Posted on 04/25/2002 8:30:03 PM PDT by anncoulteriscool
Edited on 07/12/2004 3:38:30 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Before that time if a punt landed out of bounds the punting team was assessed a penalty (although I forgot how many yards) and there was a re-kick. Reasonable.
But with the new rule the sideline officials now had to determine where exactly the punted ball crossed some imaginary out-of-bounds line in the sky. ...a pure guessing game. They could be 10-15 yards off in their assessement and no one would blink an eye, because it's impossible to prove them wrong.
And the rule stays in place to this day.
I clearly remember Cosell's last pro fight -- Larry Holmes vs. Randy "Tex" Cobb, 1982. Holmes was beating the absolute tar out of Cobb, whose face was a bloody pulp. But Tex just kept laughing and urging Larry to hit him more....and harder.
Howard (paraphrased from memory): "This is a dis-gus-ting dis-play" (over and over) ..."this will be the last professional fight I announce."
...and he kept his word.
After the fight Cobb said to Holmes "next time I'd like to fight you in a phone booth."
Larry retorted "how about on the phone instead?"
Wow. I had no clue. I’m with you on that “marking the out of bounds placement” when it is airborn. I’ve always wondered how they figgered that out.
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