BringBackFergy Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 *Wearing my tinfoil hat here* Maybe we can revert back to this thread from time to time to see how officiating has affected the Patriots' season. The way I see the officiating in Pats' games is this: The officials will throw flags on the Pats and their opponents...usually an equal amount. That's not the purpose of this thread. The big difference is how the flags or non-calls are made at important times during the game. The Chargers game is a prime example. The Pats may have been flagged for a holding or an off sides a few times and the opponent feels the game is being called fair. Then the refs call an OPI on the Chargers which is a crucial call (mistake) that changes the game in the Pats favor. Same with the Jets game. The TE maintained possession of the ball until he hit the ground (granted, he bobbled it mid air for a second but re-established possession before hitting the ground). That no TD call was a game changer. Pats fans will point to the number of flags thrown but that is meaningless when you consider the types of flags thrown against the Pats for basic holds, interference, etc. versus calls against opponents that truly affect the score (calls that negate TD's). I'd love to see some research to determine how many times a Patriots' game has been affected by the refs officiating. So, as of October 31, 2017, the officials have affected two games in favor of the Pats: Jets game Chargers game Feel free to add onto this list if I missed any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Firework smoke and Fog filled stadium where you could hardly see the field versus Atlanta Should the Refs have delayed the game until the "smoke cleared"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfan60 Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 *Wearing my tinfoil hat here* Maybe we can revert back to this thread from time to time to see how officiating has affected the Patriots' season. The way I see the officiating in Pats' games is this: The officials will throw flags on the Pats and their opponents...usually an equal amount. That's not the purpose of this thread. The big difference is how the flags or non-calls are made at important times during the game. The Chargers game is a prime example. The Pats may have been flagged for a holding or an off sides a few times and the opponent feels the game is being called fair. Then the refs call an OPI on the Chargers which is a crucial call (mistake) that changes the game in the Pats favor. Same with the Jets game. The TE maintained possession of the ball until he hit the ground (granted, he bobbled it mid air for a second but re-established possession before hitting the ground). That no TD call was a game changer. Pats fans will point to the number of flags thrown but that is meaningless when you consider the types of flags thrown against the Pats for basic holds, interference, etc. versus calls against opponents that truly affect the score (calls that negate TD's). I'd love to see some research to determine how many times a Patriots' game has been affected by the refs officiating. So, as of October 31, 2017, the officials have affected two games in favor of the Pats: Jets game Chargers game Feel free to add onto this list if I missed any. This is usually the problem with conspiracy theories. What your suggesting is that the patsies*** organization, the NFL, as an organization, and every official have colluded in an ultra secret pact to sway the outcome of every game the patsies*** play in by making favorable calls at the most crucial points in each game. You're talking about hundreds of people keeping their mouths shut and having 100% of them buying into the program. When you throw in centralized review and instant replay from multiple angles then the entire watching public and sports media must be both blind and stupid. Of course it could be argued that people do pay good money to watch professional wrestling. The counterpoint is that officials, as a group are both blind and stupid, and that includes official review. When I was playing, back at the dawn of time, the band would do a rendition of The Three Blind Mice after each obvious blown call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Turk Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 *Wearing my tinfoil hat here* Maybe we can revert back to this thread from time to time to see how officiating has affected the Patriots' season. The way I see the officiating in Pats' games is this: The officials will throw flags on the Pats and their opponents...usually an equal amount. That's not the purpose of this thread. The big difference is how the flags or non-calls are made at important times during the game. The Chargers game is a prime example. The Pats may have been flagged for a holding or an off sides a few times and the opponent feels the game is being called fair. Then the refs call an OPI on the Chargers which is a crucial call (mistake) that changes the game in the Pats favor. Same with the Jets game. The TE maintained possession of the ball until he hit the ground (granted, he bobbled it mid air for a second but re-established possession before hitting the ground). That no TD call was a game changer. Pats fans will point to the number of flags thrown but that is meaningless when you consider the types of flags thrown against the Pats for basic holds, interference, etc. versus calls against opponents that truly affect the score (calls that negate TD's). I'd love to see some research to determine how many times a Patriots' game has been affected by the refs officiating. So, as of October 31, 2017, the officials have affected two games in favor of the Pats: Jets game Chargers game Feel free to add onto this list if I missed any. I remember a flag on Hogan for holding last year that negated a 90 yard TD against us on like the first play of the game... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan130 Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Are you implying that it is a conspiracy theory that the NFL wants the Pats to win? Or that they seem to get lucky and benefit from timely calls? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cba fan Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 (edited) I remember a flag on Hogan for holding last year that negated a 90 yard TD against us on like the first play of the game... congrats even a mouse finds a hidden piece of cheese now and again. I don't think there is a big conspiracy going on but officials are prone to favor the Pats for reasons unexplained. Be if Kraft Bellycheck Brady influence complaining and officials cowering. Offensive PI and pick plays are the worst offenses the officials let them get away with. Pats invented the TE push off and those pick plays. The no contact call against Chargers trumps all the others as by far the worst ever. Chargers never touched anyone. Pats ran into themselves. Worse than the "just give it to them game" Edited October 31, 2017 by cba fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan130 Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 congrats even a mouse finds a hidden piece of cheese now and again. I don't think there is a big conspiracy going on but officials are prone to favor the Pats for reasons unexplained. Be if Kraft Bellycheck Brady influence complaining and officials cowering. Offensive PI and pick plays are the worst offenses the officials let them get away with. Pats invented the TE push off and those pick plays. The no contact call against Chargers trumps all the others as by far the worst ever. Chargers never touched anyone. Pats ran into themselves. Worse than the "just give it to them game" I don't see a conspiracy. Goodell hates the Pats since that deflategate scandal, so why would he want NE to win? I agree that they see to benefit from sketchy calls, but that is probably due to the terrible and inconsistent officiating around the league week in and week out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted October 31, 2017 Author Share Posted October 31, 2017 This is usually the problem with conspiracy theories. What your suggesting is that the patsies*** organization, the NFL, as an organization, and every official have colluded in an ultra secret pact to sway the outcome of every game the patsies*** play in by making favorable calls at the most crucial points in each game. You're talking about hundreds of people keeping their mouths shut and having 100% of them buying into the program. When you throw in centralized review and instant replay from multiple angles then the entire watching public and sports media must be both blind and stupid. Of course it could be argued that people do pay good money to watch professional wrestling. The counterpoint is that officials, as a group are both blind and stupid, and that includes official review. When I was playing, back at the dawn of time, the band would do a rendition of The Three Blind Mice after each obvious blown call. I don't think the Pats owner has influenced the officials directly. I do think, however, the officials are aware of the crying and whining by the Pats over the course of the last ten years ever since spy gate and inflate gate to the point where the officials throw flags quickly whenever anything "appears" to hurt the Pats in a game. That appearance and the "err on the side of Pats" mentality has popped up time and again (and will continue to be an issue this year). Like I said, let's just keep this thread open for the next 8 weeks and see what else might be added to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaviorPeterman Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Are you implying that it is a conspiracy theory that the NFL wants the Pats to win? Or that they seem to get lucky and benefit from timely calls? There is no conspiracy. The Pats are what they are because they have the greatest head coach and QB of all time period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Turk Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 I don't see a conspiracy. Goodell hates the Pats since that deflategate scandal, so why would he want NE to win? I agree that they see to benefit from sketchy calls, but that is probably due to the terrible and inconsistent officiating around the league week in and week out. We got some benefits from calls I'm sure other teams fans are bitching about like the Atlanta game with the sack/fumble/TD... Pretty sure every team has a bunch of plays every year they can point to as ways they got screwed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 There is no conspiracy. The Pats are what they are because they have the greatest head coach and QB of all time period. And they know the rule book better than anyone. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaviorPeterman Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 And they know the rule book better than anyone. Sadly they really do, even if it's really obscure stuff like the TD/touchback play against the Jets that pretty much won the game for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 (edited) This is usually the problem with conspiracy theories. What your suggesting is that the patsies*** organization, the NFL, as an organization, and every official have colluded in an ultra secret pact to sway the outcome of every game the patsies*** play in by making favorable calls at the most crucial points in each game. You're talking about hundreds of people keeping their mouths shut and having 100% of them buying into the program. When you throw in centralized review and instant replay from multiple angles then the entire watching public and sports media must be both blind and stupid. Of course it could be argued that people do pay good money to watch professional wrestling. The counterpoint is that officials, as a group are both blind and stupid, and that includes official review. When I was playing, back at the dawn of time, the band would do a rendition of The Three Blind Mice after each obvious blown call. Well, I think there are a couple of ways NFL officiating could be biased in favor of the Pats without any grand conspiracy with 100s keeping their mouths shut. First there's the well-known "benefit of the doubt" phenomenon. When someone (a student, an athlete) has been successful, they tend to get the "benefit of the doubt" more often than not. It's not so much a deliberate effect, as that we all see what we want to see. Second there's the "elder statesman" phenomenon. They used to call Peyton Manning "The Sheriff" for good reason - he'd forgotten more about the game than most coaches and refs know. Brady is in the same class. No ref wants to be "that guy" who blows a high profile televised call involving one of the game's elder statesmen, so there is a tendency to give Brady an ear. Third, IIRC while refs can't bet, their friends and family can, and refs can play fantasy. It would not be totally beyond the possible for a ref to be influenced to see the game a particular way for that reason. Edited October 31, 2017 by Hapless Bills Fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted October 31, 2017 Author Share Posted October 31, 2017 Sadly they really do, even if it's really obscure stuff like the TD/touchback play against the Jets that pretty much won the game for them. You mean the TD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 (edited) This is usually the problem with conspiracy theories. What your suggesting is that the patsies*** organization, the NFL, as an organization, and every official have colluded in an ultra secret pact to sway the outcome of every game the patsies*** play in by making favorable calls at the most crucial points in each game. You're talking about hundreds of people keeping their mouths shut and having 100% of them buying into the program. When you throw in centralized review and instant replay from multiple angles then the entire watching public and sports media must be both blind and stupid. Of course it could be argued that people do pay good money to watch professional wrestling. The counterpoint is that officials, as a group are both blind and stupid, and that includes official review. When I was playing, back at the dawn of time, the band would do a rendition of The Three Blind Mice after each obvious blown call. That's crazy. But I do believe that the Pats have cheated, the NFL covered up the extent, and yet remain Goodell's favored franchise. I also believe that the NFL wagged their finger at Belichick and said "Bad coach, no more cheating!" But the Hoodie still reaches into his bag of tricks when needed. Edited October 31, 2017 by PromoTheRobot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott7975 Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Actually someone did do research on it. I can't remember who did it but I remember reading the article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted October 31, 2017 Author Share Posted October 31, 2017 Actually someone did do research on it. I can't remember who did it but I remember reading the article Well, I suppose I can google "Patriots Officials Decide Outcome of Game" and see what I get Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaviorPeterman Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 You mean the TD? Yes the TD they took away from the Jets and instead called a turnover and touchback for the Pats. Crazy turn of events but it was a legit rule even though some fans claimed conspiracy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 And they know the rule book better than anyone. And know how to get away with stuff. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Call_Of_Ktulu Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Brady and Belicheat might be the best combo ever but they will forever be attached to cheating. I would love to see those tapes that were destroyed and for me if something is destroyed you must assume the worst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 WOW people this thread is FOR FUN ! Lighten up and get on topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fridge Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 It's called confirmation bias. A referee is hardly impartial, and they have preconceived notions that the Patriots are a good team. In split second decisions their confirmation bias kicks in and they make a decision in favor of the Patriots because they've been associating their team with success. The degree to which this will effect a game is likely very minimal, but I couldn't be convinced that it doesn't exist, albeit at a very small level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 And know how to get away with stuff. Exactly and that's not cheating. It's knowing the rules and taking advantage Not saying they haven't cheated. But sometimes it's just that they know more about the rules than even the referees do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted October 31, 2017 Author Share Posted October 31, 2017 It's called confirmation bias. A referee is hardly impartial, and they have preconceived notions that the Patriots are a good team. In split second decisions their confirmation bias kicks in and they make a decision in favor of the Patriots because they've been associating their team with success. The degree to which this will effect a game is likely very minimal, but I couldn't be convinced that it doesn't exist, albeit at a very small level. This Here's an example from my quick Google search. Last year's MNF game vs. the Pats* https://deadspin.com/whats-wrong-with-nfl-officiating-1744377435 The phantom whistle is one example of poor officiating. The ruling that the clock expired when Sammy rolled out of bounds with time left on the clock is "confirmation bias" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott7975 Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Just give it to them. Watch replay of foot out of bounds. Call on field stands. Hail Mary? Oh pass interference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfan60 Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 I think the whole "elder statesman" theory makes the most sense. But that still doesn't explain why the centralized replay isn't reversing the more egregious gaffs that we see each week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 There is no conspiracy. The Pats are what they are because they have the greatest head coach and QB of all time period. You are truly a Pats fan, aren't you? Bill Walsh and Joe Montana just called. Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw asked them to hold the line. I'm not saying Brady and Belichek aren't great, but to call them the "greatest of all time" is to ignore both the rule changes that favor the passing game, a lot of football history, and the questions about their cheating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Let me add 2 The greatest Rule Benders of all time The greatest Benificiaries of the Refs of all time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan130 Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 We got some benefits from calls I'm sure other teams fans are bitching about like the Atlanta game with the sack/fumble/TD... Pretty sure every team has a bunch of plays every year they can point to as ways they got screwed Exactly You are truly a Pats fan, aren't you? Bill Walsh and Joe Montana just called. Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw asked them to hold the line. I'm not saying Brady and Belichek aren't great, but to call them the "greatest of all time" is to ignore both the rule changes that favor the passing game, a lot of football history, and the questions about their cheating. The problem as well with people saying they are the greatest of all time, is most of us simply did not see all era's play. I for one think they are the greatest that I have seen, but I can't even compare to Montana/Walsh because I was too young, and I wasn't even alive for Bradshaw days in the 70s. That's why it is confusing for me to hear people under like 65 years old say that "these certain guys are the best of all time". It's like, how can you say that if you've never seen other greats play? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mykidsdad Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 It's called confirmation bias. A referee is hardly impartial, and they have preconceived notions that the Patriots are a good team. In split second decisions their confirmation bias kicks in and they make a decision in favor of the Patriots because they've been associating their team with success. The degree to which this will effect a game is likely very minimal, but I couldn't be convinced that it doesn't exist, albeit at a very small level. Hit the nail on the head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frostbitmic Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Ever since September 11th 2001 the patriots* have dominated the NFL. Soon after 9/11 Washington came up with the "patriot act" ... Not the freedom Bill, not the Jets act, not the Giant reform but the "patriot act". In the patriot act, section 52 sub section 18 states that all things patriot will be moved to the front of everything American. Even President George Bush said "we're all patriots" Soon after we get things like the tuck rule, snow blowers in New England clearing a kicking lane for patriot FGs, spy gate, deflate gate, jets fumble gate and opi against the bolts. It's a conspiracy I tell ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonbus23 Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 (edited) I looked at the penalty data from 2016 and 2017. It is hard to make any strong claim or thesis about the penalties. I developed a reasonable methodology to analyze the data. It involves what I call "subjective calls" versus "non-subjective calls." In short, a subjective call is one that a ref makes based completely on his own empirical judgement (holds, interference, etc.). Non-subjective calls are things like offsides, delay of game and so forth. Generally, the Pats* are beneficiaries of one or two extra subjective calls a game. One game that stands out from the rest is the Chiefs game. The data is below: Week 1: Subjective calls against the Patriots- 3 Defensive Pass Interference Unnecessary Roughness Offensive Holding (Offsetting) Subjective Calls Against the Opponent- 13 Defensive Pass Interference Defensive Holding (Offsetting) Defensive Holding Offensive Holding Offensive Holding Offensive Holding Unnecessary Roughness Defensive Holding Defensive Pass Interference Taunting Offensive Holding Defensive Holding Illegal Block Above the Waist I am not sure how to make any strong claims based on this one game. Edited October 31, 2017 by leonbus23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted October 31, 2017 Author Share Posted October 31, 2017 I looked at the penalty data from 2016 and 2017. It is hard to make any strong claim or thesis about the penalties. I developed a reasonable methodology to analyze the data. It involves what I call "subjective calls" versus "non-subjective calls." In short, a subjective call is one that a ref makes based completely on his own empirical judgement (holds, interference, etc.). Non-subjective calls are things like offsides, delay of game and so forth. Generally, the Pats* are beneficiaries of one or two extra subjective calls a game. One game that stands out from the rest is the Chiefs game. The data is below: Week 1: Subjective calls against the Patriots- 3 Defensive Pass Interference Unnecessary Roughness Offensive Holding (Offsetting) Subjective Calls Against the Opponent- 13 Defensive Pass Interference Defensive Holding (Offsetting) Defensive Holding Offensive Holding Offensive Holding Offensive Holding Unnecessary Roughness Defensive Holding Defensive Pass Interference Taunting Offensive Holding Defensive Holding Illegal Block Above the Waist I am not sure how to make any strong claims based on this one game. Was that this years game vs the Chiefs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LABILLBACKER Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Well, I think there are a couple of ways NFL officiating could be biased in favor of the Pats without any grand conspiracy with 100s keeping their mouths shut. First there's the well-known "benefit of the doubt" phenomenon. When someone (a student, an athlete) has been successful, they tend to get the "benefit of the doubt" more often than not. It's not so much a deliberate effect, as that we all see what we want to see. Second there's the "elder statesman" phenomenon. They used to call Peyton Manning "The Sheriff" for good reason - he'd forgotten more about the game than most coaches and refs know. Brady is in the same class. No ref wants to be "that guy" who blows a high profile televised call involving one of the game's elder statesmen, so there is a tendency to give Brady an ear. Third, IIRC while refs can't bet, their friends and family can, and refs can play fantasy. It would not be totally beyond the possible for a ref to be influenced to see the game a particular way for that reason. This response seems to make the most sense and is the most likely. The Pats have been getting calls since the infamous tuck. Brady means $$$ to the NFL. Until he and Bill retire they will always have that little edge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoBills808 Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 TD against the Texans maybe 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 This is usually the problem with conspiracy theories. What your suggesting is that the patsies*** organization, the NFL, as an organization, and every official have colluded in an ultra secret pact to sway the outcome of every game the patsies*** play in by making favorable calls at the most crucial points in each game. You're talking about hundreds of people keeping their mouths shut and having 100% of them buying into the program. When you throw in centralized review and instant replay from multiple angles then the entire watching public and sports media must be both blind and stupid. Of course it could be argued that people do pay good money to watch professional wrestling. The counterpoint is that officials, as a group are both blind and stupid, and that includes official review. When I was playing, back at the dawn of time, the band would do a rendition of The Three Blind Mice after each obvious blown call. And the US Government. I mean...just after 9/11, out of nowhere, with a sixth round QB the PATRIOTS win the Superbowl??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonbus23 Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Was that this years game vs the Chiefs? Yes. This year's game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted October 31, 2017 Author Share Posted October 31, 2017 Yes. This year's game. Damn. 13 subjective calls benefitting the Pats and they still got their asses kicked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderingsquid Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 This is usually the problem with conspiracy theories. What your suggesting is that the patsies*** organization, the NFL, as an organization, and every official have colluded in an ultra secret pact to sway the outcome of every game the patsies*** play in by making favorable calls at the most crucial points in each game. You're talking about hundreds of people keeping their mouths shut and having 100% of them buying into the program. When you throw in centralized review and instant replay from multiple angles then the entire watching public and sports media must be both blind and stupid. Of course it could be argued that people do pay good money to watch professional wrestling. The counterpoint is that officials, as a group are both blind and stupid, and that includes official review. When I was playing, back at the dawn of time, the band would do a rendition of The Three Blind Mice after each obvious blown call. Works for the WWE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Take the flags away and let them play and earn that paycheck Blow the whistle and play is over. Just like the old days of backyard football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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