NFL Sidelines: Confused? So Were The Refs

Referee Scott Green said a touchdown on the last play of the game was errantly taken away from the Steelers in their 11-10 victory over the Chargers in Pittsburgh.

[Emeril Lagasse]

The Steelers were robbed, and they still won. How about that Patsies fans!

[Rex J Steelman]

And that wasn't even the most egregious bad call of the game. The interference call against Ike Taylor was one of the worst of the year. Ike was in position, looking at the ball, when the receiver, who wasn't looking at the ball, ran into him. And then the pass--clearly uncatchable--sailed well over the heads of all receivers and DBs. But still, it ended up putting the Chargers on the goal line for their only TD. This officiating crew was WRETCHED. They seemed baffled all afternoon by the game unfolding in front of them.

[ricbee]

I don't watch the NFL anymore because you have to be a lawyer to figure out the new rules every week.

[Bob Roberts]

Rex J Steelman wrote:

And that wasn't even the most egregious bad call of the game. The interference call against Ike Taylor was one of the worst of the year. Ike was in position, looking at the ball, when the receiver, who wasn't looking at the ball, ran into him. And then the pass--clearly uncatchable--sailed well over the heads of all receivers and DBs. But still, it ended up putting the Chargers on the goal line for their only TD. This officiating crew was WRETCHED. They seemed baffled all afternoon by the game unfolding in front of them.

Same old story right Rex. And where were the holding calls against the chargers? They were holding harrison like crazy. A buncha BS is what I think. The refs are getting worse it seems.

[Bill in Cranberry]

Bob Roberts wrote:

<quoted text>
Same old story right Rex. And where were the holding calls against the chargers? They were holding harrison like crazy. A buncha BS is what I think. The refs are getting worse it seems.

Bob, Rex. The officiating in that game without question was as bad as it can get. Its just like the fines Ward, Woodley, and Harrison have received. Unf,,,ing believable.
In '02 or '03 I had some business with one of the Zebras at a company he owned in Washington Co. I can't think of his name right now, but the dude was a cheap, arrogant, a##hole. I believe at that time those guys were making about $60k a year part time + expenses. The league has got to do better with the playcalling.

STEELERS ROCK !!!

[Bob Roberts]

Bill in Cranberry wrote:

<quoted text>
Bob, Rex. The officiating in that game without question was as bad as it can get. Its just like the fines Ward, Woodley, and Harrison have received. Unf,,,ing believable.
In '02 or '03 I had some business with one of the Zebras at a company he owned in Washington Co. I can't think of his name right now, but the dude was a cheap, arrogant, a##hole. I believe at that time those guys were making about $60k a year part time + expenses. The league has got to do better with the playcalling.
STEELERS ROCK !!!

the refs should make a 500k per year starting out. then we would see a huge competition to ref. many older players or player who never made it would apply. the level would go up and these dumbf''ks would go back to calling high school games.

[Rex J Steelman]

Bob Roberts wrote:

<quoted text>
the refs should make a 500k per year starting out. then we would see a huge competition to ref. many older players or player who never made it would apply. the level would go up and these dumbf''ks would go back to calling high school games.

A good idea. Change of topic, but am I the only one who thinks that Santonio Holmes is having a really disappointing season? This looked like his breakout year, but ever since his pot bust, he's run routes and blocked lethargically, dropped catchable passes and looked like a far from dependable receiver.

[Jopa-n]

Bob Roberts wrote:

<quoted text>
the refs should make a 500k per year starting out. then we would see a huge competition to ref. many older players or player who never made it would apply. the level would go up and these dumbf''ks would go back to calling high school games.

They don't need to make that much money. The money they got for the San Diego cover in Vegas more than paid the bills. There is no way to know who and how many can bet through other indviduals on games. The way that the play was changed AFTER REPLAY has to bring that Ref into question. He has no ground to stand on to justify CHANGING the CORRECT CALL after seeing it on replay. Every person in the world knew the rule but the ref? Give me a break.

[Bob Roberts]

Jopa-n wrote:

<quoted text>They don't need to make that much money. The money they got for the San Diego cover in Vegas more than paid the bills. There is no way to know who and how many can bet through other indviduals on games. The way that the play was changed AFTER REPLAY has to bring that Ref into question. He has no ground to stand on to justify CHANGING the CORRECT CALL after seeing it on replay. Every person in the world knew the rule but the ref? Give me a break.

Well you can't underestimate the dude's incompetence but I see your point. The game was kept close by the penalties. The steelers won in spite of the bad calls. I'd hate think the freekin refs are in the tank but it does look fishy.

[Jopa-n]

Bob Roberts wrote:

<quoted text>
Well you can't underestimate the dude's incompetence but I see your point. The game was kept close by the penalties. The steelers won in spite of the bad calls. I'd hate think the freekin refs are in the tank but it does look fishy.

Even his explanation (2nd pass illegal), does not hold water. Whatever (pass) he looked at, there was absolutely no way he could make a viable case to say it was illegal. I refuse to think the average NFL fan knows the rule book better than the referee. With 64 million dollars at stake, you can bet he knew what he was looking at.

[Bob Roberts]

Jopa-n wrote:

<quoted text>Even his explanation (2nd pass illegal), does not hold water. Whatever (pass) he looked at, there was absolutely no way he could make a viable case to say it was illegal. I refuse to think the average NFL fan knows the rule book better than the referee. With 64 million dollars at stake, you can bet he knew what he was looking at.

at the very least this guy should lose his position as a head ref. I think he shouldn't be allowed to ref an nfl game again. If you're that stupid that you watch the play, then watch the replay, and still call it wrong when everyone in the stadium and TVland called it right...then you're either incompetent or a cheater and should be history. 86 the chump.

[Rex J Steelman]

I guess my explanation falls somewhere between you two guys. Everyone was making such a big deal over the NFL's first 11-10 score, I wonder if there wasn't some kind of pressure from someone to keep it that way. Goodell is a fanatic about trumpeting any kind of cool publicity for the league, even if it's a ridiculous "milestone" like this one. The play didn't "matter" in terms of the game, so someone made the sentimental (and VERY BAD) decision to allow the game to remain 11-10.

[Jopa-n]

Rex J Steelman wrote:

I guess my explanation falls somewhere between you two guys. Everyone was making such a big deal over the NFL's first 11-10 score, I wonder if there wasn't some kind of pressure from someone to keep it that way. Goodell is a fanatic about trumpeting any kind of cool publicity for the league, even if it's a ridiculous "milestone" like this one. The play didn't "matter" in terms of the game, so someone made the sentimental (and VERY BAD) decision to allow the game to remain 11-10.

I say you don't put your career under scutiny for some 'nice' publicity. Now the right price, that's another story. Everybody has a price.

[Rex J Steelman]

Jopa-n wrote:

<quoted text>I say you don't put your career under scutiny for some 'nice' publicity. Now the right price, that's another story. Everybody has a price.

"Follow the Money" is a rule that works about 99% of the time, so you may be right. I also agree with the poster who points out that a few disgruntled bookies seem to have a lot more clout than legions of outraged fans ever do. The whole situation is very creepy.

[Stiller fan in Vermont]

Rex J Steelman wrote:

I guess my explanation falls somewhere between you two guys. Everyone was making such a big deal over the NFL's first 11-10 score, I wonder if there wasn't some kind of pressure from someone to keep it that way. Goodell is a fanatic about trumpeting any kind of cool publicity for the league, even if it's a ridiculous "milestone" like this one. The play didn't "matter" in terms of the game, so someone made the sentimental (and VERY BAD) decision to allow the game to remain 11-10.

Goodell loves to fine the players. But since he has been the Commissioner the officials have gone to hell. Ask any one in Denver week two. He is as bad for Football as anything. Maybe fine the officials. At least don't let Green come back to any game in Pittsburgh he has a hard on for the Steelers.

[Jopa-n]

Rex J Steelman wrote:

<quoted text>
"Follow the Money" is a rule that works about 99% of the time, so you may be right. I also agree with the poster who points out that a few disgruntled bookies seem to have a lot more clout than legions of outraged fans ever do. The whole situation is very creepy.

When they talk about throwing a game, I know that's not probably the situation. What can be, is if refs are told or involoved in influencing the spread by say, calling ticky tac penalties on one team vs. only calling blatant fouls on the other. How about using replay discretion to influence the spread in a game? When you now look at the Steeler/Charger game as a whole, this has to cross our minds.

[123abc]

The Steelers should stop crying, they are paying the piper for the ridicilous favorable calls they received in Super Bowl XL. They made a deal with the devil and it still hasn't worked out that bad for them considering they still won the damn game!!!

[Go Cats]

NFL refs have always been confused as to the "rules of the game". I think I can count on one hand how many "good refs" there have been over the past 25 years.

[Jopa-n]

123abc wrote:

The Steelers should stop crying, they are paying the piper for the ridicilous favorable calls they received in Super Bowl XL. They made a deal with the devil and it still hasn't worked out that bad for them considering they still won the damn game!!!

Nobody is saying every team hasn't had their day on both ends of a bad call. What they should be doing is allowing replay to speak for itself. Once the ref goes under the hood, he speaks to a rules guru upstairs as he looks at the play, the rules ref advises and lets him know if his conclusion could be faulty. Forget about what was said on the field prior to going under the hood. Watch the play, and the two refs involved in the replay call it as it's shown on the video tape. No ands, ifs, or buts.

[Rex J Steelman]

123abc wrote:

The Steelers should stop crying, they are paying the piper for the ridicilous favorable calls they received in Super Bowl XL. They made a deal with the devil and it still hasn't worked out that bad for them considering they still won the damn game!!!

Sounds like you're the one who's crying, DoReMiBabyYouandMe. I've watched that game about 20 times on DVD, and the HBO special where they examined all of the calls, and in fact there was exactly ONE really bad call, and it was a non-call. When the OL was called for holding (which he DID commit--a horse-collar, no less), Haggans should have been called for offsides first. That was potentially big, as Hasselbeck threw a pick two plays later. The offensive pass interference on Jackson was a little ticky-tacky, but it was there. It was stupid of Jackson to shove Ike Taylor when he could have made the catch without the shove. Other than that, nada--no basis for complaints. That Big Ben TD--clearly broke the plane before getting shoved back out. Every replay confirms it, and HBO used a laser to prove it irrefutably.