There's only one reason I didn't post on Sunday about the SECOND Dez Bryant play...

And, if anyone wants to criticize me for being a Packer homer, I won't stop you...

But we actually finally learned WHY the NFL put the infamously-named "Calvin Johnson Rule" into effect...

And, shock of shocks, the call was CORRECT!!!

Yes, the rule might be dumb, Deadspin...

But the fourth angle on this play (and so it doesn't get yoinked off my blog, I'm using Deadspin's own clip from the linked article...) shows that this note, which is the "Calvin Johnson Rule", makes the call correct, even by the admission of people who said Sunday "YOU'RE RUINING OUR FUN!!!":

Item 1: Player Going to the Ground. If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball throughout the process of contacting the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.

If you watch the fourth angle (and only the fourth one seems to let this apply) starting at 33 seconds of the clip, you see, after the Packer receiver is able to get a hand to tip around the ball (on a very well-thrown ball by Romo, even though the Cowboy fans like Apartment-Wrecker of the Year from before want to crucify him again!!), it appears as if the ball is being juggled by Bryant and then goes to ground, where his arm hits the ground, but he does not satisfy "control of the ball throughout the process", because it squirts out.

THIS was the intent (at least kayfabe) of the "Calvin Johnson Rule".

That said, it's the only basis under which the call could be declared correct:  Under the old Madden principle of "one knee equals two feet", that's a completion and an almost-certain go-ahead touchdown for Dallas.

So why did the referees actually get this one right, even though:

a) No sane person (Packers fans excepted, even though they might be insane to think it anyway) doesn't think the SeaThugs aren't going to roll to the Super Bowl now, with no real opposition left.  (I'm thinking this weekend goes about 27-3 to Seattle.)

b) Dallas presents a far more compelling matchup after Green Bay admitted to being Seattle's BITCH after Week 1

and c) The political and monetary aids to Chris Christie could continue to pay dividends, especially if the league were to buy Christie's silence on sports gambling in other states?

WELL, my anonymous friend came up with a theory:  The continuing question of who paid for Christie's trips to see the Cowboys in Jerry Jones' box (which, by the way, counted five in this season, ALL Cowboys wins!!!), and the very real possibility of Federal bribery charges, which could extend into the NFL, or at least make some of the inside doings of the NFL more public...

Which we all know the NFL does not want!