Posted on 12/07/2007 12:31:46 PM PST by mainepatsfan
Four Ravens fined for improper conduct relating to officials
National Football League
Four Baltimore Ravens players have been fined for violating league rules prohibiting the abuse of game officials, the NFL announced Friday.
Bart Scott was fined $25,000 for verbally abusing game officials and throwing an official’s flag into the stands during last Monday night’s Baltimore-New England game
Samari Rolle, Chris McAlister, and Derrick Mason were fined $15,000 each for publicly questioning the integrity of the officiating in last Monday night’s game.
“This is about the importance of sportsmanship and respecting the integrity of our game,” said NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Ray Anderson. “We do not tolerate inappropriate conduct between teams and game officials. This includes reminding game officials that they are to conduct themselves at all times as professionals in their dealings with players, coaches, and other club personnel.”
Anderson went to Baltimore this week to speak directly with Scott and Rolle before issuing the fines Friday.
“Last Monday night’s game was well officiated,” Anderson said, “and it is the obligation of both players and coaches to maintain proper respect for game officials at all times.”
In addition to prohibiting physical contact with game officials, league rules also bar team personnel from verbal or other non-physical abuse of officials and from public criticism of their integrity.
Was it the holding call on the Ravens on 4th down late in the game where the DB held Ben Watson coming off the line?
Was it the DB tackling Moss in the end zone that drew a flag?
Was it the repeated offsides for the Ravens?
Was it the flag for unsportsmanlike conduct or the flag for throwing the flag?
Maybe it was the lack of conclusive evidence to overturn the TD?
I saw the Ravens O-line holding plenty of times (you are not allowed to hold jerseys as a blocker) against the Pats D-line and LBs and also plenty of illegal contact by the Ravens’ DBs and LBs on Pats’ WRs that didn’t get called.
Stuffed twice on fourth down, phoney timing of timeout call when play was complete, second stuff on fourth down and supposed illegal motion on NEW ENGLAND allowed them a THIRD try that they finally converted, let alone the clear juggled touchdown catch improperly called and sustained, which led to the "flag into the seats" statement.
Pat's fans will still be whining when their "so-called unbeatable" team gets their asses handed to them Sunday, when a team with solid defense (as opposed to the Eagles and Ravens sub-500 teams that they struggled past with assistance in striped shirts).
Shula's Dolphin record is safe again this year.
I wish I shared your confidence :)
Face it folks...
The “game” has been reduced to a profane, theatrical and criminally obscene redistribution of wealth to semi-literate thugs..
It’s now THUGBALL.....
It is no longer the sport formerly called Football.
Once, a father could afford to take his young children to a game - without fear of fan obscenity, violent behavior or displays of poor sportsmanship....
For the most part, those days are gone..
Perhaps if you watched it a bit more closely you'd see the Ravens sideline frantically trying to call timeout several seconds before the play, and the official on their sideline running in signalling just before the play. The timeout was clearly signalled before the play - though it did appear that many of the players didn't hear it until the refs on the near side of the field began blowing their whistles too.
As for the "after the play was completed"...the play never was completed. If you'll note, Brady was never tackled, and Brady was pushed back only after everyone relaxed.
There's a shot from above which isn't clear, but the shot across the line of scrimmage shows the Ravens sideline clearly trying to call timeout for a while - well in advance of the snap.
It was clear illegal motion by the lineman, at which point the play was dead. The ball was snapped after the play was done for. That's not bad officiating...that's the rule.
Also, watch what happened in the gap the lineman left by leaving too soon: That's where the penetration came through.
Get your facts straight...
Ryan called time out before the snap and Billick owned it. What’s phoney about that? They gave the sidelines the power to call time out. Maybe all the times that coaches ice kickers before the snap are phoney too.
Replay showed the guard getting a big jump on the nose tackle before the ball was snapped.
You say clearly juggled but many people on the FR thread thought otherwise. Not 100% proof which is what was needed to overturn it as per NFL standard. At best the ball gets placed on the goal line with 44 seconds left. Blame the Ravens for their thug behavior instead of the refs. That game was winnable and they didn’t.
Jets beat the Steelers only a few weeks ago......
Unless Bellichick corrects a LOT of stuff in a short week, the Pats are probably going to lose. If he does, and the Pats are up for a strong opponent, it could be a blowout...but there's a lot to fix.
There is no way the last TD was a catch in bounds.
Pats have a big issue that no one is talking about and that is the subpar performance of Richard Seymour. If he is gettting blocked, turned and pushed then that is a much different defensive unit.
So the question is: Is he still hurt; is he not in full shape; or is it technique/skill?
He never had possession, and clearly showed juggling in the replay, but when the outcome is “necessary”, the play “stands as called” using the “no indisputable evidence to reverse” excuse.
Good.
This is his 7th year in the league and he’s had problems with his knee. It would not surprise me that after this year he’s gone and Jarvis Green takes over his spot. Seymour held out for more money at the start of 2006 and after jacking the Pats into giveing him more money he really hasn’t played to the potential that a dominating interior lineman is supposed to.
You don’t have to convince me.
You are FOS with your conspiracy theories...
LOL!
Thanks....that entitles me to join the Patriots’ fan base, and fit right in.
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Agreed. I think the Pats are tired, for one.
Nope, my Steelers are hosed. The offensive line has been crap all season and simply won’t be able to handle the Pats front 7, the secondary has been so-so for years and will get torched by the Moss-Stalworth-Welker combo, and to make it all worse the team has been playing like crap on the road all year (except the Browns game). The Pats are going to walk all over the Steelers like cleat cleaners. I’ll happily be proven wrong but given the performances I’ve seen this year I just don’t see it happening.
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