Felger's column

[SVN]

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/football/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1048695#articleFull

as much as i dislike he does make a point which makes me wonder

The Pats also have started to spend too much time fretting about the officiating. Linebacker Mike Vrabel screamed profanities at the officials as they headed into their dressing room after the game, while Brady and Moss hardly could hide their disgust in their respective postgame press conferences.
Earth to Patriots [team stats]: You’re 12-0. You got every break imaginable in the final five minutes. Isn’t one of Bill Belichick’s driving philosophies not to worry about things you can’t control? Constantly whining about the refs is a loser’s lament. You should leave that for the Colts.

i know iam going to get flamed for this but i have to say this....

iam just worried we are like the 2004 colts with an offense but a 'soft' defense ..we still have 3-4 games to find out.

 

[mdhprime]

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/football/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1048695#articleFull

as much as i dislike he does make a point which makes me wonder



i know iam going to get flamed for this but i have to say this....

iam just worried we are like the 2004 colts with an offense but a 'soft' defense ..we still have 3-4 games to find out.

I think the focus on officiating is important. This year the NFL apologized to the Patriots and Ellis Hobbs for blowing the big pass interferrence call in the championship game. It was a horrible blunder that helped to cost the Patriots a trip to the Super Bowl. When Brady now sees calls not being made against opposing teams, it has to make him concerned and wonder, "Are they going to do it to us again?" This year the officials have been absolutely horrible, and not just in Patriot games but in most games. The league has to do something to address it. Short of cloning Ed Hoculi and his crew, I don't what they are going to do, but they have to so something...it is pathetic.

 

[Hoodie]

If Mike Vrabel feels he needs to scream at the officials in the tunnel after the game has been won -- more power to him. If he screamed at the officials during the game and showed his displeasure by chucking the yellow flag into the crowd -- then I'd be concerned.

 

[ClevTrev]

If Mike Vrabel feels he needs to scream at the officials in the tunnel after the game has been won -- more power to him. If he screamed at the officials during the game and showed his displeasure by chucking the yellow flag into the crowd -- then I'd be concerned.

Good point.

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

Players screaming at refs and officials is nothing new in the world of sports. It starts in pee wee division. If Felger doesn't realize this by now he never will.

 

[antimennai]

Borges, I mean Felger is an idiot. I can't believe the Pats were the only team complaining about the refs. How dare they be so bold. They should take their example from the Ravens. They are a humble respectable team who never complains about the refs.

Nothing like fair and balanced reporting.

 

[cavtroop]

The officials this year have been very sub-par, bordering on horrible.

The NFL is in desperate need of FULL TIME refs. Refs that study game tapes, attend seminars, train the college ranks, etc etc etc. Not this part time riff-raff we have now.

I have no confidence that the refs will call a fair game this year, when it matters. I'm very worried about the playoffs, and not just in Pats games. With the low quality refs they seem to have, a playoff game or two is going to get decided by a blown call or a no-call, and people are going to freak out.

 

[Oswlek]

Every break imaginable?

So having penalties correctly called and having a TD catch correctly confirmed by replay and having a correctly called USL penalty is a break? I thought that those were just the way things were supposed to go.

And didn't the game end with Derek Mason throwing Blue Gay out of the way and then tackling Samuel on the Hail Mary that should never have been caught? How was that a break again?

And since when is getting correct calls over the final five minutes worth the other team getting away with countless penalties over the preceeding 30 minutes?

 

[upstater1]

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/football/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1048695#articleFull

as much as i dislike he does make a point which makes me wonder



i know iam going to get flamed for this but i have to say this....

iam just worried we are like the 2004 colts with an offense but a 'soft' defense ..we still have 3-4 games to find out.

I disagree with you and Felger. The Patriots know why they played "soft" defense. It was because the refs allowed a whole lot of "manhandling" of Patriots linemen, and on offense our receivers were held too.

Let me say this: if the refs allow this to happen more, we will definitely a game in the regular season, even to the Jets. and if they allow it to happen in the playoffs, we'll lose there too.

That's why I don't think it's a bad idea to let the NFL know that they can't allow this travesty to continue.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Every break imaginable?

So having penalties correctly called and having a TD catch correctly confirmed by replay and having a correctly called USL penalty is a break? I thought that those were just the way things were supposed to go.

And didn't the game end with Derek Mason throwing Blue Gay out of the way and then tackling Samuel on the Hail Mary that should never have been caught? How was that a break again?

And since when is getting correct calls over the final five minutes worth the other team getting away with countless penalties over the preceeding 30 minutes?

Exactly correct.

 

[Scouse Patriot]

If you feel like it's abd call then why not question the officials? Aslong as player don't go too far and cost the team I'm ok with it. Like Bob's my Uncle said, it's nothing new, goes on everywhere by every team and it will continue to do so.

Games, especially at this level are run on high emotion, players are going to question what they percieve to be a bad call. It's part of sports. Doesn't make you a whiner.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Pretty boy Felgie whom DeOssie and Smerlas despise is wrong again about Vrabes. The last play of the game could EASILY have been a TD for the Birds. A TD where Gay was pass interfered with shoved out of the play and Samuel was horse collared and pass interfered with. I agree with refs NOT calling tacky PIs that change a game's outcome but to ignore 2 blatant violations that coould have been game changers is unconscionable and incompetent. It was symptomatic of the way the refs called most of the game. The Birds held all game long.