NFL players are used to being able to get someone’s attention whenever they want to get it. However, as Seahawks QB Geno Smith found out on Sunday, when people are talking to America, they really don’t want to be bothered.

The Seahawks were in a dogfight with the Lions when Seattle QB Geno Smith got flagged for intentional grounding in the third quarter. Unsurprisingly, Smith took issue with the official’s characterization of his throw and raced over to the referee, Alex Kemp, as he was announcing the penalty to the crowd to let him know. However, the official wasn’t just in the middle of talking to the crowd. As he told Smith, he was “talking to America.”

Ultimately, what Kemp told America stood. Smith’s passionate efforts to plead his case failed to move the official, and the grounding call was assessed. Things still worked out for the Seahawks, though. Seattle beat Detroit 37-31 to get their first win of the season.