The Role of the Officials in Fantasy Football

Three years ago I had Joe Horn and Aaron Brooks on my fantasy team. In a close fantasy matchup, I needed that once-dynamic duo to connect on a few TD's to guarantee victory. Late in the Saints' game, Horn was streaking down the field wide open and Brooks lofted a beauty to him in stride. As the ball was about to fall into Horn's hands for a sure TD, out of nowhere appeared a set of zebra stripes. The back judge, attempting to get out of the way, failed...miserably. Horn collided with the official, the ball fell incomplete, and I lost 12 points (probably 15, counting yardage) and my fantasy game.

So, don't discount the role of the officials in determining fantasy outcomes. Admittedly, an official usually will not physically interfere with a player, like the Brooks-Horn saga, but good/bad calls, instant replay, etc. can turn games.

Two examples from last week come to mind:

1) In the Jets/Jags game, near the end of the first half, Curtis Martin dove into the endzone for an apparent TD. The refs, however, called him short-- and the replays conclusively showed that he got in. But since the Jets still had two downs at the one, they decided not to challenge and a play later Jay Sowell, a hawkish FB, stole Martin's TD...oh, and by the way, stripped six points from me in my Nolton league, in a game I lost by two points.





2) Same game on Sunday--Jets/Jags--in OT Leftwich threw a beauty of a pass to Jimmy Smith who tiptoed the sideline and dove in the ednzone to win the game in sudden death. The officials, however, called him out at the one. So, of course, the Jags were ready to march out their kicker to kick a GW chip-shot FG. BUT, since it was OT, the reviews all came from upstairs. And, when the officials viewed the replay, they overturned the call, gave Jimmy Smith (and Leftwich) the TD and, no doubt, altered the fate of many fantasy matchups around the country.

The bottom line, I guess, is that some things, like refereeing, you just can't account for as a fantasy coach.