FROM THE SIDELINE: Explaining the Greg Brady Moment

Russell Huffman is the Hood County News' sports editor, and he can't play, coach, or officiate, but his ability to hold down a sideline is legendary.

I find these days that I have more gray hair than the coaches I cover, which can lead to my referring to incidents in sports or about No. 1 TV shows from the past that are met with blank stares.

On Tuesday, I got a text from Granbury High School softball coach Katie Lefler showing a picture I had taken where an umpire got it wrong.

"Can't believe you got a picture of this! I want to show it to the umpire soooo bad," Lefler wrote.

Lefler was referring to an image I had captured of Lady Pirate Kenzie Hamilton beating a throw to first base, but she was called out on a judgement call. Hamilton’s foot was two inches from the bag and the ball was three feet from the first baseman’s glove.

I answered back, "Yep, another Greg Brady Moment for me."

Coach Lefler doesn't have any gray hair and isn't due for a date with color-bottle for years to come, so she didn't exactly understand what I meant.

Let me explain what a Greg Brady Moment is to a sports photographer.

The Brady Bunch hit TV show aired from 1969-74 and featured 113 episodes (I Googled this; I'm not that big of a nerd), and the "Greg Brady Moment" aired in season three in episode 11; titled "Click."

Greg, the oldest child of six in the Brady Bunch's blended family, cracks a rib and cannot play for his football team.

Greg picks up a camera (getting amazing shots with little experience) and, while taking pictures of his cheerleader girlfriend, captures (in the background) a last-ditch effort pass for the game-winning touchdown that is ruled out of bounds.

(OK, I went to Hulu and watched the entire episode — we are now leaning toward nerdish activity.)

As Greg and his dad, Mike, are looking over the photos, they notice the last-ditch catch effort in the background, and it appears the receiver's feet are inbounds. In reviewing "Click, Season 3, Episode 11" I also noticed no officials or any defenders in the frame. The cheerleader and receiver are the only players in the photo at what was a crowded game.

Dang, they faked this picture, and I never noticed? I was three or 10 years old when the episode aired, and we didn't have "the Hulu" back then, so perhaps that's excusable.

Mike suggests Greg should "blow up" the picture so they can see it clearer, and after a couple of enlarging attempts, they have a photo showing the officials blew it.

Greg and Mike then rush over to show the coach, and when they get back home, mom (Carol) asks if the call can be overruled (feel free to pause and laugh). Greg explains it's pretty hard to overturn a judgment call, but he did get a new job as the team's cinemaphotographer.

On Monday, an official "blew it" in Springtown with a ruling Granbury's Kenzie Hamilton didn't beat the throw at first base. It added another "What If Moment" to the Brady factor, but GHS handled it with grace and eventually lost, 1-0.

Now you have an entire rundown on the Greg Brady Moment. I'm sure you can recall one of your own or one you have seen.

That's the true beauty of sports — even when they get it wrong, we still remember.

 russell@hcnews.com | 817-573-7066, ext. 231