NFL replacement ref on CBS to 'let people know I'm OK'

USATODAY

Former NFL official Lance Easley appeared on CBS Sunday, saying he was making his first public appearance because he "wanted to come out and let people know I'm OK."

Easley was the replacement official who signaled a touchdown reception on the final play of a Green Bay-Seattle game on Monday night football two weeks ago that gave the game to the Seahawks. The controversial call produced coast-to-coast criticism of the replacements and led to the return of the locked-out refs by the next week's games.

Easley, who declined a interview request from USA TODAY Sports after his CBS appearance, said on CBS that he still believes he made the right call. He says he will "still keep private" in talking about the call, but said it was "hard for me to see pass interference" on a play in which the Seattle receiver clearly appeared to shove a defender out of the way. Easley also said pass interference "is very rarely called" in a Hail Mary passing situation.

Lance Easley (right), who worked as an NFL replacement official and made a controversial call that awarded a winning touchdown to Seattle two weeks ago, said he appeared on CBS on Sunday "to let people know I was OK."

Easley says he became a replacement ref in part out of concern about the economic consequences of any NFL game cancellations -- "I'm a small-business banker, I want to see our economy grow" -- and he'd do it again "in a heartbeat. It was enjoyable."

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