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Daily Madden: The Pass Catch Rule Should Be Changed

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - "If that's not a catch, then they have to change the rule."

That was John Madden's reaction to the fourth quarter, fourth down Dez Bryant catch near the goal line that was overturned on replay.

"It was one of those things that was wrong, but it's probably right when you go to the rule," Madden told the KCBS Radio morning crew. "Then the rule is wrong... That was a great game by gutsy quarterbacks making big plays. And all the talk the next day is about officiating and instant replay."

The Packers took over on downs and held on to beat the Cowboys 26-21 to advance to the NFC Championship game against Seattle.

"You have some great games and (they're) overshadowed by instant replay and definitions of a legal catch and all that. When our fathers, forefathers put in instant replay and decided to go to that, this isn't what it meant... It's a television game now. It's slow motion and it's angles and it's all this stuff. And it wasn't meant to be that."

It's a topic that gets Madden worked up.

"Maybe you can't criticize, maybe you can't make excuses. But doggone, you can show some emotion, you can be upset, you can be mad, you can say we got hosed. I mean what happened to that?... That's not football. Let them go out there and play. It's just too much for me. I hate to see a game like that -- that was one of the great games -- I hate to see it get gobbled up by this stuff." (5:45)

Listen to the John Madden segment live weekday mornings at 8:15 and Monday and Friday mornings at 9:15 on KCBS All News 740 AM/106.9 FM.

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