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Draft:List of Major Controversial Decisions in Sports

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Armando Galarraga pitched a 8.2 inning near-perfect game before poor umpiring lead to base hit with the last out.

Controversial Decisions in Sports is a compendium of significant incidents that have sparked debate and outrage within the world of sports. These moments span across various disciplines and eras, highlighting instances where actions, decisions, or behaviours have led to widespread controversy and discussion. This collection aims to document and analyse the impact of these controversies, providing a comprehensive overview of how they have shaped the landscape of modern sports.


American Football

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Main article: NFL controversies - Wikipedia

Dates Event Summary Ref
October 6, 1990 Fifth Down Game The 1990 Fifth Down Game occurred when the Colorado Buffaloes defeated the Missouri Tigers 33-31 due to an officiating error that granted Colorado a crucial fifth down on their final drive. The referees mistakenly allowed Colorado an extra play, which they used to score a game-winning touchdown as time expired. Missouri protested the result, but the Big Eight Conference upheld Colorado's victory despite acknowledging the mistake. This controversial win helped Colorado share the national championship title that season. This incident is widely regarded as one of the top memorable mistakes in college football history. [1][2]
July 19, 2002 Tuck Rule Game The Tuck Rule Game took place during the 2001-02 NFL playoffs between the New England Patriots and the Oakland Raiders. Late in the game, a Tom Brady fumble was overturned after officials invoked the tuck rule, which stated that if a quarterback's arm was moving forward when losing possession, it would be ruled an incomplete pass rather than a fumble. This controversial decision allowed the Patriots to retain possession, leading to a game-tying field goal and an eventual overtime victory. The game is often credited with launching the Patriots' dynasty and remains a contentious moment in NFL history. [3][4]
February 5, 2006 Super Bowl XL Super Bowl XL, played in 2005 between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, was marred by controversial officiating decisions that many believe favored the Steelers. One contentious call involved an offensive pass interference penalty on Seahawks receiver Darrell Jackson, nullifying his touchdown catch, which NFL's Director of Officiating Mike Pereira defended as correct. Another disputed call was a holding penalty against Seahawks' Sean Locklear, also deemed correct by Pereira, which negated a significant pass play. Additionally, Seahawks fans lamented a series of calls, including an incomplete pass ruling on Jerramy Stevens and a controversial penalty against Matt Hasselbeck. Criticism persisted post-game, with fans and even Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren expressing frustration at the officiating. [5][6][7][8][9][10]
September 24, 2012 Fail Mary The Fail Mary occurred during a 2012 NFL game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers. In the final moments, Seahawks' quarterback Russell Wilson threw a Hail Mary pass into the end zone, resulting in a controversial simultaneous possession call by replacement referees, who ruled it a touchdown for Seattle despite apparent evidence of an interception by Packers' defender M.D. Jennings. The decision sparked outrage and highlighted the officiating issues during the NFL referee lockout. The Seahawks' 14-12 victory stood, prompting the NFL to quickly resolve the lockout and reinstate the regular officials. [11][12][13]

Association Football

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Dates Event Summary Ref
June 22, 1986 The hand of God During the 1986 FIFA World Cup Quarter-final between Argentina and England, Argentinian attacking mid-fielder Diego Maradona scored a goal with his hand six minutes into the second half of the game. Due to the referees not having a clear view, they let the goal stand. Maradona later acknowledged that he had illegally handled the ball and that it should not have been a goal. [14][15]

Baseball

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Dates Event Summary Ref
October 14, 1978 1978 World Series Game 4 During game 4 of the 1978 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers, during the 6th inning, the Dodgers led the Yankees 3-1 and 2-1 in the series. Yankees outfielder Lou Piniella hit a low line drive to Dodgers shortstop Bill Russell, who dropped the ball momentarily, stood on second, and threw to first for the double play. The ball however, hit base runner Reggie Jackson and ricocheted off behind first base. Thurman Munson scored and Piniella was not called out due to interference. Pulling argued that he did not intentionally move into the path of the ball and the play stood. It was later seen that he had shifted his leg ever so slightly into the path of the ball. In his autobiography, Jackson described it as a 'sacrifice thigh,' confirming his intentions. The Yankees went on to win the game 4-3, and then the series 4-2. [16]
July 24, 1983 Pine Tar Incident In the top half of the ninth inning, the Yankees led the Kansas City Royals 4-3. At the plate, future hall-of-famer George Brett hit a two run home-run to take the lead. Yankees manager Billy Martin, however, noticed a large quantity of pine tar on Brett's bat, and requested for it to be inspected by the umpires. The umpires inspected his bat and ruled that the amount on the bat exceeded the limit and Brett was called out. Since Brett was the third out, this ended the game with a win for the Yankees. The Royals protested this decision, for which the appeal was upheld by American League president Lee MacPhail, and the game resumed 25 days later. The game officially ended with the Royals winning 5-4. [17][18][19]
October 26, 1985 The Call (Game 6 1985 World Series) During game 6 of the 1985 world series between the St Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals (3-2 in the series), umpire Don Denkinger incorrectly called lead-off runner Jorge Orta safe at first, who ended up being the winning run, saving the Royals from potential elimination and assisting them in their world series winning campaign. [20][21]
October 20, 1991 Game 2 1991 World Series During game 2 of the 1991 World Series between the Atlanta Braves and the Minnesota Twins, the Twins lead the Braves 2-1 by the top of the third and 1-0 in the series. With two outs in the top of the third and runner Lonnie Smith on first due to an error, Ron Gant hit a single into left field. Smith made a break for third which he made due to a wild throw by left fielder Dan Gladden. Gant, however, was still between first and second trying to advance on the throw. Pitcher Kevin Tapani backed up the play and fielded the ball, and threw it to first, where first baseman Kent Hrbek attempted to tag Gant. The two got tangled and Gant was prevented from getting back two first as Hrbek was in the way. First base umpire Drew Cobble called it out. The play stood, and the Twins went on to win the game 3-2. This call is widely cited as one of the worst in the games history. [22][23][24]
October 9, 1996 Jeffrey Maier incident (Game 5 1996 ALCS) In game 1 of the 1996 American League Championship Series between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees, Derek Jeter hit a fly ball, which was deflected by 12 year old Jeffrey Maier into the Yankee Stadium stands. The umpires ruled that it was a homerun as opposed to fan interference, tying the game in the bottom of the eighth. This decision was very controversial at the time and is still debated today. [25][26]
October 12, 1997 Game 5 1997 NLCS In game 5 of the 1997 National League Championship Series between the Atlanta Braves and the Florida Marlins, umpire Eric Gregg gave an obscurely large strike zone to pitcher Liván Hernández, who struck out 15 of the opposing teams batters. [27][28][29]
June 2, 2010 Armando Galarraga's Near Perfect Game In a game against the Cleveland Indians in 2010, Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga pitched 9.2 perfect innings before the last hitter got on base due to an umpiring error by Jim Joyce. After reviewing the footage, the base runner Jason Donald was out however the decision still stood, costing Galarraga a perfect game. [30]

Basketball

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Dates Event Summary Ref
September 10, 1972 1972 Olympic men's basketball final The 1972 men's Olympic basketball final between the United States and the Soviet Union ended in controversy when the Soviets were awarded three seconds to replay the final possession after the initial buzzer, allowing them to score and win 51-50. The U.S. team protested the decision, citing improper clock management and officiating errors, but their appeal was denied by a 3-2 vote from a jury consisting of officials from neutral countries. This marked the first Olympic basketball loss for the U.S. team, which had previously won seven consecutive gold medals. The American players refused to accept their silver medals in protest, and they remain unclaimed to this day. [31][32][33]
May 31, 2002 Game 6 2002 Western Conference Finals During game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Final between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings, a number of questionable calls were made. Over the course of the game, the Lakers shot 40 free throws as a result of fouls. It is suggested that many of these calls made by referee Tim Donaghy were wrong. Accusations have been made that this game was fixed, however this is not confirmed. The Lakers won the game 106-102 and then the following game to win the series 4-3. [34]


References

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  1. ^ "College football's best of the last 20 years". USA Today. 2002-11-19. Archived from the original on 2005-12-01. Retrieved 2006-11-21.
  2. ^ Ted Mandell (2005-09-25). "HEART STOPPERS AND HAIL MARYS" (Book/CD). Hardwood Press. Archived from the original on 2006-11-23. Retrieved 2006-11-21.
  3. ^ Swartz, Bryn. "The NFL's 10 Greatest Postseason Games of the 2000s". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
  4. ^ The Tuck Rule – 10 Year Anniversary. YouTube. January 22, 2012. Archived from the original on 2021-12-17.
  5. ^ "Super Bowl referees foul, but then so was everything else". USA Today. February 6, 2006. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  6. ^ "Explanations of six key plays". The Seattle Times. February 10, 2006.
  7. ^ Hayes, Joshua. "Steelers vs. Seahawks: Examining the Controversial Calls of Super Bowl XL". Bleacher Report.
  8. ^ SteelersFan, Tim. "Super Bowl XL: Mike Pereira Says Leavy Didn't Err". Bleacher Report.
  9. ^ "NFL will review Holmgren comments". ESPN. February 8, 2006.
  10. ^ "NFL ref admits mistakes in Super Bowl". ESPN. Associated Press. August 7, 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  11. ^ "Oklahoman Derrick Rhone-Dunn plays key role in Monday Night Football debacle". The Oklahoman. September 25, 2012. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  12. ^ "NFL upholds Seahawks' disputed win over Packers". Sports Illustrated. Time Inc. September 25, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2012 – via Associated Press.
  13. ^ "NFL referees agree deal with league to end lockout". Reuters. 2012-09-27. Archived from the original on 2022-02-01. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
  14. ^ Yo soy el Diego, autobiography of Diego Armando Maradona, p. 32 – Editorial Planeta, 2000 – ISBN 84-08-03674-2.
  15. ^ "Maradona pide perdón por la 'Mano de Dios'". El Mercurio.
  16. ^ Jackson, Reggie (1984). Reggie. New York, NY: Ballantine Books. pp. 231-232. ISBN 0-345-31216-3.
  17. ^ Petri, Josh (April 24, 2014). "What Is Pine Tar And Why Is It Illegal In Baseball?". Digg. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  18. ^ Chass, Murray (July 25, 1983). "KC stuck with loss after pine tar homer". Lawrence Journal-World. Kansas. The New York Times. p. 11 – via Google News.
  19. ^ Jackson, Derrick (July 25, 1983). "Yankees stick it to Brett Royally on using an illegal bat". The Pittsburgh Press. The Washington Post. p. C6 – via Google News.
  20. ^ "WS1985 Gm6: Denkinger calls Orta safe at first base". MLB.com. 30 October 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-22. Retrieved September 2, 2018 – via YouTube.
  21. ^ "Royals win to force Series into 7th game". The Press-Courier. October 27, 1985.
  22. ^ Kelly, Tom; Robinson, Ted (1992). Season of Dreams: The Minnesota Twins' Drive to the 1991 World Championship. Voyageur Pr. p. 256. ISBN 978-0-89658-209-5.
  23. ^ "The Readers' List: Worst calls in history". ESPN. August 28, 2001. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  24. ^ "Drew Coble – 1991 World Series". CNN. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  25. ^ Sheinin, Dave (June 2, 2006). "From Way Out in Right Field". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
  26. ^ Schonbrun, Zach. In Rematch, Memories of a Stolen Moment, The New York Times, October 6, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
  27. ^ Sullivan, Jeff (17 January 2013). "Let's Consider Eric Gregg and Livan Hernandez in the 1997 NLCS". FanGraphs Baseball. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  28. ^ Calcaterra, Craig (2011-07-22). "The Eric Gregg-Livan Hernandez game explained". MLB | NBC Sports. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  29. ^ Knapel, Robert. "Ranking the 10 Blindest Umpire Calls in MLB History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  30. ^ Walker, Ben (June 3, 2010). "Baseball won't reverse call in 'imperfect' game". New York Post. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
  31. ^ Gloster, Rob (September 24, 1989). "Soviet Coach Marks the Anniversary of Olympic Triumph With Sadness". Los Angeles Times.
  32. ^ Golden, Daniel (July 23, 2012). "Three Seconds At 1972 Olympics Haunt U.S. Basketball". Bloomberg.com.
  33. ^ Ellis, Jack. (September 11, 1972). "Russian cage gold upheld; U.S. turns down silver", Stars and Stripes
  34. ^ Wilbon, Michael (June 2, 2002). "Talk About Foul! Game 6 Was A Real Stinker". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
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