It doesn't, especially since I didn't say that the Raiders were the first team to ever have that call go against them.
You implied they pulled that rule out of some dusty back room, just pointing out that they had called it previously that season. Perhaps partly why it was on the minds of the playoff refs when they saw it again. Again, dumb rule, but a couple refs had it in their heads that year, so it came up. And since it was correct per the rules, and applied correctly, not sure what the beef is.
Furthermore, it wasn't called in the heat of the moment. A fumble was the ruling on the field. Tuck rule was the result of them having more time to review it, slow it down, look at angles, etc. So you could argue that they WERE going to swallow the whistle on that play (so to speak), but once you started the challenge process, they had to call it per the rulebook, and tuck rule was the result.
But, as I wrote, it's one thing to make that kind of call in a regular season game and another thing entirely to make it in a championship game. The call was legitimate and within the rules, I just don't think that type of call should get made in a game as important as the AFC championship.
This part I see a lot, and hate it. It's the same game, with the same rules. Don't suddenly play by "playoff football" rulebook instead of the regular season one. Or if you're going to do so, tell everyone what the differences will be. Hate when things that are illegal all day at the beginning of the season (or even beginning of a game) are suddenly allowable in the playoffs, or in the final couple minutes of a game. Call it consistently. Don't look for tick-tack fouls, but don't suddenly allow crazy holding or pass interference because it's the last 2 minutes of a game and you're "letting them play".
And again, they didn't make the Tuck rule call originally. The challenge forced them to look again, in slo-mo, and when you do that, kinda have to make the call from the rule book.
You should also understand that my point has nothing to do with the possible effect of that call on the Raiders at the time. Although it doesn't surprise me in the least that this is what you zeroed in on.
Your post was like 2 sentences, wouldn't say I zeroed in on anything. You said it was one of the worst calls ever, I just pointed out that it was exactly in line with the rule book at the time. It wasn't even the game-winner, so the Raiders need to look at themselves if they want to figure out the problem. That the franchise went completely into the toilet and became a dumpster fire after is on them, not Brady. They've had more than a decade to man up and get over it.
