'I prefer not to think before speaking': NFL official blamed for blown call during playoff game
By RYAN GORMAN
The NFL official widely credited with helping to overturn what many feel was an obvious pass interference call during a Sunday playoff game has quite the range of political beliefs.
Jerry Bergman, a line judge, convinced a veteran referee that there was only limited contact in a controversial play during the Detroit Lions – Dallas Cowboys game. He also spends quite a bit of time talking up his incendiary politics.
The hardline conservative compares Hillary Clinton running for president to Deanna Favre, wife of legendary quarterback Brett Favre, being an NFL passer.
He also jokes about a tax return being rejected because he listed millions of illegal immigrants and hordes on welfare as dependents.
Friends, a receptive audience, mostly laugh at the provocative comments, first unearthed by the website Uproxx and subsequently viewed by AOL News.
Conservative political views hardly impact one's ability to be an effective NFL referee but the avid Pittsburgh Pirates fan has left them public for all to view, including a curious post claiming he prefers "not to think before speaking."
But Bergman was accused by a former NFL referee of intimidating the other officials into taking his side in the call. A similar aggressive, angry tone is evident throughout his Facebook page.
Game footage showed clear contact between Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens and Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew before the ball arrived, an obvious penalty.
Obvious enough, in fact, for multiple other officials to toss their flags and call pass interference.
Blatant enough for head referee Pete Morelli to announce to the entire stadium, and television audience, that pass interference was called and that the Lions were awarded first down.
The officials then picked up their flags and reversed the penalty at Bergman's insistence.
The Lions were stuck with a 4th down, punted and soon gave up what would be the game winning touchdown to the Cowboys on a Tony Romo pass to receiver Terrence Williams.
