Steelers fan in prison sues NFL, saying Chargers should not have made playoffs

We are very glad the San Diego Chargers made the playoffs, because MORE PHILIP RIVERS, however, we have to note that they should probably not be. They needed a four-game winning streak. After winning the first three, their fourth was against a Chiefs team resting its starters, gifting San Diego a playoff spot. However, even so, the Chargers nearly lost, with Ryan Succop lining up for a game-winning field goal at the end of regulation.

However, Succop missed, allowing the game to go to overtime, where the Chargers would win and eliminate the Pittsburgh Steelers from the playoffs. As some noted, the Chargers’ alignment on that Succop field goal was illegal, and should have resulted in another opportunity for Succop to kick -- and keep Pittsburgh in the playoffs.

One man, Daniel Spuck, is particularly worked up about this error. From the Baltimore Sun (we saw this tweeted by Mike Freeman)

Daniel L. Spuck of Mercer, Pa., has filed a motion against the NFL to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania for “a temporary emergency injunction” on the basis that the Chargers should not have been in the postseason because of a missed call in the Week 17 game between San Diego and Kansas City. The filing came before the first round of the playoffs.

They have Spuck’s (handwritten) filing.

”This case before the court is unlike no other because Andy Ried Kansas City Chiefs coach was unable to challenge the call by way of instant replay by throwing a (red) flag with less than 2 minutes, which would have permitted a rekick thus by making the 3 point conversion would have placed the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs.)

By the way, Spuck is currently in a correctional facility, where, apparently, they get better access to the NFL than I previously imagined.

He goes on to argue that not allowing challenges in the last two minutes of games is “fraudulent and negligent” and that the new rule about players being down once their helmet comes off is “improper and unconstitutional, due to problems with enacting clause amendments recognized in Pennsylvania and other states.”

The defendants improperly inserted the rule, which was not founded on their NFL forefathers and should not take away the touchdown thus sending the Pittsburgh Steelers to the playoffs instead of the San Diego Chargers (NFL Playoffs).

He never makes it fully clear why courts should be involved with an officiating mistake, but does suggest potential remedies: an injunction pushing the playoffs back (the filing was made before the first round), a neutral site game between San Diego and Pittsburgh to determine the sixth seed, a rekick for Succop, or just awarding the Steelers the final playoff spot.