BOSTON — The outcome might have been different if Red Sox utility man Brock Holt officiated the NFL divisional-round playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers.
Holt, a Texas native, is a Cowboys fan, so it understandably stung when the officials overturned Dez Bryant’s spectacular touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter of an eventual Dallas loss. The reversed call wasn’t without controversy, and Holt still has a hard time believing the referees made the right decision.
“I’d say catch. Obviously I’m a little bias, but I say catch,” Holt said Thursday before the annual Boston Baseball Writers Dinner. “I was hoping it would be a catch, but I guess the rule states that it’s not. But I think that every human eye would agree that he caught the ball and reached for the goal line. That’s why I’m not an NFL ref, I guess.”
Holt was a bright spot amid an otherwise disappointing season for the Red Sox. He hit .281 in 492 plate appearances while bouncing all around the diamond — he played every position except pitcher and catcher — and providing tons of energy. The 26-year-old’s major league success wasn’t enough to garner him extra attention back in Texas, though. He still flies under the radar in the Lone Star State.
“No, not at all. No one ever recognizes me,” Holt said with a smile. “That’s the advantage of being an average-looking white guy. If I was Big Papi, I’m sure people would know who I was. But I can kind of blend in with the crowd.”
Holt, who’s generously listed at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, hardly looks the part of a professional athlete. Still, he’s much more qualified for a baseball career than a career in officiating, even if his opinion regarding Bryant’s “catch” is shared by many.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
