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CNN SATURDAY MORNING NEWS
NFL Announces New Rules for Divisional Playoffs
Aired January 11, 2003 - 09:43 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: There will be no rematch between the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants after that botched call last week. But there will be new rules on the field today for the AFC and NFC divisional playoffs.
NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue has ordered seven field officials to be realigned so they can get a better view of field goal tries. The Giants lost their wild card bid last week when an official missed a pass interference call after a potentially game-winning field goal attempt failed.
Joining us with more on the bad call and the new rules is CNN sports correspondent Josie Karp in Philadelphia, where the Atlanta Falcons are playing the Eagles.
Josie, how's the weather up there, first of all?
JOSIE KARP, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Oh, well, thanks for asking. It's a little bit cold and windy. And it's only going to get even colder, because this games starts at 8:00 tonight.
But Miles, let's talk about the officiating you were just talking about a little bit. This was really an unprecedented week in the history of the NFL in the very worst sense. First you had the commissioner coming out and admitting that the officials missed a call at the end of that playoff game last week against ... it was the 9ers and the Giants.
So the commissioner came out and said, The officials got it all wrong. And then he goes so far as to say, We're going to have new rules in effect this week, so maybe, just maybe, things like won't happen again.
One major thing to look for today in the games and also tomorrow, in the two games tomorrow, is the fact that if there's a call in dispute, the commissioner said that all of the officials on the field should get together and confer so that they come up with the right call.
In the past, Miles, it's just been the officials who have thrown a flag, they have gotten together to try to decide what the right ruling should be. Now it's going to be all of the officials to try to come up with the right call and also prevent some of the bedlam that you saw at the end of the game last week, Miles.
O'BRIEN: OK. I guess the only hope for the Giants in this case would be to call Governor Ryan in Illinois and maybe get a commutation or something. I don't know.
Let's talk about the quarterback matchup there. Donovan McNabb (ph) versus Michael Vick (ph). Who do you like?
KARP: Well, you know, if you like football, you have to like both of these guys, because they're so interesting, they're so similar, and they've really changed the way that the quarterback position is played, because they're two guys who can not only throw, they've got guns for an arm. They can also move out of the pocket and then make the throw.
And then the thing that's really different about them is that they can pick up yards on their own with their legs, like their running backs. The one difference between the two is that everyone agrees that Michael Vick is much speedier.
The other thing to look for, obviously, in this game is the fact that Donovan McNabb missed the last six weeks of the regular season with a broken right ankle. He hasn't played in about 55 days. So there's a question about whether he'll be rusty and whether he'll be able to move the way we're used to seeing him move, Miles.
O'BRIEN: You know, you mention that, all that movement. And when I watch Michael Vick, I get nervous for him. I think he's going to have -- you know, he's a very risky NFL quarterback. And it makes me wonder how long his career will be.
KARP: Well, you get nervous. I'm sure that Dan Reeves (ph), the coach of the Atlanta Falcons, gets nervous too. But that's the line that guys like this have to really walk. When do they take a risk? When is the risk worth it? And when do they say, Hey, let's slide, or let's just get rid of the ball?
O'BRIEN: Yes, that's a tough call. Jose Karp, stay warm up there. Bundle up, enjoy the game.
KARP: I'll try.
O'BRIEN: All right, hopefully they will have...
KARP: Thanks, Miles.
O'BRIEN: ... good officiating. Tell the zebras to pay attention. All right.
KARP: I'm trying to cross my fingers.
O'BRIEN: OK, inside those mittens. All right.
COLLINS: All right.
O'BRIEN: She should have plugged in her mittens.
COLLINS: Yes, plugged in, that's right.
O'BRIEN: Yes, yes. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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