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Bottlegate

January 25, 2023

Bottlegate, also referred to as The Beer Bottle Game, was an officiating controversy in an American football game in the 2001 season of the National Football League between the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cleveland Browns.

Bottlegate Game
Cleveland Browns Stadium, the site of the game
Jacksonville Jaguars
(4–8)		 Cleveland Browns
(6–6)
15 10
Head coach:
Tom Coughlin		 Head coach:
Butch Davis
1234 Total
JAX 9006 15
CLE 0073 10
DateDecember 16, 2001
StadiumCleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
FavoriteBrowns by 2
RefereeTerry McAulay
Attendance72,818
TV in the United States
NetworkCBS
AnnouncersGus Johnson, Brent Jones

The inciting incident occurred in week 14 with the Browns sitting at 6–6, needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Down 15–10 with 1:08 remaining, the Browns were forced to try to convert on 4th and 2 at the Jaguars' 12 yard line. Tim Couch took the snap and passed short to Quincy Morgan, who caught the ball for a 3-yard gain and a first down. Although Morgan appeared to bobble the football, officials called it a complete pass. Couch hurried the offense to the line of scrimmage and spiked the ball with 48 seconds remaining. The officials announced that they would review the 4th down conversion two plays earlier and overturned it, giving the ball to the Jaguars.

Enraged, Browns fans began throwing objects onto the field, mainly plastic beer bottles. A few especially rowdy fans began throwing the stadium's trash cans down to the field. After a few minutes, the officials announced that the game would end 48 seconds early and the officials and players exited the field. However, the league office called, telling them to finish the game. The teams and officials came back onto the field and, after two quarterback kneels by the Jaguars, the game was over, 15–10.[1][2]

Events of the play

The Cleveland Browns were in a position to get an unlikely playoff spot at 6–6, but most likely needed to win their four remaining games of the season to do so. Trailing 15–10 with 1:08 remaining in regulation, the Browns were driving deep into Jaguars territory, looking for a potential go-ahead score. Cleveland was faced with a 4th down and 2 at the Jacksonville 12 yard line. The Browns needed to convert, or else the Jaguars could simply kneel the ball twice and end the game. Quarterback Tim Couch took the snap and passed it short to wide receiver Quincy Morgan, who caught the ball for a 3-yard gain and a first down but appeared to bobble it as he fell to the ground. Despite this, the officials called it a complete pass for a crucial first down with 1:03 remaining.[3] Couch wasted no time hurrying the offense to the line of scrimmage, starting the next play with only 0:50 left on the clock.[3] He took the snap and appeared to pump his arm twice; Couch then spiked the ball with 0:48 remaining to stop the clock.

The officials stopped play and huddled for a lengthy period. CBS announcers Gus Johnson and Brent Jones speculated that they may have been discussing Couch's double-pump before the spike, which, by rule, would constitute intentional grounding. Instead, referee Terry McAulay announced that the replay booth had buzzed his headset for a review of Morgan's fourth-down catch. NFL rules stipulate that a play cannot be reviewed once another play has commenced, but McAulay told the crowd that the review signal had come before the snap on the spike play although audio and video evidence provided by CBS seemed to refute McAulay's claim.

After a booth review, the officials ruled that the fourth-down pass was incomplete, resulting in a turnover on downs to Jacksonville. As the Jaguars celebrated, Browns coach Butch Davis angrily criticized the officials over the timing of the review.[4][5][6][7]

Crowd reaction

After the controversial decision, many attendees at the stadium, including those in the famous "Dawg Pound" section, became enraged. Some fans began angrily booing and hurling beer bottles (the team's beer sponsor, Miller Brewing Company, had introduced a new plastic bottle which was taken up by the team's concessions provider rather than drinks being poured into lighter plastic cups to reduce waste[8]) and other objects onto the playing field. The players, officials, and coaches migrated to the middle of the field to escape the debris and prevent injury. Some players reported getting hit, but none were seriously injured. A few especially rowdy fans attempted to storm onto the field, but were quickly detained by law enforcement. After a few minutes of waiting for the crowd to settle, the field had become littered with bottles and debris, and referee Terry McAulay made an unsportsmanlike conduct hand signal directed at the crowd, and sternly announced "That is the end of the game!", with 48 seconds left on the clock, something never before done in the history of the NFL. After McAulay's announcement, the players, coaches, and officials began to run off the field. As they sprinted towards the tunnels, the officials and some players and coaches were pelted with bottles.[9] Announcers Johnson and Jones told viewers that they saw an unspecified person fall to the ground after a thrown object, which they claimed was either a Sony Walkman or a bottle, "split his head wide open," and lamented the "ugly" actions of the Cleveland fans.[4]

Game conclusion

After several minutes, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue contacted McAulay and informed him that his officiating crew did not have the authority to end a game early, and that the game must be completed. The officials told the players in the locker room, many of whom were undressed and showering, that they were required to go back out onto the field. By the time all players and officials returned to the field, over 20 minutes had elapsed since the disputed fourth down play. After two kneel-downs by the Jaguars, the game concluded with a final score of 15–10. After the game, McAulay stood by his claim that the booth had buzzed in before the spike play.[10]

2001 Week Fourteen: Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns—Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 9 0 0615
Browns 0 0 7310

at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Game information

Aftermath and legacy

The win did not affect the Jaguars significantly, as they were already eliminated from postseason contention and would finish the 2001 season at 6–10. For the Browns, the loss contributed to the team missing the playoffs. This loss came in the midst of the Browns losing five of their final six games, to finish the season 7–9. It has been counted as one of the most infamous moments in Browns history, along with The Drive, The Fumble, The Move, and finishing with the second 0–16 record in NFL history in 2017. The Browns eventually made it to the playoffs the following year.

Several fans who took part in the melee were eventually banned from Cleveland home games for 4 years.

Many stadiums, including Cleveland Browns Stadium, also banned the sale of beer in plastic bottles from their venues to prevent a future reoccurrence. This incident, along with the 2004 Pacers–Pistons brawl, contributed to the sports business industry's now-common policy of limiting alcohol purchases to two drinks per person per concession stand visit, along with alcohol sales ending after the end of the third quarter (or for baseball, the end of the seventh inning).[11][12] Aluminum beer bottles, which soon replaced the ill-fated plastic bottles as they are easier to recycle and lighter, are now served at venues with the caps removed to reduce their weight if thrown, reduce cap waste, and prevent injury risk.[13]

Bottlegate was later cited as part of a lawsuit filed by New Orleans Saints fans against the NFL referees following another controversial officiating decision during the 2018 NFC Championship Game, in which an apparent pass interference penalty was not called.[7]

Starting lineups

Officials

  • Referee: Terry McAulay (#77)
  • Umpire: Carl Paganelli (#124)
  • Head Linesman: Earnie Frantz (#111)
  • Line Judge: Byron Boston (#18)
  • Field Judge: Scott Steenson (#88)
  • Side Judge: Bill Spyksma (#12)
  • Back Judge: Billy Smith (#2)

See also

References

  1. ^ Meisel, Zack (December 16, 2014). "An oral history of BottleGate, 13 years after Cleveland Browns fans stole the spotlight". cleveland.com. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  2. ^ "REPORT: Roger Goodell Shoved a Ref After the Infamous 'Bottlegate Game'". 12up.com. September 9, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Cleveland Browns Bottlegate". YouTube. October 21, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  4. ^ a b YouTube (October 21, 2018). "Cleveland Browns Bottlegate". Youtube.com. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  5. ^ Referee (April 15, 2017). "Mayhem in Cleveland: Browns vs. Jaguars Dec. 16, 2001". Referee.com. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  6. ^ Root, David (January 29, 2014). "Beyond "Bottlegate": How ugly incident didn't define McAulay". Football Zebras. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  7. ^ a b Florio, Mike (January 30, 2019). "2001 Jaguars-Browns game becomes issue in Saints-Rams lawsuit". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  8. ^ Minyares, Ben (30 November 1998). "Miller's plastic beer bottle solves first of three marketplace puzzles". Packaging World. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  9. ^ "N.F.L. WEEK 14; Bottle-Throwing Browns Fans Protest Call and Jaguars' Victory". The New York Times. Associated Press. December 17, 2001. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  10. ^ Loesche, Jonathan (December 29, 2009). "A Moment in Jaguars History: December 16th, 2001vs Cleveland aka "The Beer Bottle Game"". Big Cat Country. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  11. ^ Pakulski, Gary (25 December 2001). "Plastic-bottle makers could take lumps from stadium incidents". The Blade (Toledo, Ohio). Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  12. ^ Withers, Tom (2 August 2002). "Browns Ban Plastic Bottles Of Beer". WOIO via The Associated Press. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  13. ^ Breen, Mark (12 November 2014). "WHY DO SOME VENUES REMOVE BOTTLE CAPS FROM YOUR DRINKS?". Cuckoo Events. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  14. ^ "Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns - December 16th, 2001". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 12, 2019.

January 25, 2023
bottlegate, also, referred, beer, bottle, game, officiating, controversy, american, football, game, 2001, season, national, football, league, between, visiting, jacksonville, jaguars, cleveland, browns, gamecleveland, browns, stadium, site, gamejacksonville, j. Bottlegate also referred to as The Beer Bottle Game was an officiating controversy in an American football game in the 2001 season of the National Football League between the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cleveland Browns Bottlegate GameCleveland Browns Stadium the site of the gameJacksonville Jaguars 4 8 Cleveland Browns 6 6 15 10Head coach Tom Coughlin Head coach Butch Davis1234 TotalJAX 9006 15CLE 0073 10DateDecember 16 2001StadiumCleveland Browns Stadium Cleveland OhioFavoriteBrowns by 2RefereeTerry McAulayAttendance72 818TV in the United StatesNetworkCBSAnnouncersGus Johnson Brent JonesThe inciting incident occurred in week 14 with the Browns sitting at 6 6 needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive Down 15 10 with 1 08 remaining the Browns were forced to try to convert on 4th and 2 at the Jaguars 12 yard line Tim Couch took the snap and passed short to Quincy Morgan who caught the ball for a 3 yard gain and a first down Although Morgan appeared to bobble the football officials called it a complete pass Couch hurried the offense to the line of scrimmage and spiked the ball with 48 seconds remaining The officials announced that they would review the 4th down conversion two plays earlier and overturned it giving the ball to the Jaguars Enraged Browns fans began throwing objects onto the field mainly plastic beer bottles A few especially rowdy fans began throwing the stadium s trash cans down to the field After a few minutes the officials announced that the game would end 48 seconds early and the officials and players exited the field However the league office called telling them to finish the game The teams and officials came back onto the field and after two quarterback kneels by the Jaguars the game was over 15 10 1 2 Contents 1 Events of the play 2 Crowd reaction 3 Game conclusion 4 Aftermath and legacy 5 Starting lineups 6 Officials 7 See also 8 ReferencesEvents of the play EditThe Cleveland Browns were in a position to get an unlikely playoff spot at 6 6 but most likely needed to win their four remaining games of the season to do so Trailing 15 10 with 1 08 remaining in regulation the Browns were driving deep into Jaguars territory looking for a potential go ahead score Cleveland was faced with a 4th down and 2 at the Jacksonville 12 yard line The Browns needed to convert or else the Jaguars could simply kneel the ball twice and end the game Quarterback Tim Couch took the snap and passed it short to wide receiver Quincy Morgan who caught the ball for a 3 yard gain and a first down but appeared to bobble it as he fell to the ground Despite this the officials called it a complete pass for a crucial first down with 1 03 remaining 3 Couch wasted no time hurrying the offense to the line of scrimmage starting the next play with only 0 50 left on the clock 3 He took the snap and appeared to pump his arm twice Couch then spiked the ball with 0 48 remaining to stop the clock The officials stopped play and huddled for a lengthy period CBS announcers Gus Johnson and Brent Jones speculated that they may have been discussing Couch s double pump before the spike which by rule would constitute intentional grounding Instead referee Terry McAulay announced that the replay booth had buzzed his headset for a review of Morgan s fourth down catch NFL rules stipulate that a play cannot be reviewed once another play has commenced but McAulay told the crowd that the review signal had come before the snap on the spike play although audio and video evidence provided by CBS seemed to refute McAulay s claim After a booth review the officials ruled that the fourth down pass was incomplete resulting in a turnover on downs to Jacksonville As the Jaguars celebrated Browns coach Butch Davis angrily criticized the officials over the timing of the review 4 5 6 7 Crowd reaction EditAfter the controversial decision many attendees at the stadium including those in the famous Dawg Pound section became enraged Some fans began angrily booing and hurling beer bottles the team s beer sponsor Miller Brewing Company had introduced a new plastic bottle which was taken up by the team s concessions provider rather than drinks being poured into lighter plastic cups to reduce waste 8 and other objects onto the playing field The players officials and coaches migrated to the middle of the field to escape the debris and prevent injury Some players reported getting hit but none were seriously injured A few especially rowdy fans attempted to storm onto the field but were quickly detained by law enforcement After a few minutes of waiting for the crowd to settle the field had become littered with bottles and debris and referee Terry McAulay made an unsportsmanlike conduct hand signal directed at the crowd and sternly announced That is the end of the game with 48 seconds left on the clock something never before done in the history of the NFL After McAulay s announcement the players coaches and officials began to run off the field As they sprinted towards the tunnels the officials and some players and coaches were pelted with bottles 9 Announcers Johnson and Jones told viewers that they saw an unspecified person fall to the ground after a thrown object which they claimed was either a Sony Walkman or a bottle split his head wide open and lamented the ugly actions of the Cleveland fans 4 Game conclusion EditAfter several minutes NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue contacted McAulay and informed him that his officiating crew did not have the authority to end a game early and that the game must be completed The officials told the players in the locker room many of whom were undressed and showering that they were required to go back out onto the field By the time all players and officials returned to the field over 20 minutes had elapsed since the disputed fourth down play After two kneel downs by the Jaguars the game concluded with a final score of 15 10 After the game McAulay stood by his claim that the booth had buzzed in before the spike play 10 2001 Week Fourteen Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns Game Summary Period 1 2 34TotalJaguars 9 0 0615Browns 0 0 7310at Cleveland Browns Stadium Cleveland Ohio Date December 16Game time 1 00 p m ESTGame weather 44 F 7 C clearGame attendance 72 818Referee Terry McAulayTV announcers CBS Gus Johnson and Brent JonesBoxscore Game informationFirst quarterJAC Jimmy Smith 4 yard pass from Brunell kick failed JAC Mike Hollis 43 yard FGThird quarterCLE Anthony Henry 97 yard interception return Phil Dawson kick Fourth quarterJAC Hollis 46 yard FG CLE Dawson 29 yard FG JAC Hollis 37 yard FG Top passersJAC Mark Brunell 20 35 202 YDS TD 2 INT CLE Tim Couch 21 30 184 YDS INTTop rushersJAC Stacey Mack 28 CAR 115 YDS CLE Jamel White 9 CAR 33 YDSTop receiversJAC Keenan McCardell 7 REC 61 YDS CLE JaJuan Dawson REC 44 YDSAftermath and legacy EditThe win did not affect the Jaguars significantly as they were already eliminated from postseason contention and would finish the 2001 season at 6 10 For the Browns the loss contributed to the team missing the playoffs This loss came in the midst of the Browns losing five of their final six games to finish the season 7 9 It has been counted as one of the most infamous moments in Browns history along with The Drive The Fumble The Move and finishing with the second 0 16 record in NFL history in 2017 The Browns eventually made it to the playoffs the following year Several fans who took part in the melee were eventually banned from Cleveland home games for 4 years Many stadiums including Cleveland Browns Stadium also banned the sale of beer in plastic bottles from their venues to prevent a future reoccurrence This incident along with the 2004 Pacers Pistons brawl contributed to the sports business industry s now common policy of limiting alcohol purchases to two drinks per person per concession stand visit along with alcohol sales ending after the end of the third quarter or for baseball the end of the seventh inning 11 12 Aluminum beer bottles which soon replaced the ill fated plastic bottles as they are easier to recycle and lighter are now served at venues with the caps removed to reduce their weight if thrown reduce cap waste and prevent injury risk 13 Bottlegate was later cited as part of a lawsuit filed by New Orleans Saints fans against the NFL referees following another controversial officiating decision during the 2018 NFC Championship Game in which an apparent pass interference penalty was not called 7 Starting lineups EditJacksonville Position ClevelandOffenseMark Brunell QB Tim CouchStacey Mack RB James JacksonKyle Brady TE RB Jamel WhiteRyan Prince TE O J SantiagoJimmy Smith WR Quincy MorganKeenan McCardell WR Kevin JohnsonTodd Fordham LT Ross VerbaBrad Meester LG Shaun O HaraZach Wiegert RG Brad BedellMaurice Williams RT Roger ChanoineJeff Posey SLB C Dave WohlabaughDefenseRenaldo Wynn LDE Tyrone RogersGary Walker LDT Gerard WarrenTony Brackens RDE Jamir MillerHardy Nickerson MLB Wali RainerEdward Thomas WLB Dwayne RuddJason Craft LCB Corey FullerKiwaukee Thomas RCB Anthony HenryDonovin Darius SS Earl LittleAinsley Battles FS Devin BushSource 14 Officials EditReferee Terry McAulay 77 Umpire Carl Paganelli 124 Head Linesman Earnie Frantz 111 Line Judge Byron Boston 18 Field Judge Scott Steenson 88 Side Judge Bill Spyksma 12 Back Judge Billy Smith 2 See also Edit2001 Cleveland Browns season 2001 NFL season 2018 NFC Championship Game which featured a controversial officiating decision later known as the NOLA No Call Fail Mary List of gate scandals and controversies National Football League controversiesReferences Edit Meisel Zack December 16 2014 An oral history of BottleGate 13 years after Cleveland Browns fans stole the spotlight cleveland com Retrieved March 12 2019 REPORT Roger Goodell Shoved a Ref After the Infamous Bottlegate Game 12up com September 9 2016 Retrieved March 14 2019 a b Cleveland Browns Bottlegate YouTube October 21 2018 Retrieved March 23 2020 a b YouTube October 21 2018 Cleveland Browns Bottlegate Youtube com Retrieved January 6 2020 Referee April 15 2017 Mayhem in Cleveland Browns vs Jaguars Dec 16 2001 Referee com Retrieved March 12 2019 Root David January 29 2014 Beyond Bottlegate How ugly incident didn t define McAulay Football Zebras Retrieved March 14 2019 a b Florio Mike January 30 2019 2001 Jaguars Browns game becomes issue in Saints Rams lawsuit ProFootballTalk Retrieved March 14 2019 Minyares Ben 30 November 1998 Miller s plastic beer bottle solves first of three marketplace puzzles Packaging World Retrieved 6 November 2021 N F L WEEK 14 Bottle Throwing Browns Fans Protest Call and Jaguars Victory The New York Times Associated Press December 17 2001 ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved March 12 2019 Loesche Jonathan December 29 2009 A Moment in Jaguars History December 16th 2001vs Cleveland aka The Beer Bottle Game Big Cat Country Retrieved March 14 2019 Pakulski Gary 25 December 2001 Plastic bottle makers could take lumps from stadium incidents The Blade Toledo Ohio Retrieved 6 November 2021 Withers Tom 2 August 2002 Browns Ban Plastic Bottles Of Beer WOIO via The Associated Press Retrieved 18 October 2016 Breen Mark 12 November 2014 WHY DO SOME VENUES REMOVE BOTTLE CAPS FROM YOUR DRINKS Cuckoo Events Retrieved 7 November 2021 Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns December 16th 2001 Pro Football Reference com Retrieved March 12 2019 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bottlegate amp oldid 1133657986, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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