Penalty wipes out Saints’ game-winning Hail Mary, but was it a flop?

There are few plays more amazing in sports than the desperation, victory-from-defeat Hail Mary. New Orleans, which was as close as you can get in today's NFL to invulnerable at home, thought it had pulled off just such a feat, with quarterback Drew Brees heaving the ball across five parishes to tight end Jimmy Graham. The former basketball player leaped high, reeled it in, and TOUCHDOWN SAINTS WHO DAT WHO DA -- oh, wait, there was a flag.Yep, turns out that Graham shoved San Francisco 49ers cornerback Perrish Cox right before the pass arrived, giving Graham enough room to make a comfortable reception. But here's the thing: was this a legit push, or did Cox add some mustard to the mix? You can see on the slo-mo replay that Cox flings his arms up in a (successful) effort to attract the refs' attention.The penalty turned out to be costly, with New Orleans losing the game in overtime. The Superdome crowd booed the call loudly and lustily, but it sure seems like a good call ... if, of course, you're a 49ers fan. Your take? ____ Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter.Follow @jaybusbeeAnd keep up with Jay over on Facebook,...