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Pereira comments on “Philly Special” a total waste of time

Posted By Alan Spoll On In bad sports, good sports,sports | 1 Comment

Hi everyone. I will freely admit that I am easily annoyed. It’s part of my charm, I guess. If I were never annoyed, I would have a lot fewer opportunities to be indignant, and that would be no fun. Fortunately, I rarely have to search for things to get under my skin, as the sheer volume of media outlets and the blink-of-an-eye news cycle has created an environment where content is so in demand that it really does not matter if the content has any merit whatsoever.

Over the last day or so, I have repeatedly come across this story [1] about a supposed illegal formation penalty that should have been called on the Philadelphia Eagles during the now-famous “Philly Special”play that produced a touchdown at the end of the first half of Super Bowl LII last week. Mike Pereira, a former head of NFL officials who has been a commentator for Fox Sports for the last couple of years, has been telling news outlets that the brilliant trick play, called by Doug Pederson and Nick Foles, should not have counted due to wide receiver Alshon Jeffery having lined up too far off of the line of scrimmage, leaving only six people on the line.

I guess creating controversy is fun, and it certainly increases page clicks. However, this particular conversation is entirely flawed and a total waste of time, and I am sure Pereira knows this. It is flawed for a couple of reasons. First, as often happens on the field, Jeffery looked to the nearby official for confirmation that he was close enough to the line. He received that confirmation. That right there is really the end of the story. Had the official said no, Jeffery would have taken a step forward. Either way, no penalty would have been called. The other thing to note, and this was admitted by Pereira, was that none of this had any impact on the play whatsoever.

The statement by Pereira that “it really should have been called” makes no sense at all. Is he suggesting the official should have thrown a flag after he told Jeffery he was in the proper position? This is all such a non-story. The determination of the legality of the formation is a judgment call anyway, and the player even gave the official the opportunity to correct the formation before the play. There is nothing else to discuss.

I am sure I am even more sensitive about this right now because I have waited 49 years for my Eagles to win a Super Bowl. I am beyond thrilled that it finally happened. Mike Pereira can shut up.

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Alan Spoll [5]

Alan Spoll is a software quality assurance director from the suburbs of Philadelphia where he lives with his wonderful wife and children. He has spent his entire life as a passionate fan of the Eagles, Phillies, Sixers, Flyers, and Penn State. Recent Phillies success aside, you will understand his natural negativity. Follow me on Twitter - @DocAlan02