The NFL Really, Really Needs To Go To Full-Time Officials
by Christopher Gates on Jan 16, 2012 11:30 AM CST
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This debate comes up every single year, generally right around this time, and nothing is ever really done about it while the problem continues to get worse and worse.
I can get that it's rough to be an NFL official. Nobody likes you, nobody has anything positive to say about you. . .it really is a thankless position. But when you see calls like the one we got yesterday in the picture above, it illustrates that maybe these guys bring it on themselves a little bit. I mean, seriously. . .FOX must have had at least a dozen TV cameras at each of the games this weekend (and I'm probably way underestimating that number) to show every single play from every conceivable angle whenever anyone calls for it.
Honestly, how do you go "under the hood," take a look at that play from a dozen different angles, and still determine that the guy was down before the ball came out? I mean, look at the picture up there, for crying out loud. . .all it takes is that one frame from that one angle, and there's no other conclusion that can be drawn other than to say, "Yeah, that's a fumble."
Back in the days before instant replay, officials missing calls was understandable, because things were more "open to interpretation." But now that the replay system has been implemented, there shouldn't be any real "interpretation" involved when it comes to these sorts of plays.
Either a play is a fumble. . .or it isn't.
Either a play is a catch. . .or it isn't.
Either the quarterback's arm was going forward. . .or it wasn't.
That's why this league. . .a $9 billion a year industry. . .needs to go to full-time officials. Rather than going back to selling insurance or whatever it is that these gentlemen do during the off-season, they need to be getting on the same page on these things. Watching video, clarifying verbiage, taking classes, and whatever else it takes to get everyone singing off of the same sheet of music. There needs to be a standard set for the rules in the rulebook and for an acceptable level of performance in the workplace, just like everybody else in every other job in America.
I know. . .my little missive here isn't going to convince anyone in the National Football League offices to change anything. But it's something that needs to be said. The National Football League is the greatest sports league for the greatest sport in America. The guys in the striped shirts should be held to such a standard.
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That was a bizarre game...
…from the officials. The fumble was bad enough, but that ridiculous “blow to the head” penalty in the fourth quarter was even worse.
I didn’t mind that one too much, because I thought the Giants had the game in the bag, and it represented another chance to put some hits on Rodgers.
by HammeroftheGods on Jan 16, 2012 11:36 AM CST reply actions
Still BS on the hit to the head, but not the worse call
As the QB was going down the tackle’s momentum brought him into another Giants player’s body headfirst. Still a bad call but I can at least see where it came from. The fumble… is very clear cut. I don’t see how they missed something so obvious to me on my average SD TV.
I don't think it's an education problem
I think it’s a bias or corruption problem, maybe both. Any idiot can tell that the above play was a fumble. I’m willing to bet even the ref(s) reviewing the play did. There’s something else going on here and I don’t think it’s a lack of football education on the part of the refs. The recent Super Bowl where Pittsburgh “beat” Seattle is probably the most glaring example of what I’m talking about, but there is plenty of other evidence out there, including yesterday’s game at Lambeau.
by Zapf on Jan 16, 2012 12:00 PM CST reply actions 7 recs
I always belive in the fairness of the NFL
But I have to agree that those calls are leaving a very bad taste. it is obvious that it was a fumble and it is not call it that way, maybe there is something else, this will not be the first professional sport dealing with brives !!!. I do not want to belive it , but ….. calls like this make me think. I hope i’m wrong
One comment made by the announcers
was maybe THAT angle was not one seen by the replay official. In that case, it would make sense…but you’d think he’d be seeing the same stuff the viewers were looking at.
As a huge Lions fan...
I completely agree with you Zapf!!!
And thanks for this story!!!! The officials were behind terrible this year. I often questioned if the refs were betting on the games they officiated.
There's a lot of one-sided funny/questionable calls or noncalls in Lambeau.
As everyone knows, that in 2010 a Green Bay receiver dropped a ball in the endzone. It counted as a touchdown. In the same game, Shanko caught an obvious touchdown pass. Somehow it was called a drop. When under review, it still counted as a drop. This is 14 points the Packers were spotted in a 3 point win. The play calling was so bad in this game, that the Vikings later received an apology from the NFL. Without this win, the Packers fail to secure the number six seed. Without this win, the Giants are in the playoffs instead. Without this win, the Packers fail to win last years Superbowl.
This past year in Lambeau, our Vikings were penalized ten times for eighty yards, while the Packers were penalized once for a token five yards. Its not like the Packers played flawless football. There were many missed calls. Early in the game, on third down, Shanko tried to catch a pass with a Packer defender draped all over him. No call. The Vikings punted and Randall Cobb returned it for a touchdown. How would this have played out with a penalty against the Packers?? We’ll never know. Later in the same game, Asher Allen is flattened ten feet downfield. Again no call. The Packers probably would have won this game, but its not a given. Ten penalties against the Vikings, only one against the Pack. Everyone saw the same crap Sunday against the Giants. There is definitely some funny bias going on in Lambeau.
by vking1 on Jan 16, 2012 12:57 PM CST up reply actions 4 recs
Watch our last game with GB???
Titus Young caught a td…but no…they could not review it because it was not called a td at first.
And, supposedly our kick returner fumbled the ball…even though he was rolling around on the ground before the ball game out.
And besides that, their punt returner muffs a punt (clearly) and the whistle is “mysteriously” blown right away, ending the play (and ending any opportunity for a review)!!!! And by the way, we recovered the muff inside their 20.
Yeah…the Packers always get the homecooked officials. It’s a fricking joke.
I know...LOL
I’m a Lions fan…guess you didn’t catch that. Just saying that I think Green Bay gets a lot of calls going its way…no matter who they play.
Remember the 2010 games with Green Bay?
There were two “interceptions” where the Packers defenders grabbed the ball out of the hands of the Vikings receivers….while the receiver was on his back on the ground….called interceptions. Green bay did that a week later, green bay receiver on his back on the ground, defender grabbed the ball and it was ruled down by contact.
Also last year, the whole “catch or not a catch” and “process of the catch” was different for every officiating crew.
I've often wondered if the corruption angle may play a role in some of the more questionable calls.
There have been a number of very questionable calls in a number of games…some calls equally obvious to this one. At the very least, we should not be seeing the same refs out there who continue to make decisions that defy logic.
One other call I noticed during the game in the 3rd quarter (I think) was a first down by the Giants that was horribly spotted by the officials. They ended up moving the ball one to two feet short of the 1st down marker. The television booth didn’t show a reply, so I had to go back and look at it myself. It was another very bad call.
"Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain." - Lily Tomlin
Yeah, the officials made the Seattle receivers drop all those balls. Face it, the hawks had a bad game. It happens.
Face it, Pittsburgh didn't really play all that well either
Yeah the Seahawks could have played a lot better, I don’t think anyone disputes that. But any team will gain morale when they’re getting all the calls, and conversely any team’s morale will drop when they’re constantly on the wrong end of highly questionable calls. Pittsburgh (one of the NFL’s prize franchises with many rings and legions of bandwagon fans) managed to take advantage of this enough to win. I watched every second of that game and I know what I saw. The fact that those same officials recently confessed to making bad calls in that game just confirms what I saw. And I think they knew what they were doing when they made those calls.
It's hard enough to win an 11 on 11 battle
but darn near impossible to win 11 on 17.
by Chris3 on Jan 17, 2012 7:24 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
totally agree. the refs were betting on this game for sure
there is no other logical explanation
by los vikingos on Jan 16, 2012 5:46 PM CST up reply actions
Another thing to put in mind
I think they need to change the challenge rule. How you only get two challenges a game, that needs to be changed. I think you should start the game of with two like how it is now, if they challenge it and they win, they should automaticaly not lose one. I mean its the offical that messed up not the coach.
"I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was." ~Muhammad Ali~
by Gjallarhorn on Jan 16, 2012 12:09 PM CST reply actions 2 recs
Agree
I think a coach should be able to challenge as much as he wants…until he loses 2 challenges. Then he’s out of luck.
by Asher14 on Jan 16, 2012 12:43 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
They do to an extent
If a coach is correct with both of their first 2 challenges, they do get a 3rd to use. I am fairly sure this has been changed anyway. Might be getting slightly confused with college though. Although with the new automatic reviews on scoring plays the number of challenges has dropped dramatically.
Screw Greenbay and their doucher fans...
who do not want to admit that they got a huge help in yesterday’s game!!!
Seriously, grow some balls and admit that you got some TREMENDOUS help from the clowns running around in striped shirts!!!
Its amazing what you can see and what you can NOT see when you want a team to lose.
Let me guess, Suh’s stomp never happened too it was all the refs?
The Green Bay Packers...Putting bad coaches out of their misery since 2010
Strawman
One has nothing to do with the other and they are not mutually exclusive. The refs helped the Pack get 14 points yesterday that would have never happened ON THOSE DRIVES if they called it correctly, which by that I mean, as everyone on the planet saw it.
The poorly spotted ball for the Giants forced them to punt as well, which stalled their drive. Three major plays that could have altered the game. Highly unacceptable and inappropriate.
by Murgo on Jan 16, 2012 2:08 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Murgo...right on.
Correct analysis. If you are a true fan, you should not want any of this bs..even when it helps your own team.
I did not agree with the non call at the end of the Minny/Det game btw. Should have been a facemask call…but at least that call was a split second thing…not something they reviewed and STILL got wrong.
Ummm
I never said that did not occur.
Pretty weak argument on your part..and definitely strawman at best.
Maybe you forgot that Suh was actually EJECTED and suspended for doing less than what some players do (i.e. beat up their wives, girlfriends). Terrell Suggs sound familiar?
If you aren't part of the NFL's Golden Boys or Golden Teams...
You just don’t get as much leeway. Period.
by akadwriter on Jan 16, 2012 2:40 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
The home team controls the network feed to the visiting team's coaches in the booth.
That is why we failed to challenge the non-TD catch on the MNF game in 2010… our coaches didn’t see the feed until the extra point had been kicked. Do they also control the feed to the officials?!
I have long held this year that the officiating has reached new levels
of crap. Almost every single game I watch there is a lot of terrible calls. NFL you make your money from us fans, stop screwing us over with your pathetic part-time employees. It’s infuriating how much of an impact they have when they continuously botch calls. Yet there has been NOTHING done about it. Gee thanks for your apology letter, that changes everything…. an apology means a change in your actions, clearly not demonstrated by NFL officials – sorry about the rant it has bugged me all season long
"You can write articles and do whatever you want, you can break down every player. Good, bad or ugly. But we just aren't good enough as a team, as a group. Offensively, defensively and special teams, from the No. 1 on the roster to the last man on the roster. We just aren't good enough. It's as simple as that." - Chad Greenway
That Blow to the head
15 yard roughing penalty was even worse
Joe Mauer grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, ________ out at second
If I was an owner
One of the first things I would bring up at the Owner’s meetings would be that if Goodell is going to start playing the game of obvious team and player favorites, like Stern in basketball, then he should be told he is on thin ice…
by liveforadrenaline on Jan 16, 2012 1:31 PM CST reply actions
NFL officials have always shown a bias, they are just not as sneaky about it/smart about it anymore.
For example, in years past they would make questionable calls against both teams to try to show they are not biased … but for example the questionable call v. one team would be a 5 year penalty, the other a pass interference that calls back a touchdown………
anyone remember the patriots first few super bowl wins?
And the “pass interference” calls on the last few games in the regular season that ensured they made it into the playoffs?
Feel free to complain about the refs, they’ve been bad. But to say there is some pro GB officiating is pretty ridiculous, and whiny. Not to mention, believe it or not, there were calls that were missed that would have favored GB too.
By the way, it looked like a fumble to me too. I can see why they made the call the way they did though too. The helmet to helmet they saw was actually Osi I think, maybe said the wrong number…
The Green Bay Packers...Putting bad coaches out of their misery since 2010
that spot at midfield was pretty awesome
A yard short? i can see a few inch’s but a yard? or the 2 helmet to helmets on Eli that fox showed?
I may not be the most noble of men but in a town of lepers, im the one with the most fingers.
Giant LB'zz SUCK!! Mark Herzlich, Jacquian Williams,...Maybe .. Sadly this has been modified.
good point troy, that was a third completely egregious call
the refs were on the take, i wanted to throw up.
by los vikingos on Jan 16, 2012 5:41 PM CST up reply actions
"it looked like a fumble to me too"
NO REALLY!!!!!????
You saying you are NOT blind???
What powers of observation you have!!!
It LOOKED LIKE A FUMBLE to the whole country!!! Except for the refs…but yeah…there is no GB bias going. Oh yeah…haha…if you believe that, I have a bridge across the Bering Straight that I want to sell you.
by akadwriter on Jan 16, 2012 3:04 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
9er fan
Giants
I am gonna root for them because I dont want to face the officiating team in GB.
Jokersrwild
Pats fan here,
and even I felt bad for you guys. Disgusting officiating is easier to digest when it’s going both ways, but that was all going against the Giants. Two bad calls got the Packers 14 of their points.
Middlesex
I have Jet and Falcon quotes as well
last week i recall a packer fan saying “the refs a Lambeau Field will never give their corners them calls” strange ..
I may not be the most noble of men but in a town of lepers, im the one with the most fingers.
Giant LB'zz SUCK!! Mark Herzlich, Jacquian Williams,...Maybe .. Sadly this has been modified.
LMAO!!!! That's awesome...
Thanks Troy O…nothing like some comments like that form OTHER fans besides Vikings fans and Lions fans to shut up the Packers.
If only that were true.
Packer fans do not ever shut up though.
"Arguing with anonymous strangers on the Internet is a sucker's game because they almost always turn out to be—or to be indistinguishable from—self-righteous sixteen-year-olds possessing infinite amounts of free time."
― Neal Stephenson, Cryptonomicon
by Thor82 on Jan 16, 2012 3:23 PM CST up reply actions 5 recs
LOL GB gets preferential treatment everyone in the league knows this.
What's so funny 2011 Lions? Gordon Bombay doesn't think losing is funny.
Leshoure = 2012 Beastmode
Draft Konz!!
by Dtrain81 on Jan 16, 2012 10:37 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
A few numbers...
So, instead of doing my tax returns, which is what I should be doing, I decided to grab some stats on penalty calls in the 2011 regular season.
I took four teams and then compared the number of penalties they committed at home and on the road and then compared the two. I then provide a ratio of the two where 1 would mean the team committed exactly the same amount of penalties at home as they did away. My choice of four teams were dictated by the following:
Packers – obvious
Vikings – curious
Giants – losing end of the calls yesterday
Steelers – there’s rumblings in the comments threads about them getting favourable calls, so I wanted something to compare the Pack to
MINNESOTA VIKINGS:
HOME
60 penalties (avg. 7.5pg)
496 yards (avg. 62pg)
AWAY
49 penalties (avg. 6.125pg)
334 yards (avg. 41.75pg)
NEW YORK GIANTS:
HOME
48 penalties (avg. 6pg)
429 yards (avg. 53.625pg)
AWAY
47 penalties (avg. 5.875pg)
343 yards (avg. 42.875pg)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS:
HOME
54 penalties (avg. 6.75pg)
459 yards (avg. 57.375pg)
AWAY
47 penalties (avg. 5.875pg)
351 yards (avg. 43.875pg)
GREEN BAY PACKERS:
HOME
29 penalties (avg. 3.625pg)
246 yards (avg. 30.75pg)
AWAY
47 penalties (avg. 5.875pg)
345 yards (avg. 43.125pg)
HOME / AWAY RATIOS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS – 0.8167
NEW YORK GIANTS – 0.9792
PITTSBURGH STEELERS – 0.8704
GREEN BAY PACKERS – 1.6207
These means a few things:
a) that Green Bay get called for 62% more penalties away from Lambeau than they do at home
b) the Vikings get called for 19% more penalties at home than away
Bare in mind that this is ONLY four teams. For a full picture we would need to get stats on ALL the teams in the NFL for the season. If the Green Bay Packers still stand out like a sore thumb, then something is most definitely up. These initial figures prove that it absolutely warrants further investigation both for this season and previous ones.
Another important thing to add to this would be ‘controversial’ calls, but that would be serious amounts of work. Still, I think it could be done…
(I was going to put this up as a FanPost, but it’s not playing ball for some reason. If someone else wants to take these numbers and run with them, please do, I’d like to see the results.)
by Curvespace on Jan 16, 2012 2:08 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
What would be interesting would be to also look at the amount of penalties called on the visiting team at different stadiums. Are teamsvisiting the Packers going to be penalised more than if those going to the Lions, or Cards or Rams.
I agree
It would be interesting to have full stats on all these sorts of things. Feel free to collect the numbers ;)
This season
Opponents at Vikings
55 – 501 including the Raiders 12-117 effort
Avg 6.875 for 62.625 yds
6 53 65
7
6- 64
6- 44
12 – 117
8- 73
6 – 65
4 -20
Opponents at Green Bay
59 – 437 including a 10-80, 9-55, 11-89 and 11-101 – teams were either really heavily penalised or not at all going to the Packers this season
Avg 7.35 for 54.625
3- 15
3-24
7-45
10-80
9-55
11-89
5-28
11-101
@ Detroit
68- 545
8.5 – 68.125
by game
8 70
14 104
15 120
11 80
7 70
7 54
5 37
1 10
Cards
63 – 482
7.875 – 60.25
breakdown
10 74
7 55
9 69
9 71
7 49
5 35
9 74
7 55
You visiting teams would be most penalised at Detroit, Az, GB then Minn. Although at GB they either called loads of penalties or none at all
Bare in mind?
I’d rather bare in public, tee-hyuk
"Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction." - Old Cowboy proverb.
Some more numbers
CHICAGO:
HOME
46 penalties (avg. 5.75pg)
364 yards (avg. 45.5pg)
AWAY
58 penalties (avg. 7.25pg)
436 yards (avg. 54.5pg)
DETROIT:
HOME
64 penalties (avg. 8pg)
489 yards (avg. 61.125pg)
AWAY
64 penalties (avg. 8pg)
589 yards (avg. 73.625pg)
DALLAS:
HOME
61 penalties (avg. 7.625pg)
441 yards (avg. 55.125pg)
AWAY
53 penalties (avg. 6.625pg)
375 yards (avg. 46.875pg)
NEW ORLEANS:
HOME
44 penalties (avg. 5.5pg)
380 yards (avg. 47.5pg)
AWAY
55 penalties (avg. 6.875pg)
471 yards (avg. 58.875pg)
ATLANTA:
HOME
42 penalties (avg. 5.25pg)
379 yards (avg. 47.375pg)
AWAY
51 penalties (avg. 6.375pg)
390 yards (avg. 48.75pg)
SAN FRANCISCO:
HOME
49 penalties (avg. 6.125pg)
440 yards (avg. 55pg)
AWAY
64 penalties (avg. 8pg)
574 yards (avg. 71.75pg)
INDIANAPOLIS:
HOME
33 penalties (avg. 4.125pg)
229 yards (avg. 28.625pg)
AWAY
43 penalties (avg. 5.375pg)
320 yards (avg. 40pg)
AWAY / HOME RATIOS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS – 0.8167
DALLAS COWBOYS — 0.8689
PITTSBURGH STEELERS – 0.8704
NEW YORK GIANTS – 0.9792
DETROIT LIONS — 1.0000
ATLANTA FALCONS — 1.2143
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS — 1.2500
CHICAGO BEARS — 1.2609
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS — 1.3030
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS — 1.3061
GREEN BAY PACKERS – 1.6207
In order of increasing favoritism at home.
wow Murgo, that's some heavy stuff
It almost seems like the better the team, the more they’ve favored. Makes sense. Maybe the officials just absolutely hate that dump of a Dome we have and take it out on the team. Doesn’t surprise me at all about the Packers. They have been viewed as the best team eva and have been treated as such. You don’t think those officials hear about that? You don’t think they’re affected by hearing how great one team is or the other? They’re human.
White Horn Gold Pants
Just judging by the away game number of penalties
They are essentially equal for all four teams. Where did you get those numbers?
ESPN stats
Faster page loading than the NFL site.
If anyone knows a resource for making database queries for this stuff, please let me know! :)
I dunno, but that is pretty much proof to me
That Green Bay can do most anything they want at home and get away with it…
by liveforadrenaline on Jan 16, 2012 2:22 PM CST up reply actions
Lions
I should have done the Lions as well as I’m curious as to what a team with a little notoriety is spitting out in this regard.
I’d be curious to know what this pattern is over the years – whether this has developed over time or if it’s a one off phenomena.
Crap. I have to know now. Plods back to ESPN.com…
You should..since we get screwed regularly.
Try watching the Saints games we played..particularly the first one…and then the GB game. Homer calls all game.
Legacy stats for Green Bay
I can’t be bothered to list all the numbers, but let me just say that in 2009 the Packers were penalty MACHINES (gave up 130, 100, 175 yards in some of their games):
RATIOS:
2010 – 1.4375
2009 – 0.68571
2006 – 1.04545
I haven’t got time for other years, but other people can do the honour if they wish. These numbers are already quite interesting.
What I’d LOVE to see now would be for someone to look at penalty calls for teams following their Super Bowl year. I think there could be some rather interesting results…
Just double checked...
I just double checked those stats against my spreadsheet, in case I’d made a mistake copying them across or in the table rules, but no, 49, 47, 47, 47 is correct.
Did you "Discount" Double Check?
Sorry, I had to :)
by christian220896 on Jan 16, 2012 2:33 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
The outcome of a game can be decided on as few as five or six plays. Seasoned officials know which type of plays affect a game and their decisions and indecision at the right time can result in season ending swings.
Detroit forces a fumble and recovers with all signs leading to a score. While one official correctly determined it to be a fumble, tossing his beanbag signaling a loose ball, another official blew his whistle ending the play. Replay showed it was a fumble and possession was given to the Lions. However, the rules protect the Saints in this situation and the officials basically cancel out a sure scoring play. Had the play been allowed to continue as should have happened, the automatic review (or in worst case scenario, a coaches challenge in non scoring situations) would have overturned the play on the field in the instance it was an incomplete pass. But the Lions are irreparably affected by what is later explained an in inadvertant whistle. With the rules being what they are, why not error on the side of fair play?
NFL starting to look like the NBA
I am a huge NBA fan. I enjoy it more than the NFL, but it’s funny to see how much the NFL is turning into the NBA in terms of officiating. In yesterday’s game, two HUGE calls that were blown.
1.) Fumble
2.) Blow to the head
That “Blow to the Head” personal foul could have had a very adverse effect on this game, but luckily it didn’t. Would Big Ben, Vick, Cutler or even Alex Smith have gotten a call like that? Probably not, but you can bet your ass that Brady, Brees or Payton would get that call every time. In this case it extended a drive that lead to a touchdown. It’s becoming more and more apparent each year that certain players get preferential treatment.
At this time I won’t believe there is anything going on as damaging as the Tim Donaghy scandal, but yesterday’s game left me with a bitter taste in my mouth even though the Giants ended up with the win. The NFL still has a long way to go to hit the NBA level of absurdity, but here’s to hoping it doesn’t get any worse.
The NFL is becoming a lot like other things too. Soccer anyone? With these flops meant to ellicit a penalty/ yellow card. It is becoming ridiculous.
On Diving...
The NFL have to stamp out diving now. This shouldn’t be just a retrospective fine or anything like that, it should be a significant game ban. This will take hold because players will happily take a fine if it earned them a vital 1st down.
The reason that soccer players dive is that tactically it absolutely makes sense – if you’re a poker player then imagine that each dive in the penalty area is equivalent to, say, 10 times pot odds. The worst that will happen is a yellow card if you get caught. If you don’t get caught it’s a penalty (80+% of a goal) plus a 50/50 as to whether you get an opponent sent off (winning games a man down is extremely rare, especially if you’ve just given up a goal). The leagues are paralysed by FIFA when it comes to any kind of technology being introduced or proper retrospective penalties being used.
Stafford would not have gotten that call as well.
Just watch what the Saints did in the first game. Obvious blow to the head…but no call. If you aren’t part of the NFL’s protected bunch, you won’t get those calls.
Disgraceful...
That’s all that can be said of the fumble not overturned. I don’t care if it were the Vikings benefiting from it, this goes beyond that… Bill Leavy should be called in to the commissioners office and fired on the spot… yes it is that bad!
Replays should be sent to the main office and reviewed like they do in the NHL and take it out of the hands of washed up old fools at each venue..
Officiating is a very difficult thing to do, but when they can look at something that obvious and get it wrong well…. something is definitely wrong..
Is it me or the officials getting old and fat again?
"Somewhere in Minnesota, a child becomes a Vikings fan and wonders if they will win a Super Bowl in their lifetime"
The ref who reviewed...
…. the fumble under the hood was certainly old, but he looked like an emaciated zombie. The Grim Reaper dons stripes.
things that make you go hmmm
The ref cloesest to the play called it a fumble and then another ref came in and over ruled him. on Shanks TD catch/no catch the ref cloesest called it a TD and then another ref came in and over ruled it. i seem to remember this happening over and over for the chosen teams. the call on the field is huge when it comes to replays. it makes one wonder if there is a conspiracy.
all i want is a game called the same for both teams. i can accept a missed or wrong call here or there but they should balance out if the officials were non-biased but the BS that has gone on the last few years is ruining the game.
by SouthernNorseman on Jan 16, 2012 3:57 PM CST via mobile reply actions 2 recs
no doubt on the full time officials
its insane to consider a multi-billion dollar business with a highly visible product will allow overly glorified temps to handle their product.
"the bengals are not a west of the 104 longitude team."
Greatest sports league in America
We doing HGH testing for once next season? These players are freaking monsters. Reminds me of AWA & WWF right now.
Oh, c'mon!
It’s not like Baseball and Basketball have professional referees and umpires.
Oh, wait…
"Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction." - Old Cowboy proverb.
That would be my only problem with full-time referees
Because if they are like NBA refs then they would be about as impartial as all the Green Bay trolls who come on this site…
by liveforadrenaline on Jan 16, 2012 4:39 PM CST up reply actions
This game was fixed for the pack, if it was up to leavey they would have covered.
thats the only explanation. someone just forgot to tell the giants, or bring them in on the swindle. and i am not kidding.
otherwise there is no other logical explanation for the egregious mistakes by that ref leavey.
thank god they were as overrated as they were, lets face it. THEY SUCK, cant even win when the game is fixed in your favor, now that is sad.
a
NFL Replay Rules
Lots of people involved, lots of camera angels (only 6 chosen), lots of ways for someone to mess up.
Read this link to see how it works:
http://www.steelersfever.com/nfl_replay_rules.html
6' 3", 209 lbs, long blond hair, moustache and beard.
As a Viking ought to be ;-)
Don't See How This Helps
All talk about biased or corrupt officiating aside, let me get back to the original topic: I’m not quite clear on how making the referees “full-time” solves any of this. To quote Ron White: “You can’t fix stupid.” We can see these things on replay, and we aren’t full-time officials. The answer is better officials, not making the bad ones work longer.
That said, the way the NFL handles post-season officiating isn’t the greatest, either. It would be better if only the top four crews worked during the playoffs, but I don’t think that’s how it works now. The best crew handles the Super Bowl, the next two handle the conference championships, and so on, unless I’m wrong, which I could be. I know a few years ago, they didn’t even keep full crews together; they assembled “all-star” officiating crews who didn’t work together previously, and it was a mess.
(Though if you want the all-time example of bad Lambeau officiating, the 2002 game against the Vikings was easily the worst offender. The NFL addmitted to eight blown call against the Vikings in the fourth quarter alone. Last year’s game was nothing compared to that atrocity.)
needs to be an investigation in Lambeau
whether it’s the ref crew (is it the same ref crew time after time??), or the people who feed the replay video under the hood — this crap has happened for at least two years, and has burned more teams than the Vikes. i’m sick of hearing two days after the fact — “yeah, we messed up on that play” — and whatever ‘that play’ was, it always goes in GB’s favor, and it’s typically multiple ‘big time’ plays per game.
something is happening behind the scenes — and i’m not just saying that as a Vikes’ fan. if this was happening in New England or Pittsburgh, i’d call it the same way. the NFL really needs to investigate this crap… but we all know that won’t happen to the media darlings.
"Th_r_'s n_ h_p_ f_r _ssh_l_ f_ckw_ts."
Can I buy a vowel...?? +1, Kluwe.
by rj-b on Jan 16, 2012 8:42 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
GB sells stock to buy the refs. It's common knowledge.
What's so funny 2011 Lions? Gordon Bombay doesn't think losing is funny.
Leshoure = 2012 Beastmode
Draft Konz!!
I think the idea about full time refs
is that it would allow the officials to get more training and possibly have a little more consistency throughout all officiating crews. The teams all scout the officiating crews and dives deep into practicing for the crews as much as their opponents. Which crews are more likely to call pass interference, which ones will call more offensive holding, etc.
I remember when the Giants were playing the Falcons, I wanted the Giants to win mainly because they are a high enough profile team that the officials couldn’t just give the game away to the Packers. Sure, I figured the Pack would get some help, but that it would be one or two plays rather than 10 or twelve calls.
i also read an article or forum post recently...
…that the NHL has it right by having a central “hub” or “call center”; when something needs to be reviewed, they beam it there and have the officials there review it in a matter of minutes. none of the under-the-hood stuff, and more than one official gets to look at it, apparently.
i don’t watch hockey, so is this true…?? if it is, the NFL could take note…
"Th_r_'s n_ h_p_ f_r _ssh_l_ f_ckw_ts."
Can I buy a vowel...?? +1, Kluwe.
That's a great idea
At least you would take away the possibility that the replay official gets his pockets stuffed with cash to and from the game by Green Bay fans…
by liveforadrenaline on Jan 17, 2012 8:52 AM CST up reply actions
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