Sports

ICYMI: Vanishing PI Aids Cowboys; Penalties Way Up Otherwise

Published

10 years ago

January 5, 2015

Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Anthony Hitchens (59) is hit in the back by a pass from Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9), intended for Detroit Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew (87), during the fourth quarter of an NFL wildcard playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Paul Moseley)

Howard Fendrich, ASSOCIATED PRESS

ARLINGTON, Tx. (AP)—Officiating prompted conversation and consternation all season in the NFL, so why should the playoffs — particularly the pass interference call that was, then suddenly wasn’t, in the Cowboys’ wild-card win over the Lions — be any different?

There’s actually something ironic about such a ruckus raised by what wound up being a no-call, given that the competition committee’s extra emphasis on, and rewording of, rules governing defensive-backfield play led to an increase in flags.

There was one more penalty per game this season than a year ago and the highest rate since 2005, according to STATS. The numbers are skyrocketing in the playoffs: The first four games averaged 13.5 calls, compared to 7.8 from wild-card weekend last season, STATS said.

In the NFC, Dallas beat Detroit 24-20, and Carolina eliminated Arizona 27-16. In the AFC, Indianapolis defeated Cincinnati 26-10, and Baltimore beat Pittsburgh 30-17.

On Sunday in Dallas, Detroit was leading 20-17 and facing third-and-1 with about 8 1/2 minutes left in the fourth quarter, when Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens was flagged while covering Brandon Pettigrew.

“Pass interference,” referee Pete Morelli intoned. “Automatic first down.”

About 15 seconds later, and with no explanation, Morelli announced, “There is no foul on the play.”

On Fox’s broadcast, announcer Joe Buck said: “Boy, that was late.” Then, addressing former head of NFL officiating Mike Pereira, Buck asked, “You ever seen that call picked up that late?”

Pereira replied, “Not at all.” Later, Pereira said: “I still strongly believe that was not a good pickup of a flag.”

Afterward, Morelli said the back judge threw a flag, prompting the initial announcement, and the change came because the head linesman then said there wasn’t enough contact to warrant a penalty.

Another tidbit: Dallas’ Dez Bryant was not penalized for leaving the sideline without a helmet to approach an official and dispute the initial call.

When play resumed, the Lions shanked a punt. Then they were whistled twice for defensive penalties, gave up a 21-yard pass from Tony Romo to Jason Witten on fourth-and-6, and let Dallas score the go-ahead TD.

“I don’t ever think it comes down to one call,” Detroit coach Jim Caldwell said, “but calls are crucial during games like this.”

In case you missed it, here are other top topics after the NFL’s wild-card weekend:

AFC: Baltimore is at New England on Saturday; Indianapolis is at Denver on Sunday. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco might only have one Super Bowl trophy to New England counterpart Tom Brady’s three, but Flacco has won at Foxborough twice in the playoffs. Plus, check out Flacco’s numbers over his past five postseason games: 13 TDs, zero interceptions. One story line will dominate the other game: Denver QB Peyton Manning against the team he led to a Super Bowl championship and the guy who replaced him in Indy, Andrew Luck. Luck was superb against the Bengals, going 31 of 44 for 376 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions.

NFC: Carolina is at the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks on Saturday; Dallas is at Green Bay on Sunday. Two terrific defenses will meet in Seattle, while the offenses will get attention in the Cowboys’ first postseason game at the Packers since the 1967 Ice Bowl. Romo and Dallas went 8-0 on the road in the regular season; Packers QB Aaron Rodgers hasn’t thrown an interception at home since December 2012.

KEY INJURIES: Absences were crucial to three of the four wild-card games. Arizona used third-string quarterback Ryan Lindley and produced 78 yards, the fewest in NFL postseason history; Pittsburgh was without Le’Veon Bell and its running backs gained only 43 yards; Cincinnati sorely missed its top two pass-catchers, A.J. Green and Jermaine Gresham.

CHRISTIE’S A COWBOYS FAN: Whether whooping it up in celebration alongside Cowboys owner Jerry Jones during the game or bouncing along toward the home locker room afterward, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie once again got plenty of face time while showing off his fandom for America’s Team. Hmmmm, how many electoral votes is Texas worth in a presidential election?

___

Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich.

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP_NFL.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries Kick Off Season with Community Programs in Oakland

“The Golden State Valkyries are more than a team—they’re a movement,” said Oakland Interim-Mayor Kevin Jenkins. “Their touchdown in Oakland marks a new era of opportunity, inspiration, and equity in sports. This partnership reflects our city’s deep commitment to uplifting women, investing in youth, and building a community where every dream has a place to grow. We’re proud to welcome the Valkyries to The Town.”

Published

6 days ago

May 18, 2025

Oakland Post

The Valkyries came to Oakland City Hall with a “Hoopbus.” Present were (from left to right): City Councilmembers Noel Gallo, Rebecca Kaplan, Zac Unger and Rowena Brown; Oakland Mayor-elect Barbara Lee, Valkyries President Jess Smith, a Valkyries team representative and Deputy Mayor LaNiece Jones. Photo courtesy Rebecca Kaplan’s office.

Team installs new nets at playgrounds, holds flag-raisings at City Halls in Oakland and S.F.

Special to The Post

The Golden State Valkyries brought the excitement of their inaugural season to every corner of the Bay Area with a full slate of community celebrations leading up to their historic home-opener against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday.

The week featured flag-raising ceremonies at city halls in Oakland and San Francisco, three “Violet Net” installation days at Oakland parks to encourage basketball play, fun “Hoopbus” takeovers at multiple schools presented by Kaiser Permanente, and player appearances.

In total, 90 violet nets were installed on 45 basketball courts across 34 public parks throughout Oakland this week. A list of the parks receiving violet nets can be found at Valkyries.com.

About the Golden State Valkyries

The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA affiliate of the seven-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, were announced as the 13th WNBA franchise on Oct. 5, 2023. According to Norse mythology, Valkyries are a host of warrior women who are fearless and unwavering – flying through air and sea alike.

This brand is Golden State’s modern interpretation of Valkyries: strong, bold, and fierce. Tipping off during the 2025 WNBA season, the team is headquartered in Oakland and will play home games at Chase Center in San Francisco. For Golden State Valkyries’ assets, including team logos, visit valkyries.com.

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McClymonds High Names School Gym for Star Graduate, Basketball Legend Bill Russell

William “Bill” Felton Russell was born on Feb. 12, 1934, and died on July 31, 2022. He achieved fame as a U.S. professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career.

Published

3 months ago

February 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Bill Russell and Brian McGhee in McClymonds High School Gym, 2011. Photo courtesy of Brian McGhee.

By Ken Epstein

West Oakland’s McClymonds High School, “the School of Champions,” this week named the school’s gymnasium in honor of one of its most famous graduates, basketball legend Bill Russell (class of ’52).

Russell is widely known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In 2011, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civil honor, from President Barack Obama for Russell’s contributions to basketball and the Civil Rights Movement.

The McClymonds’ naming ceremony was held on Wednesday, the same day as Russell’s birthday. Oakland leader Bill Patterson, a longtime friend of Russell’s, was scheduled to cut the ribbon at the reopening of the gym, which had been closed for several months for renovation. Russell’s daughter Karen was scheduled to attend the ribbon cutting.

Russell’s name and signature are now printed on the gymnasium floor.

Patterson was working at DeFremery Park when he met Russell. “I befriended him as a boy and during his years at University of San Francisco” said Patterson. “We stayed friends for the rest of his life.”

Said McClymonds Principal Darielle Davis, herself a McClymonds graduate, “We are excited to honor Bill Russell for his sports accolades and because he broke color barriers. He is part of our legacy, and legacy is really important at McClymonds.”

Brian McGhee, community schools manager at McClymonds and former football player at UC Berkeley, said that Russell meant a lot to him and others at the school. “He was a beacon of light and hope for West Oakland,” he said. “He did a lot for sports and for civil rights.”

Starting in 2018, Ben “Coach” Tapscott worked with Patterson and other McClymonds grads, community members, and former coaches to encourage the Oakland Board of Education to endorse the naming of the school gym, which finally happened recently.

“We worked hard to make this happen,” said Tapscott. “He’s an important part of McClymond’s history, along with a lot of other famous graduates,” he said.

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OPINION: Politics, Football and Identity in Trump’s America

If you haven’t noticed, all Americans are engaged in an even bigger game that means so much more than the Super Bowl. Our democracy is falling apart.

Published

3 months ago

February 17, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Emil Guillermo

Two Filipino American stories made headlines recently.

First, Nikko Remigio, the Filipino and African American kick returner for the Kansas City Chiefs, did not win Super Bowl LIX.

The other, Alameda’s Rob Bonta said no to running for governor. I don’t blame him. It’s not like a mass of people wanted him to run.

But I did.

Whenever there is a Filipino American in a place you don’t expect, I’m rooting for that person.

As California’s Attorney General, Bonta is probably the most active defender among Blue States pushing back against Trump’s Extreme-Right agenda.

I’d like to Bonta run for California’s top job, but he’s better off waiting in line. The Democrats need a spot for Kamala Harris, and Bonta not running obliges the hierarchy.

History can wait. Bonta’s just 52.

Harris has held off speculation of her next move, saying she just moved back to the state. But it seems governor is the path for her.

For now, Bonta needs to continue taking the fight to Trump in the courts.

Football and Identity Politics

My dad, whose birthday would have been Super Bowl weekend, came to the US in 1928 as a colonized Filipino, an “American National,” where he couldn’t be a citizen, vote, own property or even marry the person he wanted.

Not if they were White.

Still, he believed in America. He never gave up.

Sort of like Nikko Remigio.

My dad would have loved Nikko.

If you haven’t noticed, all Americans are engaged in an even bigger game that means so much more than the Super Bowl. Our democracy is falling apart.

You want to get passionate about Eagles and Chiefs?

Let’s be passionate about our Founding Fathers, too.

Nikko didn’t change the game. He touched it three times and provided more yards than all of KC’s running backs.

That’s all I needed to see.

He’s our Filipino guy.

Detractors may call it “identity politics.”

People don’t seem to understand the fight for visibility. To be recognized. To be seen. It’s all wrapped up in the big idea of Civil Rights.

I was nowhere near as good as Nikko when I played. But when you are blessed to play football, you play your hardest.

For me, that was when I was 12 and 13 playing Pop Warner football in San Francisco. I was MVP for my team as a running back.

But I was ashamed of my dad. He wasn’t like the other dads. And I remember going to the team banquet to retrieve my trophy alone.

I didn’t realize it probably meant more to him than I thought.

I wish I had shared my MVP moment with him like Nikko shared his joy with his dad, Mark, born in Seattle to two Filipino immigrants, and his mom, whose mixture of Black and White made Nikko the picture of diversity.

Filipino American and Black and White at the Super Bowl.

But don’t forget, there is one game bigger.

The Super Bowl for Democracy. We’re battling for it every day Trump pushes a cockamamie idea that shakes the foundation of our Democracy.

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is an award-winning journalist and commentator. Watch his micro-talk show “Emil Amok’s Takeout/What Does an Asian American Think?” on www.YouTube.com/emilamok1 Or join him on http://www.patreon.com/emilamok