Over the last few years there has been much controversy and lack of clarity about what constitutes a catch in an NFL game. Ask Dez Bryant or the Green Bay Packers among others.
Unfortunately, this is nothing new. Allow me to take you back to November 16, 1975, and the Mel Gray “Catch.”
It was a simpler time. George Allen was still coaching in Washington, and the Cardinals still played in St. Louis, their second city, in the second of three iterations of Busch Stadium. These two teams faced off in the Gateway City in a showdown for first place in the NFC East Division. Both came in with 6-2 records, but Washington was hindered by an injury to starting quarterback Billy Kilmer.
Kilmer’s replacement, journeyman Randy Johnson (no relation to the HOF pitcher of the same name, or me for that matter) threw two touchdown passes and led Washington to a 14-3 at the end of the third quarter, bur St. Louis veteran QB Jim Hart led his team back. The 1975 Cardinals were known as the “Cardiac Cards” because eight of their fourteen games were decided in the last minute, and they won seven of them.
St. Louis had closed to within 17-10 late in the game, but Washington had an opportunity to run out the clock and ice it. The Cardinals’ defense got the ball back to give Hart and the offense one last crack at it. They quickly moved from the Washington 39-yard line down to the six, but three incomplete passes left them facing 4th down with 27 second left in regulation.
Queue the Mel Gray “catch.” Gray was one of the best WR’s in the league at that time and would tally 7 catches for 109 yards in this game. On the decisive fourth-down play, he would draw coverage from Washington stalwart DB Pat Fischer.
Hart’s pass to Gray in the end zone hit Gray in the hands. Fischer hit him in the back almost simultaneously and dislodged the ball. The Washington defense immediately celebrated their apparent victory when they saw an official signaling incomplete pass, and I joined them from my living room.
As referee Fred Sliva said after the game, according to the November 17, 1975 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “Three officials ruled on the play. Two of them saw the receiver take possession of the ball in the end zone, hit the ground, and fumble the ball.” Sliva explained that the official who has signaled the pass was incomplete had not seen the entire play, just the end where the ball was loose.
So, by a vote of 2-1, St. Louis was awarded the touchdown. Instant replay was still decades away, so there was no avenue for Washington to appeal this apparent injustice. The game was not yet over however, but it might as well have been. Kicker Jim Bakken, who had missed a 29-yard field goal in the first half and had a later attempt blocked, converted a 37-yard attempt in overtime despite one of the Washington defenders partially deflecting it.
It was that kind of season for the Cardiac Cards, who went on to win the NFC East with an 11-3 record, their best season in 27 years. It would remain their high watermark for another 40 years after that. Sadly, Gray was less than magnanimous after coming out on the winning side of the controversial call and the game, claiming Fischer played him “dirty,” according to the Post-Dispatch.
Washington lost in overtime again the following week to Oakland and dug a hole too deep to come out of, missing the playoffs for the first time in the George Allen era. Post-Dispatch writer Tom Barnidge accused Allen’s team of “sour grapes” and stated they “were not good losers.” Even with the distance of time, that comes across as bush-league, someone not used to their team winning a big game and writing out of the unfamiliar emotion.
It’s amazing after all this time I can still get riled up about this play. I could feel the anxiety watching the game highlights on YouTube, even with the soothing narration of Pat Summerall. Sports does that to fans and it seems, just like the athletes themselves, the bad taste of a bitter defeat over time remains stronger than the sweet taste of victory.
Especially when you think your team got screwed.
At least that type of thing couldn’t happen in today’s game, right? Not with instant replay and technology and…oh, never mind. Sorry Dez. Sorry Green Bay.
Willie Weatherlyjust now
I lived in Eugene OR and raised my son to be a life-long Redskins fan. The game was broadcast on TV and my son, who had just turned 8 was wearing his Sonny #9 jersey I gave him for his birthday. To this day, we still talk about how the refs blew that call. I got a knot in my stomach reading your very well written account.