The Dramatic Consequences of one Referee Decision: The Story of Lance Easley
Fatal call and cyberbullying
When Lance Easley was offered the opportunity to referee American football at the highest level in the NFL, he did not hesitate for a moment. This opportunity opened up for lower-level referees as the NFL referees were on strike in the fall of 2012. In one of the fall 2012 matches, Easley judged an ambiguous situation as a goal (touchdown). The general public and the press did not agree with the verdict. The video judge checked the case and said Easley made the right decision. The NFL has also later issued a statement stating that they stand behind Easley's decision.
This in itself is nothing special; referees make questionable (or seemingly questionable) decisions in all sports all the time. What is unique about this story is the hassle that followed the decision. The scale of the criticism about Easley's decision was quite incomprehensible. Easley received death threats, and he needed police protection, and there was a bomb threat in his home. Online bullying continued long after the game; Easley was ridiculed in many entertainment programs. Advertisers also thought it was a good idea to take up the topic. Easley's image and the words "Don't make a bad decision, but buy from us" were placed in the ad without asking permission. Lance Easley became a common target of hatred and jokes in America. He received negative attention on entertainment programs (for example, Jay Leno dealt with Easley). Google has found 875 search results for "Lance Easley, Joke." According to an article by Dan Wetzel, even Barack Obama and Mitt Romney discussed the topic when they were presidential candidates. This questionable whistle even has its own "Fail Mary" Wikipedia page.
Trauma, its consequences, and coping with it
Easley himself got a severe trauma, which is no wonder. The trauma caused him to unravel his feelings in his book, "Making The Call- Living with Your Decisions," where he talks about the 8 seconds that changed his life. He says he anticipated the situation in the game; he was ready, looked in the right direction, and hoped for a straightforward situation. However, the situation was not straightforward, and his interpretation was a touchdown.
Easley says he was 52 at the time of the match and had had a long career as a referee (though not at the NFL level). Before that one fatal whistle, Easley said he enjoyed the challenge of whistling and that intense sense of concentration.
After that game and the aftermath, Easley had suicidal thoughts. He suffered from such a deep depression that he spent some time in a psychiatric institution. It did not go well on the other walks of life either; he lost his job at the bank, and the 28-year marriage ended. Seriously depressed, Lance is still trying to leave everything that has happened behind him. He says he has noticed that many people do not understand mental disorders. Some people seem to think he should get over it already because it is not a big deal, in any case. No one died. To address the issue and break the taboos, Lance Easley began giving speeches and telling people how he was coping with the unreasonable criticism he had faced. Today, he supports himself as a speaker.
Lance's greetings to Finnish sports judges
I wrote to Lance Easley after reading her book. I told him I was writing his story, and I asked him how he was doing right now. He said she was already better but still taking antidepressants. I also asked if he would like to send regards to Finnish sports judges. Easley replied that he was moved that his story was of interest so far away, and he was happy to send greetings. Lance's greetings to the judges: "Stay in the moment, forget the past, and be prepared for the future." Well said.
References
Easley, Lance (2013): ”The call”, Barbour Publishing
Correspondence with Lance Easley
Yahoo Sports: “Since 'Fail Mary,' ex-ref Lance Easley says he is battling post-traumatic stress disorder”, Dan Wetzel, 12.1.2015
The Washington post: ” Lance Easley, NFL replacement referee, lives with blown Packers-Seahawks touchdown call”
The Seattle Times (2013): “Death threats follow replacement ref after Seahawks-Packers game”
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