New Footage! Immaculate Reception - Catch and End of Game including Referee's Phone Call

Описание: WOW!!! Recently discovered footage of the end of the Immaculate Reception game showing Franco's miraculous catch and the frenzied aftermath, including referee Fred Swearingen's controversial phone call with NFL Senior Official Art McNally.

It's noteworthy that the announcers who witnessed the play don't even question that a) the ball hit Tatum, or b) Franco caught the ball. It's obvious in this footage (always has been IMO), and subsequent footage such as the "all 22" game film that the Raiders kept hidden for nearly 50 years confirm it.

Thanks to Retro Maven for making this incredible clip available!

P.S. - From the 1972 NFL Rule Book: Rule 7, Section 5, Article 2, Item 2-c: Any forward pass (legal or illegal) becomes incomplete and ball is dead immediately if pass is caught by any [offensive] player after it has touched ineligible [offensive] player or second eligible [offensive player], and before any touching by [a defensive player]. The Penalty of this this infraction is a loss of down at the previous spot.

However, if a [defensive] player touches [the] pass first, or simultaneously with or subsequent to its having been touched by only one [offensive] player, then all [offensive] players become and remain eligible.

So when the ball made contact with Tatum, it instantly became legal for Franco to catch the ball.