Green Bay, Seattle Feels Your Pain

Sep 24, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; NFL referee Richard Simmons breaks up an altercation between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers after the game at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated Green Bay 14-12. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE

Let me start by saying I am a Seattle Seahawks fan. Actually, a Seattle sports fan in general. Before you jump all over me for what happened last night, give me a chance to clear the air.

Green Bay Packer fans owners you should be mad, you should be irate, about the call that decided the game. At what has been so aptly named, ‘The Russel Wilson Game Winning Interception”. But in no way was this the Seahawks fault or the city of Seattle.

I have already seen one post about how the Seahawks are the dirtiest team in the NFL. The reasoning being that they didn’t admit the touchdown was actually an interception. Which makes zero sense, like admitting anything would change the NFL or the refs mind.

They went to McDonalds and ended up with a free large fry in their bag and they graciously ate it. Like we all have done at some point in our life. Sure, they could have gone back and said, “this isn’t our fry” but like any good McDonalds, the employee would just throw it away or tell them to keep it. The NFL is McDonalds.

Green Bay, we in Seattle understand your pain more than any other city. We have been robbed. Super Bowl XL was a disaster and those were the real referees. Shoot, our freaking NBA team was stolen from us. Even when our Mariners had a record 116 win season, they lost in the playoffs.

We understand the crappy feeling you are dealing with as you go through your day. The sense that you were wronged. We have been there.

However, Green Bay, NFL fans, and random observers it is time to admit a few things:

• M.D. Jennings played that wrong. He should have done what coaches teach from pee-wee football. Bat the ball away, don’t try to pad stats. Especially in this situation, for if he had batted it away the Packers win and the fate doesn’t rest on the referees. Jennings played that selfish.
• The referees were blowing calls the entire game. In fact, there was a play that led to a Packer touchdown when Brandon Browner was called for a pass interference that on further review was a bad call. It was equally bad the entire game for both teams…until the last play.
• The NFL has full-time replay referees that aren’t on lock-out. The man in the booth had an opportunity to change the call, he didn’t. While the replacement referees are bad, it ultimately came down to a regular referee.
• Green Bay shouldn’t come out so flat in the first half. The Green Bay offense is better than what they showed in the first two quarters. The Seahawks totaled eight sacks and kept Aaron Rodgers and company from scoring. This high powered Packer team shouldn’t have been in the situation where it came down to a rookie quarterback throwing a hail-mary. Granted the Seahawks defense looks to be legit but if Green Bay played they way they did in the second half the whole game, it would have been a different ball-game.

None of that will make you feel better, I know the feeling, but let’s blame the right people. And remember, that Seattle feels your pain.