Poll: Burress or Holmes - You make the call...

[aj_law]

Inexplicably, I couldn't find video of the Burress spike.  If somebody does, please feel free to add it.

Here's the Holmes gaffe:

NY jets Santonio Holmes torn acl

It's damn close, but I think my vote goes to Burress.

[otismalibu]

I give it to Plax by a wide margin. I've blown out a foot/ankle and it can be pretty painful.

And couldn't a case be made that he was "giving himself up"? That rule is sorta fucked anyway. Routinely see guys make a catch when battling the clock, fall down then immediately flick the ball and run back to the huddle.

Rule 7, Section 2, Article 1 (e) states that "an official shall declare the ball dead and the down ended when a runner is out of bounds or declares himself down by falling to the ground, or kneeling and making no effort to advance."

[aj_law]

I think if you watch the play closely, he doesn't fit "giving himself up" parameters.

He didn't appear to give himself up intentionally.  It looked like he slipped, rolled and went down.  We find out after the fact that he ended up injuring himself, but we've seen plenty of players in that situation that lose traction, go down and try to get back up and advance the ball.  He could've easily rolled and tried to get another yard or two.  Obv, that didn't happen.

It seems kinda cruel because he tore up his ACL, but I don't think his actions were indicative of a dead ball.  As you mentioned, I forgot which game I was watching on Sunday (Panthers/Falcons?) where it was late in the game and a receiver caught a ball over the middle.  He took a couple of steps, then slid to the ground.  He put the ball down, hopped back up and went to where he would be lining up on the next play.  When he did that, everyone kinda paused for a minute, like, "is that a live ball?"  Even the refs glanced at each other.  After a second or so, the closest zebra grabbed the ball, spotted it and they played on.

The Holmes thing...why just toss the ball like that?  Stupid.  Lucky for him the game wasn't close.  Imagine if the Jets were up by 3?  LOL...Jets up by 3.  Funny.

[otismalibu]

As you mentioned, I forgot which game I was watching on Sunday (Panthers/Falcons?) where it was late in the game and a receiver caught a ball over the middle.  He took a couple of steps, then slid to the ground.  He put the ball down, hopped back up and went to where he would be lining up on the next play.  When he did that, everyone kinda paused for a minute, like, "is that a live ball?"  Even the refs glanced at each other.  After a second or so, the closest zebra grabbed the ball, spotted it and they played on.

That's just it. If Holmes does the EXACT same thing but the 49ers just all stand there, maybe it's whistled dead. Are the refs waiting for a defensive reaction before they determine if the play is dead? The scenario you mentioned above is going to turn into a shit storm at some point, because a defender will pick up the ball and run it back. Then what?

[Finnegans Wake]

Close to not maintaining possession.

Burress "wins," but Stonio... how much he have left?

 

[jonzr]

Burress wins for sure but the Holmes toss is a serious WTF moment.  I mean really, WTF!?

[aj_law]

As you mentioned, I forgot which game I was watching on Sunday (Panthers/Falcons?) where it was late in the game and a receiver caught a ball over the middle.  He took a couple of steps, then slid to the ground.  He put the ball down, hopped back up and went to where he would be lining up on the next play.  When he did that, everyone kinda paused for a minute, like, "is that a live ball?"  Even the refs glanced at each other.  After a second or so, the closest zebra grabbed the ball, spotted it and they played on.

That's just it. If Holmes does the EXACT same thing but the 49ers just all stand there, maybe it's whistled dead. Are the refs waiting for a defensive reaction before they determine if the play is dead? The scenario you mentioned above is going to turn into a shit storm at some point, because a defender will pick up the ball and run it back. Then what?

I see what they're trying to accomplish by having that rule, but I agree that it's very subjective and can cause problems in enforcment.

Between this call and the clear fumble that wasn't in Green Bay, I can't wait for the regular refs to come back...*eye roll*

Close to not maintaining possession.

Burress "wins," but Stonio... how much he have left?

 

Another good point.

As to San Antonio, not sure.  Gotta have heart and he's in short supply.