A Coin Toss Begins

A COIN TOSS BEGINS every football game and any overtime period. In 1998, a referee’s mistake during a coin toss may have cost the Pittsburgh Steelers a victory.

The Detroit Lions hosted the Steelers in their traditional Thanksgiving Day game at the Silverdome. Pittsburgh’s Norm Johnson, who kicked field goals of 30 and 38 yards in the second quarter, booted a 25-yarder with one second remaining in regulation to tie the game 16–16. With the contest headed into overtime, the teams met at midfield to determine possession.

Pittsburgh Steelers captain Jerome Bettis called “tails.” But referee Phil Luckett claimed to hear “Heads-tails.” The official credited the Steelers captain with his first word. The coin turned over in the air, hit the turf, and flipped over to reveal tails. The referee awarded first choice to the Lions, who elected to receive. Unfortunately for Luckett, the stadium microphones, which were piped into the national television feeds, clearly picked up the Steeler running back saying “tails.”

No NFL rule allowed Pittsburgh to protest, so the team kicked off to Detroit. Following a 21-yard return by Terry Fair, the Lions moved 41 yards in seven plays. On third down from the 25, Jason Hanson lined up for a 42-yard field goal. His kick sailed true, and the Lions escaped with a 19–16 victory less than three minutes into overtime.

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POINT Referees make mistakes, but usually their errors result from judgment calls or quick decisions. Phil Luckett’s lapse involved neither. Relaxed coin-toss meetings involve little stress and no time constraints. Why the official erred, no one knows. Perhaps he simply misunderstood, but millions of people from coast to coast listened to him make the wrong call.

The truth is, we all have eyes and ears, but sometimes we misunderstand as well. After Jesus fed the 5,000, he became a bit frustrated by the disciples. Although they had witnessed the amazing event, they didn’t comprehend God’s power. They were still worried about little things.

GOAL! Read through the Gospels or just think about all the amazing things Jesus did. List some of them.