When a sports official makes a really bad call that essentially guarantees a win for one team or player, then the tries to make up for it by making an insignificant ruling in favor of the team or player screwed over by the first call. The make-up call is the "vaseline" call because it's meant to lubricate the figurative anal rape of the first call to make it hurt a little less.
The refs in the 2/28/06 FL State - Duke basketball game had instructions to ensure a Seminole win, but at least they gave Duke a vaseline call near the end of the game.
by ghetto blaster October 12, 2006