NFL says Aaron Rodgers wrong, referee right on coin flip
GLENDALE, Ariz. – The NFL says referee Clete Blakeman was within his rights to redo the coin toss before overtime Saturday night because the coin didn’t flip the first time, and to not give Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers a chance to revise his call of tails.
“The rule book does not specify when the coin must be re-tossed but the referee used his judgment to determine that basic fairness dictated that the coin should flip for the toss to be valid,” NFL spokesman Michael Signora said in an email. “That is why he re-tossed the coin. A team gets one choice and only one choice to declare heads or tails.”
Rodgers’ call was tails, and Blakeman’s first toss came up heads. But as the Cardinals’ captains signaled they wanted the ball, Rodgers and the Packers’ other captains loudly protested, claiming the coin didn’t flip over.
Blakeman quickly agreed, flipped the coin successfully ... and it landed on heads again. Rodgers never touched the ball again, as the Cardinals roared 80 yards in three plays for a touchdown to seal a 26-20 and advance to next weekend’s NFC championship game.
After the game, Rodgers called the situation “confusing” and “a debacle,” in part because Blakeman turned over the coin on the second toss, with tails facing up, but kept Rodgers’ original call of tails intact.
“I think he was trying to avoid the embarrassment of what just happened and flip it quickly," Rodgers said.
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