Late Controversial Call Factors in First Loss for Albany Empire

In a league where fan and player interaction is encouraged, the Empire were penalized ten yards for the extra point attempt that would have tied the game Saturday night.

Albany played from behind most of the night against the Baltimore Brigade and it looked like the perfect season might not last into the second half of the 2019 schedule. That was until midway through the fourth quarter when Tommy Grady hit a wide open Malachi Jones for the would-be game-tying touchdown. The Empire stood an extra point away from a 42-42 game. Then, a flag flew.

After the touchdown, Jones threw the ball in the air and hopped onto the wall ala Lambeau Leap in Green Bay. Unbeknownst to Jones, climbing on or over the wall in celebration is a penalty and so Adrian Trevino's PAT kick was moved back ten yards and it sailed wide left. That was a point that was never made up and Albany lost 42-41.

In the post game press conference, Jones admitted to not knowing the rule and you could include him the general dumbfoundedness felt by many of the 10,287 in attendance on a Code Orange night at the Times Union Center. It goes down as a perplexing first loss for the Empire this season with five more games to play, two of them at home.