Idiot Florio vs. Saints and all that makes sense

by MtnExile on Feb 8, 2010 2:01 PM CST

In his ongoing attempts to appear relevant, Florio has taken on a new crusade: to taint the Saints' Super Bowl win. According to him, Lance Moore's scoring catch was not actually a catch, and not only did Scott Green blow the replay, but the NFL blew its oversight as well:

Here's the official explanation from outgoing NFL V.P. of officiating Mike Pereira (via NFL spokesman Greg Aiello): "By rule, when a receiver with possession of the ball is in the act of going to the ground and performs a second act by reaching out to break the plane, that completes the process of the catch and the ball is dead when it breaks the plane."

But that's not what the rule says. Here's the operative language: "If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete."

Basically, Pereira is applying an interpretation based on the assumption that Moore, while falling, secured possession and pushed the ball deeper across the goal line, before losing possession.

Again, that's not what the rule says. It says that if the player is going to the ground in the act of catching a pass, he must maintain control after he touches the ground. Not during, but after. In other words, he must keep the ball until he comes to rest.

But here's the deal (and probably also an explanation of why Mike gave up lawyering): the NFL rule doesn't say anything at all about the necessity of "coming to rest." Lance Moore secured the ball, held it over the plane of the goal line, and landed with possession--however momentary. Florio is simply wrong on this, but is desperately trying to insert himself into the conversation.

Stampede Blue has a discussion on this, and surprisingly most of the comments go the Saints' way. Just a small indication of the neglible esteem in which Mike Florio is held by the football public.

This FanPost was written by a reader and member of Canal Street Chronicles. It does not necessarily reflect the views of CSC and its staff or editors.

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Comments

Eff 'em.

I was sitting next to a table of 10 or so rabid Colts fans, they all agreed it was a 2 point conversion.

Florio is a certified idiot.

Irony: An atheist Saints fan.

by GSO Saints Fan on Feb 8, 2010 2:46 PM CST reply actions

Just like Skip Bayless...

Florio can’t admit he was wrong about our Saints. He’s a waste of internet space. I agree with GSO SF, Eff ’em! No one is gonna ruin my buzz today or for the rest of the year. We are the champions and we will remain the champions throughout the offseason and until the next Super Bowl is played. Who knows, we may be the champions then too, although I admit that will be difficult to do with so many current players and coaches (please, please stay, Gregg Williams!) maybe getting offered better contracts than the Saints can give them.

"I said this early on that this was a good football team, they just maybe had to have a stick put in certain parts of their body to play a little harder in certain places to where we’re able to take interceptions and score touchdowns."--Gregg Williams

by David "Satch" Kelly on Feb 8, 2010 2:53 PM CST reply actions

Skip Bayless said today on 1st and 10 that before the Super Bowl, he wouldn’t have put Brees in his top 5 QB’s. He said that he would put Peyton and Brady along with Rivers, Roethlisberger (WTF) and I can’t remember who…dude is a loser.

by jeremy_smith on Feb 9, 2010 2:27 AM CST up reply actions

It doesn't matter!!

We won by more than 2 points!

"There’s no doubt in my mind that we can win a championship together," Brees said Friday inside the empty media room at the Saints’ headquarters. "Not only for the players and the organization, but for this city. Because no place deserves it more." Drew Brees

by SaintsChick on Feb 8, 2010 3:15 PM CST reply actions

Would help if the NFL could write a rule that isn't as open ended as this

Just how long “after he touches the ground” does a player have to hold on to the ball? What if he catches it while going to the ground, gets up with the ball, starts walking to the sideline, and then some safety comes and drills him into the ground 5 seconds later knocking the ball loose? According to Mike Florio’s explanation that is an incomplete pass. How far do you take it?

"I want to hand this trophy to the MVP of the Super Bowl -- and the MVP of the entire league.''
-- Saints coach Sean Payton, handing the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Drew Brees after Super Bowl 44.

by VAsaintsfan on Feb 8, 2010 4:53 PM CST reply actions

Two damn points

Would not have changed the outcome.

Florio is grasping at straws, the idiot.

"I definitely believe in destiny, and I believe in karma and what goes around comes around. We have been on the other side of this deal probably too many times. Maybe it's our time that we start catching some of the breaks, and start being the team that wins them like this in the end." -- Drew Brees

by J of the F on Feb 8, 2010 5:47 PM CST reply actions

bottom line is

we had all the momentum at that point in the game, and the final score showed it. for this florio character to write about something so blatantly obvious to everyone else just further indicates what a shmuck he is

why are you the way that you are? honestly, every time i try to do something fun or exciting, you make it not that way. i hate so much about the things that you choose to be.

by DwideSchrude on Feb 8, 2010 5:48 PM CST reply actions

Testing my new profile sig

Oh, and Florio is just pulling stuff outta his ass. He is and always will be irrelevant.

"When Tony (Dungy) said we had no chance, I knew we had 'em right where we wanted 'em"--Coach Sean Payton right after Super Bowl XLIV with the Lombardi Trophy firmly in hand. WHO DAT!!

by David "Satch" Kelly on Feb 8, 2010 5:56 PM CST reply actions

Great sig

Dungy, I like you man, but blow me baby.

by J of the F on Feb 8, 2010 6:00 PM CST up reply actions

I like the way you think.............Dungy sucks. Period..............

My Magnificent Black and Gold Warriors

by saint-sly on Feb 8, 2010 6:34 PM CST up reply actions

Great sig

Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die!
*WHO DAT?!*

by LA_No1_SaintFan on Feb 9, 2010 3:02 AM CST up reply actions

The moderator of that BBS blog...

is the biggest HOMER I have ever seen!!! Manning and the Colts can do no wrong with him… Kissing Suzy Kolber called them on it.

Just say NO to drafting another 3 tech DT!!!! We NEED a dominant NT!... just saying.

by tlsk1066 on Feb 8, 2010 8:05 PM CST reply actions

***BBS himself, not the all the moderators

Just say NO to drafting another 3 tech DT!!!! We NEED a dominant NT!... just saying.

by tlsk1066 on Feb 8, 2010 8:09 PM CST up reply actions

Any group or organization is only as good as the person leading it.

The Saints have Sean Payton. The Colts have Jim Caldwell.
CSC has Dave. Stampede Blue has BigBlueShoe (BBS).

by Drew-Dat on Feb 9, 2010 1:43 AM CST up reply actions

As if this idiocy wasn’t stupid enough, he went for broke on the “block in the back” on Manning. Well aside from the minor detail that it was on the shoulder — or at least in that general vicinity to a point that only a QB in panties and a tutu would ask for a flag — he then asks if it might have made a difference in the game because now we’d only have been up by seven… so if the Colts could stop them and get the ball back…

Hey wait a second lamebrain! The Colts hadn’t stopped the Saints from scoring on a single drive since the second quarter! What the heck makes you think they were going to stop them THEN when they couldn’t do so previously?

Nitwit.

by FriarBob on Feb 8, 2010 9:10 PM CST reply actions