The officiating sucks: 2016 edition

[Kontradiction]

I figured we may as well make a running tally of the horrific calls/non-calls in this league on a week by week basis these days. The fact that there were already 6 called penalties at the not even halfway point of the Jets/Cards game (which I turned off because it was unwatchable) last night inspired me to make this thread. Let's get it going starting with this past week. Two stand out:

1. Ravens at Giants - Phantom pass interference on Antonio Rodgers-Cromartie

2. Falcons at Seahawks - No call pass interference on Richard Sherman (last play of the game)

Both were murderous. One DID cost the Falcons the game (although they left a lot of plays on the field in the first half as well) and the other one very well could have had Beckham not taken a routine slant to the house. That's to say nothing of the Pats game where 7 officials on the field somehow missed Burfict taking a swan dive at Bennett's knees away from the play. If you have anything else, post it here week to week.

 

[archstanton543]

How about the "hands to the face" call on Hogan to kick off the Bengals/Pats game?

 

[Kontradiction]

How about the "hands to the face" call on Hogan to kick off the Bengals/Pats game?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't that wipe out a third down conversion?

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

How about the "hands to the face" call on Hogan to kick off the Bengals/Pats game?

That call made the 1st half much closer than it should have been but overall I didn't think the officiating in that game was all that bad (some I rarely finding myself saying these days).

 

[Kontradiction]

That call made the 1st half much closer than it should have been but overall I didn't think the officiating in that game was all that bad (some I rarely finding myself saying these days).

I didn't either, really. They missed the Burfict hit. I don't know how, but they did. The NFL *should* suspend him for the rest of the season now. He had just come back. But, overall, that game was nothing like what happened in Giants/Ravens and Falcons/Seahawks. Those that think the product on the field is fixed REALLY should have been fueled by that phantom call on Rodgers-Cromartie. That was one of the worst calls I've ever seen and I really have no clue what they were looking at. If anything, that should have been OPI. The non-call on Julio Jones was just as egregious considering there were the same 7 officials looking at that play and, somehow, none of them actually saw Sherman (who was getting whipped by Julio all day to the point that he threw a temper tantrum on the sideline) arm bar Jones. Pathetic.

I said before the 2014 season (and I wasn't alone) that the officials playing such a big part in determining the game either way was going to make the game borderline unwatchable. Well now we're starting to see that come home to roost in the ratings. I honestly believe that the officiating is at least partially responsible for the drop in ratings.

 

[SEA_Pat]

The Phantom Phumble Recovery in the Washington-Cleveland game.

 

[archstanton543]

That call made the 1st half much closer than it should have been but overall I didn't think the officiating in that game was all that bad (some I rarely finding myself saying these days).

Really? They were letting the Bengals get in all kinds of cheap shots and didn't nip the situation in the bud until Pats players stepped over the line after the Bengals did.

 

[Kontradiction]

The Phantom Phumble Recovery in the Washington-Cleveland game.

Thanks. That's an all time embarrassment too.

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

Really? They were letting the Bengals get in all kinds of cheap shots and didn't nip the situation in the bud until Pats players stepped over the line after the Bengals did.

Fair point. They could have done a better job keeping that situation under control.

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

I didn't either, really. They missed the Burfict hit. I don't know how, but they did. The NFL *should* suspend him for the rest of the season now. He had just come back. But, overall, that game was nothing like what happened in Giants/Ravens and Falcons/Seahawks. Those that think the product on the field is fixed REALLY should have been fueled by that phantom call on Rodgers-Cromartie. That was one of the worst calls I've ever seen and I really have no clue what they were looking at. If anything, that should have been OPI. The non-call on Julio Jones was just as egregious considering there were the same 7 officials looking at that play and, somehow, none of them actually saw Sherman (who was getting whipped by Julio all day to the point that he threw a temper tantrum on the sideline) arm bar Jones. Pathetic.

I said before the 2014 season (and I wasn't alone) that the officials playing such a big part in determining the game either way was going to make the game borderline unwatchable. Well now we're starting to see that come home to roost in the ratings. I honestly believe that the officiating is at least partially responsible for the drop in ratings.

Hard to say exactly what's causing the drop and it's probably a result of several things:
1- Goodell pissing off a large, dedicated fanbase in NE with deflategate;
2- The players saluting BLM during the national anthem;
3- all the liberal drivel being incorporating into the game ("no more", wearing pink for breast cancer awareness, firing Hank Williams Jr.)
4- concussions.

As far as the officiating, I've noticed that whenever a team gets a lead by 2 scores or more, the flags start flying against them. It was really bad last season against the Patriots. Some people tend to dismiss this as "conspiracy" but it looks pretty damn obvious to me.

 

[jah]

Hard to say exactly what's causing the drop and it's probably a result of several things:
1- Goodell pissing off a large, dedicated fanbase in NE with deflategate;
2- The players saluting BLM during the national anthem;
3- all the liberal drivel being incorporating into the game ("no more", wearing pink for breast cancer awareness, firing Hank Williams Jr.)
4- concussions.

As far as the officiating, I've noticed that whenever a team gets a lead by 2 scores or more, the flags start flying against them. It was really bad last season against the Patriots. Some people tend to dismiss this as "conspiracy" but it looks pretty damn obvious to me.

Yes, the people you disagree with politically are ruining everything you love

EDIT: Wow, you think "No More" is a bad thing??? You're just a bad person, dude.

 

[Joey007]

Last night was pretty bad on calls. Both ways, believe it or not.

 

[Froob]

Yes, the people you disagree with politically are ruining everything you love

EDIT: Wow, you think "No More" is a bad thing??? You're just a bad person, dude.

Eli probably should have conveyed his "no more" message to his brother. *In the tune of nation wide* "T bagging women is very bad, don't slur them in your booooks. Nation wide is on your side..."

 

[SEA_Pat]

Yes, the people you disagree with politically are ruining everything you love

EDIT: Wow, you think "No More" is a bad thing??? You're just a bad person, dude.

While it was a very poorly written post by that guy as he couldn't restrain himself from being political, his point is probably accurate - I'm sure many of those who have those sorts of views are quite turned off by how the NFL has greenwashed their product and are turning the TV off as a result. And, frankly, I find the NFL's ridiculous PR exercises sickening as they make little effort to ensure that the funds are well spent and actually addressing the issues they claim to care about. Which is par for the course, we've all seen up close and personal how two-faced and duplicitous the league administration is. They care about one thing, and one thing only - more money.

The last part of that paragraph is why many who are on the opposite spectrum of politics are similarly becoming disgusted with the NFL. Sadly, I'm among them and there's not many weeks where I don't question my continued loyalty to their product. It's like eating the most spectacular fois gras while observing video of how they extract it from ducks.

 

[The Brandon Five]

I think the winner so far this year is:

The Browns get hosed on a ridiculous taunting penalty against Terrelle Pryor

This decided the outcome of the game. Because reasons.

 

[Kontradiction]

I think the winner so far this year is:

The Browns get hosed on a ridiculous taunting penalty against Terrelle Pryor

This decided the outcome of the game. Because reasons.

Against the Ravens as well. Go figure.

 

[archstanton543]

Against the Ravens as well. Go figure.

I wonder if Harbaugh wants that rule changed. You know, in the spirit of fairness.

 

[Koma]

Eli probably should have conveyed his "no more" message to his brother. *In the tune of nation wide* "T bagging women is very bad, don't slur them in your booooks. Nation wide is on your side..."

Eli should have passed that message along to his teammate, Josh Brown, also. When it came time to actually say "No more," Eli kept his mouth shut.

 

[reflexblue]

I didn't either, really. They missed the Burfict hit. I don't know how, but they did. The NFL *should* suspend him for the rest of the season now. He had just come back. But, overall, that game was nothing like what happened in Giants/Ravens and Falcons/Seahawks. Those that think the product on the field is fixed REALLY should have been fueled by that phantom call on Rodgers-Cromartie. That was one of the worst calls I've ever seen and I really have no clue what they were looking at. If anything, that should have been OPI. The non-call on Julio Jones was just as egregious considering there were the same 7 officials looking at that play and, somehow, none of them actually saw Sherman (who was getting whipped by Julio all day to the point that he threw a temper tantrum on the sideline) arm bar Jones. Pathetic.

I said before the 2014 season (and I wasn't alone) that the officials playing such a big part in determining the game either way was going to make the game borderline unwatchable. Well now we're starting to see that come home to roost in the ratings. I honestly believe that the officiating is at least partially responsible for the drop in ratings.

It occurred to me that one of the reasons for the increased suckage in officiating is the amount of new rules (many subjective) put in place since goodell has taken over as ommissioner. The game was much easier to call 10 or 15 years ago. Now reffs have to determine what is a clean hit, what is hands to the face, what is an OPI, what is taunting, what constitutes celebrating etc. in the good old days before ****dell the reffs didn't need to do this. A little more than ten years the refs job was much simpler, there wasn't as much subjectivity. As an example ...to rough a passer you had to hit the qb hard and take more than three steps, now all you have to is bump into them and you can get called. Another example the taunting call on terrell pryor, total subjectivity on the reffs part.

 

[Nikolai]

It occurred to me that one of the reasons for the increased suckage in officiating is the amount of new rules (many subjective) put in place since goodell has taken over as ommissioner. The game was much easier to call 10 or 15 years ago. Now reffs have to determine what is a clean hit, what is hands to the face, what is an OPI, what is taunting, what constitutes celebrating etc. in the good old days before ****dell the reffs didn't need to do this. A little more than ten years the refs job was much simpler, there wasn't as much subjectivity. As an example ...to rough a passer you had to hit the qb hard and take more than three steps, now all you have to is bump into them and you can get called. Another example the taunting call on terrell pryor, total subjectivity on the reffs part.

This has been my thought process as well. How the hell does an official keep up with all the subjective rule changes? Instead of merely calling blatant penalties that impact the play or actually protect the player from dirty hits, the refs have to make all kinds of judgment calls on "zero tolerance" rules, not to mention stuff that has no bearing on the outcome of a game (i.e. the various ways you can get a 15 yard penalty for celebrating a TD)