Calvin Johnson Wants His 2010 Non-TD Reversed Under New Rule

People never could’ve known the Pandora’s box of insanity that was opened up back in 2010 when Calvin Johnson apparently didn’t make the catch.

Most people know the story by now. The Detroit Lions All-Pro receiver appeared to make the game-winning grab against the Chicago Bears late in the 4th quarter on opening day of that season. As he went to the ground, however, the ball slipped out of his hands. That was enough to incite a replay and the referees ruled Johnson didn’t “complete the process” of the catch through the ground.

The play was overturned and Chicago won the game. It incited a virtual riot across social media, leading to countless arguments about what is or is not a catch. That infamous play was soon followed by even bigger controversies including apparent critical TDs stolen away from wide receiver Dez Bryant in 2014 and tight end Jesse James last year. At last, the NFL had grown tired of the unwanted scrutiny over the murkiness of the rule, so they voted to make a chance.

Rather than adjust the verbiage again they simply decided to make a cut. No longer would referees focus on “maintaining the process through the ground.” With this change, it basically admits what happened back in 2010 was indeed a touchdown.

Calvin Johnson wants his non-TD overturned in his record

Megatron doesn’t have many regrets about his NFL career. For a long time, he was one of the most dominant wide receivers in the NFL. However, he’s still sore about what happened that day eight years ago. He told the Detroit Free Press that with the change in the rule, it’s high time the league do the right thing and give him the touchdown he knew he had all along.

"“It just took them seven years to figure out what we knew on Day 1.I think you (have to take the human element) into account,” Johnson added. “Yeah, slow motion can show every bitty frame, but you have to also take into account what actually happened in real time, I feel like. You take it slow-mo and that easy catch can turn into, ‘Dang, he bobbled it a little bit.’They ought to add it to my stat sheet. We knew it was a catch from Day 1.”"

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This isn’t the first time a major league rule change has sparked outcries for having the official records altered. Odds are it won’t be the last either. There’s no question that the Johnson play would’ve been a catch were it to happen this year. However, the league never would’ve reached this point without his controversial play in the first place. That’s how the game works. Major rule changes don’t happen without such moments happening on the field.

So he can at least take solace in knowing that he made things better for receivers today than they were back then for him.