Something has to be done

[jonathanlambert33]

We all know officiating in the NFL sucks. It's complete crap. I think all 1,800 players and coaches should all agree to take some sort of action. Delay ALL games across the NFL for 10 minutes or as long as it takes, so that the national media has to talk about terrible officiating and how it is only getting worse.

I blame the new "protect the players" rules for two reasons. First, they want to scare defenses from hitting anyone at all. It's like they want to change it to flag football. Two, because it's making the officials try to keep track of too many things on every play. However, no matter the reason, something needs to be done. Maybe they need to add more refs on the field, I don't know, but SOMETHING needs to be done.

Example 1: One of the worst I saw was the London Fletcher "hit to the head" against Tom Brady that was CLEARLY not and looked like they were trying to find a reason to flag London Fletcher to simply scare defenses away from hitting Brady ever again.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Iv1f37dVNZ8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Example 2: The GLARINGLY missed facemask on Detroit in the final game that SHOULD have been a first down and free play for Vikings. This could significantly chang the playoff race in the NFC and might influence the outcome of the season.

Missed facemask

Example 3: I don't have a video for this one, but the refs somehow missed Jimmy Graham getting both feet down and having possession of the ball in the endzone for a TD that would have put the Saints up 13-3 with about 4 minutes to go in the 3rd. The worst part, New Orleans challenged the play and it was UPHELD. And that was far from the only bad call in that game.

There are PLENTY of examples, but these are just two this week and I think the players and coaches need to make a statement in such mass and force that the NFL cannot fine or penalize any one person. I would like to see the entire league at 1PM, 4:15PM, and 8:30PM stand in the middle of the field they are supposed to play in, all 53 players (hopefully with coaches too) lined up back to back facing their respective sidelines, arms folded for as long as someone thinks it will take. Do this BEFORE the coin flip so the kicking team cannot be penalized.

 

[.infamous]

shit happens...were humans

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Fuck that. Officiating has never been nearly this bad. Refs have to do their jobs better.

Any human could see that the call on Fletcher was bullshit.

 

[kam.]

QBs have been always protected in this league, always. Its happened before to every big name QB for some reason, even your own Brees.. isn't nothing you can do about it but sit back and take it.

 

[NV]

Jake Ballard..

 

[WHO-DEY-BENGALS_18]

They just overreact to a lot of things trying to be too protective. Gotta let these players play football, this is the NFL. That play on Brady was as clean of a hit I've seen all year and he gets called for it, that is horrible. If a QB takes off and runs, he's fair game to get his head taken off, especially when he doesn't even slide in time. It keeps getting worse because there's new rules being added every year that makes it that way.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

They just overreact to a lot of things trying to be too protective. Gotta let these players play football, this is the NFL. That play on Brady was as clean of a hit I've seen all year and he gets called for it, that is horrible. If a QB takes off and runs, he's fair game to get his head taken off, especially when he doesn't even slide in time. It keeps getting worse because there's new rules being added every year that makes it that way.

I agree. It goes way beyond just being humans. Humans make mistakes, sure. But come on man.

Calling that hit on Brady?

Calling Ballard and Graham out of bounds?

Countless other examples. It's not excusable.

 

[Giantmetfan07]

The officiating is atrocious. Qbs have always been protected but ever since Brady had that season ending injury, QBs have been OVERPROTECTED.

Got a problem with QB getting hit when he slides? Take your billions of dollars and find better pads to protect him.

And the problem seems to be a gray area that is too big. There's always going to be a gray area in rules but lately the area seems abnormally large. It happens every week with TD catches. Guy catches, drops it. If hes falling down when he makes possession and then drops it, its incomplete. if he catches it standing up, and immediately drops it, it's a TD. Shouldn't it be the other way around, since falling down is more difficult to hold on?

And with that Fletcher call... unbelievable. Leading with the forearm? thats against the rules now? How'd he supposed to hit him? Lead with his d***? NFL needs to get together in the offseason and pull out some BS penalties, and the other rules and penalties need to be less vague.

 

[Giantmetfan07]

Humans make mistakes. That's why we have cameras.

 

[NV]

Humans make mistakes. That's why we have cameras.

and they still manage to make mistakes

 

[jonathanlambert33]

and they still manage to make mistakes

aka somehow saying Jimmy Graham did not get both feet down for a TD yesterday.

 

[NV]

aka somehow saying Jimmy Graham did not get both feet down for a TD yesterday.

Didn't see the play but I know how you feel after last week lol

 

[bosoxlover12]

The NFL is a business. Overall league profit went down the year Brady was injured. And if not for Aaron Rodger's MVP Perfect Season, it would be down this year too because of Peytons injury.

Plain in simple, the league gains more profit when these star QBs are playing on thei field, so they want to keep them healthy.


Brady, Peyton, Rodgers, Brees, Eli. All need to stay healthy to produce the profit the NFL wants, and it seems they will inforce rules for that.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Didn't see the play but I know how you feel after last week lol

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/12/12/in-the-nfl-a-toe-is-a-foot-but-a-heel-isnt/

Problem with that article is that the FOX broadcast showed that he got the toe inbounds also.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d824f1caa/Graham-just-shy-of-a-touchdown

 

[Falcons11497]

aka somehow saying Jimmy Graham did not get both feet down for a TD yesterday.

yea, we get it, he isn't the only person that's ever had a bad call
lol

Seriously though, its gotten worse and worse each game it seems. This isn't the Brady Football League. If he's gonna be a quarterback, he's gonna have to be able to take a hit, same goes with everyone else. Im just about tired of all this bullshit. That Lions facemask, we all know what would've happened if that was Brady or another one of the NFL's golden boys. I wouldn't mind if they fired every current ref right now. This amount of bias and favoritism has NO place in officiating in the NFL, and unfortunately, I don't think there's anything anyone can really do about it. Its not like Goodell has a problem with it, he is the one applying all these bullshit flag football rules to the game.
Frankly, I dont care if hes a quarterback, runningback, lineman, linebacker, cornerback, safety, or whatever. If you're gonna play this game, you're gonna have to be able to take a hit. The amount of favoritism in the officiating of this league is ridiculous. With all the technology and replays and shit we have now, there is NO reason it should be worse...
Unfortunately, theres nothing we can do but sit back and take it...
I just wish they'd fire Goodell first off. I mean cmon, name one great thing he's done for this league
Sure, protecting players from concussions is nice and all, but they're gonna happen in a contact sport, and whimpifying the league isnt gonna make things better

 

[ZigZag]

I was watching sportscenter and Boomer made a great point in reference to the Colt McCoy hit

Colt did nothing to protect himself. He sees Harrison coming and, instead of tucking the ball and taking the hit, he raises up and leaves himself totally exposed to getting smashed.

 

[TTN2810]

Jimmy Grahams foot came down on the line... you can see the white grass come up. He didn't have the ball long enough to say he had possession, when the rest of his foot was in. It's iffy.

In this case, it's the rule, not the call.

Yes it should have been a TD, but to rule, the ref got it right.