F.B.N SAYS "OUT WITH THE DUMB RED FLAGS...IN WITH O.T.F!!! - New England Patriots Forums

***IcyPatriot*** · 02-08-2006, 10:12 PM

With all this improving the calls talk I would love to see a debate concerning the "RED FLAG". I HATE THE WANKING RED FLAGS.....THEY RUIN THE GAME.

How many times those flags ruin a last gasp drive...or for the better QB's like Brady they can kill 1 long and 1 short drive to score 10 to win or tie. Too many times this year teams only had 1 or 2 timeouts to go with the game on the line....which led to bolder passing and less thrilling drives to pull even or go ahead.

The RED FLAGS need to go....add a replay official or something. The RED FLAGS ruin the momentum of the game at usually crucial times. In fact...all this officals scrutiny ruins the flow of the game.

Add a replay official or two and do it the old fashioned way...make a bad call and then make it up later, if warranted of course. Refs knew back then they could make up a bad call...now it's much harder with all the replay scrutiny.

The old-time QB's would be very bold when they knew they had a call or two coming their way. The old-time refs were very good at letting the boys play or evening up the calls except for blatant infractions....the game was better then....Sometimes going backwards is better than going forwards.

If the old-time method was in use during the SB those bad calls would have been evened out later...except for the blatant calls I repeat...not saying Seattle would have won...I'm just saying that those old games had some great finishes and more close games.

"I MISS THAT..OLD-TIME FOOTBALL"

CheerforTom · 02-08-2006, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by F.B.N.

With all this improving the calls talk I would love to see a debate concerning the "RED FLAG". I HATE THE WANKING RED FLAGS.....THEY RUIN THE GAME.

How many times those flags ruin a last gasp drive...or for the better QB's like Brady they can kill 1 long and 1 short drive to score 10 to win or tie. Too many times this year teams only had 1 or 2 timeouts to go with the game on the line....which led to bolder passing and less thrilling drives to pull even or go ahead.

The RED FLAGS need to go....add a replay official or something. The RED FLAGS ruin the momentum of the game at usually crucial times. In fact...all this officals scrutiny ruins the flow of the game.

Add a replay official or two and do it the old fashioned way...make a bad call and then make it up later, if warranted of course. Refs knew back then they could make up a bad call...now it's much harder with all the replay scrutiny.

The old-time QB's would be very bold when they knew they had a call or two coming their way. The old-time refs were very good at letting the boys play or evening up the calls except for blatant infractions....the game was better then....Sometimes going backwards is better than going forwards.

If the old-time method was in use during the SB those bad calls would have been evened out later...except for the blatant calls I repeat...not saying Seattle would have won...I'm just saying that those old games had some great finishes and more close games.

"I MISS THAT..OLD-TIME FOOTBALL"

You do have a point with the whole flow of the game being interrupted thing, don't get me wrong. The same can definately be said for all the TV commercial interruptions, they are teh suck as well.

I just don't know if the whole "make it up to the other team later" thing is really the greatest way to do it. While it would be more... just, if we complain this much about the officiating NOW I can only imagine how it'd be then.

PatsSteve1 · 02-08-2006, 10:42 PM

IMO, if they ever banned Instant Replay, they should ban replays alltogether so as a fan, I don't have to see how the ref blew the call. One of the reasons IR came about was how fans, and teams, got upset when they saw a play, replayed and saw that the wrong call was made hurting thier team. If thier going to "go with the call on the field", then just go with it and don't show replays at all. I( may think they made the wrong call as the play happened, but I still wouldn't be sure because it happened so fast and then wouldn't see slow motion replays from various angles showing me how my team was cheated.

Aldogg · 02-09-2006, 08:48 AM

Even if they ban replays, you know when you put on ESPN Sportscenter that night, they will break down every mistake, and lets not forget, if it wasn't for replay, we might not be the dynasty we are, as replay helped us out vs Oakland and the "Tuck Game."

Replay wouldn't help the shoddy officiating that will be the signature moments of these playoffs. They need to make each official accountable for thier calls. If they get bad, you go as far as firing, but these crews in these late rounds are supposed to be "all star" crews, and if these are the best, I can't imagine how bad the worst crews are.

***MoLewisrocks*** · 02-09-2006, 09:19 AM

The league has provided plenty of incentive to take risks on offense late in a close game - it's called defensive pass interference. In fact almost everything the competition committee has done over the last several years has been geared to bolstering more offense and the expense of good letting defenses dominate a game.

Football referees at all levels are part time weekend warriors with little formal training. That needs to change when you get to the pros. If they can't keep these guys busy during the week catching up on Tags filing, they can sit them down with their supervisor and review each others game tapes three days a week and consider it continuing education. They'd still get the off season off, but so do school teachers while working full time. Perhaps during the lull they could run academy's or seminars regionally to train the next generation of college and NFL officials.

Another thing they need to eliminate is the lobbying that goes on pre game between coaches and officials. Screaming at them in game is one thing, but trying to alert them pre game is just bogus. If there is some tendancy they need to be aware of on either team, they should hear about it from their boss, not the HC of one of the teams their officiating.

Probably the biggest deterrent to making questionable calls would be for these guys to have to be available to the media post game to explain or defend their actions.

And all reviews should be conducted by the booth as they are in college. Pereria is on record as opposing this for the usual reasons (undermining the officials on the field). But he admitted in an interview with Felger last week that the college review system has worked better than he anticipated.

The last thing the NFL needs at this stage is a gang of unimpeachable zebras patrolling the field and freelancing makeup calls. The technology exists to get it right - just do it.

Willie55 · 02-09-2006, 09:45 AM

They could easily make then year round, full-time referees.

Have them do NFL Europe.

Have them participate in training camps. I believe some teams already bring in referees to watch and officiate practices. It would let the players know what is acceptable and what isn't.

Then during the season, have them do film study of the teams they are officiating that week. Not only so they can see which players and how players on the teams push the limits of the rules, it would also show what kinds of formations teams run and where they expect players to be and what to look for. As of right now these guys probably only see the game they are officiating that week and have no clue what happened in the other games.

Also, during the week have them participate in team practices (I don't know how well BB would take to this). They would have to sign an oath of secrecy.

And lastly, sit down and watch film, with a supervisor, of themselves from the previous week and see what they did good and what they did bad.

PatsSteve1 · 02-09-2006, 10:53 PM

[QUOTE=Aldogg]Even if they ban replays, you know when you put on ESPN Sportscenter that night, they will break down every mistake, and lets not forget, if it wasn't for replay, we might not be the dynasty we are, as replay helped us out vs Oakland and the "Tuck Game."

* 1st off, I like Instant Replay and feel it's much better than not having it. But ig they got rid of it, I'd just as soon they didnt show them at all. ESPN gets to show highlights courtesy of the NFL. If the NFL didn't want replays of bad calls shown, they wouldnt be.

PYPER · 02-09-2006, 11:27 PM

As long as the games are televised, there will be replay. The question is whether the officials should have the same opportunity to review their mistakes as the millions of fans watching on TV.

If you eliminate replay, the only thing that will change is that when MILLIONS of people all agree that an officiating mistake is made, the officials won't be able to correct it.

You can't leave the officials out on an island like that. They have to be given the opportunity to correct their mistakes. Will that eliminate all mistakes? Absolutely not. Nothing short of cyborg officials could do that. But doesn't need to. It just needs to correct whatever bad calls it can.

***Michael*** · 02-10-2006, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by F.B.N.

With all this improving the calls talk I would love to see a debate concerning the "RED FLAG". I HATE THE WANKING RED FLAGS.....THEY RUIN THE GAME.

How many times those flags ruin a last gasp drive...or for the better QB's like Brady they can kill 1 long and 1 short drive to score 10 to win or tie. Too many times this year teams only had 1 or 2 timeouts to go with the game on the line....which led to bolder passing and less thrilling drives to pull even or go ahead.

The RED FLAGS need to go....add a replay official or something. The RED FLAGS ruin the momentum of the game at usually crucial times. In fact...all this officals scrutiny ruins the flow of the game.

Add a replay official or two and do it the old fashioned way...make a bad call and then make it up later, if warranted of course. Refs knew back then they could make up a bad call...now it's much harder with all the replay scrutiny.

The old-time QB's would be very bold when they knew they had a call or two coming their way. The old-time refs were very good at letting the boys play or evening up the calls except for blatant infractions....the game was better then....Sometimes going backwards is better than going forwards.

If the old-time method was in use during the SB those bad calls would have been evened out later...except for the blatant calls I repeat...not saying Seattle would have won...I'm just saying that those old games had some great finishes and more close games.

"I MISS THAT..OLD-TIME FOOTBALL"

Yeah, then the officials can call PI on Samuel any time they want. They also can say he wasn't in bounds when he intercepted the ball. Just imagine the things they could get a way with. Yep, taking reviews out would hand all the power of who goes to the super bowl and who doesn't to the officials. Where it belongs. And the Patriots would never see another Super Bowl.

It's not as if the coach is allowed unlimited challenges. I for one would like to see all points scored (except from kicking) auto reviewed as well as all turnovers and any penalty that negates a score. Such as a TD taken away for PI.