Pereira comments on “Philly Special” a total waste of time
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 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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Give ’em hell, Alan … it’s well-deserved, and I am in total agreement with you.
As I noted in a comment to Scott Warnock’s post, my heart belongs to an NFL team at the other end of the Keysone State … BUT … this year, several of us out here, in the Texas chapter of Steeler Nation, were pulling for the Eagles, and were THRILLED with the results.
Adding to our interest was the fact that Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and played high school football (Westlake) with two other young men who went on to playing in the NFL.
Fly, Eagles, Fly !!!!!
As for Mike Pereira … a saying I learned once I moved ‘out west’ … “That boy’s all sizzle, and no steak!”
:-)