Cincinnati, Ohio (CNN) – Devoted Green Bay Packers fan Rep. Paul Ryan weighed in on the stunning referee call during Monday night's Packers-Seattle Seahawks football game Tuesday. The GOP vice presidential nominee likened the replacement referees to bad calls made by President Barack Obama.
"Did you guys watch that Packers game last night? I mean, give me a break. It is time to get the real refs," Ryan said Tuesday at a town hall in Ohio. "And you know what, it reminds me of President Obama and the economy. If you can't get it right, it's time to get out."
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Ryan's beloved team lost to the Seahawks 14-12 after an NFL replacement referee awarded a questionable winning touchdown to Seattle. The Republican vice presidential nominee watched the game from his hotel room in Ohio at The Cincinnatian, according to an aide.
With five seconds left in the game, Russell Wilson, starting quarterback for Seattle, threw up a 'Hail Mary' into the end zone and refs awarded Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate with the touchdown, when it appeared to many that Green Bay defender M.D. Jennings intercepted the ball.
The replacement referees are made up of officials who primarily work for Division II and Division III colleges and are being used in the professional games until a labor dispute with NFL referees gets resolved.
The Wisconsin native and seven-term congressman tied the NFL firestorm to the presidential campaign.
"I have to think that these refs work part time for the Obama administration in the budget office. They see the national debt clock staring them in the face, they see a debt crisis and they just ignore and pretend it didn't even happen. They're trying to pick the winners and losers and they don't even do that very well," said Ryan.
Outraged players, Packers fans and sports commentators turned to social media sites, namely Twitter, to express their frustration over the disputed call.
"Any player/coach in Seattle that really thinks they won that game has zero integrity as man and should be embarrassed," Packers Offensive Guard T.J. Lang said on Twitter.
In Ohio, Paul compared the Romney-Ryan presidential campaign to last night's game.
"Unlike the Seattle Seahawks last night, we want to deserve this victory. We want to earn this victory."
CNN's Devin Smith contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
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People are comparing the Ryan mistake to the Palin mistake.
Ryan u will Loose twice just as ur Packers did last night!!
I guess he has to say something to deflect directly about what his plans are. He's gotten so bad at his speeches because he does not want to get caught in more lies.
So what this translates to is if the electoral college re-elects Obama, Romney and Ryan will twitter that our president has no integrity? Um, okay... btw, jobs?
Yup, Paul. It's better to have that union labor out there. I completely agree with him for once.
I think Paul Ryan fell on his head alot when he was a kid.....
Ryan–a male Sara Palin. Dear Lord.
Ryan and Romney didn't share the same beliefs until Ryan was selected as the vice presidential nominee. He had to change his stance on several positions. He is a fraud and cannot be trusted. If Obama is like the replacement refs, then Ryan is like the nfl dictator, Roger G.
When you don't have a substantive campaign to run on resort to ad hominems. Right, Ryan?
Hey Ryan! You're no Sarah Palin. At least she made us laugh. We just feel sorry for you.
Frankly, I'd like to see public school teachers earn at least as much per diem as sports refs...how bout it guys?
Nice try, but Obama has a plus 50% approval rating. No one approves of the replacement refs... And Obama is crushing Romney/Ryan, on likeability, but Ryan forgot to mention that.
Ryan needs to shhhhhhhhhh......noone, besides his mother, is taking him seriously anymore.
Every time I see Romney and Ryan together on a stage or platform, I can not help but think I'm looking at Archie and Jughead. All it would take is a blond and brunette to step on the stage and there would be Veronica and Betty. The comics are coming to life, only the jokes on us.
No, Ryan, the real lesson is not to hire incompetent replacement. Don't hire someone who can't manage a campaign to manage an economy. Don't hire someone who can't turn around a campaign to turn around an economy.
That was really lame. How about, "Hey, did you guys see the two refs at the end of the game last night? One signaled an interception and one signaled a touchdown. That was Mitt Romney!"
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..As a SEAHAWK fan of 30+ years, I LIKE the REPLACEMENT OFFICIALS.....I LIKE OBAMA...
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....My thanks to PEEWEE RYAN for pointing this out !!
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So, Ryan is now in favor of collective bargaining? I guess he finally found a union he likes.
Kentucky: What a strange position to take. You admit it's wrong, inexperienced and clueless, and you're for it anyway?
If you're the average voter, I guess we deserve to be like Greece in a few years.
Hey Ryan what's going to happen when you are defeated in both campaigns,will you be government dependant,you've be that way since your fathers death why stop now..Try Wisconsin unemployement it'll keep the beans coming in,nothing much else..Get ready Ryan,your moms got room for your family somewhere in the basement,it ain't that bad!!
Paul Ryan has revealed himself to be a bit immature. Comparing Obama to those refs was good for a 5 second applause from people already supporting him. His 'clever' anology gained him no new votes. Probably because it doesn't make any sense. More people have a favorable view of Obama than Romney/Ryan. Ryan either doesn't read polls or doesn't care what the American people think. Either way, he's no leader. Literally less qualified than Obama was, in 2008, and plucked from the least popular congress of all time, Ryan will surely help sink the Romney campaigns chances of winning.
ZOOOOOM!
What was that?
The kitchen sink.
R and R have already thrown everything else at Obama, that was the only thing left.
But I'm sure some inbred Jethro will be along shortly to tell us how Obama ruined the NFL with his "weakness".
I think Mr. Ryan should ride out the rest of this campaign on the sideline bench. Just my honest opinion.
"I have to think that these refs work part time for the Obama administration in the budget office. They see the national debt clock staring them in the face, they see a debt crisis and they just ignore and pretend it didn't even happen. They're trying to pick the winners and losers and they don't even do that very well," said Ryan.
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Seems like quite a stretch when some much more obvious lessons are staring you in the face, Paul: regulation matters. You get what you pay for. Unions guarantee quality workers and value for the money. Access to health care should never have even been on the table; with universal health care it wouldn't have been. Experience matters. Don't hire clowns to do a job that needs to be done right. Give the refs the respect they deserve.
Of course, all of this goes against the Romney/Ryan message of take what you can grab however you can grab it and too bad for everyone else. Hence all the rhetorical flailing from Ryan. He should be congratulating Tate for an excellent grab, and the replacement refs for looking the other way while he did it. Seahawks take all! The Libertarian dream played out on a football field.
What does Ryan know? He is still in the little leagues!
Packers fan, that explains a lot