wrote a book, I think.

Now if Bill Leavy were losing sleep after all these years, THAT would make more sense.

It was a regular season game in October so it wasn't all that consequential, so I doubt whether or not he feels the call was right or not is the issue.

[c_hawkbob]

If the dude's that fragile he has no business being a game official in the first place. The call was reviewed by real refs and upheld, that has to be the end of it in his mind.

[RiverDog]

If the dude's that fragile he has no business being a game official in the first place. The call was reviewed by real refs and upheld, that has to be the end of it in his mind.

If you read the article, he does say that he's fought with depression prior to Fail Mary, so he probably does not belong in a job that involves as much stress as an NFL or major college football ref does.

Nevertheless, I don't doubt that his condition is real. I know I'd get pretty damn tired of constantly defending myself even if I was convinced that I made the right decision.

[Hawk Sista]

The national narrative about that call being the worst call ever was so lame and untrue; it was used as a catalyst to bring the "real refs" back from their strike. It was an effective tool, though as the refs came back. But how many times are we gonna revisit the damned thing? I guess it is in the annals of football history and will be discussed forever, even though we have video evidence of similar things happening that were never called. It was the Packers, it was the situation, and it is over.

I agree with brother Bob, while I understand being upset about it...ending a marriage? treatment? Suicide? I would suspect he was not the mentally healthiest person on the planet, but that is just a guess.

[mykc14]

The national narrative about that call being the worst call ever was so lame and untrue; it was used as a catalyst to bring the "real refs" back from their strike. It was an effective tool, though as the refs came back. But how many times are we gonna revisit the damned thing? I guess it is in the annals of football history and will be discussed forever, even though we have video evidence of similar things happening that were never called. It was the Packers, it was the situation, and it is over.

I agree with brother Bob, while I understand being upset about it...ending a marriage? treatment? Suicide? I would suspect he was not the mentally healthiest person on the planet, but that is just a guess.

I don't know Future still believes that it was the WORST CALL HE HAS EVER SEEN. Although anybody who says that is either trolling, stupid, or hasn't watched much football. I'll let you decide which Future is.

[RiverDog]

Actually I felt the call was correct and that the real travesty was not calling Tate for OPI.

[SalmonBB]

I thought it was a good story.

This game we love, in my opinion, reflects life like no other. And as I believe most of us know, life can be brutal. As far as "getting over it" (i.e., the call), I think a major point here is not about the call as a focal point but as a trigger of something much broader - that of depression and mental illness. As a society we often tend to dismiss those who "have a screw loose," when we ought to listen and empathize. I commend him for being so open about it, and I pray that things (such as his well-being and marriage) will work out for him.

GO SEAHAWKS!!!

[Long Time Fan]

I thought it was a good story.

This game we love, in my opinion, reflects life like no other. And as I believe most of us know, life can be brutal. As far as "getting over it" (i.e., the call), I think a major point here is not about the call as a focal point but as a trigger of something much broader - that of depression and mental illness. As a society we often tend to dismiss those who "have a screw loose," when we ought to listen and empathize. I commend him for being so open about it, and I pray that things (such as his well-being and marriage) will work out for him.

GO SEAHAWKS!!!

Solid perspective.

Everyone has triggers and vulnerabilities. I would hope that we all want to do our life's work well and on a best effort's basis we should then, most often, be able to live with our work's ramifications. My "move on" sentiment is as much about hoping that this guy can get on with his life as it is about a "buck up" attitude. That this story and its outgrowths live on is testament to the fact that this call is far more consequential than the simple outcome of a mid season football game, and to your point reflective of life and its many ripples.

[kalibane]

This seems like irresponsible reporting more than anything. He's been battling depression for years and years and none of it stems from his job. But it makes for good copy to say a guy responsible for an "infamous" call is now depressed even if it feeds into irresponsible stereotypes.

He clearly feels no remorse about the outcome of the game. He appears perfectly at ease with the outcome. I also don't see how being a ref is so much more stressful than other average jobs. I mean it's so stressful that despite the fact that at the NFL level you get paid well enough to not have to work another job they all have a regular full time.

I feel like depression is highly misunderstood. Keep in mind he doesn't have to be a ref. He chose to do it as a hobby (for lack of a better word). It's clearly something that added to his life and brought some kind of fulfillment and/or joy. If he had never started being a ref or withdrew from being a ref he would have been more at risk for self harm and suicide. These are the kinds of activities that shouldn't be put aside. The more you withdraw the worse it gets.

So I have to disagree with the idea that he shouldn't be allowed to ref because of his depression. There is no evidence that his duties contributed to his condition.

[RiverDog]

So I have to disagree with the idea that he shouldn't be allowed to ref because of his depression. There is no evidence that his duties contributed to his condition.

I'm not saying he shouldn't be "allowed" to officiate. I'm saying that given his mental instability, refereeing is probably not the best career choice for him. If you're subject to bouts of depression, you are probably not going to handle very well being called every name in the book by 70,000 people that hate your guts.

[kalibane]

But again he appears to be at peace with the call he made. What it looks like to me is they had a controversial call. Found out the guy at the center of it battled depression and then they put the two of them together even though they really are just two things that by coincidence happen to be present in one person's life .

Actors, Musicians, Politicians all have to deal with large groups of people that don't like them or what they do... and in the case of actors and musicians they are generally much more prone to depression than most other professional sub groups. Was it unwise for Robin Williams to become an actor?

I'd argue that without these outlets that they are generally interested in that these suicidal people would only end up committing suicide earlier. Stress can be a factor in depression but it's not the root of depression and it's not the stress of a job if it's a job they want to do. If it's job associated stress it's usually because they are in an unfulfilling and stressful job that they took and keep out of financial obligation to their family. And in many cases even what you'd think of as a non-stressful job would end up being received as boring and soul crushing to a depressive who had no interest in the actual job duties.

I'm betting that being a referee was more beneficial to his mental health situation than it was detrimental. What you're saying makes sense logically but depression isn't a logical illness.

[Hawktawk]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12161548/fail-mary-referee-lance-easley-says-post-traumatic-stress-disorder

Move on dude.

I feel for the guy. He made the correct call and has been brutalized for it ever since.He was thrust onto the biggest stage in the world and was branded an idiot or worse by the commentators, the commissioner, everyone. He became the poster child for the replacement refs.It was no fault of his own.

And its really easy and shallow for someone who has never dealt with depression to say "move on".

[Hawk Sista]

Salmon B&B:

Nice to see you here and you make some good points... so much so that I feel the need to qualify my comments from earlier. I did not mean to infer that I do not have compassion for the ref and those suffering from mental health issues including depression. Depression and mental health issues are very serious and many times the one suffering from such has no more control over it than I did over getting cancer....yet there is not the same stigma for my health issues. I do hope that the guy finds peace and that we start to address mental health issues with more compassion than is the existing status quo.

Jut my .02 on the article - I did think the journalism was poor as the author was attempting to link the call to the referee's mental health. While the call and the negative publicity certainly exacerbated his situation, it was not the root cause of his depression.

RIVER - I disagree with your assessment about OPI. Did Tate push off? Yes, of course he did. Can you find one other example of a end of game hail Mary play where OPI was called? Fair or not, it is the unwritten rule that PI is not called in these circumstances. I have never seen it.

[RiverDog]

I'm very sensitive to mental health issues, a lot more than I ever used to be. Just this summer, I had a very close friend commit suicide and it took everyone by complete surprise. It was just an awful tragedy. His 14 year old son found him hanging in their garage. I found myself wishing that he would have at least said something to me so that maybe I could have helped. I tortured myself by wondering if there was something, some clue or red flag that I had not noticed.

Kudos to this guy for being open enough to talk about his problem, regardless of whether or not the reporter was exploiting his story. Hopefully he gets the help he needs.

Sis, Tate's OPI no call was a little more than just your garden variety, ticky tack push off. It was a blatant, two handed shove. Regardless of the fact that it was a Hail Mary play, it still isn't an anything goes situation. There's no unwritten rule that says there will be absolutely no pass interference called on Hail Mary plays. I can guarantee you that if it was Tate that got shoved like that and it wasn't called that we all would have been outraged, and rightfully so.

[Hawktawk]

I'm very sensitive to mental health issues, a lot more than I ever used to be. Just this summer, I had a very close friend commit suicide and it took everyone by complete surprise. It was just an awful tragedy. His 14 year old son found him hanging in their garage. I found myself wishing that he would have at least said something to me so that maybe I could have helped. I tortured myself by wondering if there was something, some clue or red flag that I had not noticed.

Kudos to this guy for being open enough to talk about his problem, regardless of whether or not the reporter was exploiting his story. Hopefully he gets the help he needs.

Sis, Tate's OPI no call was a little more than just your garden variety, ticky tack push off. It was a blatant, two handed shove. Regardless of the fact that it was a Hail Mary play, it still isn't an anything goes situation. There's no unwritten rule that says there will be absolutely no pass interference called on Hail Mary plays. I can guarantee you that if it was Tate that got shoved like that and it wasn't called that we all would have been outraged, and rightfully so.

I saw an OPI called on Jimmy Graham this year in that situation. He caught the game winner but pushed a guy who flopped horribly to sell the call.
Of course it was a PI on the Golden Hail Mary. But Tate sold it so well, with a super quick punch with both hands to separate without an obvious extending of his arms. I miss that guy..We may win it all again but he would make us better.

Riv I had a buddy who put a gun in his mouth 3 days after I talked to him in 2003. In hindsight he wasn't himself and I feel terrible I couldn't recognize it at the time and help him.
Mental illness is real. I'm bipolar which most in this forum had probably already figured out:-) But I wast diagnosed until I was 52 years old. Before that life was just hard. I'm relieved to know, its an explanation, not an excuse.And there are lots of new ways to treat it.
But its very misunderstood by the general public. People of every race, economic status and celebrity are dealing with this illness.
If anyone out there is struggling with your mental health dont be afraid to seek help from a professional. It gets a lot better.

[RiverDog]

I saw an OPI called on Jimmy Graham this year in that situation. He caught the game winner but pushed a guy who flopped horribly to sell the call.
Of course it was a PI on the Golden Hail Mary. But Tate sold it so well, with a super quick punch with both hands to separate without an obvious extending of his arms. I miss that guy..We may win it all again but he would make us better.

Riv I had a buddy who put a gun in his mouth 3 days after I talked to him in 2003. In hindsight he wasn't himself and I feel terrible I couldn't recognize it at the time and help him.
Mental illness is real. I'm bipolar which most in this forum had probably already figured out:-) But I wast diagnosed until I was 52 years old. Before that life was just hard. I'm relieved to know, its an explanation, not an excuse.And there are lots of new ways to treat it.
But its very misunderstood by the general public. People of every race, economic status and celebrity are dealing with this illness.
If anyone out there is struggling with your mental health dont be afraid to seek help from a professional. It gets a lot better.

What people are missing here is that the unwritten rule on Hail Mary's has to do with the jostling for position that occurs when there's 3-4 players within about a 3 yard diameter circle. Tate's shove wasn't just trying to get positioned. He was clearing out a defender, took him completely out of the play. That type of OPI should and does get called, Hail Mary or no Hail Mary.

Kudos to you for manning up and facing your challenge. I have a brother-in-law that was hospitalized just last month for a mental issue. The human mind is a complex organ, to say the least.

[Hawktawk]

Yeah Riv I'm really glad I was honest with my doc. You should never lie to your Doctor but I did for a long time. Its been a big relief.

I completely agree about the PI. It was a blatant foul in terms of its effect on the play. But Tate is so frigging strong and tough he just popped the guy in the lower back with two hands super quick like a boxers punch and got up to catch the ball. He didn't shove him with great and prolonged extension of his arms. It was a wily play from a young player along with the awesome job getting the simultaneous possession.I believe the OPI call was missed as opposed to ignored.

I thought it was a bit of karmic payback and had no problem with it at all. Actually the last 3 years has been a good payback for this fan all the way around.

Being on the 50 at camera angle for Beast Quake 1.0 wasn't bad either.

[HumanCockroach]

I saw an OPI called on Jimmy Graham this year in that situation

True enough, but in my mind ( and only in maybe mine) I do question whether this play is called as it was, IF the Tate's OPI is called in that game. I have really, really searched for instances of that call on Hail Mary's and the only one that comes to mind ( or google search) is the Graham one, add in that Graham actually made the catch in the field of play, and not in a pile up in the endzone and it becomes even more questionable.

If someone knows of one that was called prior to the Tate catch, I would be really interested in watching it, to compare the two.

It should have been called IMHO, but with that said, it certainly isn't something that is called even remotely often on those types of plays.

[Hawktawk]

You are correct HC Graham was actually running and caught the ball in stride at about the 5 if I recall. he shoved but the guy flopped bad. It seem to be the new thing in the NFL now. As for the Golden Hail Mary I agree I dont really remember the last one of those that was called if ever in my memory. Didn't stop Goodell from apologizing that Seattle had won though. Gawd I detest him, Rogers, Green Bay. I hope we destroy them.

[RiverDog]

I thought it was a bit of karmic payback and had no problem with it at all. Actually the last 3 years has been a good payback for this fan all the way around.

That was EXACTLY my take on the play. Although I felt that the Packers were robbed, it was fitting justice to see our Seahawks, that were arguably the most victimized teams in NFL history from bad calls like the Vinnie Testaverde helmet touchdown or any of a number of bad calls in XL, to benefit just once from bad officiating.

So while I agreed that the Packers were robbed, I was not about to give back the win.

[Hawktawk]

I dont remember Tagliabu apologizing after XL even though it generated an unprecedented amount of media chatter and outrage from fans all over the globe. What I heard was Greg Aello's antiseptic response."The game was correctly officiated".Then I had to watch Baghdad Mike Pierra trying to explain that abortion on NFL network while an uneasy and skeptical Rich Eisen squirmed in his chair embarrassed to be part of the charade.

Yeah I dont have too much sympathy for the few times we have gotten the right side of a questionable call.