Jim Quirk
Encyclopedia
Jim Quirk Sr. was an American football official in the National Football League
(NFL) from the 1988 NFL season
to the 2008 NFL season
. Quirk, who wore uniform number 5, was notable for his hustle between plays on the football field, resulting in the length of games being shortened. He is best known for being involved in an instant replay
controversy during the 1989 NFL season
, which later became known as "The Instant Replay Game".
at Long Branch High School
in Long Branch, New Jersey
, where he played football
, and later graduated from in 1963. Following high school, he served two years at Fort Monroe
in Virginia
as a First Lieutenant
in the Continental Army Command Headquarters Honor Guard Company. He was a guard
and linebacker
at the University of Delaware
and later earned a master's degree
in personnel administration from George Washington University
.
Quirk began a career in government securities on New York City
's Wall Street
in 1965. For thirty-two years, he traveled all over the world, trading with foreign bank
s. While working in New York City, his interest began in football officiating.
Quirk is married to Carol Christopher, his high school sweetheart; they have three children.
. During New York Giants
football games, he served on the chain crew
and later was the stadium's game clock
operator. Progressing to the college level in 1977, he officiated in the Eastern College Athletic Conference
as an umpire until 1988.
, and he was an alternate in Super Bowl XXXVIII
.
and Green Bay Packers
. It would become known in NFL lore as "The Instant Replay Game". On fourth down, Green Bay quarterback
Don Majkowski
threw an apparent fourteen-yard touchdown
pass
to wide receiver
Sterling Sharpe
with thirty-two seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the score of the game at 13-13. As a line judge, Quirk ruled that Majkowski's body had crossed the line of scrimmage, which under rules was an illegal forward pass, nullifying the touchdown and turning over the ball to Chicago. The play was reviewed by the replay official, Bill Parkinson. Parkinson relied on the view supplied by a fixed camera on the roof of the stadium to review the play. After a four minutes and 54 seconds, he ruled the ball was still behind the line, overruling Quirk's call, and giving the Packers the score. Green Bay kicked the extra point
and won the game, 14-13.
The impact of this play resulted in the change of the illegal forward pass rule for the 1990 NFL season
to include a passer's body being across the line, not only the ball, in determining an infraction and a limit of two minutes for instant replay reviews. The following year, the Bears, still upset over the replay reversal, noted the game with an asterisk in the team's media guide as a "Replay ruling". It has been said this call was one of the factors that led to the resignation of Art McNally
, who at the time was the league's supervisor of officials.
game between the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams
, Quirk attempted to break up a skirmish between the Rams Jeff Robinson and the Bears Ty Hallock
. Quirk grabbed Robinson by the waist and tackled him to the ground. Robinson was ejected by Quirk for allegedly throwing a punch at Hallock. As the game was concluding, Robinson asked Quirk if he could have a photo taken together. Robinson later had the photo enlarged and hung it on the wall of his den. After the game, Todd Lyght
commented on Quirk's tackle saying, "He did that with authority, and that was an older guy, too. That wasn't one of the young umps. He put it on him. I think that might open up (ESPN's) Prime Time." Dick Vermeil
, then-coach of the Rams, later joked with Robinson, asking him, "(Quirk is a) Hell of a tackler, isn't he?"
In another memorable game between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, this time during the 2007 NFL season
, Quirk grabbed Packers linebacker
Nick Barnett
around the neck and pulled him to the ground during a scuffle between the two teams. Following the game, Quirk was told by league officials privately that he went "over the line" in restraining Barnett, but he would not face disciplinary action. Mike Pereira
, the league's director of officiating, said, "[Quirk] should refrain from similar techniques when trying to break up a potential skirmish." At the time of the incident, Barnett's agent
withheld from filing a formal grievance
with the league in exchange for a public apology by the league that Quirk's actions were wrong. Joking about the incident, Barnett said, "I got in a choke hold, I couldn't really breathe a little bit. [Quirk] got a good one on me. I don't know how he got under that face mask, but he got a good hold on me." On December 28, 2007, the NFL announced that Quirk was fined an entire game check, US$8,150, for his actions against Barnett and for an earlier altercation on December 16, 2007 with Atlanta Falcons
fullback
Jason Snelling
on a kickoff
return.
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) from the 1988 NFL season
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
to the 2008 NFL season
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
. Quirk, who wore uniform number 5, was notable for his hustle between plays on the football field, resulting in the length of games being shortened. He is best known for being involved in an instant replay
Instant replay
Instant replay is the replaying of video footage of an event or incident very soon after it has occurred. In television broadcasting of sports events, instant replay is often used during live broadcast, to show a passage of play which was important or remarkable, or which was unclear on first...
controversy during the 1989 NFL season
1989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
, which later became known as "The Instant Replay Game".
Personal
Quirk attended high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
at Long Branch High School
Long Branch High School
Long Branch High School is a comprehensive, four-year community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades in the city of Long Branch, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Long Branch Public Schools. LBPS, one of 31 special-needs...
in Long Branch, New Jersey
Long Branch, New Jersey
Long Branch is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 30,719.Long Branch was formed on April 11, 1867, as the Long Branch Commission, from portions of Ocean Township...
, where he played football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, and later graduated from in 1963. Following high school, he served two years at Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe was a military installation in Hampton, Virginia—at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
as a First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
in the Continental Army Command Headquarters Honor Guard Company. He was a guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
at the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
and later earned a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in personnel administration from George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
.
Quirk began a career in government securities on New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
in 1965. For thirty-two years, he traveled all over the world, trading with foreign bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
s. While working in New York City, his interest began in football officiating.
Quirk is married to Carol Christopher, his high school sweetheart; they have three children.
Early years
Quirk began his football officiating career working high school games, and as an off-field official at Giants StadiumGiants Stadium
Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to...
. During New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
football games, he served on the chain crew
Chain crew
In American football, the chain crew are assistants to the referee who handle the first down measuring chain and the down indicator box...
and later was the stadium's game clock
Scoreboard
A scoreboard is a large board for publicly displaying the score in a game or match. Most levels of sport from high school and above use at least one scoreboard for keeping score, measuring time, and displaying statistics. Scoreboards in the past used a mechanical clock and numeral cards to...
operator. Progressing to the college level in 1977, he officiated in the Eastern College Athletic Conference
Eastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
as an umpire until 1988.
NFL career
Quirk was hired by the NFL in 1988 as a line judge and he later moved to the umpire position. Since coming into the league, he was assigned to Super Bowl XXXIISuper Bowl XXXII
Super Bowl XXXII was an American football game played on January 25, 1998 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1997 regular season...
, and he was an alternate in Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
.
The Instant Replay Game
Quirk has worked memorable games throughout his career. In his second year in the NFL, he was involved in an instant replay decision during a 1989 NFL season game between the Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. It would become known in NFL lore as "The Instant Replay Game". On fourth down, Green Bay quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Don Majkowski
Don Majkowski
Donald Francis Vincent Majkowski, "Majik", is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions.-College career:...
threw an apparent fourteen-yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
to wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Sterling Sharpe
Sterling Sharpe
Sterling Sharpe is a former American football wide receiver and an analyst for the NFL Network. He attended the University of South Carolina, and played from 1988 to 1994 with the Green Bay Packers.-Early life:...
with thirty-two seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the score of the game at 13-13. As a line judge, Quirk ruled that Majkowski's body had crossed the line of scrimmage, which under rules was an illegal forward pass, nullifying the touchdown and turning over the ball to Chicago. The play was reviewed by the replay official, Bill Parkinson. Parkinson relied on the view supplied by a fixed camera on the roof of the stadium to review the play. After a four minutes and 54 seconds, he ruled the ball was still behind the line, overruling Quirk's call, and giving the Packers the score. Green Bay kicked the extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
and won the game, 14-13.
The impact of this play resulted in the change of the illegal forward pass rule for the 1990 NFL season
1990 NFL season
The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League. To increase revenue, the league changed the regular season so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period...
to include a passer's body being across the line, not only the ball, in determining an infraction and a limit of two minutes for instant replay reviews. The following year, the Bears, still upset over the replay reversal, noted the game with an asterisk in the team's media guide as a "Replay ruling". It has been said this call was one of the factors that led to the resignation of Art McNally
Art McNally
Art McNally is a former Director of Officiating for the National Football League from 1968 to 1990. Before becoming Director of Officiating, McNally served as a field judge and referee in the NFL for nine years from 1959 to 1967...
, who at the time was the league's supervisor of officials.
Altercations with players
As an umpire, Quirk often is responsible for breaking up scuffles among players. During a 1999 NFL season1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
game between the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, Quirk attempted to break up a skirmish between the Rams Jeff Robinson and the Bears Ty Hallock
Ty Hallock
Ty Hallock is a former professional American football player who played fullback for seven seasons for the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Chicago Bears. He played for Greenville H.S., Yellow Jackets. In Greenville, MI....
. Quirk grabbed Robinson by the waist and tackled him to the ground. Robinson was ejected by Quirk for allegedly throwing a punch at Hallock. As the game was concluding, Robinson asked Quirk if he could have a photo taken together. Robinson later had the photo enlarged and hung it on the wall of his den. After the game, Todd Lyght
Todd Lyght
Todd William Lyght , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1st round of the 1991 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 191-lb. cornerback from the University of Notre Dame and Flint Powers Catholic High School, Lyght played in 12 NFL seasons from 1991 to 2002...
commented on Quirk's tackle saying, "He did that with authority, and that was an older guy, too. That wasn't one of the young umps. He put it on him. I think that might open up (ESPN's) Prime Time." Dick Vermeil
Dick Vermeil
Richard Albert "Dick" Vermeil is a former American head coach for the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles , St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs...
, then-coach of the Rams, later joked with Robinson, asking him, "(Quirk is a) Hell of a tackler, isn't he?"
In another memorable game between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, this time during the 2007 NFL season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
, Quirk grabbed Packers linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Nick Barnett
Nick Barnett
Nicholas Alexander Barnett is an American Football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. A graduate of Fontana A.B...
around the neck and pulled him to the ground during a scuffle between the two teams. Following the game, Quirk was told by league officials privately that he went "over the line" in restraining Barnett, but he would not face disciplinary action. Mike Pereira
Mike Pereira
Mike Pereira is a former Vice President of Officiating for the National Football League . He first took over the position in 2001, succeeding Jerry Seeman. He was also a game official in the NFL for two seasons as a side judge on the officiating crew headed by referee Mike Carey...
, the league's director of officiating, said, "[Quirk] should refrain from similar techniques when trying to break up a potential skirmish." At the time of the incident, Barnett's agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
withheld from filing a formal grievance
Grievance
A grievance is a wrong or hardship suffered, which is the grounds of a complaint.-History and politics:A grievance may arise from injustice or tyranny, and be cause for rebellion or revolution....
with the league in exchange for a public apology by the league that Quirk's actions were wrong. Joking about the incident, Barnett said, "I got in a choke hold, I couldn't really breathe a little bit. [Quirk] got a good one on me. I don't know how he got under that face mask, but he got a good hold on me." On December 28, 2007, the NFL announced that Quirk was fined an entire game check, US$8,150, for his actions against Barnett and for an earlier altercation on December 16, 2007 with Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
Jason Snelling
Jason Snelling
Jason Michael Snelling is an American football running back for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Falcons in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia....
on a kickoff
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
return.