Lance Easley once was a replacement ref. Actually, Easley kind of was the replacement ref.
It was Easley who infamously signaled touchdown in the "Fail Mary" game between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks, ruling a touchdown catch for Golden Tate on a play that clearly was an interception by M.D. Jennings. The Packers were robbed without a gun in the 14-12 Week 3 loss on "Monday Night Football."
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Easley was far from the only replacement ref who blew a call over those three grisly weeks, but he became a symbol for the failures of an overwhelmed group of substitutes, as well as the impetus to ending a lingering labor battle. The real officials returned six days later.
So yeah, it was a pretty bad call. Easley quickly slid back into anonymity after a week or so, but he'll return to the public eye on July 7 in Seattle, when he serves as an umpire in a celebrity softball game hosted by Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman. If this doesn't make sense to you, you clearly don't know Richard Sherman.
The Facebook page for the event teases, "Don't be surprised if a few flags are thrown." We're not sure how that applies to Easley's gaffe, but we suppose it's an apples and oranges situation that invites no easy comparison to the diamond.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
