Dawson Knox: Refs made up 15 yard snowball penalty ❄️

[Buffalo Dude]

According to SI:

 

The refs “made up” the 15 yard penalty just to calm down the fans, knowing they couldn’t enforce the rule.

 

https://www.si.com/.amp/extra-mustard/2022/12/23/bills-dolphins-15-yard-snowball-penalty-threat

 

The flurry got the crowd into such a fervor as to draw the ire of the officials, who made an announcement during the game that Buffalo would be assessed a 15-yard penalty if fans hit anybody on the field with a thrown snow ball.

The crowd eventually settled down. But, as it turns out, the fans could have created quite an interesting scenario if they called the officials’ bluff.

That’s because, as Bills tight end Dawson Knox recalled this week, there wasn’t actually anything the officials could do to penalize a team for fans’ behavior, making the public address announcement an empty threat.

“Apparently, they told coach McDermott or someone, ‘Hey we can’t actually enforce that, we just have to say that for them to stop,’” Knox said on the podcast Green Light with Chris Long. “It was a just say it, to get them to calm down.”

[NoSaint]

No upside to this. Last thing we need is snowballs in the playoffs. I hope fans don’t try to call the bluff.

[Buffalo Boy]

Now they know it’s BS😈😈😈

[transient]

1 minute ago, NoSaint said:

No upside to this. Last thing we need is snowballs in the playoffs. I hope fans don’t try to call the bluff.

Now that the cat's out of the bag they better hold on to that #1 seed...

[Buffalo Dude]

From anyone who was at the game, was the problem that snowballs were being thrown onto the field in general, or at the Dolphins bench?

[Nextmanup]

It's just shocking all stupid your average person is.

 

I can't believe fans had to be warned to not throw crap on the field.

 

It's a freaking zoo out there.

 

 

1 minute ago, Buffalo Dude said:

From anyone who was at the game, was the problem that snowballs were being thrown onto the field in general, or at the Dolphins bench?

I was not there, but I think the answer is "BOTH."

 

I saw players (including Bills!) getting hit!
 

 

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

throwing snowballs at one another in the stands is cool. throwing snowballs that can potentially be ice balls at the oppositions bench, not cool.

 

I know I'll catch a lot of slack but it really is not a good look, at all.

[RiotAct]

1 minute ago, Buffalo Dude said:

From anyone who was at the game, was the problem that snowballs were being thrown onto the field in general, or at the Dolphins bench?

the field in general.  Especially when there was a scoring play.  The end zone was getting inundated with then.

[QCity]

Don't throw anything on the field.

[SirAndrew]

I total believe this…but it wouldn’t shock me if a forfeit is in the rules if a venue isn’t considered safe. However, that would be a gutsy move by the league, especially during the playoffs. Rules are flexible when managing a large crowd. You must take thousands of disgruntled fans into account. Enforcing rules on the street with individuals or small groups is a different beast where rules are more concrete. An entire crowd breaking rules is tough to deal with. I’m not encouraging it, I’m just not sure if/how you fully prevent it. 

[Buffalo Dude]

And before anyone thinks of throwing more snowballs, here’s the actual rule:

 

The actual rule book does not cover penalties issued for instances in which fans are throwing things like snowballs onto the field, according to Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News, unless those actions directly impact an in-progress play.

 

So there could have been a penalty if a snow ball, say, caused a player to fumble or fall mid-play.

[chongli]

6 minutes ago, Buffalo Dude said:

From anyone who was at the game, was the problem that snowballs were being thrown onto the field in general, or at the Dolphins bench?

 

Sal was hit by a snowball. It was mentioned on the WRG call.

[SirAndrew]

4 minutes ago, DaBillsFanSince1973 said:

throwing snowballs at one another in the stands is cool. throwing snowballs that can potentially be ice balls at the oppositions bench, not cool.

 

I know I'll catch a lot of slack but it really is not a good look, at all.

IDK, if I’m taking my kids or older parents to a game, people throwing snowballs in the stands is just as lame (dangerous if we’re assuming they’re ice balls) as throwing them at the opposing bench. 

[NewEra]

13 minutes ago, NoSaint said:

No upside to this. Last thing we need is snowballs in the playoffs. I hope fans don’t try to call the bluff.

Better do more than hope. I think it’s a given that we see even more snowballs in the playoffs now that this is out 

[Buffalo Dude]

Not condoning the throwing of snowballs, but wondering:

 

Was this in retaliation of the strategically designed Dolphin stadium that puts opposing players in the sun while the home team is in the shade?

 

or was this just Bills fans being silly?

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

20 minutes ago, SirAndrew said:

IDK, if I’m taking my kids or older parents to a game, people throwing snowballs in the stands is just as lame (dangerous if we’re assuming they’re ice balls) as throwing them at the opposing bench. 

I am not against throwing (not iceballs of course) snowballs, whatsoever. just no need to throw them at the oppositions bench. I'm sure your kids and even parents have done it every winter, I know I did and it was fun. if someone had thrown one in your parents or even kids face, yeah, not cool. 

Edited December 23, 2022 by DaBillsFanSince1973

[davefan66]

11 minutes ago, Buffalo Dude said:

From anyone who was at the game, was the problem that snowballs were being thrown onto the field in general, or at the Dolphins bench?

I sit upper deck, Bills side.  Snowballs were everywhere. End zones especially. Bills sideline wasn’t immune. Saw some on phins side, no idea how much.

 

Throwing snowballs is dumb for sure. Why do it? People behind us towards the top of the upper deck were launching them into the upper deck and lower bowl. Just seems ridiculous to throw snow/ice balls at people. Especially the lower bowl from up top;  momentum from there is dangerous. 

[RunTheBall]

There has never been a football game where there were both snow and fans in the stands where snowballs weren’t thrown. Never.

 

It’s comical to listen to some  moan about “the look” or like there are some rules in play when it comes to where and when you can throw a snowball

 

BTW, they weren’t live grenades, they weren’t iceballs, it was freshly fallen snow. No one was injured and there wasn’t any high risk of injury.

 

I’ve got an idea, if the NFL doesn’t want fans to throw snowballs maybe they should chip in cash to help remove snow from the stands? 

 

Much to do about nothing 

 

[MJS]

I've never seen so much outrage about something so insignificant.

 

Move on.

Just now, RunTheBall said:

There has never been a football game where there were both snow and fans in the stands where snowballs weren’t thrown. Never.

 

It’s comical to listen to some  moan about “the look” or like there are some rules in play when it comes to where and when you can throw a snowball

 

BTW, they weren’t live grenades, they weren’t iceballs, it was freshly fallen snow. No one was injured and there wasn’t any high risk of injury.

 

I’ve got an idea, if the NFL doesn’t want fans to throw snowballs maybe they should chip in cash to help remove snow from the stands? 

 

Much to do about nothing 

Exactly. And the "ice ball" claim is just stupid. A bunch of adults scared of snowballs? I wasn't there, but if I got hit with a snowball, I suppose I would just shrug and not care.

[BillnutinHouston]

It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.

[Bad Things]

24 minutes ago, Nextmanup said:

It's just shocking all stupid your average person is.

 

 

[muppy]

any proposed rule to penalize the home team for snowballs being thrown on the field is going to be an open invitation for the less than  honorable away team fans to begin pitching snowballs just to draw the penalty against the Bills. IMO there is no way they will be fairly be able to discern which fan threw them. #88 even mentioned this in  is "Mic'd up" segment. I agree with him.

[Nineforty]

as a USMNT fan, I've heard how players deal with bags of urine being thrown at them when travelling to some countries to play (just one of many things that create a hostile environment). I don't want anyone to get hurt, and I wouldn't personally throw any, but I do think it creates a somewhat hostile environment for the opposing team. So I'm in. Until someones blinded of course

[Warcodered]

37 minutes ago, Buffalo Boy said:

Now they know it’s BS😈😈😈

Yeah not sure Knox was supposed to say this, oh well. 🤷‍♂️

[Old Coot]

Decades ago the Buffalo fans showered the field with beer bottles.

 

That's why your Genny comes in a paper cup.

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

19 minutes ago, RunTheBall said:

There has never been a football game where there were both snow and fans in the stands where snowballs weren’t thrown. Never.

 

It’s comical to listen to some  moan about “the look” or like there are some rules in play when it comes to where and when you can throw a snowball

 

BTW, they weren’t live grenades, they weren’t iceballs, it was freshly fallen snow. No one was injured and there wasn’t any high risk of injury.

 

I’ve got an idea, if the NFL doesn’t want fans to throw snowballs maybe they should chip in cash to help remove snow from the stands? 

 

Much to do about nothing 

 

That's all well and good there but I still think you look like an idiot if you throw snowballs at the oppositions bench. But I mean hey, everybody can be an idiot sometimes, isn't that right.

[WotAGuy]

4 minutes ago, Nineforty said:

as a USMNT fan, I've heard how players deal with bags of urine being thrown at them when travelling to some countries to play (just one of many things that create a hostile environment). I don't want anyone to get hurt, and I wouldn't personally throw any, but I do think it creates a somewhat hostile environment for the opposing team. So I'm in. Until someones blinded of course

Besides the ignorance of this post, the issue is people on the sidelines and elsewhere trying to do their jobs and getting hit in the head or face with a wet snowball is ridiculous.  The “snow”balls landing on the field weren’t soft, fluffy snow; they were dense enough to survive the impact of landing and there were many snowballs still intact on the ground. People with the “me first and only” attitudes just can’t fathom thinking of others, much less other’s rights to not be assaulted with projectiles. 

[Slippery Rubber Mats]

41 minutes ago, Buffalo Dude said:

From anyone who was at the game, was the problem that snowballs were being thrown onto the field in general, or at the Dolphins bench?

I’ve got video of snowballs thrown in every direction, including the Bills bench, from row 10 45 yard line after a bills td. 
 

it was mayhem and it was awesome 

[Freddie's Dead]

Only Bildos should be thrown on the field, then only at the Cheats or if Marcia makes the roady to town.

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

For the record, I think the idea of a 15-yard penalty for doing it is absolutely stupid. I don't see them doing that. Warning or GameStop is one thing, penalizing the fan base or the team for that matter for throwing snowballs, is stupid.

Edited December 23, 2022 by DaBillsFanSince1973

[RoyBatty is alive]

50 minutes ago, Buffalo Dude said:

According to SI:

 

The refs “made up” the 15 yard penalty just to calm down the fans, knowing they couldn’t enforce the rule.

 

https://www.si.com/.amp/extra-mustard/2022/12/23/bills-dolphins-15-yard-snowball-penalty-threat

 

The flurry got the crowd into such a fervor as to draw the ire of the officials, who made an announcement during the game that Buffalo would be assessed a 15-yard penalty if fans hit anybody on the field with a thrown snow ball.

The crowd eventually settled down. But, as it turns out, the fans could have created quite an interesting scenario if they called the officials’ bluff.

That’s because, as Bills tight end Dawson Knox recalled this week, there wasn’t actually anything the officials could do to penalize a team for fans’ behavior, making the public address announcement an empty threat.

“Apparently, they told coach McDermott or someone, ‘Hey we can’t actually enforce that, we just have to say that for them to stop,’” Knox said on the podcast Green Light with Chris Long. “It was a just say it, to get them to calm down.”

Publicizing this was not a wise decision, no upside for the Bills,

 

This is likely going to be brought up at a future Owners meeting.  Refs should be able to call a penalty so it doesn't end up like a Cleveland/Cinci fiasco years ago.  Players/refs/innocent bystanders can get hurt.

 

[Slippery Rubber Mats]

I’ve never been to a bills game, where there was that much snow left on the seats at game time. That played a huge part. A vast majority of the snowballs that were thrown in the crowd to other areas of the stands. Not much of it made it onto the field in a relative sense. 

[WotAGuy]

2 minutes ago, Tom Donahoe, GM said:

I’ve never been to a bills game, where there was that much snow left on the seats at game time. That played a huge part. A vast majority of the snowballs that were thrown in the crowd to other areas of the stands. Not much of it made it onto the field in a relative sense. 

So if you go to a restaurant and there’s a knife on the table, is it ok to throw it at the person at the next table?  

[biLLyBuFFs]

bastards!    Knew it sounded fishy...Watch it become an issue discussed in off season rule changes now!  lol

[The Wiz]

42 minutes ago, Buffalo Dude said:

Not condoning the throwing of snowballs, but wondering:

 

Was this in retaliation of the strategically designed Dolphin stadium that puts opposing players in the sun while the home team is in the shade?

 

or was this just Bills fans being silly?

Just young adults being drunk and stupid more likely.

 

All things considered, it could have been worse.

 

 

 

Edited December 23, 2022 by The Wiz

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

playoffs here we come

[phypon]

30 minutes ago, BillnutinHouston said:

It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.

Or a beer.  I would be furious!!

[Slippery Rubber Mats]

4 minutes ago, WotAGuy said:

So if you go to a restaurant and there’s a knife on the table, is it ok to throw it at the person at the next table?  

This question is a sign you are taking this way too seriously

[RoyBatty is alive]

4 minutes ago, Tom Donahoe, GM said:

I’ve got video of snowballs thrown in every direction, including the Bills bench, from row 10 45 yard line after a bills td. 
 

it was mayhem and it was awesome 

It was great to watch on TV I will admit that but how awesome would it have been if a Bill was seriously hurt?  

[3rdand12]

7 minutes ago, WotAGuy said:

So if you go to a restaurant and there’s a knife on the table, is it ok to throw it at the person at the next table?  

I was wondering this myself.
or is a spoon acceptable ?