The NFL has the worst referee system and worst rulebook in pro sports. Now you have playoff games two weeks in a row where the outcome was unequivocally altered by the referees the damned replay system.
Last weekend it was a reversal of a pass interference call, a judgment call, where never before had you seen such a call reversed. You can argue whether that was pass interference or not but you'll lose that argument for two reasons: A, if you're being honest, you know you've seen less interference called as interference; and B, again, you've never seen that call reversed before. Without that happening, a different teams wins that game.
Same thing with the call in today's Cowboy/Packer playoff game. The outcome changed who would win the game. First, there's this rule defining what is and what is not a catch, defying what you know with your own damned eyes to be a catch; and secondly, even within that rule I think it's a catch.
Now before you go all "tuck rule" on me, you know full well I've always said that was a horrible rule and it decided a game unfairly. This rule needs to be changed as well back to what a catch used to be -- the receiver had control of the ball and made one, two (and counting his knee) three steps. Isn't that control? Isn't trying to reach for the goal line "making a play" with the ball? And why the hell isn't he down when his touches down and he still has control?
Hopefully this shit doesn't follow the old adage that this stuff happens in threes because I don't want to see it again in the four games remaining in this season, especially if it helps screw my team too.
Thankfully there's a frigging hockey game coming on.
6 comments:
I am going to argue against what you want to go back to.
It used to be a judgement call each and every time that a receiver tries to catch a ball and hits the ground and the official has to decide whether or not the receiver had the ball, controlled it, and just let it go because he decided that he got the catch done or if he could not maintain control of the football.
The rules committee put this rule into place in response to the reaction of players, teams, and fans arguing that they were calling completions incomplete and vice versa. It made it easier for the officials to decide what is a catch or not.
In a game that has been so tilted towards the offense, is it too much to ask a receiver to catch the ball and if you get hit before your two feet touch the ground to maintain possession of the ball after you hit the ground? I think not.
So I've learned not to disagree with Zeb. If he says its a "stupid and wrong" rule, then it's not for me to say it's neither stupid nor wrong. I'll withhold my opinion because in the end, my opinion doesn't matter.
But I will say this (which I've said before): if I were "The Commish" for a day, here's what I'd change with respect to the rules:
1. I'd get rid of the punt. You play your downs until you score, or surrender the ball on the 4th down.
2. I'd get rid of field goals of less that 40 yards.
3. I'd get rid of the measurement chains. You have to advance the ENTIRE ball beyond the 10th hash mark to get a 1st down; anything less than that is a failed down. No more subjective placement of the ball after the ubiquitous 22-man dog pile scrum on 4th down. After everyone's been peeled away from the pile, wherever the ball is, that's where it's marked.
4. The ground CAN cause fumbles, so hold on to the ball.
5. You can't "catch" the ball with your head (helmet), shoulders, knees, or legs.
6. I'd get rid of replay. The refs are a part of the game.
7. No more "breaking the plane" or "touching the end zone marker" TDs. To be a touchdown, the entire ball and the entire player must cross the end zone.
8. Referee "touchdown" hand signal will no longer be both arms raised above the head. The new signal will be the two-handed "point" from the waist, exactly like in Australian Rules football!!
8. The "PAT" will be a pass (1 pt) or a run (2 pts).
9. Any player fighting or otherwise rough housing after a play is ejected for a 4-down series. Caught fighting twice, you're ejected permanently (an NFL-style "red card").
10. There will be a 360 degree, 20-yard "no fly zone" around all refs as the confer on a penalty, where no player or coach can enter--period. If you do, it's a 10-yard penalty on the defense, or a loss of down penalty on the offense.
11. Both teams must attempt no more than one (1) "trick" play every game.
I like #1, 6, 8a, 8b, and 10. Especially 8a.
Regarding the two controversial rules in both Dallas games, I say this is karma! The Cowboys got the wrong benefit last week, and this week is simply comeuppance!
I think what's really got people's goat, especially our BoSox Tavern benefactor, is the fact that these controversial plays came at the most critical point of the game. This is why they're being called "game changers"--because they go against the outcome you wanted to see. If those calls had happened in the 1st quarter, no one would be up in arms because you still have 45 minutes to do something about it. No so in these instances.
FACTS are: he did not control the ball, and the ball DID touch the ground. I liked what the announcer/analyst said: the ground cannot cause a fumble, but the ground can [and often does] cause an incomplete pass. That is exactly what happened here. There were no two steps, because he was vertical, falling to the ground, then rolling on the ground, on his back. He wasn't running, walking, or anywhere near being on his feet in order to advance the ball.
That was the right call, irrespective of when it was called. Over the years, the refs have been neutered and have become antiquated by the replay camera. I think replay should go away and we reinsert the judgment of the red as the sole arbiter. No more challenges--the refs are a part of the game. Otherwise put a freaking RFID chip in the ball, add 10 more cameras, and get rid of the refs altogether.
That's when I abandon the NFL and give my attention to Sumo!!
All I have to add here is 14 more days until the 24 Hours at Daytona!
"The outcome you wanted." Was that directed at me? I was rooting against Dallas two weeks ago but for them yesterday? I'm a Pats fan.
I challenge you knuckleheads to use all these stupid f'ing rules defining a catch the next time you play with your buds and see how far it gets you. That play yesterday is called a catch in every other league in the world, including soccer. The NFL has ruined football with their stupid f'ing rules. And George wants to add or alter more of them.
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