How worried are you about the Refs?

[pazrul72]

One of the biggest questions with this whole deflategate nonsense is did the NFL refs do thier job properly testing the balls with a gauge or were they in a rush and did the squeeze test yup those feel fine? Like any profession they are going to come to bat against people who make thier coworkers (and by extention themselves) look bad, especially if its been hammered to death in the national media for two weeks. I believe the Patriots can win this game, especially if Sherman and Thomas are not 100%. Then I think about the refs in The Longest Yard and realize that if they are truely pissed off at BB for making them look bad they can have a HUGE influence on the game. I know that was just a movie and the set up was for watching a ref get hit in the balls twice for a laugh but if they don't call the game fair all it takes is one of two game changing calls. I wish I sounded like the tin hat brigade but it worries me. Thoughts?

 

[DC_Patriot]

Let's just say that if the refereeing is just a little too "cute" this game, then it might just be the last game I ever watch.

 

[eom]

I'm not worried about anything

anybody who's worried is sleeping on this team

 

[BradyToAmendola]

Whether they're lenient with the calls and letting stuff go or calling it tighter, I don't really care as long as it's straight down the middle for both sides.

I think recent history shows they tend to let more go in the SB though. They know what the fans are there to see.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Take it out of the refs hands and blow them out. It's that simple.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

There is no way the refs would do anything shady after the heat the NFL has been taking all year from ray rice, the poor refereeing in the playoffs and now deflate-gate.

 

[PatsDeb]

I'm not worried. Read Peter King's MMQB (only the first story) about what Bill Vinovich went through to get where he is on Sunday. I don't think there will be a retaliation factor and I think the refs will let them play (which won't necessarily help us with Seattle's aggressive secondary. They seem to get away with a lot in even regular games).

 

[Betterthanmost]

Take it out of the refs hands and blow them out. It's that simple.

That is not possible. Go and watch the superbowl between the Seahawks and the Steelers, every big play was called back for very ticky tacky and at times non existent fouls.
They might not call fouls on every play, but they can hurt you. Refs control this game.

 

[chasa]

Anytime you get an "all star team" of refs, there is bound to be a TON of bad calls.

Vinovich was supposed to be really solid, but there were NUMEROUS lopsided calls in the ravens game.

 

[captain stone]

These zebras will not give the Pats any benefit of the doubt…not…one...

 

[Connecticut]

I am worried. After this Patriots fiasco, the NFL definitely benefits more from a Seahawks win.

 

[pazrul72]

Take it out of the refs hands and blow them out. It's that simple.

I am just going to echo vuudu as its pretty much how I feel. All it takes is one or two major calls against you to completely change the game. Look at the Ravens game for example, at the end of the day both teams had something like 6 penelties for nearly identical yardage. Now factor in the blatent non holding call on GRONK and the bogus PI on Revis and can you honestly tell me that felt like a fair and unbiased ref job? Another example look at that hit Browner laid out a SD receiver forcing a turnover that was returned for a TD. Huge play, could have lost the patriots the game but they were mentally tough enough to keep playing and win anyway. This team has come thru so much already it would tear me up to see them lose the biggest game on ref BS.

 

[Jackson 2]

I wouldn't describe myself as "worried", but I'm also not discounting the possibility that they could screw us. Up until this year, I would have been more concerned about a bad officiating mistake costing us. But, after seeing what's happened in the league offices this year and what's occurred on the field with officiating, I don't discount the possibility of anything happening, including bad calls which aren't mistakes.

 

[Jackson 2]

There is no way the refs would do anything shady after the heat the NFL has been taking all year from ray rice, the poor refereeing in the playoffs and now deflate-gate.

TB12, I understand your point, but I also feel the opposite. I think the league thinks they can do anything they want.

 

[Blizzzard]

I'm very very worried about the refs.... More so than the actual opponent.

I've said it before and I'll say it again..... The winner and sometimes the participants are orchestrated by the league.

Big story lines: brother against brother (49ers, ravens) first African American coach to win a Super Bowl (guaranteed by the fact that both head coaches happened to be African American)
Teams win or get very close after disasters (9/11 2001 pats, Katrina, saints)
And no small market team ever beats a big market team ( aka: follow the T-shirt and DVD money)
Keeping teams from winning 3 SBowls in a row during salary cap era (05 pats, in a very oddly called game in Denver) Keeping a team from going 19-0 in salary cap era (07 pats, in a poorly officiated Super Bowl)
Both of thos Super Bowls were lost to another big market team... Ensuring the best financial outcome for the league, even if they let a big market team lose.

I would be done with this league if I wasn't so in love with the Patriots.

 

[Connecticut]

I'm very very worried about the refs.... More so than the actual opponent.

I've said it before and I'll say it again..... The winner and sometimes the participants are orchestrated by the league.

Big story lines: brother against brother (49ers, ravens) first African American coach to win a Super Bowl (guaranteed by the fact that both head coaches happened to be African American)
Teams win or get very close after disasters (9/11 2001 pats, Katrina, saints)
And no small market team ever beats a big market team ( aka: follow the T-shirt and DVD money)
Keeping teams from winning 3 SBowls in a row during salary cap era (05 pats, in a very oddly called game in Denver) Keeping a team from going 19-0 in salary cap era (07 pats, in a poorly officiated Super Bowl)
Both of thos Super Bowls were lost to another big market team... Ensuring the best financial outcome for the league, even if they let a big market team lose.

I would be done with this league if I wasn't so in love with the Patriots.

So what's the rationale behind this one?

 

[pazrul72]

I'm very very worried about the refs.... More so than the actual opponent.

I've said it before and I'll say it again..... The winner and sometimes the participants are orchestrated by the league.

Big story lines: brother against brother (49ers, ravens) first African American coach to win a Super Bowl (guaranteed by the fact that both head coaches happened to be African American)
Teams win or get very close after disasters (9/11 2001 pats, Katrina, saints)
And no small market team ever beats a big market team ( aka: follow the T-shirt and DVD money)
Keeping teams from winning 3 SBowls in a row during salary cap era (05 pats, in a very oddly called game in Denver) Keeping a team from going 19-0 in salary cap era (07 pats, in a poorly officiated Super Bowl)
Both of thos Super Bowls were lost to another big market team... Ensuring the best financial outcome for the league, even if they let a big market team lose.

I would be done with this league if I wasn't so in love with the Patriots.

A little too tin foil hat for me as I think they will find a story line for any match up. They have to fire people up somehow. That said it does make you go hmmm with all the examples you gave. The Katrina one being the one that makes me go hmmm most. I do realize this league is a business and in the business of making money so while I bet they do have a preference for who wins I don't think they do whatever they can to make it happen.

 

[pwes]

The Katrina one makes no sense. I mean in 2001 you could maybe have a point with 9/11 (though one of the New York teams would have make more sense) but Katrina happened in 2005. The Saints won during the 2009 season. I would not consider that close after a disaster.

 

[BradyFTW!]

I'm very very worried about the refs.... More so than the actual opponent.

I've said it before and I'll say it again..... The winner and sometimes the participants are orchestrated by the league.

Big story lines: brother against brother (49ers, ravens) first African American coach to win a Super Bowl (guaranteed by the fact that both head coaches happened to be African American)
Teams win or get very close after disasters (9/11 2001 pats, Katrina, saints)
And no small market team ever beats a big market team ( aka: follow the T-shirt and DVD money)
Keeping teams from winning 3 SBowls in a row during salary cap era (05 pats, in a very oddly called game in Denver) Keeping a team from going 19-0 in salary cap era (07 pats, in a poorly officiated Super Bowl)
Both of thos Super Bowls were lost to another big market team... Ensuring the best financial outcome for the league, even if they let a big market team lose.

I would be done with this league if I wasn't so in love with the Patriots.

For the life of me, I can't understand why anyone who actually believes that would keep watching. If you're convinced that the fix is in, go find another sport to watch. And while you're at it, go explain to a Jets fan that the Pats won in 2001 because of 9/11.

I do think the refs will be biased against us on Sunday. Most of the country thinks we're cheaters, and they're people. As a result, I do expect the net effect of the officiating to be that we get hosed. I do not, however, think that the game is fixed. If the Pats are going to win, they're going to have todo so extra convincingly.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Browner will get his usual 2 PI/Holding calls...but they SHOULD get the same....but prob won't