Considering giving up on watching NFL games, ...

[cmasspatsfan]

Blown calls are one thing, this edict on Gronk is what's pushed a lot of us over the edge. We've lost close games on bad calls in the past and there wasn't this kind of talk. It looks and smells bad

 

[Kdo5]

Considering giving up on watching NFL games, ...


but I just love this team too much. I am so frustrated. The level of bias in the refs was amazing.

I understand your frustration. Not just with the referees but the NFL itself and how our team has been treated and trampled on by the league and national media. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are so great that it helps me stomach the rest of the ******** in the league.

I've said it before but I don't think I can continue to follow the NFL once Tom Brady hangs up the cleats, however soon that will be.

 

[NE-VT]

The Pats losing in prime time exposed an ongoing scandal of match fixing in the NFL (seriously, look at the traction it's getting online). If they won, in light of biased officiating clearly affecting the outcome of the game, a ****ing parade should have been organized for the team.

Do you have any links that show it is gaining traction? The only site I know about is "thefixisin.net". Is there new stuff being posted somewhere?

 

[ausbacker]

Do you have any links that show it is gaining traction? The only site I know about is "thefixisin.net". Is there new stuff being posted somewhere?

Jump onto Twitter and throw in some generic Patriots terms. You'll find all the links you need from there.

 

[OhExaulted1]

Roger Goodell is sucking the life out of my football enjoyment. He's a **** of the highest order.

I usually reserve that word for my ex-wife only. In this case it applies as well.

They're quite literally the only people I deal with who's life agenda is to suck the fun out of everything.

 

[corruptgoddell]

I'm just happy we got the 4th much deserved championship last year. The league did everything they could to prevent it from happening and we still won. Everything else is just icing on the cake now. I still want them to win, but as long as Denver or Indy don't win it all, I won't be disappointed if we don't especially with all the corruption behind the scenes.

 

[letekro]

The Pats losing in prime time exposed an ongoing scandal of match fixing in the NFL (seriously, look at the traction it's getting online). If they won, in light of biased officiating clearly affecting the outcome of the game, a ****ing parade should have been organized for the team.

Unless Chris Harper was in on the "match fixing", it was a pretty bad job of "match fixing" because the Pats would have won going away had he fielded the punt.

 

[Bella*chick]

Would everybody be feeling this way if the Pats won last night?

Yes, totally and completely.

I have been feeling this way most of the year, and we were undefeated until the other night.

 

[CheekyDave]

Been an avid sports fan since 1967. Gave up on the NBA when the refs gave game 7 to the Lakers over the Celtics a few years back when they started blowing whistles on every play in the 4th quarter.

VERY close to giving up on the NFL. Simply put I do not TRUST the product. Fixed or not, when you do not TRUST the integrity of the game you cannot have any confidence in it, and that is disheatening.

I am sure I cannot be the only person who feels that way, and wonder if some sort of critical mass will be reached....

WAITING for the first official, executive, etc who gets disgruntled and blows the whistle on the reality of the underpinnings.. THAT will bring me supreme satisfaction, and would bring me back.

 

[dales804]

Watching games isn't much fun for me anymore either. I haven't watched a second of NFL coverage outside of Pats games this year and I've missed some of them, too. I used to love having the games on during Thursday and Sunday and Monday nights but no more. I do not find it enjoyable. I actually look forward to when Brady/BB are done so I can stop following altogether.

 

[102 Pat]

In their defense, I read plenty of unhappy posts after the Bills game.

It's not just the Bills game, you can come on this forum after a win and based off some of the threads, you would of thought they lost...

 

[ausbacker]

Unless Chris Harper was in on the "match fixing", it was a pretty bad job of "match fixing" because the Pats would have won going away had he fielded the punt.

You're right in that the Patriots should have won in a canter however, after Harper's unfortunate mistake, the flags came out or more importantly, they did not come out clearly favoring Denver and determined the outcome of the game.

 

[letekro]

You're right in that the Patriots should have won in a canter however, after Harper's unfortunate mistake, the flags came out or more importantly, they did not come out clearly favoring Denver and determined the outcome of the game.

My theory is simpler, and, I think, more plausible than the sort of conspiracy you are suggesting. That is, the officials are human--when the home team starts coming back and the fans are becoming rabid, there is a natural, subconscious tendency to not want to disrupt that, or even to feed it--this leads to the sorts of cascading bad calls in favor of the home team that we saw on Sunday and in Indy in 2006. I am quite positive that other fan bases could give you examples benefitting the Patriots, but of course they would in that case just be whining, right?

 

[ausbacker]

My theory is simpler, and, I think, more plausible than the sort of conspiracy you are suggesting. That is, the officials are human--when the home team starts coming back and the fans are becoming rabid, there is a natural, subconscious tendency to not want to disrupt that, or even to feed it--this leads to the sorts of cascading bad calls in favor of the home team that we saw on Sunday and in Indy in 2006. I am quite positive that other fan bases could give you examples benefitting the Patriots, but of course they would in that case just be whining, right?

I have no doubt the Patriots have been on the plus side of this ledger (hell, the Tuck Rule) but the performance of the officials in Denver was outright cheating. It's incomprehensible to me, to see the same "penalties" called on the Patriots yet not on Denver, who were committing actual penalties. There's photographic evidence to support this which moves it beyond simple human error.

 

[Galeb]

I have no doubt the Patriots have been on the plus side of this ledger (hell, the Tuck Rule) but the performance of the officials in Denver was outright cheating. It's incomprehensible to me, to see the same "penalties" called on the Patriots yet not on Denver, who were committing actual penalties. There's photographic evidence to support this which moves it beyond simple human error.

The "tuck rule" call in the Raiders game was the right call.... it was just a stupid rule. The Pats lost a game earlier that season due to the tuck rule.

 

[NashuaPats]

I just woke up and saw the replay of the end of the GB/Detroit game. How do the refs blow a call with no time remaining on a desperation lateral play 60 yards away? I sure am glad that I am currently boycotting non Patriots game due to game changing bad officiating. I would have gone ballistic if I saw it live.

 

[Mountain_Commando]

I just woke up and saw the replay of the end of the GB/Detroit game. How do the refs blow a call with no time remaining on a desperation lateral play 60 yards away? I sure am glad that I am currently boycotting non Patriots game due to game changing bad officiating. I would have gone ballistic if I saw it live.

I just saw that too. Unbelievable ending!

What's the rule on facemask? Announcers said a simple touch of the facemask (which is really all it was) is enough for a penalty. Can anyone confirm if that's true?

 

[Lavictoire]

The NFL sees fans as that moronic discount double check guy. I'm close to quitting on the NFL and reclaiming my time for more important things. Judging by comments by other fans, they are sick of the flags and bureacracy ruining the game.I can't seem to pull myself away from the Bellichick/Brady era though. There was a doctor years ago who was tied into the elite and in a lecture said the elite plan everything in our culture way in advance and listed all the changes including to replace football with soccer. They seem to be deliberately accomplishing that by watering down the product and frustrating the fans as well as emasculating the game with safety rules.

 

[fgssand]

The NFL sees fans as that moronic discount double check guy. I'm close to quitting on the NFL and reclaiming my time for more important things. Judging by comments by other fans, they are sick of the flags and bureacracy ruining the game.I can't seem to pull myself away from the Bellichick/Brady era though. There was a doctor years ago who was tied into the elite and in a lecture said the elite plan everything in our culture way in advance and listed all the changes including to replace football with soccer. They seem to be deliberately accomplishing that by watering down the product and frustrating the fans as well as emasculating the game with safety rules.

Hogwash......it's still the best game going with all of its flaws. The last three games ended either on the last play of the game.

Soccer, puhleeze, I'd rather nap to boring baseball than watch that crap. Hockey is good, not great...except during playoffs and basketball works with some last minute heroics.


Officials really are amazing and at the same time blow an alarming rate of calls - that said, it evens out. It's real simple if you look at the bronco game, catch the punt or make a couple of first downs and nine of the calls or non calls can hurt.

But football, NFL football cannot be beat and I said that when we won two games a year, saying now when we are the best and will still say it when we go back under 500.

 

[TBR]

I just saw that too. Unbelievable ending!

What's the rule on facemask? Announcers said a simple touch of the facemask (which is really all it was) is enough for a penalty. Can anyone confirm if that's true?

It's only a penalty if you pull or twist it. The Lions player slightly grazed it with his finger as you may have noticed. Incidental contact like that = no foul. Looks like the sudden impact (and potentially some Rodgers acting) made his helmet jerk. edit: sudden impact of getting hit/tackled at the shoulder, not impact from facemask

The one ref who saw the play up close made the right call and didn't throw his flag. Unfortunately, an official behind the play threw his, despite having a worse view and basically just guessed it was a penalty.

Also, I believe you can fully grab a hold of the facemask and release it, as long as you don't tug/pull/twist it.