Unbelievable:
NFL Back Judge Richard Reels is run down by Minnesota Viking Jeff Dugan on a Percy Harvin’s Kickoff for a touchdown that cut Steelers’ lead over the Vikings to 20-17 with 6:09 left at Heinz Field.
Reels (83, foreground) had to be helped off the field.
Now for the really crazy part. (video after the jump)
The same official had called Dugan for tripping earlier in the game on a play that cost the Vikings a touchdown.
With the obvious payback, I have a feeling Dugan’s going to be facing a serious suspension for the hit on Reels.
I’m thinking he could be looking at more than just a one-game suspension. If I was Roger Goodell, I’d suspend Dugan for four games without pay because, again, the shot was clearly deliberate. Dugan ignores a pursuing Steeler and when he reached Reels, extended his arms to push the official to the ground. Blatant.
You don’t want to set a precedent in this situation, if you’re going to err, it should be on making punishment too harsh.
In case of deletion, more video links:
5:11 pm on October 25th, 2009
he was trying to get an angle and the ref was in the way. tough shit
5:12 pm on October 25th, 2009
If he’s not suspended for the rest of the season it’ll be a travesty.
UNREAL!
5:30 pm on October 25th, 2009
i dont think it was deliberate, he was looking down field trying to make a block.
5:33 pm on October 25th, 2009
An angle for what? A headshot on that ref?
Refs get bumped all the time, but that was both hands into the ref and follow through on the shove. Totally blatant with bad intent. Have a nice rest of the season from the couch, Dugan, jackass.
5:45 pm on October 25th, 2009
i just read an article today about refs noy being as fast & strong as the players. it metioned umps getting gear for the games.
the old guy was i the way.
5:47 pm on October 25th, 2009
the guy had his head on a swivel and didnt even see the ref before it was too late. brooks you got this one wrong man. these clips dont do it justice.. not blatant and should be no suspension for this guy.. pretty ugly faceplant though.
5:49 pm on October 25th, 2009
based on some of the calls in the second half, a few more of the officals needed plowed under.
5:52 pm on October 25th, 2009
Watch closely at contact, Dugan clearly extends his arms to push Reels down. And Dugan ignored a pursuing Steeler to go after Reels.
If that’s not deliberate, what the hell is?
6:27 pm on October 25th, 2009
Are you handicapped? He wasn’t even looking at the ref until the last second. He was trying to get ahead of Harvin to block downfield…watch the Youtube slow motion version and you see him turn his head at the last second to see the ref.
6:29 pm on October 25th, 2009
When you run into someone like that, you have to extend your arms for balance. Your’re a moron if you think the guy deliberately hit a ref like that. I’ll put any amount of money on him NOT getting fined OR suspended.
6:34 pm on October 25th, 2009
If i just saw the video, I would say it’s not on purpose but after I read that the ref called tripping on him, I would say it would deliberate.
6:37 pm on October 25th, 2009
Ref’s responsibility to get out of the way. Tough
6:38 pm on October 25th, 2009
So Brooks, are you just a hater, are you stupid, or just a moron?
6:38 pm on October 25th, 2009
I can’t decide who is more out of touch, the SBB or PFT contributors. Obviously, no fine, no suspension.
7:00 pm on October 25th, 2009
We watched it nlt 8 times. He NEVER turns his head. His helmet never moves off of the REF. The Ref if moving to the left away from the play. If he’s worrying about pursuit to the left, they have to run through the ref also so I don’t buy that. And to that point, running backs outrun people because running them over slows you down…As soon as you see the scrolled out view, he’s done for. If he’s worried about running into the guy, you don’t push him down infront of you so you can then fall over him and then trip which is more dangerous to you.
7:14 pm on October 25th, 2009
He should probably get suspended for a game, no more than that. Officials know they are at risk. And he did have it coming to him after that bogus tripping call!
8:20 pm on October 25th, 2009
no fine or suspension should have been an option in the poll. i had to choose fine no suspension because it was as close to no fine or suspension i could find.
8:38 pm on October 25th, 2009
Unless he admits it was intentional (and he won’t) nothing will come of this.
8:42 pm on October 25th, 2009
I voted “fine only” after seeing the top video, but after seeing the full thing video with playback, it does look very deliberate. He had plenty of time to make a run that wouldn’t have come near the ref.
If you look at the video, you can actually see the ref looking behind him to make sure he was out of the way, so it was Dugan that was looking forward when he was running , so it would have been much easier for him to avoid the ref. To add to the mix that the Dugan had been called for tripping by the same ref, makes it seem even more deliberate.
10:36 pm on October 25th, 2009
After watching the videos I can see a case for both issues. The deciding factor on how intentional it was for me when I realized that the returner cut in front towards him. If he moved out of the way to avoid the ref he would have most likely slowed the returner. So ideally he would have avoid both but the priority goes to the player, not the ref. As for a deliberate shove, it was probably better for the ref to be pushed away from dugan’s body than be trampled. Honestly, if you run into someone at top speed your first instinct isn’t to go limp armed.
Also curious to what steeler brooks is referring to that dugan ignored b/c he wasn’t really in position to block anyone unless we count number 57 behind the returner.
10:50 pm on October 25th, 2009
57 was in the play Dugan ran right past him on a beeline to the ref.
12:29 am on October 26th, 2009
Brooks, your testosterone is getting low. See a doctor, you’re turning into a serious ninny. Your heroic stances on things and your indignation is getting tired. Do you really think this special teams player wanted to end his career by intentionally doing this? The play is in slow-mo that’s why it looks intentional. In fast motion, he came up on the ref in no time and didn’t know what to do before it was too late. Intentional? Gah.
12:41 am on October 26th, 2009
He Bum Rushed Him
1:37 am on October 26th, 2009
“Watch closely at contact, Dugan clearly extends his arms to push Reels down. And Dugan ignored a pursuing Steeler to go after Reels.
If that’s not deliberate, what the hell is?”
IT’S JUST A REACTION… geez. It’s just the human condition to do something, keep your balance…your arms move in front of you. How long have you been on this planet Brooks? This guy should get no fine, no suspension. These refs can’t keep up with the pace of the game they’re so old. They can’t keep up with the pace of a tree.
1:40 am on October 26th, 2009
It should be a violation on Reels by how he literally slowed down and acted like a screen for Percy Harvin. BETCH YOU GOTTA MOVE THE F%#K OUT OF THE PLAY! Look at Reels hobbling like an old babushka lady.
2:50 am on October 26th, 2009
No fine, no suspension. He’s sprinting full speed, he can’t just stop on a dime cuz a ref didn’t get out of the way.
3:14 am on October 26th, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqO53PSteaE
Here’s the tripping call.
Was a terrible decision that had a very very negative effect on the outcome of the game. I havn’t seen a call this bad since… Lyoto vs Shogun… how long ago was that again?
3:15 am on October 26th, 2009
1) Ref Reels was in the way.
2) Dugan couldn’t see him until the last second because he was behind Harvin, until Harvin eluded Reels.
3) It’s football player instinct to put arms out as a blocker when an unexpected body appears in front of you.
4) If he wanted to hurt anyone, he would have hit with his shoulder pads, or God forbid… his helmet.
5) Reels was being a whiny-ass titty-baby and faking being hurt. No way getting pushed down onto grass is going to cause a game-ending injury to a full-grown man.
6) Reels should be fined and suspended for:
a) Blowing several calls throughout the game.
b) Staying in the path of a runner returning a football instead of moving laterally.
c) Faking being injured.
5:28 am on October 26th, 2009
This is just a continued pussy-fication of american sports…
if he is suspended it is a total abomination…
8:00 am on October 26th, 2009
Those are all bad angles. In the full broadcast angle, you could see Dugan was looking back over his left shoulder until just before he hits the ref. None of the clips provided here have that angle and only show Dugan right before he hits him. The first time I saw it on tv, I also thought it was intentional. In the original replay, it clearly showed he was looking for pursuit over his left shoulder, not looking forward until just before contact. And players push down refs all the time if they’re going to hit them. Extending the arms at a collision doesn’t signal intent.
8:28 am on October 26th, 2009
How about fining and suspending the refs when they interfere with a play? It was hilarity and knee-slaps when that ref took down a player with an elbow shot last season, but a 200-something man running at full speed with no chance to pull up after seeing a ref at the lasat second is a crime.
Figures, the refs already hand the Stealers (pun intended) more games than not anyway.
8:54 am on October 26th, 2009
This is officially the last straw. I came to this site for the hot chicas and the occasionally clever writing. Now what I get is Brooke the cow and Brooks (are the names a coincidence here) the moral conscience. You should have stayed in KC, Brooks, Cali has made you soft … in the head.
9:17 am on October 26th, 2009
I officiate football for the IHSA and there is no respect for referees. From the lower level to the highest level in the game. We, as officials, get disrespected in front of kids, by parents and coaches. What do you really expect the kids to do? Even the big kids in the NFL. By that time, it’s too late.
We study rules, go to clinics, attend rules meetings, perfect our mechanics so that we look sharp on the field, and purchase gear (clothing and equipment) for our craft.
Within our associations, we take written exams for each sport we officiate, for the state in which we live. There are different rules (federation, collegiate, professional) as you progress to the next level, so we are constantly studying and learning more everyday.
The underlying fact is that we do this for the kids and the time spent is worth it, at least from my perspective, and that’s what this is.
9:21 am on October 26th, 2009
I see the idiots are attacking Brooks. Typical. If you can’t refute the issue you attack a person. Brilliant strategy morons.
10:11 am on October 26th, 2009
When watching this live, it appears that Dugan tried stopping before hitting the ref, realized he was going to collide, then decided to toss the ref (as opposed to running on top of him?) He wasn’t the focus of the play, so I never saw any footage of him on the way to the ref, so I can’t tell if he realized he was going to collide too late, or was running after him.
And the announcer wasn’t talking about Dugan when he said something about trouble.
11:11 am on October 26th, 2009
Fined and suspended. It was a punk move by Dugan. The ref had his back to Dugan, who comes flying into the picture and wasn’t blocked into the ref at all. He had the ref sized up and had plenty of time and space to change his angle. And now way did he try to pull up … Dugan’s arms came up to drop the hammer. It was a scumbag move by Dugan.
11:44 am on October 26th, 2009
No fine, no suspension. The ref had no business being in that position.
11:58 am on October 26th, 2009
I guess is “field of vision” was obstructed! Stupid is as stupid does……I guess is could only catch the okld guy so why not knock him down.
1:36 pm on October 26th, 2009
No Chick, just mumbles
Brooks has turned into a Columbus Munch wannabe
Bye Bye
1:53 pm on October 26th, 2009
Hey Ace, let’s go to a field. I’ll run at you full speed with pads on and blindside you and push you to the ground and we’ll see how you fake an injury.
2:37 pm on October 26th, 2009
Poll is misleading. There should be an option for NO PENALTY! You must be some kind of nut.
2:38 pm on October 26th, 2009
I’m kinda stunned Brooks hasn’t played the race card yet…
3:25 pm on October 26th, 2009
I don’t think it’s in any of these replays, but when the ref is on the field being attended to, you can clearly see the only player around the medical staff is Dugan. I highly doubt if he had some vendetta against the ref, he would stand there well after the fact to see if he was ok.
4:25 pm on October 26th, 2009
how about showing the tripping call that wasnt. and telling everyone in pittsburg there team won just like the yankees cheating
5:04 pm on October 26th, 2009
OK Deuce. Let me run in front of you, and you can close from behind while I look over my shoulder. I’ll know the rather drawn out point of contact, and break my fall with my arms… just like the Ref did.
7:28 pm on October 26th, 2009
Maybe the ref shouldn’t have been looking the other way. It’s too bad it happened, but that the breaks of being a ref
8:08 pm on October 26th, 2009
Hey, if the refs are going to play on the side of the Steelers ( they absolutely were) then they’re fair game.
If refs take a side in a game, the other team should be allowed to treat them as opponents…plain and simple
2:28 am on October 27th, 2009
He thought it was that ref from the Wild Wings Cafe commercials who looks into the hood and asks the crowd in the bar what they thought about the play.
8:54 am on October 27th, 2009
I’ll tell you who Dugan is going after - number 31 or number 17 - professional athletes are conditioned to ignore distractions on the field - and often don’t “see” things like referees and the crowds because of their focus. I’ve played university football and can say that your brain ignores the referees because they’re not a part of the game for the player. When concentrating on the ball, your keys and your man, the referees tend to become a part of the background. Also, when you’re 6 to 8 inches taller than the ref, he may also be hard to see….
12:48 am on October 28th, 2009
Alright Ace, you can certainly try to break your fall, though I think you’re going to be crying too much after I hurt you running at full speed and toss you to the ground. Unintentionally of course, cause I’m trying to block someone.
4:52 pm on October 28th, 2009
You should have had no fine–nothing. If you have ever been in a big time game you know it is all reaction–no thought. Too much is going too fast to hone in like that. No way he knew going down the field the ref would be there let alone the same ref.