Refs took Falcons by the hand

[CodeMonkey]

Ok, I knew that some sa would state that I think the games are rigged or fixed.

No they are not rigged or fixed, just heavily manipulated. .

Manipulated implies a conspiracy and I can't buy into that.

I would agree however that the better teams/players tend to get the benefit of the doubt.

[dave mcbride]

It's Monday, so it's a bit early for this. Usually after gut-wrenching defeats, it goes like this:

 

1) Sunday. General outrage and depression (4 or 5 "I'm done" threads)

2) Monday. Discuss firing of coaches and release of key players

3) Tuesday. Blame officials

4) Wednesday. Some sanity returns due to All-22 analysis

5) Thursday. Re-start playoff probability formulas

6) Friday. Onto the next game

That's great!

 

There was a pivotal 4th quarter call on Aaron Williams for illegal contact. A quick replay showed that he did not come close to touching a player. Bizarre. But it's a quid pro quo. Another defeat means a better draft pick.

 

The ref may have simply called the wrong number on that play. That happens a lot. The contact may have been on the other side of the field for all we know.

[Tu-Toned]

How do the refs not see Manuel hitting the pylon with the football on the first score,

we have to challenge, really surprised it was overturned.

They stand right at the friggin goal line. How do they miss a fumble being recovered

by Alonso and returned for a score? Nobody touched him and the ball was certainly

not previously recovered. How do you explain 14 years of no playoffs, no way possible

that this is all just dumb luck, other forces are in play, people just have a hard time

admitting it. They have a huge emotional and many times financial investment in their

teams, so yeah, I can see how it might be hard to admit that you have been fleeced.

[dubs]

The refs are terrible, but that shouldn't have even been an issue. The refs didn't cause Stevie or Scottie to fumble. That's the reason we lost, period.

[CodeMonkey]

How do the refs not see Manuel hitting the pylon with the football on the first score,

we have to challenge, really surprised it was overturned.

They stand right at the friggin goal line. How do they miss a fumble being recovered

by Alonso and returned for a score? Nobody touched him and the ball was certainly

not previously recovered. How do you explain 14 years of no playoffs, no way possible

that this is all just dumb luck, other forces are in play, people just have a hard time

admitting it. They have a huge emotional and many times financial investment in their

teams, so yeah, I can see how it might be hard to admit that you have been fleeced.

I agree that 14 straight years of no playoffs with the way the NFL schedules and draft are setup would seemingly be very difficult to accomplish without outside interference. But if you look at the series of GMs, HCs, and the players they acquired during that time you will see a pattern of incompetence that can also explain it. Too early to lump Marrone/Whaley in with that group in my opinion, but we will see.

[Storm Front]

Here's a thought: Stevie and Chandler fumbled on purpose. The games are rigged. It's right in front of your eyes... It's still fun to watch, though!

[CodeMonkey]

Here's a thought: Stevie and Chandler fumbled on purpose. The games are rigged. It's right in front of your eyes... It's still fun to watch, though!

Like the 1919 black sox you say

[Tu-Toned]

 

 

remind me where i said you needed my permission - i simply asked why you spend so much time on it if you dont think theres integrity in the game and the team you want to see win is more washington generals than harlem globetrotters in your view.

 

a selection from your post:

 

 

 

so why watch it? why come here and debate?

I watch for the entertainment value, just like I occasionally watch DWTS, and other bull **** shows.

Make no mistake though, I watch with a firm hold on reality knowing full well that the outcome

is scripted and set up for them to make as much $$ as possible. Why would the NFL be any different?

I come here to discuss much like I would standing around the water cooler with work associates

discussing the previous night's episode. Is that ok with ya? Or is it maybe the fact that I hit a nerve

with you that is a little painful, maybe a little too close to home? You can watch for whatever reason

suits you, and I will do the same, I just like to give myself a wake up call once in a while about reality.

It's like that commercial where the guy is dancing with a beautiful girl on some game, and the sales

clerk keeps telling him, "sir, she is not real"' but he doesn't hear a thing and just keeps dancing.

I don't want to be that guy anymore. I certainly don't want to sway anybody else's thinking, you guys

have to make that decision on your own.

 

 

Manipulated implies a conspiracy and I can't buy into that.

I would agree however that the better teams/players tend to get the benefit of the doubt.

Man if you don't think that league officials sit around and discuss strategy for maximizing

profits, then you are definitely swampland material. Where does that benefit of the doubt

come from?

[NoSaint]

 

I watch for the entertainment value, just like I occasionally watch DWTS, and other bull **** shows.

Make no mistake though, I watch with a firm hold on reality knowing full well that the outcome

is scripted and set up for them to make as much $$ as possible. Why would the NFL be any different?

I come here to discuss much like I would standing around the water cooler with work associates

discussing the previous night's episode. Is that ok with ya? Or is it maybe the fact that I hit a nerve

with you that is a little painful, maybe a little too close to home? You can watch for whatever reason

suits you, and I will do the same, I just like to give myself a wake up call once in a while about reality.

It's like that commercial where the guy is dancing with a beautiful girl on some game, and the sales

clerk keeps telling him, "sir, she is not real"' but he doesn't hear a thing and just keeps dancing.

I don't want to be that guy anymore. I certainly don't want to sway anybody else's thinking, you guys

have to make that decision on your own.

 

it seems you think im upset with you or something... i just didnt (and still dont) understand the enjoyment in watching sports if you think they are scripted. on that token i dont watch dancing with the stars... sooooo.... you enjoy it, fair enough. ill AGAIN state i never said you couldnt, simply that i didnt understand the enjoyment if thats what you view it as. no nerve hit.

 

 

Man if you don't think that league officials sit around and discuss strategy for maximizing

profits, then you are definitely swampland material. Where does that benefit of the doubt

come from?

 

why do the officials, who the league locked out just last year, go all in for a league agenda?

[CodeMonkey]

Man if you don't think that league officials sit around and discuss strategy for maximizing

profits, then you are definitely swampland material. Where does that benefit of the doubt

come from?

League officials, who are on salary, discuss maximizing profits? I'm sure owners do. But if you think they figure out week to week who wins and who looses and tell the officials to implement it, and this has happened for at least 14 years without something leaking, then you are probably one of those who think the pharoes were ancient aliens and the CIA blew up the twin towers

 

Benefit of the doubt is pretty simple. At full speed, which is what the (probably too old) officials have to go by, if a play is close and they see a first ballot HOFer against a nobody WR or DB they figure the better player probably made the better play.

[MDH]

The PI in the end zone was a good call. He grabbed the receiver by the collar in plain view for gods sake. Even the Pats* probably wouldn't get away with that one much less a bad team like the Bills.

 

The other "phantom" call some are complaining about near the end I honestly don't remember and would have to look again.

 

On the surface what you say is true - he grabbed the collar in plain view. However, he grabbed the collar in an attempt to stay close to the WR because the WR pushed off with two hands and had Robey not grabbed the collar he likely would have been shoved to the ground. It was PI on both the WR and Robey. It should have been a no call or offsetting. To call it on one guy in a critical situation is a bit much.

[Tu-Toned]

 

 

it seems you think im upset with you or something... i just didnt (and still dont) understand the enjoyment in watching sports if you think they are scripted. on that token i dont watch dancing with the stars... sooooo.... you enjoy it, fair enough. ill AGAIN state i never said you couldnt, simply that i didnt understand the enjoyment if thats what you view it as. no nerve hit.

 

 

 

why do the officials, who the league locked out just last year, go all in for a league agenda?

No, not upset with you or any other fellow Bills Fans. Not your faults that we get jobbed week

in and week out. Btw, I hate DWTS, just using as an example. You do go see movies, right?

How could you possibly get any enjoyment out of a movie that you know is scripted and manipulated

to maximize profits? See any difference?

[Big Turk]

 

The PI in the end zone was a good call. He grabbed the receiver by the collar in plain view for gods sake. Even the Pats* probably wouldn't get away with that one much less a bad team like the Bills.

 

The other "phantom" call some are complaining about near the end I honestly don't remember and would have to look again.

 

He grabbed him after Douglas initiated the contact with Robey...even Ronde Barber was like that's a BS call at this stage of the game, especially since the flag came from the official who couldn't have even seen the jersey grab, not the one standing in the back of the endzone who would have seen it...

[xsoldier54]

I'm not sure I'm willing to concede that the league is fixed. I think there are pushes to guide for certain things to happen, but I wouldn't go as far as saying it's a fixed league. I'll hang up and listen.

I'm not usually one for conspiracy theories, but the two calls at the end of regulation were at best questionable. The first one on Aaron Williams for illegal contact when he was nowhere near the play and the second one although justifiable was still questionable in that situation. They both fell down and the grabbing of the jersey had nothing to do with it. There were a few more during the course of the game that come to mind as well, particularly in the first half that allowed Atlanta to stay close. I don't know if the games are fixed or not, but I have read a couple of books on the subject and with the millions of dollars that are bet on the games each week, both legally and illegally, it certainly isn't out of the question. And I don't believe it is the league that is doing the fixing btw.

[Big Turk]

If they are going to call those, then Goodwin getting shoved from behind on one of the long deep passes was definitely PI

[PolishDave]

NFL refereeing in my opinion sucks in about half the games played.

 

The truth of the matter is that the refs often completely miss calls that could be game changing calls if they see them and throw the flag. For example in the Falcons game there was a play I saw towards the end of the game, (one of the last two drives made by the Falcons) where Darius was obviously being held on a breakaway pass rush. Instead the play ended up being a big pass play for Atlanta. Nobody else seemed to see this. Not the refs. Not the commentators. Just me imagining things I guess. I see plays like that all the time, illegal blocks, defensive holding, offensive holding. Some get called some don't. It is all up to the almighty ref.

 

And yes it is very common for the refs to make game changing calls that are very questionable.

 

More times than not, the schmuck commentators will wait to see how the review goes and then say the ref made a good call or a good no call. It is maddening to watch. They NFL obviously thinks we don’t realize the “good ole boy” system of the commentators backing up the refs decision for the good of the league.

 

And don’t you just love it when a team needs a miracle to stay in a game and that miracle is delivered by one of the guys wearing stripes?

 

That is why people think there is a conspiracy. It really makes you wonder. Are they just doing this to keep the games more exciting? For the good of the league? It really is plausible. Isn't it?

 

The fact of the matter is that NFL officiating sucks. It has sucked for as long as I can remember. I am convinced that it will continue to suck going forward. You can’t fix stupid.

 

And the hard part to swallow is that so much of it causes a game to go one way or the other.

 

And no it is not a Bills thing specifically. Officiating sucks across the NFL. The refs determine the outcome of many, many games by their decision to throw a flag or not.

[John from Riverside]

Bottom line......the team has to become good enough to overcome that kind of thing.

 

If our "number 1" receiver hangs onto the damn ball then dependable Carpenter kicks a field goal and we win.

[clayboy54]

How about that 1st down/4th down thing at the end of the Giants-Redskins game? This is prime-time national TV and an obvious and serious officiating screw-up. Maybe this is enough to finally get the full-time officials and Park Avenue involvement we have wanted.

[dave mcbride]

On the surface what you say is true - he grabbed the collar in plain view. However, he grabbed the collar in an attempt to stay close to the WR because the WR pushed off with two hands and had Robey not grabbed the collar he likely would have been shoved to the ground. It was PI on both the WR and Robey. It should have been a no call or offsetting. To call it on one guy in a critical situation is a bit much.

 

... But it happens every time. The DB always gets called in that situation. The league wants to accentuate the passing game, and that's how they do it - by not calling PI on receivers when they're contesting the ball. The stated rules don't actually matter. You may or may not like it, but that's how it's been for a few years now, and the players and coaches know it.

 

He grabbed him after Douglas initiated the contact with Robey...even Ronde Barber was like that's a BS call at this stage of the game, especially since the flag came from the official who couldn't have even seen the jersey grab, not the one standing in the back of the endzone who would have seen it...

Ronde Barber is a former cornerback.

[mountainwampus]

How about that 1st down/4th down thing at the end of the Giants-Redskins game? This is prime-time national TV and an obvious and serious officiating screw-up. Maybe this is enough to finally get the full-time officials and Park Avenue involvement we have wanted.

 

EVERYTHING should be reviewable. Simply review the tape of the chains moving. Done. It was a first down. You can't retroactively change what down it is or was! If the NFL has an ounce of credibility, they will fire everyone who was associated with that call. But they won't. It's the National Fairy-tale League. Redskins should be awarded a free draft pick for that nonsense.