Officiating (and not just the Bills game)

[wnysteel]

I have a few examples of absolutely abysmal officiating, and i need to rant.

 

--pass interference in the end zone against Cleveland. Setting aside my hatred for the Patsies, that was an awful call. Especially in that situation. Let the players play. Or at least, call PI if its cut and dried.

--The TD pass in the endzone of the Bills game yesterday that was eventually reversed. BOTH feet were out, and the official was standing FIVE FEET away and was oblivious. I saw it real time and knew immediately it was the incorrect call

--2 roughing the passer calls. One against Detroit yesterday, where Foles was hit exactly as he released the ball, was not hit in the head, or driven to the turf. And the call a few weeks back, where the defender hits Brees in the middle of his chest. I know all about protecting the quarterbacks, and in theory, I support it. But if that's the case, then why no call when EJ slides and then gets drilled yesterday?

--pass interference against McKelvin yesterday. Now, i only saw one replay, but it did appear that Leodis attempted to slow down the WR, but completely whiffed and missed him. The pass was overthrown, and the flag comes out

--i didn't hear anyone talking about the hit on Woods. Hello??? Hit on a defenseless receiver??? Here is the link, with excerpt below for this rule: http://nflcommunications.com/2011/12/27/definition-of-a-defenseless-player/

 

It is a foul if a player initiates unnecessary contact against a player who is in a defenseless posture.

(a) Players in a defenseless posture are:

...

(2) A receiver attempting to catch a pass; or who has completed a catch and has not had time to protect himself or has not clearly become a runner. If the receiver/runner is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player;

It's time the NFL went to full time officials, who are regularly tested. Its a fast, (sometimes complicated) game with lots of rules. Get it right, or get new officials.

[thebandit27]

I was discussing this both yesterday and today: the officiating in the NFL is the worst it has ever been. You left out the biggest blunder I've ever seen as well:

 

I'd describe it, but Peter King does a perfect job himself...

 

http://mmqb.si.com/2013/12/09/nfl-week-14-monday-morning-quarterback/

(video included)

 

4. At Cincinnati, late in the first half, the Bengals were up 7-0 when BenJarvus Green-Ellis dove for the goal line and appeared to be stopped short. In the last two minutes of the half, replays are initiated by the replay assistant upstairs, and that’s what happened here. The ruling on the field was that Green-Ellis was down by contact, from Indy nose tackle Josh Chapman touching Green-Ellis’ leg and causing him to fall short of the goal line. Triplette went under the hood. At NBC we watched the replay three or four times. Nothing there. The play would stand. Check out the video above. Almost certainly Chapman flicked Green-Ellis’ leg, causing him to fall forward, and his knees and thighs were down before he reached the goal line. Triplette overturned the call. He ruled a touchdown, saying Green-Ellis clearly had not been touched and could then reach the ball across the plane because he had not been touched down. We gasped in the room at NBC. Incredible. Jeff Triplette, for the second week in a row, made the kind of decision that makes the American public distrust, if not altogether hate, the officials who work these games. Triplette made a mockery of of the term “indisputable visual evidence.” Later in this column I’ll explain why the league may go to centralized replay review. This call should be Exhibit A for it.

[Rubes]

Have to agree with this. I can't recall a season where there have been so many ridiculously bad calls -- either terrible calls, or no-calls. I know there's probably some recall bias here, but I just seem to be flabbergasted week after week, and I can't remember it happening this frequently.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

Oh yes. The Bills were lousey, and that was hard to watch but the officiating was abysmal and made the game unwatchable. Bad calls, phantom calls, confusion, missed calls, inconsistency on judgement calls that had big yardage implications.

 

It was brutal

Edited December 9, 2013 by over 20 years of fanhood

[Never NEVER Give-up]

Another log for the fire - Byrd's roughing the passer on his 3rd down sack - ruled that he hit the QB too low. The reply showed he hit him above the knees!!

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

The NFL needs to go to full time officials. You're not going to get there in one year, I'd propose each year one position on the crew is converted to full time, starting with the referee position. It likely would take 7 or 8 years, but eventually they'd all be full time. I'd offer any existing officials first shot at going full time and give the msome type of incentive maybe five years of a promise not to dismiss. There's plenty of training film study etc they could do during the week. The NFL is becoming a year round sport anyway.

[nucci]

They need in shape, younger people and better training. Not picking on old people but some of these guys should not be referees. The PI call at end of Pat-Browns was simply incredible.

 

The NFL needs to go to full time officials. You're not going to get there in one year, I'd propose each year one position on the crew is converted to full time, starting with the referee position. It likely would take 7 or 8 years, but eventually they'd all be full time. I'd offer any existing officials first shot at going full time and give the msome type of incentive maybe five years of a promise not to dismiss. There's plenty of training film study etc they could do during the week. The NFL is becoming a year round sport anyway.

What would they do between February and July? Wish there was a system like baseball has with minor leagues. Have to earn your way up.....

[dwight in philly]

the NFL is getting to be unwatchable because of the horrendous officiating.. in addition, having to endure the bills just makes sundays not what they used to be.

[dezertbill]

I was ranting about this to myself yesterday. Took the words right out of my mouth. Officiating has gone south quick, and specifically yesterday was horrible. Refs are just throwing flags for the heck of it, at the same time ignoring obvious infractions. It was frustrating listening to idiot Beurlein talk about not have enuff evidence to overturn Vince Jackson's TD in the back of the endzone when Ray Charles could have seen that Jackson's heel was out of bounds. Then making up some crap that as long as his toe touched first before the heel went out its a good TD. Since when did getting half of your foot inbounds constitute a good catch? Moron!

[todd]

There are a few more things that bother me:

 

1. The officials that are graded the best get the best games. This makes sure that struggling teams (like the bills) get the bad calls from crappy refs.

2. It is a BIG FRIGGING DEAL when New England gets a bad call against them. It is in the headlines for a week. When the Bills or another team gets shafted, it is a matter of course and nobody batts and eye.

[Mr. WEO]

I have a few examples of absolutely abysmal officiating, and i need to rant.

 

Here's a few examples of the exact same thread

 

 

http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/164274-forget-the-bills-for-a-second-is-the-nfl-losing-its-appeal-to-you/

 

 

http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/164257-pats-pull-another-one-out-of-their-posteriors/

[CardinalScotts]

I'm glad you started tis thread ha, the officiating is horrible, they are old they can't move never give themselves and angle are usually controlled by the home team. The Green Eillis TD for the Bengals was among the worst use of replay ever- I no I didnt bet on the game. Could not care less who won - They refuse to walk away from the money so its like a supreme court justice- they will die being an NFL referee. Then you read articles on games and they never mention the most important factors - which were the referees far too often. Nothing will change though TV ratings are through the roof. What are they looking for under the hood? Getting it right or making sure the call was right or evidence to over turn it or evidence that determines it was the right call. I don't think there is a standard they go by each guy is different.

[DaBills51]

Not sure if anyone saw the Rams-Cardinals game, but this call was pretty ridiculous for many reasons.

 

Not only did the refs make the wrong call, but they blew the play dead as the Rams player was about to return the fumble for a TD. And then, to put the icing the cake, they flagged the Rams for "going personally after the Quarterback", even though Palmer was relatively close to the play.

[dwight in philly]

Here's a few examples of the exact same thread

 

 

http://forums.twobil...-appeal-to-you/

 

 

http://forums.twobil...eir-posteriors/

your point?

[Tu-Toned]

What about them awarding an interception to Tampa when the ball seemed to be rolling in

the ground maybe mid third quarter. They have enough cameras rolling but I guess did not

have enough of them to record that?? This was a fairly critical point in the game.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I preferred the replacements.

 

They were less instrusive, like college officials.

[sodbuster]

I preferred the replacements.

 

They were less instrusive, like college officials.

The replacement officials called what they saw. I feel like officials today are so worried about ruining the chances of a "good team" that they screw over the second tier teams. And the sports media makes it all go round, because they stick up for the fans of the popular teams for ratings. The replacement refs didn't feel pressure in this sense, because they knew they were going to be hated no matter what they did.

[Tu-Toned]

The refs are all celebrities now. I can remember not that long ago either, when the refs

we're almost invisible. Now we know all sorts of things about them, what they do for a real living,

what there families are like, how much they can bench press, where the hail from, etc...

 

Then we have to sit there during games on pins and needles awaiting a ruling on something that

they couldn't get right in the first place, followed by lengthy lame explanations of why they are screwing

your team. They really are not to concerned about getting it right the first time, they know that they

have this safety net called instant replay and review, oh sure they may get downgraded, but unless

it is something really egregious, do any of them ever get fired, like you and I might be for such

shoddy performances? Way too much face time for my liking and way too much of a focal point

in games. They need to start downplay them, and take the game out of their hands more.

 

I think that it all started with Red Cashen, who by the way, probably refereed about ten years too long,

and his infamous "first dawn" bark, only to be perpetuated by Hoculi and the like. I still see way too

many overweight silver haired ones out there trailing plays all red faced huffing and puffing.

Not trying to discriminate, but there is a reason why they call fighter pilots young guns.

[wnysteel]

also, i forgot to mention, that the referee from the bills-bucs games yesterday looked annoyed and/or pi--ed off at times. what is that? you are there to do a job, that 99% of us would love to do. if you get that annoyed and/or pi--ed off about it, then step aside and let someone else do it.

[BuffaloBud]

The caliber of officiating has declined noticably this year over the recent past. Can't put a finger on it as to why. Too many over officiated calls and too many missed. The Byrd tackle on Glennon almost put me into launch mode, but the Robey PI call last week did that. Damn near busted out the monitor on that one and I had too put myself on cool down.

 

It is going to be difficult to find playoff crews that grade out high enough to make the cut.