The Packers couldn't cover Hakeem Nicks who lit them up for 7 catches, 165 yards & 2 huge touchdowns in the Giants 37-20 beat down of the defending champs.

Being the NBA junkie that I am, the conspiracy theories are always flying and often impossible to ignore. Anyone who remembers Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals can attest to that. Fans who believe in conspiracy theories didn’t need Tim Donaghy dropping dimes on the association. Sadly, the officiating crew for the Giants-Packers NFC divisional playoff led by Bill Leavy brought back memories of that fixed disaster that helped propel the Lakers to their 3rd straight championship. What we witnessed was one of the worst officiated playoff games of my lifetime.

The fix was in for Green Bay on Sunday, and it almost ensured a Packers win. The Greg Jennings play should have been a fumble.(which was reviewed!) That was the first ridiculous call by Leavy’s band of incompetent clowns. The play was upheld after Leavy smoked a joint under the replay booth. It also gave Aaron Rodgers and Co. life, and quickly even the scored at 10. It didn’t end there, however.

On 3rd and 2 with 9:21 left in the 3rd quarter, Leavy’s bunch was at it again. D.J. Ware looked to pick up a 1st down on a draw play, but they marked him a full yard short of the line of scrimmage. Look, I know the imaginary first down line isn’t perfect, but it’s close enough to make you realize they blew another one. And don’t let me forget to mention that Fox never showed a replay. If you don’t think the fix was in, I can’t help you.

We’re not done. Late in the game, Leavy was at it again when a perfect hit by Osi Umenyiora on Rodgers resulted in a roughing the passer penalty. The game was over by that point, but this needs to be pointed out. Umenyiora did everything the new pussified rules allow and never made contact with Rodgers’ helmet. Ridiculous.

Thankfully, the better team won the game, and saved the league the embarrassment. The better big game Manning was sensational throwing for 330 yards & 3 TD’s, Hakeem Nicks became a household name & top 5 receiver & the Giants defense stifled an offense that most pundits dubbed unstoppable.

The performance of the Giants can’t be understated, but the officiating atrocities burn my ass. All season long it’s been annoyingly proven that you can’t get anywhere near a quarterback without risking penalty and/or fine. It’s a harsh and cold reality to fans who grew up like myself in the 80′s & 90′s when some of the premiere athletes on the planet were actually allowed to play the sport.

If the Packers had won this game, the Jennings fumble would go down with the “tuck rule game” in NFL lore. That was a potential 14 point swing.

But alas, the Giants overcame the officiating blunders and proved their metal. They are getting hot at the right time and deserve to be in the NFC Championship. With all of the New York money that will be coming in this week, they could be a favorite in the title game despite having to beat the Cowboys in week 17 just to get in this tournament. Much like their epic run in ’07, the Giants are proving that it’s imperative to get hot at the right time. I’m just glad that they were far superior than the defending champions on Sunday. Because if they would have lost in part because of Leavy’s idiotic brand of officiating, the NBA’s image issues would have crept into the most popular sport in this country.

@Louie_Ruffolo8