GO HAWKS!
Posted on 09/25/2012 12:43:15 AM PDT by Zakeet
Monday's debacle only crystallizes what was already clear: NFL's substitute officials are a joke, and it's time for Commissioner Roger Goodell to end lockout.
Hail Mary. Holy hell.
On the final play of the final game of one of the most shameful weekends in NFL history, a last-gasp pass from the Seattle Seahawks fell from the sky into the arms of the Green Bay Packers on Monday night.
Touchdown, Seattle. Chaos, NFL.
Three weeks of gross incompetence by unqualified replacement officials crystallized in two moments Monday night that pushed the league's integrity to the brink.
In one moment, Packers safety M.D. Jennings clearly intercepted a final-play pass while falling upon Seahawks receiver Golden Tate in the end zone, preserving an apparent 12-7 Green Bay win.
In the next moment, the replacement officials ruled that Tate had made the catch, and upheld that ruling after replay review, giving the Seahawks a 14-12 victory.
Said Packers Coach Mike McCarthy: "I've never seen anything like that in all my years in football."
Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman tweeted: "These games are a joke."
It's finally happened. After three weeks of forgetting the rules, losing track of the ball, and haphazardly administering this country's national pastime as if they were salesmen on vacation from Foot Locker, the replacement officials have finally done serious, irrevocable damage. The arrogant NFL's middle-school and small-college substitutes for the locked-out regular officials have finally, actually, literally made one wrong call that decided the outcome of a game.
It was one of the worst calls in the history of the league, yet it might turn out to be one of the best calls if humiliated Commissioner Roger Goodell was listening to the message it sent.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Jerry Austin explained that the review is to determine whether the pass was complete or incomplete. They do not review simultaneous possession or penalties (Pass Interference.)
“Yeah it was a bad call, but I love it when Packer fans get screwed.”
Come on, Texas - you guys are better than that comment.
I am an avid Packer fan and I was not amused with the refs last night. We played stinky during the first 1/2 and dominated the second 1/2. But we clearly intercepted that ball in the end zone. We’ll come back from this, because WE are the Pack!! Pack will come back!
I am a Lions fan and I was appalled at that call.
Russell Wilson made history by becoming the first quarterback ever to throw a game-winning interception.
Forget the sports books. What about all the Green Bay Packer DST owners in Fantasy Football? :-)
I like the rep refs. Reg refs screw up all the time also.
These guys will get better but the players have to stop “pushing” them around
Thanks !! I used to live in Michigan in a different life - 50’s early 60’s and was a Lions fan before I was a Packer fan. haa. You guys have come back from the dead.
Heck, I LIKE the refereeing!
Makes it seem like more of a game and less of a corporate process.
Refereeing has always been ‘iffy’ anyway.
I’m enjoying this season more than any in years (wish there were more shots of the cheerleaders though!).
GO HAWKS!
8 sacks in the first half. No offense except 4 field goals. Being unable to get a 1st down after holding the opponents on 4th down with 2:00 to go.Blame the officials all you want, but Green Bay should be looking in a mirror as to why they lost, not the negotiation table.The real story should be putting yourself in the position to lose the game on one play/blown call, not the officiating. Regular refs make mistakes all the time, but they're just briefly commented on and swept under the rug.
It was a regular ref who got the coin toss wrong in that playoff game a few years ago and it was regular refs who embarrassed the NFL in the Steelers/Seahawks Super Bowl.
Meanwhile, you have replay officials — not locked out or on strike — who are every bit as bad as those on the field. Evidently there was no NFL representative in replay booth on Sunday who could have told the referee in that game that San Francisco made two illegal challenges within a span of six plays.
Packer and Patriot fans are finally getting a taste of what the ‘lesser’ teams have had to put up with for years. Eye-opening, isn’t it?
Incompetence is rife in NFL officiating no matter who wears the stripes. So buckle your chin straps and play football or hold your breath till you turn blue, take your ball and go home.
Time to put the zebras back on the field and get rid of the JACKASSES.
The old refs sucked (but were only rarely called out on it). The new refs are trying, but they are clearly looking overwhelmed and under-trained.
Best solution I’ve seen to date: make do, for now, with the replacements and ditch the “regular” refs altogether. Recruit a new generation of younger, fitter refs, as full-time employees, paying them year-round and putting them through rigorous training to gain certification, plus annual off-season re-certification and pshyical evaluation. As full-time employees, pay them a full-time salary, benefits, etc.
Even if they “graduate” more refs than they need for their games, these guys will likely be in demand by top college conferences due to their training (and more so for the ones who have proven themselves in the league).
One particular official was working to throw the game to Seattle. That official made the ‘short of the first down marker’ at the goal line when Rogers reached and got the first down; that official called defensive pass interference when it was clearly offensive pass interference on the last drive by Seattle; that official ignored the offensive pass interference by the Seattle receive who was ‘awarded’ the final touchdown; that official called the interception by Green Bay a touchdown for Seattle. That official is crooked/criminal/a liar and a disgrace to the NFL. The game should be reviewed by the NFL and corrected, to remove the crooked official’s effect on that game.
4 field goals? You didn’t even watch the game! What a maroon! GB had two field goals, one touchdown and a missed two point try.
OK, here is my take. I am a fan of football, all football. I watch it, attend games when I can and I read about the games I cannot attend. When it comes to the NFL, I lean towards the Steelers. There, full disclosure.
So, IMO if and when the bookmakers get irritated enough, and if and when the owners (who are by the way, Godell’s bosses)get enough flack from the media, and fans THEN the problem will get solved and quickly. It boils down to money, and on every side.
It depends on who is your dog in the fight: Seattle, Green Bay or the union. As an impartial observer (except for the union), I think they actually made the right call on the simultaneous catch. It was a hard call to go against the expectations of a play like that, but both guys put their hands on it at virtually the same time (Seattle maybe touched first) and both didn’t let go.
Excellent post, onyx.
Las Vegas, bookies, and the mob are anonymously calling NFL executives and reminding them to carefully check their cars before turning over the engine.
Sports pundits are not going to push Goodell, the betting world sure will though.
No, I didn’t watch the game, at least not the second half, as I get up up early in the morning. The important thing to note, though, is that Green Bay put themselves in position to lose the game by not winning it when they had the chance. Anytime you do that, you are subject to getting beat by a bad call or a single lucky play.
I’d love to see the “regular” refs put under the same microscope as the replacement guys if/when they come back. I mean, some Seahawks fans are still whining about “blown calls” in the Super Bowl a few years back, while coincidentally ignoring the bad calls that favored Seattle in that game. I remember multiple occasions where the refs lost count of the downs and let people score on 5th and goal. And don’t even get me started on the whole “tuck rule” nonsense and ridiculous “roughing” calls that protect prima donna QBs from mistakes or physical play.
As for why offensive pass interference wasn’t called on that last play, how many times have you ever seen the “regular” refs call offensive pass interference (except for receivers blocking downfield too early on short passes)? I’ve seen more offensive pass interference calls by the replacement guys in 3 weeks than I’d see normally in a whole season.
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