MontanaBob
15 years ago
Ok people, I'm counting on you to help me win a bet. Both my opponent, neighbor Luke, a big time Bears fan, and I agreed not to look this up on the internet until after I get an answer. (He doesn't know I cheat like hell when a bottle of Gentleman Jack is on the line.) ::evil:

In that famous Packer-Bears game on Nov. 5, 1989, Majkowski fired a TD pass to Sterling Sharpe with little time remaining. The refs waived off the TD at first, then instant replay gave the TD back to the Packers.

I'm saying that at that time the rule for a passer crossing the line of scrimmage was based on the feet of the thrower. Behind the line of scrimmage....OK. Across the line.......oops!!! I'm also saying that after this, the rule was changed to the position of the throwing hand in regards to the line of scrimmage.

Luke maintains the opposite was in force at the time.

Am I right or am I right???? If you want to be left in my will and look forward to an inheritance of squirrel skins and buffalo chips, you will say I am right on the money.

Ok, I'm being honest and have not looked anything up about this. Bears fans........whatta dey know!
Anyone for a Weenie Roast?
Cheesey
15 years ago
I'm pretty sure it was feet. Thats what i remember.
UserPostedImage
Pack93z
15 years ago
I haven't looked on the net, but if memory serves correct that was the ruling/interpretation of the rule at the time.

Additionally, I think Ditka filed a formal complaint with the league, and giving a quote to the nature of, "What the hell good is instant replay if the rule itself is Horseshit".. Something along that nature.

One of my favorite Packer moments.. I thought Ditka was going to keel over right then and there.. lol.
"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
Zero2Cool
15 years ago
The ball and his planted foot were both behind the line of scrimmage. His left foot was just shy of the 15 yard line and the line of scrimmage was the 14.

Also found a video that shows it.

[youtube]ZpIiJ8i5uS0[/youtube]
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MontanaBob
15 years ago
So everyone so far is saying I WIN!!!!! Ha!
Anyone for a Weenie Roast?
buckeyepackfan
15 years ago
I'm not sure, but I don't think there was instant replay that year. Thus the uproar by all Bears fans. I have been told(never seen myself)that there is an asterick by that game to this day in The Bears official stat book, most of them still say they won that game.

Again, I could be completely wrong about replay, but the rule I believe stated at that time it was where the players feet were.
I was addicted to The Hokey Pokey, but I turned myself around!
Pack93z
15 years ago

I'm not sure, but I don't think there was instant replay that year. Thus the uproar by all Bears fans. I have been told(never seen myself)that there is an asterick by that game to this day in The Bears official stat book, most of them still say they won that game.

Again, I could be completely wrong about replay, but the rule I believe stated at that time it was where the players feet were.

"buckeyepackfan" wrote:



I am almost 100% positive that it was under replay.. remember replay came in for a year or two.. then removed and brought back again after wards.

Damn.. now I have to go back and look it up..
"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
Zero2Cool
15 years ago
What? C'mon folks! It was called "The Instant Replay Game" lol

Watch the video I posted, 3 minute mark and on.
UserPostedImage
Pack93z
15 years ago
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Majkowski 

The key was a touchdown play first nullified by an illegal forward pass by Majkowski; then upheld by instant replay as a legal pass.



http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/57784427.html 

Btw.. note the last sentence to the original post.

It ranks as one of the most memorable games ever played at Lambeau Field.

It wasn't the first game ever played at the stadium, like the 1957 opener against Chicago. It wasn't an NFL Championship Game, like the legendary Ice Bowl. It didn't feature any unusual weather, like the infamous Snow Bowl contest against Tampa Bay in 1985.

When the Green Bay Packers met the Chicago Bears on Nov. 5, 1989, the Packers were 4-4 and facing the five-time defending NFC Central Division champions. The game would become a defining point in the season for a young Packers team in its second year under head coach Lindy Infante.

And it would go down as one of the most exciting finishes in the long and storied Green Bay-Chicago rivalry and a rule-changer in the National Football League. The contest acquired the nickname of the "Instant Replay Game," and attained legendary status in the team's 90-year history.

"It's one of the all-time great finishes at Lambeau Field," said Lee Remmel, former Packers' director of public relations and team historian. "It doesn't get much more dramatic than that. It was a unique game in the history of the Packers-Bears rivalry."

It's been nearly 20 years since quarterback Don Majkowski scrambled out of the pocket on the game's final play and hit receiver Sterling Sharpe with a 14-yard pass in the end zone with less than 40 seconds remaining to tie the score at 13.

But the linesman threw a flag, thinking Majkowski was across the line of scrimmage when he released the pass. Touchdown negated. Infante challenged the call, and after a delay of more than four minutes, the replay official reversed it.

Then came the official announcement by referee Tom Dooley and the famous words: "After further review, we have a reversal . . . touchdown!"

Euphoria ensued at Lambeau Field, and the majority of 56,556 fans went home happy with an improbable victory. Chicago head coach Mike Ditka was not one of them, though the passage of two decades has softened the sting of the outcome.

"It was a bad call - period," Ditka said recently. "Remember one thing: Instant replay was put in to get the call right. I don't care how long it takes but get the call right. Of course it was controversial, and we were very disappointed at the time. It was agonizing for both teams to wait while they reviewed it.

"But human beings make mistakes, and the call went Green Bay's way. It is what it is. You win some, you lose some. It was just one game in a long series between the Bears and the Packers. A series based on competition, which got out of hand for a couple of years. I was proud to be a part of those competitions and that rivalry."

Majkowski never tires of discussing that contest.

"It really seems like it was just five years or so ago," Majkowski said in a phone interview. "Time flies. It's one of my most memorable games, and when I get back to Green Bay or Chicago, it's always brought up. Fans still love to talk about that game."

It's understandable why Majkowski enjoys reliving it. He went from goat to hero in a span of 10 minutes in the fourth quarter.

What most fans remember is the game-winning series, not the two previous trips inside the Chicago red zone when he fumbled and threw an interception.

"Lindy grabbed me by the facemask on the sideline and said, 'You'll be the hero of this game. Keep your head up.' And he was right. I was fortunate to get a second chance."

That opportunity came after a Chicago punt and Green Bay took possession at its own 27-yard-line with 4:44 left on the game clock.

Relying primarily on the pass in the second half after an injury to fullback Brent Fullwood, Majkowski drove the Packers methodically down the field.

With first and 10 at the Chicago 7 and 1:26 left, the Bears defense stiffened and sacked Majkowski for a seven-yard loss after two incomplete passes. A fourth-and-goal play loomed for the Green Bay offense from the 14-yard-line with 41 seconds remaining.

The final play call was intended for a man-to-man defense, but the Bears dropped back into zone coverage that required Majkowski to do what he did best: improvise.

"It was supposed to be a 6-yard yard slant to Sterling," Majkowski said. "We were hoping Sterling could break it open. . . . Chicago went zone, so it was a totally broken play."

Majkowski rolled right on the play and bought time as he scanned the end zone for an open receiver. He stepped up toward the line of scrimmage and released a pass across his body to Sharpe, who had run across the end zone before finding a hole in the zone defense.

"We called it the scramble drill and practiced it," Majkowski said. "I was able to evade the rush and get outside. I almost threw the ball earlier but recoiled and pulled it back. I was trying to buy some time and waiting for Sterling to find a hole."

The Lambeau Field crowd exploded in cheers at the apparent touchdown.

But a yellow flag was thrown by line judge Jim Quirk, who determined Majkowski had released the pass past the line of scrimmage. The newly implemented instant replay system was used to review the play.

Majkowski said the review did not test his patience; but the Packers quarterback did have some company while he waited for the verdict.

"Mike Singletary walked up to me and whispered, 'Sorry, kid. Too bad it won't count,' " Majkowski said.

"He was a great player. He stared at me with those intense eyes during games for six years, and I stared right back. When the call was made, I didn't trash talk or anything like that. I just winked at him."

Majkowski also had some brief words for an official.

"I told him it would be a shame to take that touchdown away," Majkowski said. "Because I knew I was a yard behind the line when I let it go."

Infante, who lives in the Jacksonville, Fla., area, said he has been interviewed numerous times about the play.

"That was an exciting finish," Infante said. "I have often said it's not often when you play a game and celebrate a victory twice. We went through the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, and then the thrill of victory again."

Majkowski doesn't think it was that close a call.

"You can see I was clearly behind the line," he said. "The television announcer, Dan Fouts, said the line of scrimmage was the 14 and I released it a yard behind. Thankfully, they reviewed it."

The memorable 14-13 victory over the Bears was the catalyst for a 6-2 second half of the season. Green Bay finished with a 10-6 record and tied for first place in the NFC Central with Minnesota. The two teams split in regular-season play, and the Vikings won the tiebreaker and advanced to the NFC playoffs.

For Majkowski, the victory over Chicago was especially satisfying.

"The most significant part was beating the Bears for the first time in eight games," he said. "To beat them in dramatic fashion like that was great. It was my first time beating Chicago."

Majkowski, who lives in Alpharetta, Ga., will not be at Lambeau Field Sunday for the 2009 opener against Chicago.

Infante still remembers priority No. 1 when he arrived in Green Bay as head coach in 1988.

"When I got off the airplane in Green Bay, the first thing I was told was you have to beat the Chicago Bears," he said. "I found out very quickly how much fans valued that rivalry. On thing I'll always remember is that we beat them twice that season."

The Chicago organization was so upset about the game that for 10 years it had an asterisk next to the score in the team's media guide, noting it as the "instant replay game."

Editor's note: After much debate spearheaded by Bears executives, the NFL changed the rule on passes thrown beyond the line of scrimmage. What matters is where the player's body is, not the ball, when the pass is released.


"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
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dfosterf (25-Jul) : Meathead "journalists" skip this, concentrating on operational revenue when convenient. They switch when net revenue is more favorable.
dfosterf (25-Jul) : Resulting in an actual drop of net revenue of 12.5%. She is from Minnesota. Just sayin'
dfosterf (25-Jul) : Any plans to hold Maureen Smith (CFO) accountable for a 95% drop in investment revenue?
Mucky Tundra (25-Jul) : In your face, HBO!
Mucky Tundra (25-Jul) : @ByRyanWood Mark Murphy: “A great source of pride of mine is that we were never on Hard Knocks.”
Mucky Tundra (25-Jul) : *years
Mucky Tundra (25-Jul) : @mattschneidman Mark Murphy says he anticipates “many Packers games” being played in Germany, Ireland and/or the U.K. over the next 5-10 yea
dfosterf (25-Jul) : *cafeteria* I have hit my head also, so I sympathize
dfosterf (25-Jul) : Possibly hit his head leaning into the glass protecting the food in the cafateria
dfosterf (25-Jul) : Maybe a low flying drone
dfosterf (25-Jul) : Did Savion Williams run into a goalpost or something?
Mucky Tundra (25-Jul) : also, no bueno when a guy starts getting concussions right off the bat in his career
Zero2Cool (25-Jul) : Concussion is worse. Banks probably vet off day via back booboo claim
Mucky Tundra (25-Jul) : @AndyHermanNFL Jordy Nelson out at camp today. No word if he’s in play for one of the two open roster spots ; )
dfosterf (25-Jul) : Is that better or worse than Banks bad back?
Zero2Cool (25-Jul) : Savion concussion ... not good.
packerfanoutwest (24-Jul) : Aaron Rodgers’s first pass of first team period was picked off
Mucky Tundra (24-Jul) : tbh I didn't hear of his passing
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : Cosby Show. Malcom Jamal Warner I think is real name
Mucky Tundra (24-Jul) : I was thinking of Ozzy and Hulk
Mucky Tundra (24-Jul) : Who's Theo?
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : How is Theo alliteration?
Mucky Tundra (24-Jul) : Bad week for people whose names are alliterations
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : Hulk Hogan gone too.
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : Oh, it's toe injury
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : Hope it's not serious. that would stink
dfosterf (24-Jul) : Sounds like an ankle not a knee for Fields
dfosterf (24-Jul) : Ya Flaccp on Browns
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : Maybe Tyrod Taylor instead
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : He's on Browns, right?
dfosterf (24-Jul) : They would probably go with Flacco is my guess if Fields out
dfosterf (24-Jul) : Fleece 'em again!
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : Malik Willis might be someone Jets come after
packerfanoutwest (24-Jul) : Packers introduce 1923-inspired classic uniform, leather-look helmet
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : Both LB Quay Walker and Rookie DB Micah Robinson have passed their physicals
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : Happy to see site feels more snappy snappy
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : No sir. I did not.
dfosterf (23-Jul) : You didn't get free childcare when you were at work?
wpr (23-Jul) : These guys make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Pay for their own childcare.
dfosterf (23-Jul) : 2nd issue. Number 1 issue was no gameday childcare. 1 of 3 teams not providing it
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : Suppose if locker room is main issue, we sitting pretty
wpr (23-Jul) : I thought so Mucky. In those useless player polls GB always rates high overall. Locker is a part of it.
Mucky Tundra (23-Jul) : Wasn't the locker room just updated like 6 or 7 years ago?
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : I have forum updated on different site. We'll see how this one goes before going to that
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : Elgton Jenkins has a back injury, is expect to end contract dispute
wpr (23-Jul) : It's funny the PA complained about the locker room. It wasn't that long ago it was top shelf. Things change in a hurry.
wpr (23-Jul) : The site is much more better.
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : NFLPA report said Packers lockerroom needed upgrade. Whining bout where you change?
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