Bad ruling?

[Mano]

Loose 4/8 late night at the Bellagio. UTG player tries to make a raise, but does it by putting 4 chips in with right hand and then 4 with left hand - ruled a string bet, he takes 4 back, 1 MP caller to me in BB, I get a free play with J5o. Flop comes 9 5 5 rainbow, I check knowing UTG is going to bet for me, he bets, MP folds, I grab my chips and throw them out saying "call", but in the meantime the dealer has already flipped the board cards over on top of the muck and is about to push the pot. Dealer claimed I was blocking his view of my cards, but I don't think so, as I had a chip on them and immediately reached for my chips when MP player folded. He did apologize later. Floor is called, rules that we split the pot. I was upset at the time, but didn't make a big fuss - but this has been bugging me, and I think if I had been more vocal I probably could have gotten a more favorable ruling. Any comments on the ruling, and what if anything I should have done or said.

[Ed Miller]

This is a silly ruling. Neither player's hand was dead... pull the board cards out of the muck and play the hand.