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Questions
Explain this cartoon. (To what two controversial calls in national sporting events does this cartoon refer?)
Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the answers.
Cartoon by Chip Bok
Answers
A challenge was made to the winner of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. Two riders objected to the result, claiming winner Maximum Security broke rules by interfering with other horses, drifting into his competitors’ race paths and cutting them off.
It took officials over 20 minutes of reviewing the video of the 2 minute race to decide that the winner should be disqualified. Many people felt it was a bad call, saying officials should disqualify a horse only when a foul has affected the outcome of the race. (The horse that came in second and was then declared the winner had not been interfered with.)
In the cartoon, the officials watching the video are NFL refs. NFL refs made a bad call near the end of the 2019 NFC Championship Game between the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams.
Referees failed to call a clear pass interference penalty that would have likely sealed a victory for the Saints. Instead, the Rams regained possession of the ball, tied the game on a last-second field goal and won in overtime. People said the refs’ call prevented the Saints from going to the Superbowl.
