My Thoughts on the Seahawks Controversial Catch and the Replacement Officials

Wow.  What a finish.  I cannot believe what I witnessed.  I feel like I am dreaming and that I am going to wake up soon.  I will discuss the final play and replay officials only in this.  The game was amazing and the fact we even had a chance to win it in such a fashion is incredible.  But the final play decided the game.  You never want to see a referee’s call decide a game, but that’s what it came down to.

First off, my initial reaction.  My very first thought watching the play live was that it was a simultaneous catch.  I’ve seen a few of them in the NFL, so I know how the rules go.  What I saw was Jennings in better position but Golden Tate catching the ball NEARLY simultaneously as they fell to the ground.  The rule states that whoever gets control of the ball first is the one who gets the ball for their team.  That, in my opinion regarding to this catch, is up for debate.  Tons of receivers can control balls with one hand, plus Golden did in fact get his arm underneath M.D. Jennings’.  Now, if the catch is simultaneous, the tie goes to the offense, which is what was ruled.

People are going to say this was one of the worst calls in NFL history.  I don’t think it was.  Was it absolutely clear cut that M.D. Jennings intercepted the ball?  No!  Was it a good call?  I don’t think that, either.  I think it was a call that 4 out of every 5 referees would make in favor of the Packers, but we got the 1 that made the call in favor of the Seahawks.  It’s a closer play than people realize. 

As for the replacement officials, I just feel bad for them.  Refereeing an NFL game has got to be so hard to do both physically and mentally.  They were thrust into this essentially new game where calls have to be made even quicker.  They are doing their best, but it’s not up to par as to what we’re used to.  I still blame the NFL for not having better prepared officials in case of a lockout.  But if there ever is another lockout, this sure taught them a lesson. 

To summarize, the call could have gone either way, and maybe home field advantage influenced the officials.  I do believe Golden Tate had partial control of the ball.  I do believe that if you watch the replay, by the time M.D. Jennings has full control of the ball, that Golden Tate has it in his arms as well, which could be ruled as control as well.  I agree with everyone else, however.  These replacement refs need to go.  They are leaving a bad taste in the fans mouths, they are ruining the integrity of the game, and frankly they are making the game a lot less fun to watch.  Imagine if they have to stay the entire season and *GULP* the postseason and Super Bowl.  Fans of the 31 other teams that didn’t win the Super Bowl would argue that the season was tainted by the replacement officials and that the championship is not deserved.  They still might if the NFL doesn’t fix this thing fast.

Top 10 Movies that Should Exist

I thought it would be fun to do a Top 10 list of movies that don’t exist, but I feel that should.  Some day perhaps a few of these will get made.  If so, I’ll try to update on here if they are.  Now quite a few of these are based on video games, but if you know me, you know I play a lot of video games.  Anyway, here is my Top 10 Movies that Should Exist:

10. Call of Duty Modern Warfare Movie
I have this only at number 10 because I’m not a huge fan of Call of Duty, but the campaign mode of the game had a pretty good story.  It’s pretty much WWIII and it involves Russia.  If you’ve played the Modern Warfare series before, imagine the “No Russian” mission as a movie scene.  Yeah.  I’d also love to see who they cast as Yuri, Soap, and Captain Price.



9. Duma Key
I have to admit, at the time of writing this, I haven’t even finished the book.  But I’m hooked.  It’s a novel by Stephen King about a man named Edgar Freemantle who has lost his right arm, and he goes to this place (called Duma Key—sort of like a resort for the wounded) and he meets this guy named Wireman and an old lady named Elizabeth Eastlake.  And some pretty freaky stuff happens as usual for a Stephen King novel.  I was thinking George Clooney could play the lead role.

8. The Million Dollar Shot
I have looked and looked but there is not even a movie close to this out there, which really surprises me.  Basically, a poor 12 year-old boy wins the opportunity of a lifetime by getting to shoot a free throw shot for a million dollars.  It’s a great story, written by Dan Gutman and I really see this as a quality film. It's a short book as well, but that doesn't mean it can't be expanded or added on to.

7. Gears of War
Gears of War is a video game series by Epic Games which doesn’t even take place on Earth, but on the fictitious planet of Sera.  It involves these Serans (or humans) that have to battle enemy locusts (not the insect) and lambent.  Not many movies are set on fictitious planets.  There’s been rumor of a GoW movie but nothing has been confirmed yet.




6. X: A Fabulous Child’s Story
Here’s a movie that’s never been made: A couple has a baby, but a group of researchers pay them big bucks to raise the child—completely genderless.  This child goes through infancy and being a toddler without a gender.  In the story written by Lois Gold a family names their child “X”, although perhaps they could give it a gender neutral name like Pat or Jamie.  But this would be a good movie to teach people a lot of lessons. 

5. A Beatles Movie
There really needs to be a movie that chronicles the lives of the four Beatles: John, Paul, George, and Ringo.  We see how the band is formed and see their success and then their downfall.  They are the greatest band of all time and there’s plenty of drama to work with (Thanks Yoko).  Just please… PLEASE… don’t cast ANY of the members of One Direction.

4. The story of the 1995 Seattle Mariners (Titled “My Oh My!”)
I may be biased, but I believe the story of the 1995 Seattle Mariners is one of the best in sports history.  Nineteen years without as much of a sniff of the playoffs, and BOOM!  1995 happened!  This will probably never get made, but I do think it would make a great film.  I also want to see Jack Black play Lou Piniella—their resemblance is uncanny.

3. Bad Twin
My favorite mystery novel of all time.  Basically, a hired detective tries to find a guy’s twin brother, going to various ends of the world.  It’s a story within a story (In fact the only reason it was written was because it was mentioned in the TV show LOST).  This also will probably never be made, but I’d love to see it; it's got a great story, characters, and the suspense at times is really good.

2. Some Expanded Universe Star Wars movie (Knights of the Old Republic, Jedi Knight, The Force Unleashed)
After the release of Star Wars Episode III in 2005, I was really hoping for just one more Star Wars movie, even if it wasn’t exactly connected to the two current trilogies.  But as of 2012, nothing has happened.  There was a small rumor of a third trilogy, a sequel trilogy being episodes VII, VIII, and IX, but George Lucas squashed that almost immediately.  I already put forth some video games (each of which have at least 2 in their series) that I think would make great movies.  I don’t care if it’s not connected to the current two trilogies we have, just make more Star Wars movies with lightsabers and stuff!

1. Halo
Seriously, will Halo ever be made?  It’s been talked about for at least five years, yet nothing has happened.  Peter Jackson was once attached to a Halo movie, but then he dropped out.  Halo isn’t the best video game series to be made into a movie, but with how imaginative and original it is, SOMETHING has to be made from it in terms of a show or movie.