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Were the Dallas Cowboys and Dez Bryant robbed by the refs when they overturned Bryant's seemingly amazing catch from quarterback Tony Romo in favor of the Green Bay Packers late in their NFL playoff matchup? The catch that wasn't a catch — taking place with 4:37 to go in the fourth quarter and the Cowboys trailing 26-21, prompted ref Gene Steratore to overturn the call on the field that ruled that Bryant had caught the bomb right at the edge of the Cowboys end zone. Today fans and media members are crying foul, with some going so far to say there's an NFL conspiracy.
While New Jersey Governor - and apparent noted Cowboys fans - Chris Christie said "I don't get it" according to The New York Daily News, loudest is probably high profile ESPN commentator Skip Bayless, who says the NFL are brainwashing "gullible fans", and was ashamed about the call from the previous week's game against the Detroit Lions, making the Cowboys-Packers call against Bryant a "make up call."
NFL spin-control machine in high gear tonight, attempting to brainwash gullible fans. NFL blew this. NFL has to know it.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 12, 2015
Bayless took to ESPN's First Take to argue with counterpart Steven A Smith and said:
"I've got one last point. Bigger picture - and I could be dead wrong about this - but Dean Blandino, the Director of Officiating for the National Football League, I believe, was ashamed of what happened last week at "Jerry World." I believe he was shamed over the picked up flag and I believe he was ashamed he had to answer questions, which I did not hold his feet to the fire on this, but he was spotted on the Cowboy party bus back in training camp, getting off the bus going to an L.A. hot spot, and it just looked bad for the league. So you can't tell me that yesterday wasn't a makeup call that came from New York. It came from New York. "Nope, we can't give them this one" - even though they knew in their heart of hearts Dez completed the process. They knew it, but they said we can get away with letter of the law here. We need to make it up and make it look like we don't favor the Dallas Cowboys."
Dez, for his part, believes he caught the ball, tweeting out:
as I went to the ground I rolled over and I tipped the ball to gain better control.. We lost and I accept it but please change that rule — Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) January 12, 2015
According to ESPN's Todd Archer, his coach Jason Garrett agreed, saying:
"I thought Tony [Romo] made a great throw, Dez made a great catch on the ball. Obviously it was ruled a catch at the outset. It looked like to me he had three feet down. What they describe to us all the time is 'a move common to the game,' and Dez reached out for the goal line like he's done so many times. It's a signature play for him. He maintained possession of it throughout, in my opinion."
The NFL's Vice President of Officiating Dean Blandino tweeted out a clarification on why the call was reversed, saying:
Bryant going to the ground. By rule he must hold onto it throughout entire process of contacting the ground. He didn't so it is incomplete.
— Dean Blandino (@DeanBlandino) January 11, 2015
Head of officiating Blandino last week had to refute claims that being on the Dallas Cowboys 'party bus', affected his judgement on calls such as the one last week that went against the Lions and for the Cowboys, according to the NBC's Micahel David Smith saying that "one has nothing to do with the other."
America perplexed at the screwing over of @DezBryant and @dallascowboys: https://t.co/5NUFPWxaum pic.twitter.com/XOS8IBh9fw — GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) January 12, 2015
As The Star Tribune's Michael Rand points out, NFL conspiracies are everywhere, and reading the game and the call "in order to set up a matchup of the two teams everyone wants to see in the NFC title game: Green Bay and Seattle," is easy... but, he adds "conspiracies are whatever you want them to be."
But it didn't stop fans tweeting their frustration at the perceived NFL conspiracy against the Cowboys.
So the conspiracy NFL guys learned this weekend that the NFL likes Green Bay more than Dallas. #notacatch
— Channing Arnold (@NotChaningTatum) January 12, 2015
What we're overlooking is the true conspiracy... NFL officials' vendetta against former OSU pass-catchers. It's so obvious. #Dez #Pettigrew — Ron Terrell (@RonTerrell) January 11, 2015
#NFL conspiracy
— Jeremy Black (@Jerrbl21) January 12, 2015
Last week, the NFL was conspiring to keep the Cowboys in the playoffs. Now it's a conspiracy against Dallas. You can't make this stuff up! — John (@BigJohn1063) January 12, 2015
I always thought the conspiracy theories about the #NFL being fixed were nuts. Not so sure now! Not even a Cowboys fan but WOW! No words.
— Fairflattaxnow (@fairflattaxnow) January 12, 2015
Even New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr, who took the catch of the season, thought Bryant's attempt was a catch.
I by no means cheer for Dallas but I have no idea what or how thts not called a catch . Thts a joke — Odell Beckham Jr (@OBJ_3) January 11, 2015
What do you think? Were Bryant and the Cowboys robbed by the refs? Or was the correct call made in saying that it wasn't a catch?
Dez Bryant's reaction is everything pic.twitter.com/d0eerlqrh2
— FootBasket.com (@FootBasketcom) January 11, 2015
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