Golden Tate Sticks to His Guns, Saying He Caught Infamous Touchdown vs. Packers "100 Percent"

Not even a berth in Super Bowl XLVIII has softened the Seahawks wide receiver's stance that he caught a touchdown in 2012 against the Green Bay Packers.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate. Photo by Brian Carriveau of CheeseheadTV.com.

NEWARK, N.J.––Maybe, just maybe, you'd think a berth in the Super Bowl might allow Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate to soften his stance about events that transpired the evening of Sept. 24, 2012.

Perhaps the prospect of playing in the most-publicized sporting event in all of America and achieving the team goal of winning the NFC Championship might allow him to relent and conform with the majority of football fans that Tate really didn't catch what was ruled to be a touchdown pass to beat the Green Bay Packers in front of a nationally-televised audience on ESPN's Monday Night Football last season.

The play that captivated a nation and arguably changed the tone of an entire NFL season was worth revisiting. Does Tate still believe he hauled in a last-ditch heave from quarterback Russell Wilson as time expired?

"100 percent," said Tate on Tuesday at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., site of the annual Super Bowl Media Day.

Tate embodied the spectacle that Media Day has become, wearing a Google Glass optical head-mount display along with a GoPro personal camera mounted to the bill of his Seahawks baseball cap. For the fourth-year NFL veteran, it's a way for him to document his experience and share it with the Seattle fanbase, taking audio and video that he'll later publish.

Tate looked a little crazy decked out with all his gadgets, but maybe that's apropos too. After all, there are many that think he's a little crazy for going along with the controversial call.

An ESPN SportsNation poll taken in the aftermath of the Packers-Seahawks game shows the majority of fans in all 50 states (87 percent overall)––even those in Washington––believed the ruling should have been an interception.

For those needing a reminder, Tate tangled with Packers safety M.D. Jennings in the end zone over possession of the football, which was eventually ruled a touchdown by replacement referee Lance Easley. After the extra point, the Seahawks walked away with 14-12 victory.

The whole replacement-official angle only fueled the debate, as just days later the NFL and the officials' union agreed on a deal that ended the league's lockout three weeks into the regular season.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell would insist what's become known in popular lexicon as the "Fail Mary" didn't directly influence the ensuing agreement, but it's difficult to deny that the play didn't at least have an indirect impact at the bare minimum.

As a result of the infamous event, Tate's public profile and celebrity was raised exponentially.

"For really a complete year, anyone who at first met me, the first question (was), 'Did you really catch that ball?' said Tate, "and I would joke around and say, 'Stop asking stupid questions' or something funny and say, 'Of course I did.' It's crazy, especially on social media, I still catch noise for that."

In fairness to Tate, not everyone believes the play was an interception.

Despite the minority opinion, an article published by Scott Kacsmar of ColdHardFootballFacts.com attempts in intimate detail to corroborate the ruling by Easley.

"When you take your emotions out of it, and only study the facts, then there is no denying the replacement referees got the ending right, and the NFL’s statement was correct in upholding the call," writes Kacsmar.

Whatever the case, the effect on the Packers' season had far-reaching effects. The one-game difference between a potential 12-4 record and their recognized 11-5 record resulted in Green Bay traveling to San Francisco in the divisional round of the playoffs instead of hosting a game at Lambeau Field.

With losses in the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, including that defeat to the 49ers on the road, confidence in Green Bay has hit a low point since winning the Super Bowl following the 2010 season.

As for Tate and the Seahawks, however, things couldn't be working out better. They've been trending upward ever since that notorious game against the Packers and are now playing for the right to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Maybe it's destiny. Perhaps the fates look fondly upon Tate, dating back to his college days at Notre Dame.

"If you go back and look at my junior year, I did the same exact thing against Washington State in Texas (at a neutral site)," said Tate. "I caught a Hail Mary ball before half for a touchdown, so it's not uncharacteristic in my eyes. And I expect as a competitor, I expect myself to catch any ball near me."

Maybe, just maybe, it will continue to be that way when Tate faces the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday.

Brian Carriveau is the author of the book "It's Just a Game: Big League Drama in Small Town America," and editor of Cheesehead TV's "Pro Football Draft Preview." To contact Brian, email [email protected].

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Comments (54)

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cLowNEY42's picture

January 28, 2014 at 06:31 pm

I hate Tate.
But I still think he caught it.

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4thand1's picture

January 28, 2014 at 06:51 pm

Further cementing your place as the consummate troll.

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Barutan Seijin's picture

January 28, 2014 at 08:30 pm

I think you get a bad rap just for being different, Mr. Cow. Not this time, though. You're nuts.

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4thand1's picture

January 28, 2014 at 09:18 pm

TY, cow, you just proved be beyond a shadow of a doubt that you aren't a Packer fan. There isn't a Packer fan on the planet that would agree that Tatelss caught the fail mary. Its called the fail mary for a reason, and Packer fans didn't give it that name.

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Point Packer's picture

January 28, 2014 at 10:04 pm

Cow - You are only eclipsed in your stupidity by one Golden Tate. Congrats.

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WKUPackFan's picture

January 28, 2014 at 11:51 pm

Golden seems to be lucky enough to have exactly the right amount of dumbness. He's not dumb enough to believe he actually caught it, but he is dumb enough to not care that he looks like an idiot for claiming that he did.

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Mojo's picture

January 29, 2014 at 11:55 am

Every time this subject comes up I cringe when someone claims it was a catch by Tate. I examined the play numerous times almost frame-by frame. A number of well respected former officials also said it should have been an INT. I even looked up the rule on simultaneous possession(which the fake ref ruled was the case. Actually it wasn't simultaneous(imperceptibly touched at the EXACT same time)). For a number of reasons, Tate should not have been awarded possession. But one of the most egregious mistakes the refs made was as they were falling to the ground, both of Tates hands come off the ball completely, while Jennings never do. The ball remains tight to his chest as he hits the ground while being touched by an opponent. INT - play over. And yes it was subject to review despite what some have said.

Should Jennings have knocked it to the ground. Debatable. But make no mistake about - based on the rules - the Packers got jobbed out of a win.

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cLowNEY42's picture

January 29, 2014 at 04:22 pm

"...as they were falling to the ground, both of Tates hands come off the ball completely"

so this happens while there both in the air?

because if any part of Tate's body (feet) touch the ground BEFORE his hand come off the ball (which I have never seen a photo of) then it's a touchdown.

and as stated before... i have never seen a photo showing "both of tate's hands off the ball".

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Stroh's picture

January 29, 2014 at 06:41 pm

He never had 2 hands on the ball until AFTER they fell to the ground, while Jennings had both hands on the ball holding it to his chest the ENTIRE time!

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cLowNEY42's picture

January 29, 2014 at 06:54 pm

as long as he had 1 arm around the ball - it's a catch.

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Stroh's picture

January 29, 2014 at 07:11 pm

He didn't have one arm AROUND the ball. He had one hand TOUCHING it. Not controlling it! Just touching the ball does NOT in any way constitute a catch.

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Hank Scorpio's picture

January 29, 2014 at 07:54 pm

Here are 4 still frames of the ball's arrival to the scrum.

http://imageshack.us/a/img543/3605/firstcontact.jpg

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madmanJack's picture

January 30, 2014 at 07:03 am

this isn't like college bball where u can go in after someone has possesion and tie him up and get the ball if u have the arrow....your a frickin douchebag!

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John's picture

January 31, 2014 at 12:58 pm

you are blind

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Jamie's picture

January 28, 2014 at 06:36 pm

I don't hate cowtard.
But I still think he should catch a boot or 37 to the throat.

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zeke's picture

January 29, 2014 at 12:26 am

A couple feet lower, maybe.

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madmanJack's picture

January 30, 2014 at 07:04 am

cowturd

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zippyjoe's picture

January 29, 2014 at 12:05 am

Cow, were you the replacement ref who wiffed on that call? Keep watching the play, you'll eventually come to your senses.

If that play remains Tate's claim to brief fame, how sad. He needs to move on and make a play on Sunday.

Should be a good game. Hope Wilson has a good game.

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fish and crane's picture

January 29, 2014 at 12:34 am

"Confidence in Green Bay has hit a low point since.." Eh?
Whose confidence? The Packers with Rodgers and no defense still fear no team.

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Zach Melis's picture

January 29, 2014 at 12:49 am

Packer fans are classically irrational and this is no different. Just because Wisconsin media called it the fail mary doesn't mean that its a bad call. The Packers had so many gracious calls this season its unbelievable that anyone would complain. Also where did the Packers get to play San Fran this year?

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zeke's picture

January 29, 2014 at 07:04 am

What does any of that have to do with whether that play was called correctly?

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Hank Scorpio's picture

January 29, 2014 at 08:03 am

2 things:

1) The national media calls the play the "Fail Mary" too. Saying it is just the Wisconsin media is misleading.

2) All fanbases of every team are filled with all kinds of fans. You can find a segment that fits any adjective and another segment that doesn't. That is just common sense in describing any group of people based on any criteria. To paint with a broad brush is, well, irrational. When applied to race, it is called racism. When applied to sex, it is called sexism. Maybe we should invent a term when it is applied to fans of a team

So you can stuff your trolling in a sack, Mr. Zack.

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Evan's picture

January 29, 2014 at 10:21 am

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RC Packer Fan's picture

January 29, 2014 at 04:33 pm

Great find Evan.

The funniest part of that, is the state with the highest % of votes saying it was a catch was Washington, with 40% of the votes. Not even the majority of Seattle thought it was a catch.

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cole's picture

January 29, 2014 at 01:21 pm

Really? Is that why the NFL panicked and immediately brought back the regular officials? Because it was a good call?
Yeah, smart comment bro.

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Uncle Louie's picture

January 29, 2014 at 06:28 am

Tate is living proof America is losing the drug war.

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D B H's picture

January 29, 2014 at 06:40 am

Also, "of course" he did not commit offensive PI on the play, too - in case you wanted to ask.

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Hank Scorpio's picture

January 29, 2014 at 07:58 am

I went to the Cold, Hard Football Facts link to see how anyone can make a case for that being a catch by Tate. He includes pictures that clearly show Tate had one hand touching the ball in a scrum of 6 or 7 hands in the picture. No picture shows anything resembling control or 2 points of contact between Tate & the ball. MD Jennings has 2 hands on the ball.

He, like that replacement ref, defines one hand touching the ball as a catch. It's an interesting theory. In the same way that flat earthers have an interesting theory.

As for Tate, he can say what he wants. I see no reason for him to change his tune now so it isn't surprising to me that he isn't changing his tune.

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cLowNEY42's picture

January 29, 2014 at 09:52 am

Multiple people jumped for the ball.
Two players came down with it.
Both had possession. There is no such thing as "one player has MORE possession than another".
You can have dual - possession with one player having two arms around the ball and one player having one arm.
Simultaneous possession goes to the offense.

Replacement refs made the call on the field BUT regular officials upheld the call. I have never seen a single photograph showing Jennings with CLEAR and SOLE possession of the ball... which means the call could not (and should not) have been overturned.

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Rymetyme81's picture

January 29, 2014 at 10:06 am

I don't want to revisit all of this again because I spent far too many hours scrutinizing it for weeks after the Seattle *loss.

My biggest argument is that if you watch the play in slow mo Tate's hand actually comes off of the ball -- completely! -- at one point. That restarts the process of a catch. At that point, the only way it's a TD is if Tate strips it and gains possession before Jennings falls to the turf and completes the catch. -- a laughable argument to try making.

Okay, I'm done with this thread!

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cLowNEY42's picture

January 29, 2014 at 11:39 am

There is no point where Tate has both hands off of the ball. If you could show me a picture of that it would change my opinion of the call.

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Hank Scorpio's picture

January 29, 2014 at 01:44 pm

Go to the link at CHFF above. Tate's left hand isn't on the ball.

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Mojo's picture

January 29, 2014 at 12:41 pm

The MJS had a picture a day or two after, showing a blown-up frame of Tate and Jennings falling to the ground(but before they hit the ground). In the frame BOTH of Tates hands were not in contact with the ball, although Jennings had both hands wrapped around it. I'll try to see if I can find it.

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BB's picture

January 29, 2014 at 10:23 am

Regular officials did not uphold the call. Several of the regular officials went on record that they would have called it an interception. The statement from the NFL doesn't count -- that's called CYA. And, the league office is not staffed by referees -- just Lord Goodell and his lackeys.

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Hank Scorpio's picture

January 29, 2014 at 11:28 am

Clowney,

So you're a "flat earther" on the subject of the Fail Mary? Congrats. Wear it like a badge of courage.

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cLowNEY42's picture

January 29, 2014 at 11:38 am

If "flat earther" means correct, then, yes, I'm a "flat earther".

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LAS VEGAS-TOM's picture

January 29, 2014 at 12:11 pm

cLowNEY, What your opinion, or anyone else's is on the catch, shouldn't be the issue. Clearly in front of the Referee, the guy pushed off. The Ref could not have missed it. It was Blatent (not sure I spelled that right) Offensive Interference, that wasn't called. It shouldn't of even come to whether he caught it.
The wrong question keeps being asked. Not JMO.

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Hank Scorpio's picture

January 29, 2014 at 02:12 pm

I think what "flat earther" means depends on who you ask. Members of the Flat Earth Society will tell you they are correct. Other people say something different.

Anything that polls at 80% or more is into flat earther territory. You can barely get that % on the question of whether the sun rises in the east.

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Big Moe's picture

January 29, 2014 at 02:19 pm

HE DID NOT CATCH THE F!$!#$ BALL ALL RIGHT!!! Sorry about yelling, but some of the troll fodder is just a little hard of hearing evidently. Any average replay will clearly show he didn't catch the ball, the whole frigging world knows he didn't catch it, and unless he's blocked it out I'd wager deep down dipstick (Tate) knows he didn't catch it either, but hey if saying he did gets him some camera time what the hell. Right! I'm less annoyed at Tate's stupidity, than the trolls who defend him, they are certainly less than gifted mentally if they are still disputing the validity of the call, It was a bad call, stop being stupid please.

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Jamie's picture

January 29, 2014 at 02:40 pm

Even cowtard isn't blowtarded enough to say a catch would ever be deemed complete by having one hand/arm wedged under the ball as a defender pulls it into his body and controls it with both hands/arms. That is the extent of Taint's "control".

Now, it's safe to say ol' cowtard is desperate enough to SAY it was a catch for that glorious feeling he gets down below that he can't seem to obtain through any other means.

I hope all of those continuing to argue realize that they just made him all tingly in his dry mushy spot.

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cLowNEY42's picture

January 29, 2014 at 04:29 pm

Seriously.
Why do you think all of my posts are simply attempts to get a "rise" out of people?

I swear that's not the case.

I have opinions... most of the time they're not directly in line with everyone else's. That's ok. why does it make you mad? what the hell do you care? you can disagree with me... that's cool. but why get so upset. none of my opinions are completely out of the realm of possibility.

the tate "catch" is by no means as clear cut as Packer fans seem to feel/think it is.

it was a confusing play.

i saw it one way.

you saw it another.

chill.

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Stroh's picture

January 29, 2014 at 06:34 pm

That's the rub... All your posts are contradictory in nature! Never seen you agree w/ any Packer fan about anything Packer related. Kinda hard to think your a Packer fan when all you do is deride EVERYTHING Packers all the time!

As far as the "catch". Shouldn't have been one... THE PI was blatantly obvious and the catch was clear as day that he had one hand on the ball while Jennings had two arms and the ball against his chest until AFTER the fell to the ground!

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cLowNEY42's picture

January 29, 2014 at 06:59 pm

they NEVER call OPI... that's weak.

and 1 arm = 2 arms. 2 arms are not necessary for possession.

i don't hat everything about the Packers... but there is a lot about the current construct of the team that really bothers me.

i think this team is in a giant rut.

it's a boring, predictable team right now... experiencing a gradual regression in talent.

i'm tired of hoping that some rookies are going to patch up all the holes again. it doesn't seem to be working.

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Barutan Seijin's picture

January 29, 2014 at 09:58 pm

They called OPI on Nelson in the Super Bowl & several times against Seattle in that well-reffed Super Bowl against Pittsburgh.

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John's picture

January 31, 2014 at 01:03 pm

One of th emore exciting offenses even now . Defense well that needs some work.

On of th etems favored to win th eSB next year hmm boring

Damn near beat the 9ers hmm

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zeke's picture

January 29, 2014 at 09:45 pm

"Seriously.
Why do you think all of my posts are simply attempts to get a “rise” out of people?"

Maybe it comes from what you wrote last season, when you admitted doing exactly that?

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Jamie's picture

January 30, 2014 at 08:26 am

EXACTLY!!!

Glad someone else remembers that.

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Jamie's picture

January 29, 2014 at 08:43 pm

1 hand =/= 2 hands when the 1 hand is using the 2 hands as its 2nd hand.

Take a picture of a man cradling the ball against their chest with a second man wedging their arm between the chest of the first man and the ball. (these men are to be clothed, sorry)

Show that picture to any unbiased and sane pee wee league, jr high, high school, all college level, and NFL referee, and each would instantly give possession to the first man.

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cLowNEY42's picture

January 29, 2014 at 09:03 pm

"1 hand =/= 2 hands when the 1 hand is using the 2 hands as its 2nd hand."

i have no idea what this means.

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The TKstinator's picture

January 29, 2014 at 09:16 pm

(These men are to be clothed, sorry)

Funniest remark in a long time!

Thank you.

Proceed.

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John's picture

January 31, 2014 at 01:05 pm

not the way it was. All non biased people and officials agree

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4thand1's picture

January 29, 2014 at 09:12 pm

The only thing that could be dumber, is if arlo agreed with cowpie. Cow got his desired affect once again, tons of negative attention. I imagine he'll be really worn out by tomorrow. Kinda like a 16 year teen watching porn for the 1st time.

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Clint's picture

January 31, 2014 at 12:44 pm

How is it the schedule-makers only gave us a preseason game against this team? I can't wait to get these guys in Green Bay for a nice payback whipping over this totally fraudulent call that never should have happened. It'll be better than when we finally got those Cowboys up at Lambeau and throttled them after years of coming down to DFW annually.

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cLowNEY42's picture

January 31, 2014 at 01:57 pm

Payback.
Right.
Like all the "payback" we've been dishin' out to SF lately.

Hey schedule-makers... PLEASE KEEP SEA, SF, PHIL, CAR, ARZ, AND NO AS FAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR AWAY FROM GREEN BAY'S SCHEDULE AS POSSIBLE!

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