BS Taunting

[joro845]

I was at the game! I was sitting on the corner of the endzone where the 'penalty' occured. The flag was thrown on the hit, maybe a defenseless receiver penalty. Then the refs discussed and came back with taunting. Taunting!! There was no repay of the play at the game so I don't know if there was anything that could even be considered taunting but I sure didnt' see it live.

That call blew me away. 3 refs discussed and decided they didn't want to pick up a flag?! I truly don't understand.

Many others have made the point that you can't just blame a lose on this one play. That is very true. But this play was no a patriots' play, it was a refs' play. I can accept when we play badly and lose but when a bad call and decision contributes I get upset.

There were a couple of times when Brady missed Welker that could have kept a drive going or sealed the game. One he was 2 sets in front of the defender and NOOO help anywhere around. If Brady had hit him in stride in stead of throwing way behind him he would have been gone, game over.

It was good to see Pat's nation out in force at Mile High!!

 

[Wolfpack]

Cmon we all saw it, The d*ck head ref was pulling that flag out before Merriweather even got up. I think they were going to call unnecessary roughness but decided that it wasn't and didn't want to waive it off so they made up some BS. I almost threw the remote through the damn TV. THIS IS NOT AN EXCUSE THREAD, I REPEAT THIS IS NOT AN EXCUSE THREAD WE HAD PLENTY OF CHANCES TO WIN THIS GAME.

I think you nailed it 100%. He was originally going to call unnecessary roughness then decided to fall back on taunting - which actually I believe is the right call after Meriweather made like Muhammed Ali. So I guess we should be happy he didn't call both the penalties since they both would have been enforced.

Also, I have no idea what the announcers were talking about with regards to a pass interference flag. Maybe it just never showed up on TV but I didn't see any flag from any other ref on that play, and the referee didn't mention anything about pass interference when he addressed the crowd (normally he would point out if there was such a flag, even if it was being waved off).

 

[Wolfpack]

Excuses or not: (guess I can't help being p/o'd right now)

BS1: Morenos fumble called forward progress?
BS2: Flag for pass interference magically turned into a taunting flag??
BS3: Brady's fumble not reviewed for possible incomplete pass by the booth???
BS4: The play after; no booth review of that fumble either????

1 and 2 I think are just horrible calls. 3 and 4 I think more than likely were correct, but should've been booth-reviewed within 2 mins nonetheless...

BS1 was indeed a horrible call. I think the referees chickened out and took the path of least resistance there.

BS2 was messed up but I don't think it was ever meant to be a pass interference call. And considering I agree that what Meriweather did was taunting, I can't really complain.

BS3 wasn't even close. It was clearly a fumble and there was no need to review.

BS4 the Broncos recovered the fumble, so there was no need to review it.

 

[Franchise12]

If what merriweather did was taunting, then ornton should have been flagged for the same offense. After denvers last touchdown that stemmed from merriweathers penalty, ornton runs up to leigh bodden and throws up his hand to signify touchdown. Daniel grahm also taunted the patriots sideline in the 4th quarter. Simply put, The merriweather call was pure B.S. I've seen teams like the ravens and pittsburgh do worse and not get called for it.

 

[Wolfpack]

If what merriweather did was taunting, then ornton should have been flagged for the same offense. After denvers last touchdown that stemmed from merriweathers penalty, ornton runs up to leigh bodden and throws up his hand to signify touchdown. Daniel grahm also taunted the patriots sideline in the 4th quarter. Simply put, The merriweather call was pure B.S. I've seen teams like the ravens and pittsburgh do worse and not get called for it.

You can't stand over an opponent who is down on the ground, so IMHO those other examples aren't really related.

 

[FloridaPatsFan]

I understand that people aren't perfect, but there is a GROUP of officials that talked about it, it wasn't even borderline and was at a critical time in a very close game. Group talked about it+totally idiotic call+at a critical time = not a mistake. It was premeditated.

Having read everyones view of this call...and there are some reasonably viable explanations for the flag.....The one thing that sticks out in my mind on this play is that the ref had his flag in hand even before contact/DPI or taunting...I think the ref (who looked to be about 22 years old?) clearly was planning on throwing a flag no matter what the outcome was on the play...and don't tell me that Brandon Marshall wasn't sticking it in everybody's faces either...he was as guilty as anyone...

 

[bresna]

You can't stand over an opponent who is down on the ground, so IMHO those other examples aren't really related.

Didn't you watch the play?? Watch the slow mo replay. The flag was thrown before Merriweather made ANY gesture at all. It was thrown for pass interference and when they talked and realized it was tipped, they pulled "taunting" out of their nether regions. If that was taunting, there's taunting every play.

BTW, did anyone else notice the Broncos receiver who made a first down going out of bounds and threw the ball at a Pats defender? Now that was taunting.

 

[BradyManny]

I thought the refs were typically terrible, but it benefited neither team. I'm OK with them continuing to suck, as long as they suck in an equitable manner, which they have been doing.

 

[Wolfpack]

Didn't you watch the play?? Watch the slow mo replay. The flag was thrown before Merriweather made ANY gesture at all. It was thrown for pass interference and when they talked and realized it was tipped, they pulled "taunting" out of their nether regions. If that was taunting, there's taunting every play.

BTW, did anyone else notice the Broncos receiver who made a first down going out of bounds and threw the ball at a Pats defender? Now that was taunting.

Yeah I saw the play, and I described what I thought happened in another post in this thread. I agree pretty much word for word with what the OP of this thread wrote. IMHO, the ref threw the flag with the intent of calling unnecessary roughness then changed his call post facto to taunting. You (and many others) are saying the original call was going to be pass interference maybe you're right, but it doesn't really matter since that penalty ended up not being called.

Yes, you're right that the flag was thrown before the actual taunting took place. However, since I think it actually was taunting, I really can't argue with the call just because the flag originally happened to be thrown for some other reason.

 

[bresna]

Yahoo's Jason Cole, not normally on the side of the pats for any call, seems to agree that this taunting penalty was bogus. Down at the bottom of October 13th's story, there's this little nugget:

"Speaking of bad calls, the NFL has some explaining to do on the taunting call against New England safety Brandon Meriweather(notes) that helped set up the game-tying touchdown for Denver in the fourth quarter. The flag came out before any hint of taunting and Meriweather’s actions were borderline, at best."

If Cole says this, it's gotta be bad!

 

[Seacoast Fan]

The problem I have with the taunting call is that what Merriweather did was pretty quick and limited, not prolonged and clearly premeditated. I don't understand how Jared Allen of the Vikings can sack the QB, and then run out ten yards to mid field, in plain view of all, do his choreographed "calf roping" routine, or WeverTF he calls it, and he does it over and over again, and that is not considered taunting. And yet, Merriweather jumps up once, out of bounds and half hidden by the sideline crowd, and he gets flagged.
People here have said, you can't do it with the offensive player on the ground at your feet, in his direction, etc. but I think it is worse to do it like Allen, who is clearly gloating after a sack, when you are at mid field and every eye on the stadium, including the entire other team along the sidleines, watching you.

 

[TrueBeliever]

The problem I have with the taunting call is that what Merriweather did was pretty quick and limited, not prolonged and clearly premeditated. I don't understand how Jared Allen of the Vikings can sack the QB, and then run out ten yards to mid field, in plain view of all, do his choreographed "calf roping" routine, or WeverTF he calls it, and he does it over and over again, and that is not considered taunting. And yet, Merriweather jumps up once, out of bounds and half hidden by the sideline crowd, and he gets flagged.
People here have said, you can't do it with the offensive player on the ground at your feet, in his direction, etc. but I think it is worse to do it like Allen, who is clearly gloating after a sack, when you are at mid field and every eye on the stadium, including the entire other team along the sidleines, watching you.

BINGO! We have BINGO!

 

[Wolfpack]

The problem I have with the taunting call is that what Merriweather did was pretty quick and limited, not prolonged and clearly premeditated. I don't understand how Jared Allen of the Vikings can sack the QB, and then run out ten yards to mid field, in plain view of all, do his choreographed "calf roping" routine, or WeverTF he calls it, and he does it over and over again, and that is not considered taunting. And yet, Merriweather jumps up once, out of bounds and half hidden by the sideline crowd, and he gets flagged.
People here have said, you can't do it with the offensive player on the ground at your feet, in his direction, etc. but I think it is worse to do it like Allen, who is clearly gloating after a sack, when you are at mid field and every eye on the stadium, including the entire other team along the sidleines, watching you.

You answer your own question about why Meriweather was flagged but not Allen. You cannot stand over an opponent who is down on the ground and make such gestures and comments. Like 'em or not, those are the rules.

 

[Michael]

You answer your own question about why Meriweather was flagged but not Allen. You cannot stand over an opponent who is down on the ground and make such gestures and comments. Like 'em or not, those are the rules.

Except...the flag was thrown before he made the gesture.

 

[WhoaDirty]

Except...the flag was thrown before he made the gesture.

And it's highly likely it was for pass interference. Refs discuss, realize it was tipped, thus no PI. But I believe they can change the call of a flag after it is thrown - can anyone confirm this?

Regardless, I don't think it should have been called taunting, but Merriweather should know better than to give the refs a chance to make a borderline call when the game is close.

 

[JSn]

Tonight on Total Asses Perera said the flag was for helmet-to-helmet/defenseless receiver but was picked up and the EZ judge threw the taunting flag. It actually made me MORE convinced it was a BS call.