Bad call

This past Sunday, I was watching the end of the football game between the Denver Broncos and the San Diego Chargers. As the Broncos were driving down to score a game-tying touchdown, this weird play happened. (If you follow the NFL at all, I am sure you have heard about this already.)

As the Broncos quarterback went to throw the football, it slipped from his hand as he was pulling his hand back. The referee, Ed Hochuli, blew his whistle and signaled incomplete pass. The problem is that it was never a pass; it was a fumble.

The play was reviewed and instant replay determined that it was a fumble. But according to the rule, once the whistle is blown, the play is dead. Therefore, the Broncos kept the ball at the place of the "incomplete pass." They went on to score a touchdown, followed by a two-point conversion. This gave them a one-point victory.

Following the game, the San Diego coach went on to chide Hochuli for his mistake. I am not excusing the referee's mistake, but coach Norv Turner's attitude was poor. Sure, Hochuli's mistake likely cost his team the game. But has Turner ever made a mistake? Called the wrong play? Put in the wrong players?

I cannot dispute the bad call. I understand Norv's frustration. But to act the way he did was a bit extreme. Maybe the fans need to remember his attitude the next time Turner makes a call that costs his team the game.

It's amazing how often we want to point out someone else's mistake, while we fail to admit - and sometimes even realize - our own shortcomings. Jesus said:

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye." (Matthew 7:1-5)

We are so good at finding that speck in someone else's eye. But the reality is that we often point out the faults of others so we can ignore our own. If we really want to make things better at work, at school, at home, and even at church, maybe we should start looking at our own logs before pointing our finger at the other person's speck.

shine!
Jason