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Website: Ross Snyder's Funtime Emporium

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Entry #23

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Most unlikely field goal of the 2007 season.

Posted by Ross Nov. 19, 2007 @ 7:36 PM EST

The NFL is fun to watch for many reasons, crazy endings being high on the list. Yesterday, in Baltimore, the visiting Cleveland Browns, down by three with a few seconds left, attempted a 51-yard field goal to tie the game and send it into overtime. What happened next made my jaw drop:

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=0900 0d5d80448909

Phil Dawson, the Cleveland kicker, launched a big kick that hit the inside of the left upright, bounced diagonally down and went through the posts, hit the curved support beam holding up the uprights, and then bounced back out! The referees were understandably confused, and after a bit of hesitation, ruled the field goal was no good. The coaches shook hands, players went into the locker room - the game was over and Baltimore won.

Except... if a ball goes through the uprights, it doesn't matter what it hits or whether it bounces back out - it's still good! Unfortunately, the NFL replay system dictates that a field goal is not reviewable - which is a stupid rule. As the replay was playing on TV, everyone in America knew with 100% certainty what happened - everyone, except the referees on the field. Thankfully, they discussed it and figured out the right call (without the benefit of replay), the players were summoned back onto the field, and wouldn't you know it, Cleveland won in overtime.

The thing that gets me about the kick is how unlikely it was. In order for it to happen, the ball would have to be coming down as it approaches the upright, and then hit it at exactly the right place so it angles down towards the curved bar on the base, and it would have to hit that bar with exactly the right spin so it bounces back out. The chances of all that happening have to be astronomical.

I love the shot of Dawson kicking it where the camera's at his back. Man, that goalpost looks 10 miles away when he kicks it.

Updated: 11/21/07 12:58 PM Log in to comment! | Share this!

The People Have Spoken

11 Comments

Nov. 19, 2007 | 9:18 PM Mad-Mardigan says:

That was a bad call...
GO JETS!

Nov. 19, 2007 | 10:50 PM Ross responds:

Do you follow football?? The Jets are 2-8 and still have to play Dallas and New England. They'll be lucky to finish 4-12...

Updated: Nov. 19, 2007, 10:50 PM

Nov. 20, 2007 | 7:18 PM Mad-Mardigan says:

I know, but I still cheer for them.

Nov. 22, 2007 | 4:11 PM XxdeathpriestxX says:

I go with the broncos no matter what.
But yeah, that was jaw dropping indeed. when he heardit was called good he screamed like a wittle girl.

Nov. 23, 2007 | 12:32 AM SevenSeize says:

I LOVE your page header/banner. :-)

Nov. 24, 2007 | 2:55 PM DFox says:

Yeah that was awesome. I think it's great that the NFL strives to make the right calls even if it requires numerous replays. It really makes it so no team is going to get an unfair break in the reffing department.

I'm a huge baseball fan and in baseball that's not the case. In baseball, as of this minute, if the umps make a call that they aren't sure about, the only way it can get reversed is if the umps come together and over turn it. Sometimes it kills me. The announcers are watching the replay that shows the call was blatantly wrong, and can't do anything about it. It hurts the legitimacy of the game.

They are making steps though. Because of what happened in the playoffs with a bunch of disputed homerun/not homerun calls, it looks like they are going to institute the replay for homeruns. A step, but still no where near football. Baseball doesn't make changes until something bad happens. Take helmets for coaches. Someone had to die in the minor leagues before coaches were going to be required to wear helmets, which they will be next season.

Nov. 24, 2007 | 4:53 PM Ross responds:

Yeah I agree - baseball refuses to change with the times, which in some aspects is good, since it creates this long, rich, consistent history. But it also means that, when they don't use instant replay, you end up with a stadium full of people who know the right call, and 3-4 umpires who don't, which can be unbelievably frustrating.

Nov. 26, 2007 | 4:38 PM knugen says:

I was completely stunned after seeing that XD The chance of that happening must be (as you said) close to non-existing. I have barely watched any football at all, it barely exists where I live.. I really enjoy clips like this one though :)

The reason that I ended up here on your user page was to ask you about the front page posts though. I saw that you commented on a news post saying that the rules for them got stricter, but not more than that.. Mind sharing some details? ^^

Nov. 26, 2007 | 7:00 PM Ross responds:

I don't know if Tom wants the new frontpage rules to be public or not. Ask him.

Nov. 27, 2007 | 12:05 AM Goonie says:

Good game indeed. I saw it live on TV. I said WTF. But it was good. :)

Nov. 28, 2007 | 12:43 PM Molotov says:

Yeah that says in words what the Cleveland Brown year has been so far,unbelievable.

Nov. 29, 2007 | 7:29 AM HellishShadow666 says:

It was a hilariously sad day for baltimore indeed....especialy scince I live there :(
On another note dolphines rule(not)!!

Dec. 3, 2007 | 11:31 PM ZagmenO says:

The Ravens have been sucking this year. They were extremely awesome last season, but now their coordination just went downhill.

Plus, I know the call was wrong the 1st time on that play, but after declaring a winner, they shouldn't go back and change the call.

Dec. 5, 2007 | 11:30 PM Ross responds:

I disagree. It's not like it's hours later - they caught the error pretty quickly. A zillion people rush the field when the game ends - I'm not sure the refs explicity said it was over.

Dec. 6, 2007 | 9:01 PM WadeFulp says:

Wow, the refs must have seen it bounce off that back curved support. How could they call it no good? They should be FIRED!