That one call handed the Saints the game. I watched it numerous times,it doesn't look like the receiver was even touched,without mentioning the ball was 10 feet over his head! The Vikings were robbed! If this happened to the Bears in a regular season game,the fanbase would fill the airwaves for a week! That being said,it sure is funny reading Viking fan's comments after the story in Minnesota newspapers!
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http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikin ... DCinchO7DU


NEW ORLEANS - The Vikings were unhappy with the officiating after losing in overtime to the New Orleans Saints 31-28 in the NFC Championship Game at the Superdome.

Specifically, they disagreed with a pass interference penalty on linebacker Ben Leber against tight end David Thomas in overtime.

The pass from Drew Brees was overthrown and appeared to be uncatchable, but Leber was called for pass interference after the two players got tangled and fell to the ground.

"I don't think it was catchable," Leber said. "I don't obviously agree with the call. But they made it. I hate using the phrase, but it is what it is. They called it. We have to deal with it. We have to play on."

The penalty gave the Saints a first down at the Vikings 29-yard line. Garrett Hartley kicked a game-winning 40-yard field goal four plays later.

On the only drive of overtime, the Saints had fourth-and-1 on the Vikings 43, and Pierre Thomas dived over the line for the first down. He almost lost the ball when it hit Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway's helmet, but an officials' replay showed the first down was merited.

The Leber penalty came on the next play. Leber's back was to the incoming pass, and he had some contact with the Saints' tight end.

On the next play, Leber tackled Reggie Bush for a 5-yard loss, but Brees followed with a 12-yard pass to Robert Meachem that set up the winning kick.

The Vikings also disagreed with an overturned call on Reggie Bush's 5-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. The officials ruled safety Tyrell Johnson knocked Bush out of bounds at the 1-yard line on third down and the score tied 21-21.

New Orleans challenged the call, and the officials ruled Bush reached the ball across the goal line before going out of bounds.

"I'll have to see that replay again," Leber said. "That's another one I don't really agree with. I thought TJ did a good job getting the guy out of bounds, but we'll deal with it."

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Didn't Minnesota have 6 turnovers?

I don't think the ball being catchable was relevant on that one pass interference. The pass was in bounds and the WR was impeded enough that we'll never know if he could have actually caught it.

The Bush touchdown was pretty obvious.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

They could have pointed out that Pierre Thomas was tackled on the 1 yard-line when he scored his "touchdown" too? It's fun to torment Vikings fans.

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You know me like that.

Minnesota did everything possible to give that game away. They have no one to blame but themselves

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"You can kill the revolutionary, but you can't kill the revolution."

Its always the referee's fault when there is a playoff game that goes down to the wire.

How about dumping on Childress and the offense for having 12 men in the huddle AFTER a fucking timeout!?

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So now you are a meatball for the Vikings?

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Me? No sir. I thought the refs actually got all of the calls right. Bush's play was a TD, and I didn't see anything on the replays to overturn the 1st down call.

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No...jimmymeatball.

_________________
"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Frickin Fred Hubner is going on and on about how that's NOT a coaching mistake...

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Its both the players and coaching. Gotta be disciplined enough to not have that happen, but also the head coach needs to make sure there are only 11 guys out there.

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Where? Do you have him guest hosting in your basement?

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

I hate to reference it but Facebook.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

You cant blame it on the one call. It might have been uncatchable, but you cant tackle a TE while the ball is in the air. That was a blatant PI call if there's even a remote chance it was catchable.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Yeah, they're all uncatchable when you're on the ground after getting knocked over.

Sorry,it would be nice if the offender actually touched the guy! Not a call to make in a big game or ANY game. It was bad,period! Favre does have a hot wife & daughter,though.I will miss the camera trained on them in the Super Bowl.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

So you dont consider tackling someone touching them? I was told by many after the GB/ARI game, and I agree, that if it comes down to one call you did or didnt get, you didnt do enough to win the game. The Vikings didnt do enough to win that game. The Saints did.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Even if he did not touch him,I fully understand "face guarding" is also a penalty,maybe that was the call. Either way,I disagree with the call. Let the Saints earn it. Drew Brees had a case of the "yips" yesterday. No INT's but he looked scared.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

1.) I thought we were talking about the PI call on David Thomas. If that is the case, I dont understand what you are saying.

2.) Drew Brees threw a couple shaky balls but overall he played well and he did not turn the ball over. That's the biggest difference between him and Favre. His WR's didnt really help him out either.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

The PI call that put the Saints in FG position to end the game,in my opinion was weak. The replays showed the defender did not touch the guy. I'm just saying,let them earn it.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

I'm confused. The one I remember is the pass to the left sideline where David Thomas was tackled before the ball got to him. There's no question that if that ball was catchable, it was PI. Like KD said, any ball is uncatchable if the WR/TE is on the ground from being tackled before the ball gets there though.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

All of those are decent reasons. The hell with your Pass Interference call. How about the stupidity of 12 men in the huddle with under a minute to go in the NFC Championship? I think that had a lot to do with the ending. Favre shouldn't have even needed to pass if that hadn't happened. Stupid.

By the "one call" logic the other team doesn't deserve to win either. I mean if the call goes the other way the same thing holds true.

Right. So let's abolish the whole hindsight "Who did/didn't deserve to win" theoretical arguments. The Saints played well enough to win and they did win. Argument done. The Vikings didnt get royally screwed. It's a joke they'd bitch about officials with how many of the calls the first 55 minutes of the game were favoring them.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Right, but obviously calls can affect the outcome of the game. I have no problems with players complaining about officials, from a players standpoint it's the one thing they can't control. I'm sure they're painfully aware of all the mistakes they made. They can work on fixing those things. They can't do shit about a refs call and that has to piss them off.

Agreed again. But I dont think this call qualifies. While it may have been uncatchable, the Viking that tackled Thomas kinda tied the refs hands by blatantly tackling Thomas while the ball was in the air. If there's even a remote chance Thomas would have caught up to it, that call needs to be made.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

The replay that I saw, which they only showed once early enough in the play to see it, it seemed obvious that Thomas was turned around saw the ball was well over his head, put two hands in Leber's chest and pushed off in an attempt to get back to where the ball was headed. As a result, Leber fell to the ground and Thomas lost his balance and tumbled on his ass as well. Seemed pretty obvious on the replay but maybe I got it wrong.

I still think the Meacham call was worse and it was reviewed.

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You know me like that.

after my tirade about the alabama refs i really can't sit there and defend the refs on this game. they were bad. bad calls went both ways. this one was crucial and it shouldn't have been left to something like that.

however, hartley kicked a FG that, granted was in a dome, had the weight of an entire and city on his back and he nailed the kick.

and that kick would've been good at 50 yards.

vikings fans can say all they want, i would not hold it against them. if that happened to the saints, i'd be pissed too. but i'd also give the credit to the team that came out victorious.

even if the vikings would have won, it would still make a great super bowl.