As Luckett Would Have It

It looks as though the curse of Phil Luckett struck again, this time almost costing the Saints a victory. With New Orleans on the Carolina 46, Aaron Brooks took a fleaflicker from Ricky Williams, and threw deep to Joe Horn. It appeared Horn would make the reception and score, but he crashed into back judge Luckett and dropped the ball.

“I thought it was another defensive back making a play until I saw the official rolling around,” Horn said. “If I would have seen him, I probably would have stiff-armed him.”

Luckett voluntarily decided to switch from referee to back judge before the season.

Here is a look at other controversies involving Luckett:

* Jet quarterback Vinny Testaverde’s phantom touchdown in the closing seconds of a 32-31 victory over Seattle in 1998. Replays showed Testaverde put a knee down a foot short of the end zone, but Luckett let the play stand.

* The overtime coin toss at a 1998 Thanksgiving game between Pittsburgh and Detroit. During the coin flip, Pittsburgh’s Jerome Bettis appeared to call tails. But Luckett said Bettis called ‘heads-tails,’ and Luckett went with the first thing he heard. The Lions got the ball, and won the game.

Steeler fans were outraged, until a Pittsburgh television station enhanced the audio of the tape a few days later and discovered Bettis did indeed call “heads” first.

* The “Music City Miracle.” With 16 seconds left in a 1999 AFC divisional playoff game, the Bills took a 16-15 lead over the Titans. Upon receiving the ensuing kickoff, the Titans’ Frank Wycheck tossed the ball to Kevin Dyson. The pass appeared to go forward, but Dyson sprinted into the end zone for the winning touchdown. After a review, Luckett let the play stand.