Commish looked into Pats Colts officiating

[BradyFTW!]

Hahaha, when people say "the Tuck Rule is the only reason they won the 2001 SB", I think that the speaker is an idiot, for obvious reasons, but whatever. Correct or incorrect (and it was a stupid real interpreted correctly), it's hard to argue that the call saved our season, although at the end of the day it's still apples to oranges talking about stupid rules being called correctly vs. rules being called in horrendously biased cases against one team but not another.

Still, though, to get back to my original point, how much of a goddamn idiot does someone have to be to claim that the Tuck Rule instance in 2001 had anything to do with their success in 2004?


Also, RE: The "Marvin wasn't playing" excuse, that just makes me chuckle, because I want to say "wake up Colts fans, that isn't a one week thing. Believe it or not, you might actually have to start beating good teams WITHOUT Harrison". I guess we'll see what they're made of now. The Pats hold up through key injuries all the time- it's why Belichick places about 25 times the emphasis on depth that Dungy does.

Colts play the game without Harrison, Ugoh, and Keiaho. Pats play without Morris, with Thomas hobbled to the point of being ineffective, and with Watson and Seymour both recoving from injury. The Ugoh excuse is my favorite, because, the way they use it, you'd think that nobody on EVERY OTHER O-LINE in the league ever gets injured. How many games has Stephen Neal played in over the last few years?

 

[bradmahn]

Hahaha, when people say "the Tuck Rule is the only reason they won the 2001 SB", I think that the speaker is an idiot, for obvious reasons, but whatever. Correct or incorrect (and it was a stupid real interpreted correctly), it's hard to argue that the call saved our season, although at the end of the day it's still apples to oranges talking about stupid rules being called correctly vs. rules being called in horrendously biased cases against one team but not another.

Still, though, to get back to my original point, how much of a goddamn idiot does someone have to be to claim that the Tuck Rule instance in 2001 had anything to do with their success in 2004?


Also, RE: The "Marvin wasn't playing" excuse, that just makes me chuckle, because I want to say "wake up Colts fans, that isn't a one week thing. Believe it or not, you might actually have to start beating good teams WITHOUT Harrison". I guess we'll see what they're made of now. The Pats hold up through key injuries all the time- it's why Belichick places about 25 times the emphasis on depth that Dungy does.

Colts play the game without Harrison, Ugoh, and Keiaho. Pats play without Morris, with Thomas hobbled to the point of being ineffective, and with Watson and Seymour both recoving from injury. The Ugoh excuse is my favorite, because, the way they use it, you'd think that nobody on EVERY OTHER O-LINE in the league ever gets injured. How many games has Stephen Neal played in over the last few years?

Very good post.

 

[mgteich]

It is not the Commissioner's office that has been out of line. It is the media. This should have been a major story.

Per PFT:

COMMISH TOOK KEEN INTEREST IN PATS-COLTS OFFICIATING

Jay Glazer of FOX reports that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had a closed-door one-on-one with NFL director of officiating Mike Pereira to review all of the calls from last weekend's greatest . . . game . . . ever.

The Patriots-Colts contest featured numerous bad calls against New England. Curiously, however, there has been little mention of the horrendous calls in the media. (Some Internet hack who also writes for SportingNews.com mentioned it last Sunday.)

Among other things, Pats receiver Randy Moss was called for offensive pass interference on a play in which he apparently didn't even touch the defender. Also, New England cornerback Ellis Hobbs was flagged for defensive pass interference after he was tackled by Colts wideout Reggie Wayne.

League insiders have attributed the phenomenon to one of three dynamics. First, the zebras simply got the calls wrong. Second, the officials were subconsciously influenced by the reputation of Colts G.M. Bill Polian for going bonkos when calls don't go his team's way. Third, the guys in black and white were subconsciously influenced by all of the criticism of the Pats for cheating and running up the score.

If the real explanation is the last one, the Pats might want to be ready for more bad calls moving forward. Their recent actions and decisions are making the Patriots into a team that is perceived by some as "bad guys," and the end result could be a chronic case of some of the same bad calls that teams like the Raiders have seen over the years.

You know, like the tuck rule play, from the game that arguably spawned the Patriots' dynasty.

Still, the point here is that the Commish seems to be intent on keeping factors like that from influencing the outcome of games.

 

[psychoPat]

Goodell: "d%#*!@t, Pereira! The Colts were SUPPOSED to beat the Patriots, and your fools didn't get the job done! What's worse, they looked bad screwing things up. People are suspicious."

Pereira: "Boss, it's not my fault. They had explicit instructions going into the game. Hobbes and Moss were obvious targets because of past history, we thought we were safe ... "

Goodell: "THOUGHT we were SAFE?! My God man, these officials of yours are supposed to be PROFESSIONALS! When I issue an edict I EXPECT it to be carried through, without screwing up for all the nation to see."

Pereira: "All I can say is, we can try again. I just don't know when we might have another believable opportunity with this team. Belichick has these guys playing so well."

Goodell: "Don, what is your take on this?"

Shula: "Well, there's the Steelers game. Even the Giants, but you've got to hope that one means something to New York or else it won't be convincing enough."

Goodell: "I don't know what to do at this point. I got an earful from Polian afterward after promising him we'd take care of things, then he gets found out on the amplified crowd noise ... This week has been one big pain in the ass. And Pereira, it all comes back to you and your bumbling rookie crew."

Pereira: "Boss, that was the point of it all -- a rookie crew is EXPECTED to make 'mistakes.' Inexperience leading to blown calls was going to serve as an unspoken explanation for people questioning their role in the Patriots losing. Problem is, there's only so much you can do against players like Moss, Brady and Colvin."

Goodell: "You're on notice, Pereira. You've got one week to come up with another plan. And I'd better like it. Anything you want to add to this Don? ... Don?"

Shula: "I need to go change my diaper."

How did you get this transcript, Tune ?

 

[Tunescribe]

It is not the Commissioner's office that has been out of line. It is the media. This should have been a major story.

Nobody cared because we won. Might've been difference had we lost. Who knows?

 

[patpatriot]

It's finally getting to him that he screwed the Pats way beyond whatever misdeed they committed. I sent to him at league headquarters an article from an AP writer going over the SOS today in the Local NM rag. His punishment of the Pats went way beyond what was deserved especially in the light of their constant demonization. IMO he will reverse himself and return their #1 pick in lieu of some lesser draft choice as compensation for the unfair "sh*tstorm" he caused them to deal with. NOT FAIR!

 

[sieglo]

Colts play the game without Harrison, Ugoh, and Keiaho. Pats play without Morris, with Thomas hobbled to the point of being ineffective, and with Watson and Seymour both recoving from injury.

Everyone always forgets our best coverage safety, Wilson, was out as well. He is probably the most significant Pats player who didn't play versus the Colts.

 

[MetalBleachers]

Amazing how one correct call vaulted us to three superbowls.

THANK YOU. One call, I guess, helped Adam V. kick a FG through a blinding snowstorm and then caused the Raider D to fold in OT.

the Raiders got their shot at a Super Bowl win the following year. How'd that go?

then, in an amazing course of events, that same correct call led NE to a record-breaking win streak over two years and two 17-2 seasons in a row. Amazing.

 

[Tunescribe]

How did you get this transcript, Tune ?

My sister's friend's cousin's ex-sister-in-law is a secretary in the NFL offices.

 

[nowayback]

might be the best thing that happened, the refs making bad calls. now the refs might be hesitant to give and iffy call against the pats.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

IMO he will reverse himself and return their #1 pick in lieu of some lesser draft choice as compensation for the unfair "sh*tstorm" he caused them to deal with. NOT FAIR!

Yes, he will. Just after this...

 

[groundgame]

Commish could be livid that Pereira's crew did not reach the agreed-upon 200 yards of penalties that were to be called against the Patriots. Each play was scrutinized between the two to make sure any borderline calls not made against New England are indeed flagged in the future, with the caveat that they wait only for games with the highest of stakes.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Absolutely no way in hell that Goodell will return the draft pick. That would be an outright admission that is a heavy-handed moron who screwed up the two biggest stories thus far of the season.

1. Suspending Vick indefinitely: I have no inherent problem with this, but I don't see how any argument can be made that he deserves a worse punishment from the league than Leonard Little.

2. Spygate. Returning the pick would be an admission that he botched the whole process from the get-go. As long as he stands pat, the majority of NFL fans will continue to think that he did the right thing, because they want to see the Pats fail.

 

[Fanfrom1960]

Just watching a one hour recap of the game last night (NFL Films, I guess, because it had Steve Sabol) I saw at least two blatant spearing shots by Colts defenders, guys completely leading with helmets. One was to Moss when he was already down after a catch, not sure of the other. Refs right there, no calls. The bogus PI calls were still bogus as hell, even more bull**** in slowmo. Maybe we'll get some makeup calls in the playoffs, maybe not because it's so many weeks down the road.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Gee, I'm relieved to see that league insiders didn't speculate the poor performance might have anything to do with insuring the under or not covering the spread...

Maybe when the official crews to come hear of this sit down with their boss and his boss they will think twice about throwing phantom flags or conversely ignoring opponents blatent transgressions.

I know it would make me feel a lot better about Goodell if he notices that the Pats are blatantly shafted every time they play the Dolts.

 

[The Gr8est]

It's finally getting to him that he screwed the Pats way beyond whatever misdeed they committed. I sent to him at league headquarters an article from an AP writer going over the SOS today in the Local NM rag. His punishment of the Pats went way beyond what was deserved especially in the light of their constant demonization. IMO he will reverse himself and return their #1 pick in lieu of some lesser draft choice as compensation for the unfair "sh*tstorm" he caused them to deal with. NOT FAIR!

My dream press conference from Goodell:

"I wish to make the following statement. In week #1 the New England Patriots were caught violating a league rule by videotaping the Jets defensive signals. The video showed indisputably that the Patriots had done this willfully and, considering that all teams had been warned before this season began, arrogantly.

I intended to make a strong statement that this behavior is unacceptable and therefore levied an unprecedented level of punishment against the Patriots. Additionally, I demanded that the Patriots turn over all the tapes that they had compiled over the years to see if there were any other violations that they were guilty of. The Patriots complied, and I found no other evidence of wrongdoing by the Patriots. Therefore, I ruled that no further punishments would be levied against the Patriots and the tapes would be destroyed to keep them from ending up in hands that they shouldn't. The Patriots videos should not be available to give any other team a competitive advantage.

I also wish to reemphasize that the Patriots gained no competitive advantage from the taping of the Jets' signals in the game they were taped in, and the tapes appear to be just what the Patriots claimed they were used for, intelligence on team's tendencies to be used as part of a database for future analysis.

Let me reemphasize that there is no rule against the stealing of other team's signals. That practice has been going on as long as the NFL has been in existence. The Patriots are being punished for violating the methodology of stealing signals, NOT for the theft itself.

I had hoped my ruling would stem the incidence of the stealing of signals and thus effective help clean up the game.

Unfortunately, my ruling did not accomplish what I had hoped it would do. The media and certain members of other organizations and many of their fans led a media blitz against the Patriots, and have generated ill will against the Patriots' organization to the point of denigrating everything they have accomplished and have even gone to the point of suggesting and implying that deliberate attempts to injure members of the Patriots would not only be acceptable, but would even be celebrated.

Not only has this negative perception been damaging to the Patriots brand, it has been patently unfair. Unfortunately, while the confiscated videos exonerated the Patriots of further wrongdoing, it HAS brought to light infractions committed by other franchises.

No less a person than the illustrious Don Shula has noted that the severity of the Patriots' penalty suggests that the infraction must have been equally severe, and he is correct, it DOES suggest that. Unfortunately that is a false impression.

The loss of a 1st round draft choice is the most severe ever levied against a team and should fit the offense. As the tapes have demonstrated to me, the Patriots have done nothing worse that what I saw other teams commit on the tapes, their mistake was getting caught. It is fair that the Patriots should be punished. It is NOT that they should be punished to such an unprecedented level.

In this case, after further consideration, I believe that I punished the Patriots too severely and left the impression that they were guilty of a greater offense than what actually occurred. Therefore, I am allowing the monetary penalties to stand, and am reducing the lost draft choice to a #3."

This penalty is now in line with the offense. This matter is now closed."

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

As he should.................. it was the worst officiated game I've ever seen. Sh!tty calls are part of the game, but there has to some semblance of balance to them.

I wonder if he watched the game and somewhere deep in his brain he wasn't concerned that he had a ' Donaghy' problem because the calls were so uniformly biased and bad. That would be bad for business and I honestly believe that if there are anymore games as badly officiated as this, then the mainstream media will finally wake up and pursue an agenda that there is an institutional bias against the Patriots.
Wait aminute, it's Goodell...nah never happen.....

 

[QuiGon]

I wonder if he watched the game and somewhere deep in his brain he wasn't concerned that he had a ' Donaghy' problem because the calls were so uniformly biased and bad. That would be bad for business and I honestly believe that if there are anymore games as badly officiated as this, then the mainstream media will finally wake up and pursue an agenda that there is an institutional bias against the Patriots.

Or maybe ridiculously paranoid Pats fans will realize that the Commissioner wants nothing other than fairly called games and, as per NFL policy, will discuss the issue with the head of officiating and continue to consider discipline for crews that do a poor job.

Nah... never happen...

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Or maybe ridiculously paranoid Pats fans will realize that the Commissioner wants nothing other than fairly called games and, as per NFL policy, will discuss the issue with the head of officiating and continue to consider discipline for crews that do a poor job.

Nah... never happen...

Agreed.

Goodell is a 'tool' towards everybody, not just us. Or a 'strict disciplinarian', if you prefer...

 

[Patriotic Fervor]

My sister's friend's cousin's ex-sister-in-law is a secretary in the NFL offices.

Ahhh, but to have your contacts....