What's Going On With The Refs In The NFL?

This SHOULD have been a great Monday for the NFL coming off Jets-Patriots, 'Boys-Skins, Giants-Ravens, the Titans still undefeated. Instead, we get another call by referees that totally boggles the mind

Yesterday,final seconds of the Chargers and Steelers, Pitt leading 11-10. David Rivers short pass was caught by LaDanian Tomlinson, who lateraled back to Chris Chambers. Chambers' lateral was not caught, but instead picked up by Troy Palamalu and brought in for a TD. 17-10 Pitt, with an extra point to follow.

But wait: The officials decide to review the play. Let the absurdity begin. Referee Scott Green's owrds to the crowd: "Illiegal forward pass, penalty declined touchdown. Wait, hold the phone.

If there was an illegal forward pass, the play is dead right away, so why did they have Pitt lineup kick the extra point? Then, Green said, "Illegal forward pass, the play is dead, game over."

This sure smells fishy because:

The culprit of the illegal forward pass (turns out to be Tomlinson, in the minds of the refs, was never identified.

The replays CLEARLY show that BOTH laterals were backwards. Even if the replay officials were Ray Charles and Helen Keller, you wouldn't have missed it.

The point spread on the game was Steelers minus 4 or 5, depending on where you were making your bet, if you were betting. THAT'S the most smelly part. The fact that the call was SO wrong makes you wonder how an entire crew could have missed it, unless there were bets being made. Now you might say, "Bobby, who cares? The Steelers won anyway." From a pure outcome standpoint, yes, you would be correct. But most bettors DON'T bet 'straight up.' Bookies (whether at your local barber shop or Vegas casinos) set point spreads to make the betting options more tempting to the sucker-er, guy or gal making their bet. (One day we'll discuss the sense of risking your income on the outcome of a sporting event or lottery-those millions for NY state have really helped our educational system, right?)

With the Steelers being a 5 point favorite yesterday, the last second TD would have meant that they covered the spread with a 17 or 18-10 win. Even CBS'Jim Nantz alluded to the fact after the game was finally over. Also strange, that last play is NOT on NFL.com's website

Today the league and the crew admitted that there was no "illegal forward pass" and that the TD should have counted and that there was 'confusion' on the field. No kidding. That's why umpires and referees are there-to sort it out.

Remember early in the season, the Chargers lost to the Broncos after the ref mistakenly called a fumble by Broncos QB Jay Cutler an incomplete pass? Changed the outcome of the game.

Obviously, there will always be mistakes. But NO league can afford any impropriety. That's what this call, on the surface, looks like something totally out of the ordinary. The NFL needs to hire officials year round, and make sure that they are young and healthy enough to get the calls right.