President Obama: 'If I Was A Lions Fan I'd Be Pretty Aggravated'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- You know it's a bad call when President Obama, a Chicago Bears supporter, says he would be "pretty aggravated" if he were a Detroit Lions fan.
The controversial call that has been talked about ad nauseam came during Sunday's Cowboys-Lions NFC Wild Card playoff game. An official announced a pass interference penalty on Dallas rookie linebacker Anthony Hitchens, who was defending the intended receiver, Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew.
Referee Pete Morelli announced the penalty, but then seconds later, the flag was picked up without any explanation.
Obama told The Detroit News on Tuesday, "I haven't seen that before — so I will leave it up to the experts to make the judgment as to why that happen — but I can tell you if I was a Lions fan I'd be pretty aggravated."
Furthermore, when the flag was originally thrown, Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant ran onto the field---without a helmet---to argue the call.
"[I cannot] remember a circumstance in which a good call by one of the refs is argued about by an opposing player of the other team with his helmet off on the field, which in and of itself is supposed to be a penalty," Obama said. "The call is announced and then reversed without explanation."
Ultimately, the President is indeed a die-hard Chicago sports fan, and he couldn't sympathize too much with rival Lions fans.
"Given the performance of my Bears, I can't have too much sympathy for the Lions," Obama said. "You guys were in a lot better position than we were. I'd love to have your defense right now."
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