Does the NFL admit they screwed up again?

[Rob0729]

Simultaneous?!? I know NFL broadcasts are on a seven second delay, but I didn't know the officiating was too.

 

[Ozymandias]

By NFL standards, their definition of simultaneous is used as a justifiable excuse for whenever their referees do something completely idiotic. From calling a clear interception a touchdown to not calling pass interference/face-guarding on game winning plays. Dean Blandino could've easily just said, "because I'm Batman." And it would've had the same effect.

National Joke League.

 

[Silver Blue&Red]

A lot of talk about " Gronk probably wouldn't have got to the ball" . We've seen incredible plays made in games. Who the hell has the right to say what might have happened? BS. A rule is a rule. Dam it . Stop with the " It was the right call" crap. Please.

 

[Silver Blue&Red]

Dean Blandino: “Let’s go through the play. Here is (Rob) Gronkowski in the formation. The back judge in the middle of the field – he’s on the end line – that’s his key. We have (Aaron) Dobson down here; the side judge who is on the goal line – that’s his key. Let’s watch the play develop. The back judge is going to see restriction right there and he’s going to throw his flag for that restriction. The side judge who had Dobson, his mechanics are once the ball is in the air he’s going to go to the ball and he’s going to focus on the interception. After the play – you’ll see the flag come out – the back judge is going to signal to the side judge and they’re going to get together and have a discussion. What they’re going to talk about is when did the restriction occur in relation to the ball being touched? Because once the ball is touched you cannot have pass interference. This is a judgment call; the officials don’t have the use of replay. They don’t have slow motion replay and ultimately they ruled that the restriction occurred simultaneously with the ball being touched. When you watch it at full speed, you could see why they would make that call on the field.”

Here's a picture of Dean Blandino for those of you that are interested...

Is that the biggest "load of crap, talking out of the side of your mouth, the fans are stupid sheep" excuse you have ever heard? I, myself am highly insulted by them trying to pull this BS on me

 

[Joker]

I've been highly insulted since that NY rich kid punk weaseled his way into power in the NFL and screwed this franchise year after year after year since.

 

[supafly]

OK...so it doesn't bother you...that's fine...that's YOUR right...but to ask any of us to "move on" is a bit ludicrous when , in the very article YOU cite there is THIS as a summation....

Note the 2:00 mark when Blandino said the "restriction occurred simultaneously with the ball being touched," and then Blandino turned to watch the monitor and three full seconds passed between Gronkowski being contacted and the ball being intercepted.

THAT is FACTUAL EVIDENCE that Blandino is LYING.

I don't dispute what you're saying to be true, Joker; and I am just as frustrated as you.

It's just my opinion that it's better to try and move on. There's nothing that we can do, and the frustration that continues to build isn't going to do any of us any good--especially with a shortened week to try and prepare for the NFL's best offense.

These guys are going to stick together though. They'll never admit that they are wrong in this case.

 

[Joker]

I know this. What I want is the press finally picking it up as a real story....it's the friggin' crumb trail in the forest...."explanations"...

 

[Jackson 2]

I know this. What I want is the press finally picking it up as a real story....it's the friggin' crumb trail in the forest...."explanations"...

A major impediment to the type of epiphany on the part of local media we're hoping for is the fact that, in my opinion at least, most of them dislike BB, Kraft (to a lesser extent), the team and, most of all, the fans. Borges, Felger, Mazz, Shank, Ryan, Buckley et al love it when NE loses, is screwed or just has bad things happen to them. There are some fair ones like Curran, Reese, Price and Chatham, but they're outnumbered.

 

[NJPatsfan26]

Good ole NC

 

[SVN]

Rams' Jeff Fisher: Looked like a penalty - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN

 

[Brady6]

This is pretty funny: http://notsportscenter.com/mnfrefsfired/

 

[Pat Riot]

Its gnikcuf stupid.

 

[PatsFan24]

It amazing, after all the complaining we hear from other fan bases, I dont think there is any other team that has more false accusations (taping practices, tampering with headsets) or blown calls (2006 afcc - facegaurding, 2013 week 7 vs Jets) that requires the NFl to admit they were wrong and the Pats were screwed. I wonder if it happens this time.

No. They have already said they felt the call was correct. The officials will not be corrected by the league (not publicly) because that would make the NFL look stupid.

 

[I am party]

Saw the Blandino segment on NFLN. The guy is a shill.

I had my doubts about him even before this week. I'd seen him in previous weeks on a couple of videos on nfl.com and he just came across as kind of weasely, like a used car salesman.

His blatant jedi mind trick attempt in explaining that last play just confirms that he has no sense of accountability, has no credibility, and projects no authority. He's an empty suit.

 

[stevedogc]

I understand that a lot of things happen behind the scenes that we as fans never hear about. Because of the "Patriot Way" we have no idea how many calls, how much arguing etc. the likes have Kraft and BB have made since Monday night. But I really, really hope Kraft is using his weight to let Goddell knows this was complete BS and he is not happy. It may not lead to anything, but Kraft has done so much for this league and this commissioner I think he and this team deserve better. Now I am not saying the Pats deserve any special treatment or deserve make up calls. I just think they (and all fans of the NFL) deserve to be told the truth .

This all revolves around the reasoning the NFL gave for the play. It was an complete and utter lie. Simultaneously? Anyone with a set of eyes can tell the INT and Contact with Gronk did not happen simultaneously. You don't even be a fan of the sport or understand the rules to know that. And if the VP of officiating can tell such a blatant lie and tell you what you can clearly see on TV did not actually happen, whats going to stop them from doing it again, and on a bigger stage. After listening to this piss poor explanation its looks like Football is starting to becoming more and more like basketball.

 

[Froob]

I understand that a lot of things happen behind the scenes that we as fans never hear about. Because of the "Patriot Way" we have no idea how many calls, how much arguing etc. the likes have Kraft and BB have made since Monday night. But I really, really hope Kraft is using his weight to let Goddell knows this was complete BS and he is not happy. It may not lead to anything, but Kraft has done so much for this league and this commissioner I think he and this team deserve better. Now I am not saying the Pats deserve any special treatment or deserve make up calls. I just think they (and all fans of the NFL) deserve to be told the truth .

This all revolves around the reasoning the NFL gave for the play. It was an complete and utter lie. Simultaneously? Anyone with a set of eyes can tell the INT and Contact with Gronk did not happen simultaneously. You don't even be a fan of the sport or understand the rules to know that. And if the VP of officiating can tell such a blatant lie and tell you what you can clearly see on TV did not actually happen, whats going to stop them from doing it again, and on a bigger stage. After listening to this piss poor explanation its looks like Football is starting to becoming more and more like basketball.

If it was the Polian Colts there probably would have been a memo out yesterday.

 

[VJCPatriot]

"How a ball is uncatchable when a guy that was 2-3 feet further away than Gronk makes a play on the ball is beyond me." Because at best the ball would have been matted down before had the chance to catch it.

Sorry, did you not WATCH the play at all? Gronk would have been able to make a play on the ball if TWO Panthers hadn't interfered with him on that very play. One guy shoved him in the back and the other guy wrapped him up with both arms. They didn't allow him to make a play, using illegal methods according to the rulebook. The refs threw a flag then picked it up. They screwed up. Period.



I don't see why you are hellbent on defending the refs in a situation where they obviously backed out after first making the initial correct call that there was a foul on the play. Basically you're trying to say that as long as its near the end of the game, the defense should be able to commit as many fouls as they want. That's bull.

Refs should let the players play on the final play of the game and when patriots defense is in a similar situation i expect them to make the right* call like they did last night.

That's not 'letting them play' that's giving them a free pass as long as it is not the first 58 minutes of the game. And there is no rational logic to support giving this 'free pass'. Play the game and Officiate the game the same throughout. The lack of consistency in the calls is what is making people mad in the first place.

A 12 year former official in the league went on radio saying that ref crew screwed up:
http://www.danpatrick.com/2013/11/1...als-made-bad-mistake-at-end-of-pats-panthers/

Gronk should have fought more for the ball or he should have "sold' it more.

And for all the talk that I hear people hate floppers, now you are complaining that Gronk didn't 'act' enough to sell the flag? Why does he need to flop to draw the flag, he was pushed in the back by one guy and BEAR HUGGED by the other! How is that not enough to draw the flag??

I expect the refs to bail the pats out because now they owe them the patriots.

Well I don't and that's NOT how it should work. I expect the call to be made PROPERLY at the time the play is made. I don't expect nor want 'makeup' calls. Why is the bad call affecting the outcome in one game supposed to be 'made up' in the next game? How is that fair to the other team in the next game? In fact it is spreading the unfairness to two games. I don't like this rationale at all. The NFL should have apologized for the mistake of that crew on Sunday. The fact that they won't just discredits them to any sports fan with an unbiased eye who likes to see competitive, fair football.

 

[Jackson 2]

This is pretty funny: Roger Goodell fires MNF refs for not calling PI for Tom Brady - NOTSportsCenter

I understand and genuinely appreciate the concept of satirical humor, even when its target is my team and/or its players. Sorry, but that piece fails miserably in its feeble attempt to perpetuate a well-worn myth. Good satirical humor is both amusing and clever. That piece is neither. However, that's just my opinion.

 

[Timbo717]

I understand that the other key errors in the game (fumble, stupid penalties, missed blocks, etc) played a huge part in the outcome. But at the same time, if the correct call had been made they would've been 3 feet with a fair chance to win. They might have been stuffed on that one play and this would have been a moot point. However, they still played well enough to win the game and in the end, that is what matters and I think that has been the motto here whenever the team wins a game where the opponent played better throughout the game.

It was a bad call, and in addition to the GIF image on this thread, I believe I saw another slow motion replay that looked like it was closer to the flag-throwing official's viewpoint and it was still pretty clear. At any rate, it was not an uncatchable ball at all, because Gronkowski was not given the opportunity to stop while he was still next to the safety or at most 1 step beyond him, and thus could not step in front of the safety to make a play 2-3 steps. The argument that it would have been intercepted or batted down regardless is a difficult argument to make.

Oh well, what's done is done but I don't see the majority of discussion on this site as "whining" which is generally defined as childish. The conspiracy theory guys I hear call into the radio stations are a different story though.

 

[brdmaverick]

Think hypothetically here for a moment (and somebody please correct me if I am wrong). Let's say Gronk had wrestled Kuechly out of the way and caught the pass for a touchdown. In that case the play can be reviewed and overturned, even though though the judgement at the time was that there was no offensive pass interference .... but if a defender does the same thing which results in no score, then the play cannot be reviewed.

Yeah, that makes sense...

While scoring plays are reviewable, they are not reviewable for judgement calls such as pass interference. That was actually the same dilemma that the refs faced in the Green Bay - Seattle game. As badly as the offensive PI looked, by rule they can not overturn a call for that reason alone. Only non judgemental calls such too many men on the field are subject to review.

The only time pass interference is reviewable is when determining if a ball was tipped (and therefore negating PI). That is because the act of it being tipped is non-judgemental.