REFS MAKING ALL RIGHT CALLS? DON'T BET ON IT

BY STEVE DeSHAZO

Like offensive linemen, NFL officials are at their best when they're not noticed. That's why it's been a bad year for zebras.

Starting with Ed Hochuli's blown fumble call that likely cost the San Diego Chargers a win over Denver in Week 2, the scrutiny has never been more intense.

Sunday's curious ending to the San Diego-Pittsburgh game didn't affect the outcome, but it did influence the point spread--a fact that saved Las Vegas bookies millions of dollars and did not escape the attention of conspiracy theorists.

If you missed it (and in a world of endless replay, that's unlikely), the Chargers began lateraling desperately on the final play of a game they trailed 11-10. Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu recovered an errant lateral and ran it into the end zone for an apparent touchdown.

No flag was thrown on the play, and a booth review confirmed the play was legal. Referee Scott Green signaled touchdown, then incorrectly reversed the call, saying the Chargers had thrown an illegal forward pass on one of the exchanges. The game ended 11-10--a first in NFL history.

That was good news for anyone who bet against the Steelers, who were four-point favorites. According to reports, about $10 million had been bet on the game legally in Nevada, and about 70 percent of the money was wagered on the Steelers to cover, so bookies also saved a mint.

But the NFL comes across looking a little dubious, and not for the first time. The league would love to have us believe that everything is about winning and losing.

But it's not.

If it were, teams wouldn't be required to submit daily injury reports. Those are of particular interest to two groups: bettors (to determine point spreads) and fantasy-league players.

The latter group is relatively harmless, if annoying. The former group often wagers huge amounts of money--a fact the NFL would like to sweep under the rug, but comes to light any time an error like Sunday's arises.

Former commissioner Pete Rozelle suspended stars Paul Hornung and Alex Karras for the 1963 season for betting illegally on NFL games. The fear then was that they might take payoffs from gamblers to influence games in which they played.

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1. Giants (9-1) Ravens are now believers 2. Titans (10-0)Kerry Collins for MVP?

3. Panthers (8-2) Still seeking consistency

4. Steelers (7-3) Flexing muscles again

5. Jets (7-3) Favre has winning attitude

6. Buccaneers (7-3) Garcia, defense shone

7. Cardinals (7-3) Giants offer a real test

8. Colts (6-4) Ground game returns

9. Cowboys (6-4) Romo makes a difference

10. Patriots (6-4) Cassel maturing into leader

11. Dolphins (6-4) Seeking sweep of Patriots

12. Falcons (6-4) Must-win vs. Panthers?

13. Ravens (6-4) Outmuscled, for once

14. Redskins (6-4) Allergic to night games

15. Broncos (6-4) Shanahan working wonders

16. Packers (5-5) Seven defensive TDs

17. Eagles (5-4-1) Tie hurt playoff chances

18. Vikings (5-5) Ignored Peterson late

19. Chargers (4-6) Now 0-13 in Pittsburgh

20. Saints (5-5) Finally won a road game

21. Browns (4-6) Thank you, Phil Dawson

22. Jaguars (4-6) One good half not enough

23. Bills (5-5) Fast start a distant memory

24. Bears (5-5) Orton: back too soon?

25. Texans (3-7) Slaton is a bright spot

26. 49ers (3-7) Four of next five on road

27. Bengals (1-8-1) Unbeaten for three weeks!

28. Seahawks (2-8) Will Jim Mora reconsider?

29. Raiders (2-8) Offense remains anemic

30. Chiefs (1-9) L.J. struggled in return

31. Rams (2-8) Dreadful in first halves

32. Lions (0-10) Next three games at home

Date published: 11/19/2008

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