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The Chargers were party to another bizarre finish involving a referee's mistake.
This one didn't affect the outcome, but it certainly affected how millions of dollars were distributed.
Pregame.com, a site that provides information to sports bettors, estimated $100 million was wagered worldwide on the game. Approximately 66 percent of that money was on the Steelers, according to the site.
“If the touchdown was properly upheld, Steelers bettors would have won about $32 million instead of losing big,” Pregame.com president R.J. Bell said. “This admittedly incorrect call resulted in a $64 million swing in favor of the bookies.”
A touchdown by Troy Polamalu that should have been awarded at the game's end was mistakenly taken away, meaning the Steelers won 11-10 and did not cover the point spread.
On the Chargers' final desperate play, Philip Rivers threw the ball to LaDainian Tomlinson at the 24-yard line. Tomlinson then backhanded the ball forward to the 26 to Chris Chambers, who then flipped it backward. That throw hit the ground and was picked up by Troy Polamalu at the 12. Polamalu ran the ball into the end zone, and the officials signaled touchdown.
Time had expired, and it appeared the Steelers were going to win 18-10 (assuming they converted the PAT). That would have meant the Steelers covered the spread, which was 4-½ or 5 points. (The heaviest betting action was on the Steelers to cover as the line went up all week.)
The replay assistant called for a review, however, and based on the fact Tomlinson had made a forward pass, the play was ruled dead at the point Tomlinson threw it.
But the only way the play should have been ruled dead at that point was if Tomlinson's pass had hit the ground. It did not.
“There was some confusion on which illegal forward pass we were discussing, and it was decided the illegal forward pass hit the ground and that would have killed the play,” Scott Green said. “... The first pass was the one that was illegal, but it only kills the play if it hits the ground. That was incorrect to have killed that at that point. The ruling should have let the play go on.”
The league called Green after the game and informed him he had made a mistake.
“The rule was misinterpreted,” Green said. “... We should have let the play go through in the end.”
It is unknown whether the many gamblers who went from winners to losers in that interpretation will receive the same conciliatory e-mails from Green that Chargers fans got from Ed Hochuli after his mistaken call in Denver in September.
More zebra issues
The Chargers have felt unduly penalized all season. It was as if Green's officiating crew was trying to make up for that all in one day.
The Steelers were flagged 13 times to the Chargers' two, a lopsided ratio that made the Chargers 14-6 deficit in flags against New Orleans last month look paltry.
“I have never seen a game with 13-1 in penalties,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said, apparently not counting Tomlinson's illegal pass. “I am not answering questions about the officiating.”
