Cowboys + Refs = Trouble

[MidwestHawker]

MidwestHawker going full denial mode.... the OP stated that 1 of the 12 playoff teams (Cowboys) would have the refs on their side.... they get gifted a playoff win by the refs. I guess it's just a "coincidence" that this was the first time in NFL history a PI Penalty was announced on the mic then overturned.

Well I certainly don't know what else it would be if not a coincidence.

 

[Sports Hernia]

PFT made a good point: Dez Bryant ran into the field with his helmet off when the flag was first thrown. Even if you pick up the flag on the PI, Bryant should have been penalized.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... uted-play/

Guess Earl Thomas should have been penalized for running onto the field with his helmet off after Beastquake 2.0, or even last season after he caused the game-winning fumble in Carolina.

It's not the most obvious thing to call; it's overlooked quite often.

Yes Earl should have and many of us said so. Don't bend yourself into a pretzel defending the NFL and their henchmen.

 

[RunTheBall]

MidwestHawker going full denial mode.... the OP stated that 1 of the 12 playoff teams (Cowboys) would have the refs on their side.... they get gifted a playoff win by the refs. I guess it's just a "coincidence" that this was the first time in NFL history a PI Penalty was announced on the mic then overturned.

Well I certainly don't know what else it would be if not a coincidence.

You let me know when the Jags, Titans, Bengals, Panthers, Lions, and other teams that NO ONE cares about.... get gifted a game by bad calls.

 

[MidwestHawker]

You let me know when the Jags, Titans, Bengals, Panthers, Lions, and other teams that NO ONE cares about.... get gifted a game by bad calls.

Umm okay, I'll be in touch.

 

[253hawk]

PFT made a good point: Dez Bryant ran into the field with his helmet off when the flag was first thrown. Even if you pick up the flag on the PI, Bryant should have been penalized.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... uted-play/

Guess Earl Thomas should have been penalized for running onto the field with his helmet off after Beastquake 2.0, or even last season after he caused the game-winning fumble in Carolina.

It's not the most obvious thing to call; it's overlooked quite often.

Yes Earl should have and many of us said so. Don't bend yourself into a pretzel defending the NFL and their henchmen.

All I'm saying is that taking a helmet off is regularly overlooked, regardless of context (and a stupid rule anyway.)

I'm not defending anyone. Just stating my subjective opinion.

 

[chris98251]

Face guarding without attempting to make a play on the ball to disrupt the offensive players attempt to receive the ball isn't a penalty Ok.

 

[chris98251]

PFT made a good point: Dez Bryant ran into the field with his helmet off when the flag was first thrown. Even if you pick up the flag on the PI, Bryant should have been penalized.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... uted-play/

Guess Earl Thomas should have been penalized for running onto the field with his helmet off after Beastquake 2.0, or even last season after he caused the game-winning fumble in Carolina.

It's not the most obvious thing to call; it's overlooked quite often.

Yes Earl should have and many of us said so. Don't bend yourself into a pretzel defending the NFL and their henchmen.

All I'm saying is that taking a helmet off is regularly overlooked, regardless of context (and a stupid rule anyway.)

I'm not defending anyone. Just stating my subjective opinion.

Unless your on the team that's ahead and the league wants to make an example of.

My subjective opinion ............

 

[rideaducati]

I hate to even bring this up because your post was awesome, but then how is our penalty disparity so enormous when comparing the teams we play? I don't think the NFL wants us to lose, but when you look at the sheer data, something does smell a bit afoul.

When roughly 1/3 of your penalties (or more) are pre-snap penalties that are entirely avoidable, I don't think PC has a leg to stand on. All this complaining about a disparity really ignores the obvious point -- Seattle commits way too many "dumb" penalties. Weather false starts, lining up in the neutral zone, or illegal formation. Those are ALL on Seattle and they can't be ignored. IF say we cut those pre-snap issues in half, what would the disparity look like then?

I don't think there's some conspiracy against Seattle. I'm annoyed when I hear people continually bring up SB 40 as the entire reason we lost was on officiating. The fact is Seattle didn't execute when it needed too. Sure the "offensive PI," was ticky tacky, The offsides not called on the Pittsburgh and a holding was called, that sucked too.

But the refs had nothing to do with "fast" Willey Parker gutting us for a 70+ yard TD early in the 3rd QTR. Refs had nothing to do with Hasslebeck throwing the ball too far outside so that D-Jack comes down out of bounds (instead of a huge completion in the 1/2 half.)

How about the holding call on Locklear where Locklear had his arm extended, but wasn't even touching the defender? How about Hasselbeck getting called for blocking below the waist when he tackled the defender that had the ball?

The refs had WAY TOO much influence on XL and the head of the officiating crew even admitted as much several years later, so for you to tell ME what the refs had NOTHING to do with is kind of dumb. The refs DID have something to do with just about EVERY BIG PLAY the Seahawks made that game because they were all called back on BS penalties.

THE DISPARITY IS THE DIFFERENCE IN PENALTIES CALLED ON THE OTHER TEAM WHEN THEY PLAY THE SEAHAWKS vs THE AMOUNT OF PENALTIES CALLED ON THEM IN ALL THEIR OTHER GAMES.

Once again, the difference in penalties is what OTHER teams average for each game vs the penalties they get vs the Seahawks. Teams are getting A LOT FEWER penalties called against them when they play the Seahawks than they get for any of their other games. It's amazing that EVERY team the Seahawks play has their BEST game penalty-wise when they play the Seahawks... It has absolutely NOTHING to do with the Seahawks penalties. Why is this so hard for some of you to understand?

Team X averages 8 penalties per game. When team X plays the Seahawks, they are called for 3 penalties.
Team Y averages 6 penalties per game. When team Y plays the Seahawks, they are called for 2 penalties.
This has gone on and on this season until Pete started to bring it up...hmmm.

 

[lvnginhwktwn]

[attachment=0]2015-01-04 18.20.54.png[/attachment

My friends brother sent him this link, I couldn't figure out how to post it from my phone.

 

[lvnginhwktwn]

Guess someone beat me to it.

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

MidwestHawker going full denial mode.... the OP stated that 1 of the 12 playoff teams (Cowboys) would have the refs on their side.... they get gifted a playoff win by the refs. I guess it's just a "coincidence" that this was the first time in NFL history a PI Penalty was announced on the mic then overturned.

Well I certainly don't know what else it would be if not a coincidence.

You let me know when the Jags, Titans, Bengals, Panthers, Lions, and other teams that NO ONE cares about.... get gifted a game by bad calls.

See and that's EXACTLY why the NFL wants its "legacy" teams to continue to win. The argument that the next TV contract is 7 years away and that they get huge ratings no matter what is reasonable, but I believe that they want those teams winning often because it will guarantee those huge ratings continue and that next TV contract will be large.

If all of a sudden the Jags, Seahawks, Bengals and Lions, etc. are the best teams in the NFL and their precious legacy teams aren't, they will lose viewers. If one or two of those teams are good, that's fine as long as Denver and Green Bay and Pissburgh and Dullass and etc. are good as well. That way you get the 'underdogs' and the legacy teams and that's the best of both worlds and a guarantee of strong viewership today and in the future.

 

[Sports Hernia]

MidwestHawker going full denial mode.... the OP stated that 1 of the 12 playoff teams (Cowboys) would have the refs on their side.... they get gifted a playoff win by the refs. I guess it's just a "coincidence" that this was the first time in NFL history a PI Penalty was announced on the mic then overturned.

Well I certainly don't know what else it would be if not a coincidence.

You let me know when the Jags, Titans, Bengals, Panthers, Lions, and other teams that NO ONE cares about.... get gifted a game by bad calls.

See and that's EXACTLY why the NFL wants its "legacy" teams to continue to win. The argument that the next TV contract is 7 years away and that they get huge ratings no matter what is reasonable, but I believe that they want those teams winning often because it will guarantee those huge ratings continue and that next TV contract will be large.

If all of a sudden the Jags, Seahawks, Bengals and Lions, etc. are the best teams in the NFL and their precious legacy teams aren't, they will lose viewers. If one or two of those teams are good, that's fine as long as Denver and Green Bay and Pissburgh and Dullass and etc. are good as well. That way you get the 'underdogs' and the legacy teams and that's the best of both worlds and a guarantee of strong viewership today and in the future.

Yep, its all about the $$$.

 

[253hawk]

Just gonna leave this here:

 

[HawkAroundTheClock]

If the NFL (32 billionaires or near-billionaires) wants to influence calls, it would not take a vast conspiracy. All they would need is one Manchurian Candidate at the top of the officiating chain. A choice word or two into the head referee's earpiece is all it would take.

I am not saying that happened in this or any case. I am not advocating for it. Of course we have no proof. All I am saying is it would be just that easy.

Dean Blandino, who never officiated a game himself, was hired into the instant replay system straight out of college. It's all he's ever done professionally. For 3 years he ran a private business that trained instant replay referees for the NFL and five college football conferences. Aside from that, he has been steadily moving up the NFL's officiating chain.

On one hand, you'd want someone who has dedicated their professional career to officiating to be head of officiating. But someone who's NEVER officiated an actual game? That's odd. There are dozens of actual on-field officials with dozens of years of experience who would be qualified for the job. Why was a kid with no experience tracked into the program?

Just feeding the fear, folks. :stirthepot:

 

[HawkAroundTheClock]

Here's the explanation of what happened from Referee Pete Morelli, per Football Zebras:
http://www.footballzebras.com/2015/01/04/12252/

FYI, the Head Linesman was Jerry Bergman.

Q: Can you talk about the decision to overturn the call and why you overturned the call?

Morelli: The back judge threw his flag for defensive pass interference. We got other information from another official from a different angle that thought the contact was minimal and didn’t warrant pass interference. He thought it was faceguarding.

Q: Which official?

Morelli: The head linesman.

Q: What did you see?

Morelli: It’s not my responsibility. I’m a hundred miles away.

Q: Faceguarding is not a foul?

Morelli: Faceguarding is not a foul. It is a penalty in college, but not in professional football.

Q: What is the process you go through after you announce the call? Should you have waited before you announced the call?

Morelli: Probably, yes. The information came and then the officials got together a little bit later, after the first information was given to me. It would have probably been smoother if we got toether.

Q: Do you remember this type of play happening before?

Morelli: No, not particularly.

Q: So, one more time, on who the person was that had a better view?

Morelli: The better view was from the head linesman.

 

[Sports Hernia]

I don't buy the zebras or the a NFL's excuses. When was the last time a "legacy team" IN THE PLAYOFFS OR SUPER BOWL got screwed by officiating costing them the game? < cue the jeopardy music as its going to be awhile to come up with an answer >. If you are not blowing out a "legacy team" early in the playoffs, then your team more than likely will be affected by this.


The NFL's "steered officiating" is one reason I don't bet individual NFL games anymore.

 

[Sports Hernia]

Bad calls and non calls happen every game to every team.

It's just a lazy narrative to say the officials are out to help any one team over another.

Name a "legacy team" that piss poor officiating for whatever reason cost them a game in the playoffs or a Super Bowl.
It shouldn't be that hard to provide specific examples if your statement is really true, right?

I think it's a lazy narrative to make statements like yours when reality is contradicting your statement but you choose not to see it.

 

[253hawk]

Raiders were horribly jobbed on the tuck rule, even after replay review. The Patriots? Who the hell are they?

 

[hawk35fan]

Raiders were horribly jobbed on the tuck rule, even after replay review. The Patriots? Who the hell are they?

America's team after the 9-11 terrorist attacks.

 

[Osprey]

Raiders were horribly jobbed on the tuck rule, even after replay review. The Patriots? Who the hell are they?

Not the Raiders. The league had been pissed at Big Al for decades by that point and had no problem screwing him over.