NFL officials [mergedx4]

[LaBrady]

Re: NFL officials

Fortunately, in the NFL, no one single official carries as much influence as an individual NBA ref. An NBA ref can have a huge impact on any game, but are you going to bribe a NFL back judge and then just hope a major play comes to him for a ruling...?

Maybe the whole crew could be bribed? how many refs are there in any given game in football?

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

Re: NFL officials

The NFL has long been respected as having the best safeguards against such a thing. After all, let's face it... football is the sport most closely associated with gambling. I wouldn't be surprised to see the NBA adopt just as stringent safeguards now given their current crisis.

Yup. The measures the NFL takes to prevent this stuff are extraordinary. Imagine an extremely active and domineering big brother, inquiring into every possible aspect of your personal and professional life on a continuing basis to determine whether you have any soft spots or weaknesses that would make you a target to professional gamblers or any unusual financial activity indicative of gambling. It's really quite extensive -- Moscow circa 1972 kind of stuff.

Not saying that something cannot fall between the cracks, but short of sending someone to live with you or some other kind of intrusion on your personal space that would make people never take the job, I'm not sure there's much more they can do.

The NFL is hip to this possibility and views it as one of the most significant threats to the goose currently laying golden eggs.

 

[QuiGon]

Re: NFL officials

Maybe the whole crew could be bribed? how many refs are there in any given game in football?

See, now you're just going overboard... bribing a whole crew...? Gimme a break. I mean, I can concede that it's possible to reach one single guy (as the NBA has demonstrated). You take one ref who's a degenerate gambler... he gets in trouble with the mob, is totally desperate and sees no other way out... But to think you can somehow bribe an entire crew and none of them are going to do anything to reveal the plot...? Puh-leeze

 

[richpats]

Re: NFL officials

This is the ridiculous logic I don't understand... if you think the officiating is shady, then why do you follow football..? If I ever believed what you are saying, my days as a football fan would be over.

I followed football before I thought the officiating was THAT shady, and I'm hoping this is just a blip instead of the norm.

 

[PatsSteve1]

Re: NFL officials

As far as a NBA like thing happening in the NFL, I think it would be too difficlut for 1 ref to do that. The way the NFL grades ref calls each game and teams send objections in about calls they didn't like it'd probably be too obvious. In the NBA a ref can call traveling on just about every play and who could argue? - There's a lot more open to interpretation in a NBA game that'd be harder to question. I suppose a ref could call holding a lot, but at some point the head of officals is going to notice.
As far as the NFL deciding who wins the Super Bowl goes. I guess there's not much to be proud of with the 3 Patriots SB wins because obviously they were predetermined by the NFL. What's so great about that? The Patriots never get favorable calls?

 

[QuiGon]

Re: NFL officials

I followed football before I thought the officiating was THAT shady, and I'm hoping this is just a blip instead of the norm.

I guess I am not sure what you mean by "shady". You wrote "I was convinced the officiating was shady." Does that mean you think the officiation was poor, or that you think there was a definite attempt by the league to manufacture a situation whereby the Steelers was the Super Bowl...?

I am the first to admit the officiating sucked that playoff season. But one of the reasons I am still an NFL fan is because I believe wholeheartedly that there was no conspiracy or desire to advance any one certain team over another.

 

[richpats]

Re: NFL officials

I don't think Tagliabue said "We have to help Indianapolis here and hurt New England..."

Sometimes a rule change is just a rule change.

It wasn't a rule "change", it was a "re-emphasis" of an existing rule. THAT rule, not any other rule in the rulebook. Why would they do that?

No it isn't.

If the Colts had just won 4 of 6 Super Bowls, would you think it was good for the league? Take off the blinders.

Newsflash: The teams on NE's schedule are decided by a pre-determined formula that includes 2 games against each divisional foe, a 3-year rotation amongst the AFC division, a 4 year rotation amongst the NFC and 2 other games played based on where the teams finish in the standings. If the Pats have a tough schedule in any given year, it's due to the fact that that's how the stars aligned.

Blah blah blah, yeah I know the scheduling rotation. But 4 out of 5 road games against tough opponents? Any coincidence that Indy's schedule is finally looking tough this year?

 

[Peytonsbetter]

Re: NFL officials

People like you amaze me... it's tough to tell if you're being serious here since your allegations are so ridiculously absurd, but it's safe to say that there are people who think the league des conspire to rig outcomes.

What do you think the commisioner does...? Sit around and say "let's risk our entire league, our entire business, our personal freedom, risk going to jail and losing our very reputations in order to help Manning win a Super Bowl..!!"

Anyone that knows anything about the logic of risk-reward woudl know how stupid the above sounds.

Thank you for this slice of sanity in the ocean of lunacy which is this thread.

For those of you who are convinced that the pats were screwed in the AFCCG, I say any team that allows 32 points in the second half of ANY game, does not deserve to win that game.

 

[richpats]

Re: NFL officials

I guess I am not sure what you mean by "shady". You wrote "I was convinced the officiating was shady." Does that mean you think the officiation was poor, or that you think there was a definite attempt by the league to manufacture a situation whereby the Steelers was the Super Bowl...?

A little of both. It was very obvious that a lot of questionable if not downright poor calls were going the Steelers way. Even Mike Holmgren, a freakin' NFL head coach, openly criticized the officiating for being one-sided.

 

[richpats]

Re: NFL officials

Thank you for this slice of sanity in the ocean of lunacy which is this thread.

For those of you who are convinced that the pats were screwed in the AFCCG, I say any team that allows 32 points in the second half of ANY game, does not deserve to win that game.

Well the officials didn't make it hard for them.

 

[QuiGon]

Re: NFL officials

A little of both. It was very obvious that a lot of questionable if not downright poor calls were going the Steelers way.

Well, were the refs in the Indy-Pittsburgh game in on this plan...? Because they made an awful lot of calls go against Pittsburgh there.

Even Mike Holmgren, a freakin' NFL head coach, openly criticized the officiating for being one-sided.

Now wait just a damn minute... you mean to tell me the Head Coach of an NFL team that just lost a game criticized the officials..?!? Shocked..!! I am shocked to hear such a thing..!!

Like I said before. I think the NFL needs to look at the issue of referees just going along with the home team. I don't believe for a second there was shady conspiracy to see to it that Denver beat NE or Indy beat Pittsburgh or Pittsburgh beat Seattle.

 

[richpats]

Re: NFL officials

Now wait just a damn minute... you mean to tell me the Head Coach of an NFL team that just lost a game criticized the officials..?!? Shocked..!! I am shocked to hear such a thing..!!

Theatrics aside, I've heard coaches gripe about a play or 2, but Holmgren, a classy guy IMO, openly ripped the officiating in the ENTIRE Super Bowl.

 

[Peytonsbetter]

Re: NFL officials

It wasn't a rule "change", it was a "re-emphasis" of an existing rule. THAT rule, not any other rule in the rulebook. Why would they do that?

Because Belichick was making a mockery of that rule by having his db's hold on every play. His reasoning was good: if they're not gonna call it, we're gonna keep doing it. But, it was getting ridiculous.

If the Colts had just won 4 of 6 Super Bowls, would you think it was good for the league? Take off the blinders.

Do you think the Packers dynasty was good for the NFL? Of course it was. Or the Steelers? Yes. Maybe YOU should remove the blinders.

Blah blah blah, yeah I know the scheduling rotation. But 4 out of 5 road games against tough opponents? Any coincidence that Indy's schedule is finally looking tough this year?

We had back to back road games against the Bronco's and the Pats in NOVEMBER last year. If the league truly wanted Peyton to win a Super-Bowl, why would they do that? Answer- quite obviously, they wouldn't.

 

[QuiGon]

Re: NFL officials

It wasn't a rule "change", it was a "re-emphasis" of an existing rule.

No sh*t. Which is why, when I first made the statement in this thread, I wrote "Sometimes a rule change is just a rule change (or, in this case, "emphasis")." In the interest of brevity, I am going to consider them the same thing... unfortunately, this being the internet, there's always some smarmy know-it-all that has to take the literal meaning of the words you said instead of what is the obvious meaning...

THAT rule, not any other rule in the rulebook. Why would they do that?

Um, because the commissioner thought the rule was not being applied by the refs the way it was intended.

If the Colts had just won 4 of 6 Super Bowls, would you think it was good for the league?

Was it bad for the league when Pittsburgh did that...? Or when Dallas won 3 of 4...? Did fans stop following the NFL in droves during the Cowboys dynasty of the 90's or the SF 49ers dynasty of the 80's..?

Blah blah blah, yeah I know the scheduling rotation. But 4 out of 5 road games against tough opponents?

Well, the same scheduling formula I mentioned also predetermines the location of those games. For example I could tell you right now with absolute certainty the Patriots' opponents for next year (and the location of those games) for 14 of the 16 games if I took the time to look it up.

Any coincidence that Indy's schedule is finally looking tough this year?

You just don't know how the NFL's schedule is determined, do you..?

 

[Peytonsbetter]

Re: NFL officials

Well the officials didn't make it hard for them.

Yeah, the Pats defense was SUPPOSED to do that.

 

[richpats]

Re: NFL officials

Because Belichick was making a mockery of that rule by having his db's hold on every play. His reasoning was good: if they're not gonna call it, we're gonna keep doing it. But, it was getting ridiculous.

Sorta like the Colts o-line holding every play. If they're not gonna call it, they're going to keep doing it. Maybe somebody should "emphasize" a rule on them.

Do you think the Packers dynasty was good for the NFL? Of course it was. Or the Steelers? Yes. Maybe YOU should remove the blinders.

Why was it "good" for the NFL though? Your reasoning is non-existent. A dynasty in today's league is just what the NFL is trying to prevent.

We had back to back road games against the Bronco's and the Pats in NOVEMBER last year. If the league truly wanted Peyton to win a Super-Bowl, why would they do that? Answer- quite obviously, they wouldn't.

Wow, only 2 tough road games back-to-back. I'll admit, compared to their other schedules that was pretty rough

 

[richpats]

Re: NFL officials

Was it bad for the league when Pittsburgh did that...? Or when Dallas won 3 of 4...? Did fans stop following the NFL in droves during the Cowboys dynasty of the 90's or the SF 49ers dynasty of the 80's..?

Ok, you didn't answer my question. BTW, do you always answer a question with a question? You don't really have any good reasoning for what you're trying to prove.

Well, the same scheduling formula I mentioned also predetermines the location of those games. For example I could tell you right now with absolute certainty the Patriots' opponents for next year (and the location of those games) for 14 of the 16 games if I took the time to look it up.
You just don't know how the NFL's schedule is determined, do you..?

When I said "I know the scheduling rotation" that should have tipped you. Let me put this in plain English as to not confuse you: given the games the Pats were scheduled to play in 2005, isn't it strange that they would give NE a five-game stretch with 4 road games against THOSE opponents? Please back up your answer with some reasoning.

 

[Frezo]

Re: NFL officials

If the Colts had just won 4 of 6 Super Bowls, would you think it was good for the league? Take off the blinders.

Then how can the total domination of the AFC be explained? Every fan of an NFC team knows there is little chance for them to win it all. I perceive no fixing for the NFC whatsoever.

The NFL is in great shape. There were only two teams I know of that experienced television blackouts, (Raiders and Bills), and there is definately no fix on for them to win more games.

I'm forced to disagree that the NFL is fixing games for its own benefit. A money trail to Vegas scenario is more plausible, but there is no hard evidence and if there were it would only point to one or two officials, not the entire league.

 

[richpats]

Re: NFL officials

I'm forced to disagree that the NFL is fixing games for its own benefit.

I don't think the NFL is fixing games - I never said that.

 

[Frezo]

Re: NFL officials

Excuse me for misreading your posts. So then you don't think the games are fixed?