Let's talk about Refs

[SJ76]

I've been saying it for a few years now. Every sport has gotten out of hand, but Football is the worst.

Ticky-tack flags, make up calls, make up to the other make up flags, missing obvious penalties.
It's getting redonk and it's not looking like it's going to change any time soon.

How do we get back to the day of letting the players play and not letting the Refs control the game?

Is it fixed? Do they want to see certain match-ups? If so, I might as well go back to watching wrestling like I did as a kid.

I know the Calvin Johnson rule is a rule, but Dez looked like he had that ball the entire time until the ground caused the ball to move. Whatever the case, we Rams fans have seen Bullshit calls all year and make up calls to those, etc. We are in the playoffs and Dallas got a big call that helped them win and now it seems the NFL made another make up call. These are game on the line calls! And yes A Rodgers probably would have went down and scored again, but the point is these DAM REFS!! They think they are really an important part of these sports.

It's one thing we all can agree on.


Every now and then I throw in my 1990's Bulls dynasty DVDs. I watch the game 1 of the 1991 Finals (sorry Laker fans) and the game of basketball played back then. You know how many whistles I hear in a playoff game? Hardly any. It was the same for the NFL too back then.

College bball is now loaded with BS ticky tack fouls and homer calls left and right.

Why has it gotten so out of hand?

 

[ksudodger]

Why has it gotten so out of hand?

THAT,my friend, is the $64,000 question. I, for once, have no answer.

 

[SJ76]

I'm getting tired of Refs who actually think they need to be relevant in any game. What happened to keeping it simple? And why don't these sports leagues realize this?

It's like cops out there with "power" issues. Very similar attitude. I know... But I didn't say all cops. We all know cops with those issues. And we all know a few refs that are just bone head stubborn idiots with something to prove.

 

[ksudodger]

Side note, did you see where Macho Man is FINALLY getting in the WWEHOF?? Your profile picture is slated to join him (ALSO FINALLY)

 

[Clayton]

This is 4 different issues, imo.

1) Player Safety is changing the game.
2) There is a grey area with contact on every play
3) Replay doesn't matter on 50/50 plays
4) There doesn't seem any accountability when a ref is very blatantly wrong


The Dez play is in that third category. The defender got a finger on the ball, got it to move, Dez landed on the ball and then lost control of it when he rolled over. Its a 50/50 call at worst and both fanbases have to accept that 50/50 calls can and do go both ways.

The reason why you generally see so many penalties is because there is that grey area of contact on EVERY play. If they never called it, you get games like when the Pats beat the Rams in the Super Bowl.

#4 is the one that bugs me. If you have replay AND get a game changing blatant call wrong (like the Tavon Austin return against the Chargers) then something is seriously wrong or corrupt

 

[Retroram52]

I can't remember who the opponent was but that called back punt return of Austin this year where the refs say he stepped out of bounds and called the play dead before it was even completed was the one egregious call of the refs I distinctly visualized. In fact, that whole game, we got hammered with the very thing SJ76 stated in his OP. That crew was notoriously bad and that game was just blatant. Now if I could just remember the opponent.

 

[SJ76]

Side note, did you see where Macho Man is FINALLY getting in the WWEHOF?? Your
profile picture is slated to join him (ALSO FINALLY)

Yes he is! Wrestling was funny back then. But it could have been because I was 8-9 years old

4) There doesn't seem any accountability when a ref is very blatantly wrong

This is the one that is unacceptable. This doesn't happen in ANY job!

1) Player Safety is changing the game.
2) There is a grey area with
contact on every play

Here lies the problem. Safety is key, but it's lead to a "softer" game. Guys like Ronnie Lott would be banned from today's game. The grey area just lets refs do more that they deem necessary which is why they think they are actually part of the product of the NFL. Add in #4 and you have a fucking mess.

 

[Smed55]

Yes it does seem to be getting worse, yet I have a bigger problem when players make the dam bonehead penalty in the first place, kick returns are the worst. You block a guy in the back when all Yiu can see is his number and name, that's just beyond stupid.

But there has always been issues witht he refs, one of the worst I think was years ago when Pittsburgh called the coin toss and the refs f'ed that up! The flipping coin toss in overtime!, really?

 

[Vitamike]

Actually I'm not sure you can blame the refs here. The decision to 'Reverse' the call on the field went to New York as part of the process in the decision making.

The 'Ref' on the field made the call most think should have stood on the field.

Down at the 1.

As a WR/TE back in the day I said at the time of the catch, that I thought he caught the ball but wasn't sure the replay officials would agree and I have green backs on Green Bay to win it all!

We all knew the rule was a problem when we saw the MegaTron TD get called back a few years back and once Green Bay threw the red flag we all knew this one was coming back.

I'm not sure how they 'describe' a catch going forward but I expect something will be done about this rule, much as was done with 'Tuck Rule'.

 

[Retroram52]

Green Bay has quietly been getting better and better and I think they are going to take it to the Seahawks. Should be a good game.

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

This is 4 different issues, imo.

1) Player Safety is changing the game.
2) There is a grey area with contact on every play
3) Replay doesn't matter on 50/50 plays
4) There doesn't seem any accountability when a ref is very blatantly wrong


The Dez play is in that third category. The defender got a finger on the ball, got it to move, Dez landed on the ball and then lost control of it when he rolled over. Its a 50/50 call at worst and both fanbases have to accept that 50/50 calls can and do go both ways.

The reason why you generally see so many penalties is because there is that grey area of contact on EVERY play. If they never called it, you get games like when the Pats beat the Rams in the Super Bowl.

#4 is the one that bugs me. If you have replay AND get a game changing blatant call wrong (like the Tavon Austin return against the Chargers) then something is seriously wrong or corrupt

I was going to say the same thing.

The Pats knew the refs weren't going to have a SB with a bunch of yellow laundry on the field and they told their players to play that way and make the refs throw the flags.

And they were right. The refs weren't going to litter the field with flags.

How else do you explain Faulk getting tackled behind the LOS when he was going out for a screen pass. No flag. WR's were being held all day- no flags. It was horrible.

And that's why they have to have these rules or the Pats would win every SB with dirty play ( cause Belicheat is the master at bending/breaking the rules ).

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

.

 

[ozarkram]

I have been leaning more and more toward the NFL being fixed. And this season and recent playoff games have in many ways reinforced this for me. You can almost predict the out come of the games by match ups and even the tone of the announcers. There are still great athletes performing but you could also say that about the WWE. It is probably not from the ground up. That would be to hard to control. But from the top? Yeah,a lot of money being passed around.

 

[Red_Chaos]

I have been leaning more and more toward the NFL being fixed. And this season and recent playoff games have in many ways reinforced this for me. You can almost predict the out come of the games by match ups and even the tone of the announcers. There are still great athletes performing but you could also say that about the WWE. It is probably not from the ground up. That would be to hard to control. But from the top? Yeah,a lot of money being passed around.

we need to get into this. i got school bills

 

[ozarkram]

Just send Goodell your resume but no videotapes they are real touchy about those.

 

[Rambunctious]

Clayton nailed it...Player safety is a big reason for the number of flags. The bottom line for me is....I think the refs could do a better job. If I were paying them they would be doing a better job or they would be gone. I think more time in the classroom during the season and the off season would do wonders. This season has been one of the worse I can remember...bad calls and no calls all day long. Embarrassingly bad!

 

[shopson67]

I was going to say the same thing.

The Pats knew the refs weren't going to have a SB with a bunch of yellow laundry on the field and they told their players to play that way and make the refs throw the flags.

And they were right. The refs weren't going to litter the field with flags.

How else do you explain Faulk getting tackled behind the LOS when he was going out for a screen pass. No flag. WR's were being held all day- no flags. It was horrible.

And that's why they have to have these rules or the Pats would win every SB with dirty play ( cause Belicheat is the master at bending/breaking the rules ).

How did you like Belichick's 4 OL and 1 ineligible WR/RB formation that he used to great success a few times this weekend? Baltimore certainly didn't like them, lol. I would expect that loop hole to get closed rather quickly this offseason.

 

[BOSS429Mustang]

Think about it. What would the easiest way be to fix a game? The players are probably not as susceptible to "influence" from outside sources because they are usually (I say usually but not always) better off financially and wouldn't be motivated that way. I also don't think they would want to risk getting caught and subsequently being scorned and branded for life (see Pete Rose)


That leaves the officials. They certainly don't make the kind of $$$ that I'm sure they think they should for the perceived abuse they receive whenever they make a mistake. Just read an article that one official contemplated suicide after a blown call in a game!


And before you say it couldn't happen, anybody remember the scandal in the NBA with one of their refs admitting to making erroneous calls because he got himself into some deep gambling debts?


If the professional sports leagues survive another 10 years or so, and the way technology is advancing, I would expect that officiating will be done strictly by "machine" and finally remove the human element, and in turn any arguments about officiating. Of course any computer or software can still be hacked.......the problem rolls on....

 

[shopson67]

Think about it. What would the easiest way be to fix a game? The players are probably not as susceptible to "influence" from outside sources because they are usually (I say usually but not always) better off financially and wouldn't be motivated that way. I also don't think they would want to risk getting caught and subsequently being scorned and branded for life (see Pete Rose)


That leaves the officials. They certainly don't make the kind of $$$ that I'm sure they think they should for the perceived abuse they receive whenever they make a mistake. Just read an article that one official contemplated suicide after a blown call in a game!


And before you say it couldn't happen, anybody remember the scandal in the NBA with one of their refs admitting to making erroneous calls because he got himself into some deep gambling debts?


If the professional sports leagues survive another 10 years or so, and the way technology is advancing, I would expect that officiating will be done strictly by "machine" and finally remove the human element, and in turn any arguments about officiating. Of course any computer or software can still be hacked.......the problem rolls on....

If they use computers to officiate, they will have offensive holding penalties on nearly every snap. Linemen will be forced to wear restrictive gloves that don't allow them to grab, lol. I could see computers used in baseball, but not something with as much grey area as football.

The biggest problem in officiating (football in this case), is that they don't enforce the rules consistently play after play. Players learn they can get away with a little more, then a little more, and keep pushing that threshold. That's why the 5 yard contact rule seems like such a debacle now; they let it go unenforced for so long that it's second nature to violate it.

 

[ozarkram]

NFL refs make between 150,000. and 190,000 a year. For a part time gig. I think. Most are professional people. Doctors, lawyers, and Indian Chiefs. And there in may lie the rub. If it were a fulltime job more training could take place.