Bottlegate
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We got ass raped that day....
I think they've changed the rules as to what is a catch since then....in todays NFL he didn't catch the ball and even back then it was debatable as to whether he caught it or not. The other thing that stands out is why in the hell did Couch double pump the spike the ball play?
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I am not sure how to link videos but if you youtube (Cleveland Browns bottle gate) you can see the clip where Couch completes a pass (shocker) to Quincy Morgan and they spike the ball and then the refs go back and review the catch by Morgan and overturn it, thats when the fans start throwing beer bottles. if my memory serves me correct we were in a playoff hunt that year (another shocker) and this game cost us. Fukin Refs! Just wondering if anyone remembers that time in Brownie folk lore.
I am not sure how to link videos but if you youtube (Cleveland Browns bottle gate) you can see the clip where Couch completes a pass (shocker) to Quincy Morgan and they spike the ball and then the refs go back and review the catch by Morgan and overturn it, that's when the fans start throwing beer bottles. if my memory serves me correct we were in a playoff hunt that year (another shocker) and this game cost us. Fukin Refs! Just wondering if anyone remembers that time in Brownie folk lore.
There are not only some of us here who remember it, there are several regulars on this board who were at the game. And one (who will remain nameless) almost got his season tickets revoked for tossing said bottles. It wasn't the empties that were the problem- with a mighty toss they probably had a range of 30' max (they wouldn't have hurt a fly), it was the fully loaded ones coming out of the upper deck- and I'd hazard a guess some of them were loaded with something other than beer if you get my drift- that could have hurt someone.
Yup, the melee started exactly as you described it- Couch ran a play, the Refs blew the call, and everyone in the stands knew it. Like YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!!!
BTW, that wasn't the first Bottlegate in Cleveland. Happened way back in the old Muni Stadium with the Browns playing the Oilers. Oilers driving towards what would become the Dawg Pound in the fourth quarter. Really lousy pass interference call on the Browns. You young 'uns may find it hard to believe, but back then security was so lax you could bring virtually anything into the game, as long as you were 1\2 discreet about it. Well, after that PI an unbelievable barrage of empty bottles- and they weren't plastic- like glass bottles- you name it, beer, wine, whiskey, & vodka were exploding all over the field. The refs wisely had to move the play to the other end of the field, for fear some one was going to get tackled on broken glass and get seriously injured. So, if you guy wonder why security in today's NFL is what it is, there's exhibit 1A and 1b.
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I was there and was absolutely incredulous. It was like the other night when the refs called a safety on Boom Herron after he was pushed back from the 2 yd line and, after the remote had been thrown across the room, I sat there in utter amazement. Only bottlegate was 10x worse.
It goes to show that as much as we hope that the game is won and lost by the players on the field, it doesn't take much for the a-hole refs to determine an outcome.
CHANGE IS GOOD -
My brother-in-law and I were there sitting in the upper deck of the Dawg Pound. I looked at him and was like "let's get the f*** out of here." It was down right crazy! Yeah, a bullshit call by the refs for sure, but truly a black eye for our city with the reaction of the fans.
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We got ass raped that day....
I think they've changed the rules as to what is a catch since then....in todays NFL he didn't catch the ball and even back then it was debatable as to whether he caught it or not. The other thing that stands out is why in the hell did Couch double pump the spike the ball play?
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I am not sure how to link videos but if you youtube (Cleveland Browns bottle gate) you can see the clip where Couch completes a pass (shocker) to Quincy Morgan and they spike the ball and then the refs go back and review the catch by Morgan and overturn it, that's when the fans start throwing beer bottles. if my memory serves me correct we were in a playoff hunt that year (another shocker) and this game cost us. Fukin Refs! Just wondering if anyone remembers that time in Brownie folk lore.
There are not only some of us here who remember it, there are several regulars on this board who were at the game. And one (who will remain nameless) almost got his season tickets revoked for tossing said bottles. It wasn't the empties that were the problem- with a mighty toss they probably had a range of 30' max (they wouldn't have hurt a fly), it was the fully loaded ones coming out of the upper deck- and I'd hazard a guess some of them were loaded with something other than beer if you get my drift- that could have hurt someone.
Yup, the melee started exactly as you described it- Couch ran a play, the Refs blew the call, and everyone in the stands knew it. Like YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!!!
BTW, that wasn't the first Bottlegate in Cleveland. Happened way back in the old Muni Stadium with the Browns playing the Oilers. Oilers driving towards what would become the Dawg Pound in the fourth quarter. Really lousy pass interference call on the Browns. You young 'uns may find it hard to believe, but back then security was so lax you could bring virtually anything into the game, as long as you were 1\2 discreet about it. Well, after that PI an unbelievable barrage of empty bottles- and they weren't plastic- like glass bottles- you name it, beer, wine, whiskey, & vodka were exploding all over the field. The refs wisely had to move the play to the other end of the field, for fear some one was going to get tackled on broken glass and get seriously injured. So, if you guy wonder why security in today's NFL is what it is, there's exhibit 1A and 1b.
.... And one (who will remain nameless) almost got his season tickets revoked for tossing said bottles.
Hey, I know that dude!
I was there (allegedly), and I still laugh my ass off every time I see those dumbass refs ducking for cover and darting for the tunnel. In fact, that first expression on their face just after they called the game, then realized that they still had to get out of there somehow, was priceless.
The Ref's caused that entire fiasco, 100%. It is easy to sit here years later knowing the play, and the outcome and skip through the long process of determining the call ... err just making a call. In the stands, we had no clue what was going on, they had not got on the PA system and explained anything and that frustration festered and festered and came to a boiling point. 100% the Refs fault for not properly explaining the call/ruling/rules, and their interpretation.
I laughed hard each time those scenes were shown on the daily News for weeks afterwards, and still laugh to this day. That might have been one of the best games I ever attended, so for the pure mayhem afterwards. We had just got beat out of a chance to go to the playoffs and for once the crowd walked out of there laughing their asses off, and having a good time.
On the News they tinted the darkness of the images, and made it look all gloom and ghetto like ... I was there, people were pissed initially, but the play and game was quickly forgotten and we had felt like our voices were heard on the subject. It wasn't that angry of a mob, we ended the episode right there- you can say that the fans "left it on the field that day" and were pretty satisfied with their out-going expression upon exiting the stadium.
What wasn't mentioned in that video is that the Commissioner made the Refs finish the game, so about a half-hour after the game players came out half-dressed and lined-up and ran out the clock. Many fans were still there and my party (Gumbo, Zombo & HagII) all had just exited and we turned around and juked the security guys and ran back in. The dumbass Refs had to once again find their way to the tunnel under heavy escort.
Then Carmen Policy & Al Lerner went on air and supported the fans ... they later were forced to retract that and scold the fans and seek numbers for an arrest, but their initial reaction was much supportive of the fans.
No one got hurt and less than 5 arrest were made despite Lew Merletti (Browns Chief of security) attempting to shake-down season ticket holder over the next 8 months. It was bizarre and the most excitement we've ever had in the new stadium.
Long Live Bottlegate!
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That will make a good trivia question. Which nfl team is the only one who had a play overturned against them after they had run another play?
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.... And one (who will remain nameless) almost got his season tickets revoked for tossing said bottles.
Hey, I know that dude!
I was there (allegedly), and I still laugh my ass off every time I see those dumbass refs ducking for cover and darting for the tunnel. In fact, that first expression on their face just after they called the game, then realized that they still had to get out of there somehow, was priceless.
The Ref's caused that entire fiasco, 100%. It is easy to sit here years later knowing the play, and the outcome and skip through the long process of determining the call ... err just making a call. In the stands, we had no clue what was going on, they had not got on the PA system and explained anything and that frustration festered and festered and came to a boiling point. 100% the Refs fault for not properly explaining the call/ruling/rules, and their interpretation.
I laughed hard each time those scenes were shown on the daily News for weeks afterwards, and still laugh to this day. That might have been one of the best games I ever attended, so for the pure mayhem afterwards. We had just got beat out of a chance to go to the playoffs and for once the crowd walked out of there laughing their asses off, and having a good time.
On the News they tinted the darkness of the images, and made it look all gloom and ghetto like ... I was there, people were pissed initially, but the play and game was quickly forgotten and we had felt like our voices were heard on the subject. It wasn't that angry of a mob, we ended the episode right there- you can say that the fans "left it on the field that day" and were pretty satisfied with their out-going expression upon exiting the stadium.
What wasn't mentioned in that video is that the Commissioner made the Refs finish the game, so about a half-hour after the game players came out half-dressed and lined-up and ran out the clock. Many fans were still there and my party (Gumbo, Zombo & HagII) all had just exited and we turned around and juked the security guys and ran back in. The dumbass Refs had to once again find their way to the tunnel under heavy escort.
Then Carmen Policy & Al Lerner went on air and supported the fans ... they later were forced to retract that and scold the fans and seek numbers for an arrest, but their initial reaction was much supportive of the fans.
No one got hurt and less than 5 arrest were made despite Lew Merletti (Browns Chief of security) attempting to shake-down season ticket holder over the next 8 months. It was bizarre and the most excitement we've ever had in the new stadium.
Long Live Bottlegate!
What wasn't mentioned in that video is that the Commissioner made the Refs finish the game, so about a half-hour after the game players came out half-dressed and lined-up and ran out the clock. Many fans were still there and my party (Gumbo, Zombo & HagII) all had just exited and we turned around and juked the security guys and ran back in. The dumbass Refs had to once again find their way to the tunnel under heavy escort.
It's on the youtuble clips t hat were posted. Click on the last one and you'll see the original end of the game that everyone saw and then it has the real end of the game with about 1000 people in the stands and only the players on the field and the coaches. Quincy Morgan was on the field on defense for the last 2 plays of the game still complaining to one of the refs about the bogus call.
I've seen you run and I have a hard time believing you juked any security guy....
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What wasn't mentioned in that video is that the Commissioner made the Refs finish the game, so about a half-hour after the game players came out half-dressed and lined-up and ran out the clock. Many fans were still there and my party (Gumbo, Zombo & HagII) all had just exited and we turned around and juked the security guys and ran back in. The dumbass Refs had to once again find their way to the tunnel under heavy escort.
It's on the youtuble clips t hat were posted. Click on the last one and you'll see the original end of the game that everyone saw and then it has the real end of the game with about 1000 people in the stands and only the players on the field and the coaches. Quincy Morgan was on the field on defense for the last 2 plays of the game still complaining to one of the refs about the bogus call.
I've seen you run and I have a hard time believing you juked any security guy....
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Like I have mentioned before, I was there and got hit in the back of the head with a bottle by Zombo.
Predicted Records:2010: 8-82011: 8-82012: 9-72013: 5-112014: 6-10 -
i don't know which game from 2001 is worse. it's either this or the chicago game. i can still remember how livid every one in my family room was when couch threw those INTs in the bears game.
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Like I have mentioned before, I was there and got hit in the back of the head with a bottle by Zombo.
Like I have mentioned before, I was there and got hit in the back of the head with a bottle by Zombo.
You were sitting in the row in front of him then?
Skippy somehow hit people sitting behind him....
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i was there and it was awful. Blood and guts everywhere. Bottles being thrown as far as eyes could see. i grabbed my loved ones and headed for the exits. But in the distance i could see Atenears calling for help. Did he throw? i don't know and it didn't matter. Mayhem filled the skies.
I'm just glad that i got Sperk, Atenears, and HagII out of there before the the crowd closed in. It was awful, and that is all i can say. We got screwed and that is the end of that story.
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It's all fun and games until someone gets their eye put out!! tee hee
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Bottlegate added 35 lbs to my frame, and my rotator cuff has never been the same.
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I miss 2001...it was nice back then because NO ONE cared about the Steelers
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It wasn't just that game. I think we all can remember a number of times we got screwed by the refs. We never had a game handed to us like Pisspuke and Miami or the superbowl when pisspuke played Seattle.
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I was there and was absolutely incredulous. It was like the other night when the refs called a safety on Boom Herron after he was pushed back from the 2 yd line and, after the remote had been thrown across the room, I sat there in utter amazement. Only bottlegate was 10x worse.
It goes to show that as much as we hope that the game is won and lost by the players on the field, it doesn't take much for the a-hole refs to determine an outcome.
I was there and was absolutely incredulous. It was like the other night when the refs called a safety on Boom Herron after he was pushed back from the 2 yd line and, after the remote had been thrown across the room, I sat there in utter amazement. Only bottlegate was 10x worse.
It goes to show that as much as we hope that the game is won and lost by the players on the field, it doesn't take much for the a-hole refs to determine an outcome.
Squintz,that call on Herron has to be one of the worst ever in football!!! He was stopped and mugged by two or three guys at the two or three yard line and pushed back into the end and legs kept moving, DUH, what was he supposed to elevate and hover? Absolutely, one of the worst calls ever in football at crucial point in the game. What the hell happened to forward progress.
BTW, I was at the bottlegate game as well and that call was not nearly as bad as tuesday's which was conveniently forgotten by the media as they flagellated the last three days on tattoogate...........
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