NFL 2012 Season

[tim_m]

The refs have been awful league wide. This lockout needs to end. I'd hate to see it come playoff time and have them blow a crucial call that costs a team a super bowl. On another note my biggest fears have come to fruition. Darelle Revis has a torn ACL and is done for the season.

[C0ma]

I thought he grabbed him a little too hard and the rules clearly do state you can't put your hands on the officials. So his actions while understandable were wrong. I would expect at least a fine.

I agree, he will get a fine... but under the circumstances grabbing at someone who will not explain what they were doing on a field goal with time expired is understandable. I agree that you don't put a hand on an official in any sport. However these guys have done almost nothing to earn the respect of the players of coaches, and respect has to be earned not assigned with a Foot Locker uniform.

[faldor]

I thought he grabbed him a little too hard and the rules clearly do state you can't put your hands on the officials. So his actions while understandable were wrong. I would expect at least a fine.

I agree, he will get a fine... but under the circumstances grabbing at someone who will not explain what they were doing on a field goal with time expired is understandable. I agree that you don't put a hand on an official in any sport. However these guys have done almost nothing to earn the respect of the players of coaches, and respect has to be earned not assigned with a Foot Locker uniform.

Yeah, he'll be fined.  And rightfully so.  However, I can totally understand his frustration.  Both coaches were irate last night, and in many other games.  For a game to end on a questionable play like that, I don't think it was wrong of him to seek out an explanation.  According to Adam Schefter, Belichick had asked every ref if the play was reviewable on their way off the field and none of them stopped to listen/explain.  The LAST encounter was caught on camera.  So, you missed 4 guys blowing him off.  It's not like he targeted one specific ref and ran right up to him to rough him up or anything like that.

He was wrong for making contact.  But the whole thing has to be viewed in context. 

[faldor]

Meanwhile, on Monday Night Football.  I know the Seahawks have a real good defense, and are a tough team at home.  But the Packers offense has been quite pedestrian so far this season.  Rogers has been sacked 7 times in the first half.  Uh, make that 8.  This after getting manhandled by the Bears defense and 49er defense the first two weeks.  Now, again, 3 very good defenses.  But that is some poor play by the O-line, Rogers, Packer offense as a whole.  Not good.  I'd have to think they'll get it figured out eventually, but they do not look good right now.  At least the defense seems to be playing better.

[tim_m]

Meanwhile, on Monday Night Football.  I know the Seahawks have a real good defense, and are a tough team at home.  But the Packers offense has been quite pedestrian so far this season.  Rogers has been sacked 7 times in the first half.  Uh, make that 8.  This after getting manhandled by the Bears defense and 49er defense the first two weeks.  Now, again, 3 very good defenses.  But that is some poor play by the O-line, Rogers, Packer offense as a whole.  Not good.  I'd have to think they'll get it figured out eventually, but they do not look good right now.  At least the defense seems to be playing better.

How the mighty seem to have fallen.

[tim_m]

How badly do you guys think losing Revis will be for the Jets? The defense is already kinda suspect now they lose the best corner in the league for the season. I think it could potentially end their season already.

[tim_m]

Are you goddamn kidding me? Dear NFL, you need to kiss and make up with the refs. These tools suck shit. That was an interception by Jennings. It was not simultaneous reception like you claim. Jennings had clear possession of the ball. I could make better calls then these idiots.

[faldor]

I was too young to remember the replacement players back in 1987, but is there any chance that replacement refs are actually worse for the league?  I mean, this is beyond ridiculous.  Just when you think it can't get any worse, it does.  And then some.  Last nights game had horrendous calls, but even as a Patriot fan I can't say the refs caused the Pats to lose.  The Packers can definately say that tonight.  Just awful!

[tim_m]

I was too young to remember the replacement players back in 1987, but is there any chance that replacement refs are actually worse for the league?  I mean, this is beyond ridiculous.  Just when you think it can't get any worse, it does.  And then some.  Last nights game had horrendous calls, but even as a Patriot fan I can't say the refs caused the Pats to lose.  The Packers can definately say that tonight.  Just awful!

I was in just as much disbelief as you were when talking on twitter. It was just ridiculous. Lets just say for a second that it was simultaneous reception, which we all know it wasn't but just for argument sake say it was. Even if that was the case it still isn't a touchdown because it was offensive pass interference. The receiver clearly pushes the defender in the back game over.

[Sober_times]

I agree with you guys. What a cluster fuck. That was nuts.

I want the regular officials back just for the consistency. They get calls wrong, but they are usually consistent. If they call ticky tack plays in the first quarter, the same call usually happens throughout the game. You know the tone the refs set from the get go. These replacement officials are all over the place. Its pathetic and I don't care whose to blame, just get a fucking deal already.

[AxlsMainMan]

Even increasing the price of beer by 2 cents at games would probably be enough money to end this nonsense

[SpecialAgentCooper]

Funny thing about it all is that the final review which was the review of the "touchdown" was looked at by the guys upstairs who are infact not replacement officials..they are the ones who made the final call on that game. I think The Comish is just a politician raping a beloved sport is what it boils down to.


Coop

[Sober_times]

Funny thing about it all is that the final review which was the review of the "touchdown" was looked at by the guys upstairs who are infact not replacement officials..they are the ones who made the final call on that game. I think The Comish is just a politician raping a beloved sport is what it boils down to.


Coop

I thought the nfl booth officials were different than the college booth officials. In the NFL, doesn't the main official on the field still run over to the monitor, look at the play and make the call? I know in the past the booth guys just tell him when to review and tell him things like yardage for ball following review, what is reviewable and how much time on the clock but ultimately the on field guy watches the replay and makes the call. At least that is how it use to be in previous years, so unless it changed it was a replacement official who made the final call. Did it change and I just completely spaced?

[tim_m]

Funny thing about it all is that the final review which was the review of the "touchdown" was looked at by the guys upstairs who are infact not replacement officials..they are the ones who made the final call on that game. I think The Comish is just a politician raping a beloved sport is what it boils down to.


Coop

I thought the nfl booth officials were different than the college booth officials. In the NFL, doesn't the main official on the field still run over to the monitor, look at the play and make the call? I know in the past the booth guys just tell him when to review and tell him things like yardage for ball following review, what is reviewable and how much time on the clock but ultimately the on field guy watches the replay and makes the call. At least that is how it use to be in previous years, so unless it changed it was a replacement official who made the final call. Did it change and I just completely spaced?

In the last two minutes of each half all reviews are done by upstairs. Also, all scoring plays are automatically reviewed upstairs.

[Sober_times]

I was doing my own research. And found this...

http://www.sportsgrid.com/nfl/replacement-officials-replay-booth/


The NFL?s replacement refs are under intense fire today thanks to this, and will be for as long as the NFL and the referees union don?t get a deal done. When a game turns on the last play because of a call that?s (almost) universally labeled inaccurate, that?s what happens. It looks more and more every game like the replacements are in over their heads, and the calls to get the regular officials working again are entirely warranted.

It?s worth remembering, though, that not everyone who has a hand in determining the NFL?s refereeing process is a replacement: the officials in the replay booth are the same as ever. Normally, that might not matter when it comes to a decision like the one made on the game-deciding play last night. While the booth officials are there to help the referees do their job, making the ultimate call is still the referee?s job. On scoring plays, the process goes like this:

    [Plays will be] automatically reviewed by the replay assistant, and if that assistant thinks it?s a close enough call that it warrants a closer look, he?ll buzz down to the on-field referee to take that closer look.

?Well,? you say, ?the play last night was reviewed and the call was upheld, so what else could the booth officials have done?? A valid question, but according to Pro Football Talk?s Mike Florio, there?s been a quiet little shift in responsibility in the replacement-ref-era NFL:

    Under normal circumstances, the decision [on the ruling] would be made exclusively by the referee. Now, with the non-replacement league supervisor in the replay booth along with the non-replacement replay official, the procedure has been, we?re told, blurred a bit, allowing the replacement referee to get input from the folks who otherwise would be saying, essentially, ?Figure it out, Hochuli.?

The ?we?re told? is vague, yes, but it?s also conceivable that the league would quietly give its regular officials some more authority while not publicly throwing the replacements under the bus. Has that happened? Impossible for us to say. It might not have. The replay of last night?s final play might have gone according to normal, non-replacement procedure (which, of course, would help explain why the touchdown call stood despite Tate not appearing to have nearly enough control of the ball to be awarded a touchdown from any angle). But it?s worth remembering that while the on-field officials still do the lion?s share of the game-calling, there are working officials who aren?t replacements.

(Oh, and one other thing: Mike Tirico, as pointed out by Florio in the above piece, said the call of who caught the ball had to be made on the field? except that didn?t make sense, because practically as he said it, the referee announced that the play was under review. Additionally, as Florio points out, the NFL rulebook specifically says that whether a pass was complete, incomplete, or intercepted is subject to review. In short: nothing makes sense and everything is confusing as hell.)



So in normal circumstances I had it right. But it appears lines may be blurred. Booth review, In the NFL, just means that the booth will call down to the official for him to look at it but its suppose to be the on field guy that runs over to the monitor, watches the replay and makes the calls. Which is just stupid, should just do them all like college.

[SpecialAgentCooper]

Either way the call should never have been made...I think it's funny how the refs are getting all the shit for this since there are other hands in the cookie jar so to speak


Coop

[faldor]

Sounds like some progress has been made between the NFL and the refs and they are close(r) to a deal. Nothing official yet though. Let's hope they can tie up the loose ends. I was worried this was going to drag on for some time. If Monday night couldn't force the issue, I'm not sure what could.

[tim_m]

Sounds like some progress has been made between the NFL and the refs and they are close(r) to a deal. Nothing official yet though. Let's hope they can tie up the loose ends. I was worried this was going to drag on for some time. If Monday night couldn't force the issue, I'm not sure what could.

This needs to end and soon. Hopefully enough progress has been made that the remaining issues won't take too long.

[tim_m]

Espn now says the two sides are very close to an agreement and hopefully they can return in time for this weeks games. Tomorrow's game is probably out of the question but this Sunday seems logical if they hurry up.

[faldor]

Those refs are going to get such a warm reception from players and fans alike, well maybe not Seahawk fans  That is until they make their first questionable call, then it'll be back to normal.  I never thought I'd miss Ed Hochuli so much.