QuinielaBox

For me, this isn't about who the refs gave the game to. This is about the integrity of the game itself.

Those of you who know me on these boards know that I am a Hawks fan through and through. But I have to admit I'm finding it impossible to enjoy this one.

It's not just the two (two- in one play!) obviously-blown calls on the last play of the game that has cast a pall over this victory. It's the totality of the incompetence that has been foisted on us by Roger Goodell.

These scab referees are the epitome of keystone-kop incompetence. Tonight it wasn't just the last play- it was the whole game. It was phantom pass-interference calls. It was phantom personal foul calls. It's the ticky-tack crapola. It's flags thrown on five straight plays. It's the interminable discussions and indecision. It's forgetting which team and which player you called a penalty on. It's the calls that are so horrible for both sides that they have more to do with the outcome of the game than the actual play on the field. It's feeling more like this is craps rather than football, and you're only watching to see who rolls snake-eyes next.

Trying to enjoy tonight's game was like trying to enjoy a glass of wine in your easy chair while your house burns down around you. The integrity of the game has been destroyed. As deeply as the Hawks run in my blood, I'm a football fan first and Goodell has taken something from me more precious than a Hawks' victory. He's taken from me the enjoyment of the game.

In order to save a few million a year in a multi-billion dollar business, Goodell has asked us to look the other way while he trots out Larry, Curly and Moe to referee NFL games. The last play tonight was only the tip of the iceberg. These scabs have become such a sideshow that the are ruining the game. And not just this game, but every game. And it's not just affecting the outcomes of the games, it's affecting the safety of the players.

It's time for the powers-that-be to put Goodell under their thumb. The players' union should strike in support of the referee's union, and refuse to play another down until professional referees are brought back. Sponsors should withhold payment. Owners should vote no-confidence in Roger Goodell, or fire him outright.

For my part I'm done with this inferior bullcrap. I won't watch another NFL game until Roger Goodell pulls his head out of his skanky backside.

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This is galling. It would be appropriate for Green Bay and New England to run their respective tables and then meet in New Orleans in the Superbowl and play a Grandmaster draw Zero-Zero.

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Patriots winning just a game used to be cause for major celebration.